New AP Poll Football Rankings Released: Surprise Top-10 Shake-Up Changes the Playoff Race

Ohio State stays perfect at 10-0 and locks down the No. 1 spot in the Week 11 AP Top 25 college football poll, collecting 57 first-place votes—its eighth straight week atop the rankings. Indiana (11-0) remains No. 2 with eight first-place nods, while unbeaten Texas A&M clings to No. 3 after a narrow road escape in Baton Rouge. GEORGIA’S BIG LEAP Georgia’s statement win over Florida vaulted the Bulldogs from No. 5 to No. 4, their highest mark this season, putting five SEC programs inside the top 10—Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama and Oklahoma—an emphatic reminder of the league’s depth ahead of December’s title games. SURPRISE CLIMBERS & NEWCOMERS • Ole Miss climbs to No. 5, matching its best ranking since 2015. • Texas Tech surges four spots to a tie at No. 6 after throttling Oklahoma State. • North Texas breaks into the poll at No. 22, its first AP ranking since 1959, after a 9-1 start sparked by the nation’s No. 7 scoring offense. • James Madison jumps to No. 21 in just its third FBS season, strengthening the Sun Belt’s national profile. SLIDERS & SHAKE-UPS Alabama tumbles six spots to No. 10 following a last-second loss to LSU, while Texas free-falls to No. 17 after back-to-back defeats that all but end its playoff hopes. BYU (No. 11) and Vanderbilt (No. 12) quietly keep New Year’s Six dreams alive, each sitting at 9-1 and 8-2 respectively. PLAYOFF PICTURE CRYSTALLIZING With three regular-season weeks left, only four Power Five unbeatens remain: Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Georgia Tech. The Buckeyes and Hoosiers are on collision course for a potential No. 1 vs. No. 2 Big Ten Championship, while Georgia could snatch the top seed if it sweeps Tennessee and an SEC title game rematch against Texas A&M. GAMES THAT WILL DEFINE WEEK 12 • No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 5 Ole Miss: winner seizes SEC West and CFP control. • No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 18 Michigan: Irish seek résumé boost; Wolverines fight to stay ranked. • No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 15 Georgia Tech: Pac-12 supremacy and playoff elimination stakes. WHAT’S NEXT The committee’s first official College Football Playoff rankings drop Tuesday night; expect the top four to mirror the AP poll but watch for Georgia and Ole Miss jockeying for the final spot. With rivalry week looming and conference title berths on the line, the margin for error has vanished—one upset could redraw the postseason map overnight. KEYWORDS: AP Top 25, college football rankings, Week 11 poll, Ohio State football, Georgia Bulldogs, College Football Playoff, SEC football, North Texas Mean Green, Indiana Hoosiers, Texas A&M Aggies