Ohio State Falls to No. 11 After Loss to Unranked USC

Ohio State fell to No. 11 in the AP Top 25 poll on Sunday, marking the first time the Buckeyes have dropped out of the top 10 since September 2021. The slide followed a 30-18 defeat at the hands of unranked Southern California. This result means the top two teams in the country have lost to unranked opponents for four consecutive weeks.

Miami remained at No. 1 for the third straight week after defeating North Carolina 38-35. The Hurricanes earned 62 of the 70 first-place votes from the media panel. Georgia climbed to No. 2, followed by Utah at No. 3, Notre Dame at No. 4, and UCLA at No. 5.

UCLA’s rise to No. 5 is the highest ranking for the program since 2001. The Bruins are 8-0 under first-year coach Bob Chesney, a mark not seen since 2005. They achieved this by shutting out Nevada 27-0 in a non-conference game.

New Mexico entered the rankings for the first time in program history at No. 22. The Lobos secured the spot after a 21-16 win at San Jose State. Their 7-1 start is the first such record since 1982 and comes in coach Jason Eck’s second season.

Indiana dropped two spots to No. 6 following a 23-16 overtime victory over Minnesota. BYU, Kentucky, Alabama, and Texas complete the top 10. USC jumped to No. 18, Iowa entered at No. 21, and South Carolina cracked the poll at No. 23 after winning three straight games.

The SEC holds 10 teams in the poll, including Florida at No. 25. The Big 12 has five, led by Utah. Boise State remains at No. 20 in the Pac-12, while New Mexico represents the Mountain West. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell faces renewed scrutiny after a 30-0 loss to Iowa, despite a recent win over USC.

Notable upcoming matchups include No. 1 Miami visiting No. 4 Notre Dame, a rivalry that dates back to a 1988 game. No. 2 Georgia travels to No. 12 Mississippi, while No. 7 BYU hosts No. 3 Utah in the Holy War. No. 9 Alabama plays No. 15 LSU, and No. 10 Texas faces No. 19 Missouri in a key SEC contest.