Florida is back in the AP Top 10, and it did it the loud way.
The Gators climbed to No. 8 in the Week 5 AP Top 25 after knocking off No. 9 Ole Miss in The Swamp, marking their first appearance in the top 10 since 2021. Florida went from unranked to No. 8 on the strength of a 4-0 start under first-year coach Jon Sumrall.
At the very top, nothing changed. Texas held at No. 1, Georgia stayed No. 2 and Notre Dame remained No. 3, keeping the first three spots exactly where they were.
Miami moved up two places to No. 4 after a big performance from star quarterback Darian Mensah. Ohio State is right behind at No. 5, and Indiana slipped to No. 6 after getting pushed by Northwestern.
Alabama checks in at No. 7, just ahead of Florida, while Ole Miss fell to No. 9 after the loss in Gainesville. BYU rounds out the top 10.
The biggest shakeup outside the upper tier came from Boise State, which entered the poll at No. 22 after a 32-6 rout of Western Michigan. That win gave the Broncos a second victory over a Group of Six playoff hopeful and made them the first Group of Six team to break into the rankings.
There were other new arrivals as well. Mississippi came in at No. 16, UCLA at No. 23 and Kentucky at No. 24, each returning after long absences.
The rest of the poll features LSU at No. 11, Texas Tech at No.
12, Utah at No. 13, Iowa at No.
14, Oregon at No. 15, Mississippi State at No.
16, Tennessee at No. 17, USC at No.
18, Oklahoma State at No. 19, Houston at No.
20, SMU at No. 21 and Missouri at No. 25.
Week 5 AP Top 25 poll
1 Texas 4-0 1,737 (62)
2 Georgia 4-0 1,646 (6)
3 Notre Dame 4-0 1,581
4 Miami (FL) 4-0 1,501 (1)
5 Ohio State 3-1 1,465
6 Indiana 4-0 1,408 (1)
7 Alabama 4-0 1,305
8 Florida 4-0 1,272
9 Ole Miss 3-1 1,089
10 BYU 3-0 1,078
11 LSU 3-1 1,073
12 Texas Tech 4-0 1,053
13 Utah 4-0 903
14 Iowa 4-0 856
15 Oregon 3-1 725
16 Mississippi State 4-0 715
17 Tennessee 3-1 663
18 USC 4-1 410
19 Oklahoma State 3-1 345
20 Houston 3-1 278
21 SMU 3-1 246
22 Boise State 3-1 221
23 UCLA 4-0 218
24 Kentucky 3-1 150
25 Missouri 3-1 118
In Other News...
Mississippi State Has Earned A Ranking Debate Fans Wont Ignore
Mississippi States fast start has turned what looked like a solid opening month into a real ranking conversation. The Bulldogs are 4-0 and already 2-0 in SEC play, with a win over No. 25 Missouri helping push them up to No. 16 in the AP Poll, and sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor has been one of the biggest reasons for the surge. Taylor has thrown for 1,192 yards and 14 touchdowns, tying for the national lead in passing scores and giving Mississippi State the kind of offensive punch that can make voters take notice.
The debate now is whether the Bulldogs have done enough to climb higher despite the company they still have to keep in the schedule. Teams ahead of them have stumbled, which only sharpens the argument around Mississippi States place in the poll, but the next stretch will say plenty about how serious this start really is. No. 7 Alabama is looming, and LSU is not far behind, leaving the Bulldogs with a chance to turn an early ranking into something much more difficult to dismiss. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Has A Heisman Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The late-September Heisman conversation had a few familiar faces in it, but Ole Miss had its own reason to pay attention. Across the weekend, standout performances from quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers around the country kept the race crowded, with individual game breakthroughs and efficient stat lines nudging certain players into the spotlight as the season starts to settle into its next stretch.
For Rebels fans, the issue is less about the national debate itself and more about what it says about where Ole Miss fits in that race. The review of the weekend's biggest efforts, along with a look ahead to upcoming matchups for some of those players, underscores how quickly the conversation can shift once October football gets rolling. Ole Miss can still make noise, but the path to having a true Heisman contender is starting to feel like a problem fans can't ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Trinidad Chambliss Gives Ole Miss Hope Despite One Ugly Warning Sign
Ole Miss left the loss to Florida with a sharp reminder of how quickly a game can get away from it when the defense cannot slow the run. The Gators piled up more than 300 rushing yards, turning the afternoon into a long one for the Rebels and exposing a problem that will need fixing if this team wants to hold up in SEC play.
Trinidad Chambliss still gave Ole Miss a reason to keep looking forward, though, because the quarterback handled a heavy load and produced one of the better individual outings of the day. He completed 25 of 34 passes for 298 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and added 44 rushing yards with two scores, giving the Rebels a clear offensive centerpiece even in a loss that raised more questions than answers. [Read more 🡒]