Week 2 didn’t just shake up the AP Top 25 - it turned it on its head.
Texas is now sitting at No. 1 after a wild Saturday night in Austin, where Arch Manning helped fuel a stunning comeback against Ohio State. The Longhorns were staring at a 23-3 deficit before rallying to beat the Buckeyes, and the voters rewarded that performance by pushing Texas to the top of the poll.
Ohio State took the biggest hit near the top, sliding five spots to No. 6.
Georgia stayed put at No. 2, while Notre Dame remained at No. 3.
Indiana moved up one spot to No. 4, and Miami climbed two places to No. 5.
The other major mover was Michigan, which made a strong return to the rankings at No. 19 after jumping nine spots. The Wolverines bounced back from their controversial escape against Western Michigan with a 17-10 win over Oklahoma at home. Kyle Whittingham has his first big win as the head coach of Michigan, and he's showing that he's helping Bryce Underwood come along.
Elsewhere in the top 25, LSU rose one spot to No. 7, Ole Miss moved up to No.
8, Texas A&M climbed to No. 9 and Alabama went up two places to No. 10.
BYU made one of the bigger jumps in the middle of the poll, rising four spots to No. 11.
USC checked in at No. 12, followed by Texas Tech at No. 13 and Penn State at No. 14.
Tennessee moved up three spots to No. 15, SMU landed at No. 16, and Utah climbed to No.
- Iowa rose three places to No. 18, just ahead of Michigan.
Oregon suffered one of the steepest drops, falling 15 spots to No. 21.
Houston came in at No. 22, Louisville moved up to No.
23, Oklahoma fell 13 spots to No. 24, and Virginia rounded out the poll at No. 25.
AP Top 25 Poll Results Going Into Week 3:
- Texas (+3)
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Indiana (+1)
- Miami (+2)
- Ohio State (-5)
- LSU (+1)
- Ole Miss (+1)
- Texas A&M (+1)
- Alabama (+2)
- BYU (+4)
- USC (+2)
- Texas Tech
- Penn State (+2)
- Tennessee (+3)
- SMU (+1)
- Utah (+3)
- Iowa (+3)
- Michigan (+9)
- Missouri (+3)
- Oregon (-15)
- Houston
- Louisville (+1)
- Oklahoma (-13)
- Virginia
In Other News...
Michigan Defense Just Got Telling Praise After Oklahoma Win
John Mateer had little trouble identifying where Saturday went sideways for Oklahoma after Michigan left town with a 17-10 win. The Sooners quarterback said his own accuracy and missed throws were part of the problem, and the numbers backed up the frustration: he finished 17 of 33 for 189 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while Oklahomas offense never quite found a rhythm against the Wolverines.
From Michigans side, that kind of self-assessment from the opposing quarterback is the sort of quiet validation a defense notices. Oklahoma managed just 289 total yards and converted only three of 13 third downs, and Mateer ended up leading the Sooners in rushing yards as well, a sign of how often Michigan kept the bigger answers off the table. For a Wolverines defense trying to build on a game that turned on one late touchdown, praise from the quarterback on the other sideline only sharpens the edge of what it did well. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Controlled Oklahoma With One Weapon Fans Rarely Celebrate
Special teams usually only get noticed when something goes wrong, but Michigan has leaned on that phase in a way that has quietly shaped its early season. Kyle Whittingham made a point of stressing the punt unit in preseason, and the Wolverines have turned that into real field-position value through the first two games, with Cam Brown consistently driving opponents deep and making every exchange on the field feel a little longer for the other sideline.
Michigans coverage work has helped the punt game land even harder. Defensive players such as Zeke Berry have chipped in to keep return yards down, turning hidden-yardage moments into part of the broader defensive edge. It is not the flashiest reason the Wolverines have been able to control games, but it is the kind of detail that tends to matter most once the schedule tightens and one or two possessions start deciding everything. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Made Another Push For A Five-Star Local Receiver
Dakota Guerrants visit to Michigans game against Oklahoma gave the Wolverines another chance to keep the five-star receiver close to home, even after his June commitment to Oregon. The Michigan native has strong local ties, and the Wolverines continue to press for a reopening in a recruitment that still carries plenty of intrigue because of who he is and where he grew up.
Oregon has its own selling point in this race, with recent success developing NFL-caliber wide receivers helping make the Ducks a tough pull to beat. Michigan, though, is still working to persuade Guerrant to reconsider, and his presence in Ann Arbor suggested this one is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]