UCLA Enters Top Five, Ohio State Falls to No. 11 in AP Poll
The Bruins reach their highest ranking since 2001 while the Buckeyes exit the top ten for the first time in five years.
By Chiara Saeed ·
UCLA entered the top five of the AP college football poll for the first time in 25 years, while Ohio State dropped to No. 11 on Sunday. The ranking changes follow a weekend in which the No. 2 team lost to an unranked opponent for the fourth consecutive week. Miami remained No. 1 for the third straight week after a narrow victory over North Carolina.
The Bruins, who are 8-0 under first-year coach Bob Chesney, climbed to No. 5 after shutoutting Nevada 27-0. This is their highest ranking since they sat at No. 4 following a 6-0 start in 2001. The team stepped out of conference play for the win, marking a high point for the program in a quarter-century.
Ohio State plummeted from No. 2 to No. 11 after losing 30-18 at Southern California. The Buckeyes have not been out of the top 10 since Sept. 26, 2021. They previously fell to No. 11 after a lopsided win over Akron but returned to the top 10 the following week after a 39-point victory over Rutgers, remaining there for 86 straight polls.
New Mexico earned its first ranking in program history at No. 22. The Lobos have played football since 1892 and secured the spot after beating San Jose State 21-16. The win improved their record to 7-1, their best start since 1982, and came in Jason Eck’s second season.
Georgia moved up to No. 2, followed by Utah, Notre Dame, and UCLA. Miami received 62 of 70 first-place votes from the media panel, Georgia got seven, and Utah received one. The Hurricanes will face Notre Dame on Saturday in a matchup between two top-five teams.
Indiana slipped to No. 6 after an overtime win over Minnesota. BYU, Kentucky, Alabama, and Texas completed the top 10. In other poll movements, USC jumped to No. 18 after beating Ohio State, its biggest win in five seasons. Iowa returned to the poll at No. 21 after a 30-0 win over Wisconsin, while South Carolina entered at No. 23 following three straight wins.
SMU, Northwestern, and Oklahoma State exited the rankings. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell faces renewed pressure after a loss at Iowa, following a brief reprieve from a dominant win over USC.
Source: KNBC
