Texas is back at No. 1 in the AP Top 25, and the SEC continues to crowd the top of the poll after another wild Saturday shook up the rankings.
The Longhorns took the top spot in Sunday’s Week 5 poll after beating Tennessee at Neyland Stadium. Right behind them, Georgia checked in at No. 2 after a 41-13 rout of Oklahoma. That gives the SEC two of the first two spots and five teams in the top 10 overall.
Alabama stayed put at No. 7 after rolling past South Carolina, while Florida made the loudest move of the week. The Gators surged 13 places to No. 8 after their win over Ole Miss, sliding ahead of the Rebels, who fell to No. 9.
The rest of the SEC in the poll includes 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, Boise State at No.
22, UCLA at No. 23, Kentucky at No. 24 and Mizzou at No.
Mississippi State also made one of the biggest climbs in the ranking, landing at No. 16 this week.
The full top five behind Texas and Georgia features Notre Dame at No. 3, Miami at No. 4 and Ohio State at No.
- Indiana sits at No. 6, giving the poll a mix of familiar heavyweights and a few teams making noise early.
Here is the full Week 5 AP Top 25: Texas
Georgia Notre Dame
Miami Ohio State
Indiana Alabama
Florida Ole Miss
BYU LSU
Texas Tech Utah
Iowa Oregon
Mississippi State Tennessee
USC Oklahoma State
Houston SMU
Boise State UCLA
Kentucky Mizzou
Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 102, Duke 101, Penn State 98, Wake Forest 88, Virginia Tech 86, Michigan 54, Pittsburgh 52, Nebraska 36, Louisville 25, Cincinnati 20, James Madison 10, Arizona 8, Minnesota 7, North Dakota State 6, Northwestern 1
Kalshi
Notre Dame 89% Miami (FL) 87%
Georgia 86% Texas 81%
Ohio St. 77%
Indiana 73% Texas Tech 55%
Florida 53% Ole Miss 35%
Mississippi St. 33%
Predict
In Other News...
Tennessee Texas Finish Just Got An Official Officiating Twist
The Southeastern Conference added an officiating wrinkle to Tennessees loss to Texas, saying the Volunteers drop-kick onside attempt was handled incorrectly. The league said the kick should have drawn a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down because it was taken from behind the required 35-yard line, a violation of free-kick rules.
Even so, the correction does not change the result of Texas 20-17 win over Tennessee. For the Volunteers, it leaves one more frustrating detail attached to a game already decided by a narrow margin, even if the official ruling stops short of altering the final scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Secondary Just Took Another Brutal Hit Before Auburn
Tennessees secondary is dealing with another setback heading into Auburn, with sophomore defensive back Dylan Lewis expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season because of a foot injury he suffered against Kennesaw State. Lewis had already been listed as out in SEC availability reports before the Texas game, and he was later seen in a walking boot, a clear sign the injury was serious enough to keep him sidelined for an extended stretch.
For a defense already managing other season-ending injuries in the back end, losing Lewis only tightens the margin for error. The Vols have had to keep adjusting their depth and rotations in the secondary, and now they head into the Auburn matchup with another important piece unavailable, leaving the coaching staff to sort out how to patch together a group that has been hit hard. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Are Stuck On One Faizon Brandon Debate
Tennessees loss to Texas left plenty of fingerprints on the offense, but the loudest postgame debate has centered on Faizon Brandon and how much of the struggle was really on the quarterback. Brandon finished 17 of 29 for 145 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, yet the bigger number was the sacks, with Tennessees protection breaking down often enough to make the whole night feel hurried and uneven.
Film analyst Brooks Austin pushed back on the idea that Brandon alone was responsible, pointing to a shaky run game and the lines problems up front as part of the picture. Josh Heupel sounded similarly measured, saying Brandon may have been sped up and stressing that the answer has to come from more than one player. For Tennessee, the uncomfortable part is that the debate is still open, and the film may only deepen it. [Read more 🡒]
