How the AP Top 25 football poll changed after multiple losses in top 15
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Oklahoma stifled Alabama, forcing turnovers and snapping the Tide’s home streak.
- Indiana, Ohio State and Texas A&M remain unbeaten; polls will shift.
- ACC miscues cost ranked teams: Louisville lost on missed kicks and late penalties
College football’s “regular season” might be coming to an end soon, but the chaos persists. Despite most of the ranked teams winning their respective games, there were a handful of surprising losses and more wild finishes.
Once again, the ACC seemingly shot itself in the foot with a pair of losses and one near-loss to one of the worst teams in not only the conference, but the country.
Additionally, the SEC featured a few thrilling games that shuffled the top 10. There were three ranked matchups, with one upset, and Vanderbilt was the only top 25 team with a bye.
Clemson beats Cards on the road
Louisville (7-3) fell to Clemson (5-5), 20-19, at home Friday night, its loss defined by missed kicks and multiple penalties in the final four minutes.
The Cardinals missed a PAT early in the game, which was the difference in the final score, but their crunch time mistakes proved more costly. Louisville, using two different kickers, missed 50- and 46-yard attempts. The Cardinals committed four penalties on the final four drives, which pushed them out of field goal territory or extended the distances on the attempts they took.
Clemson overcame a fumble, turnover on downs and bad snap on a punt to hold on for the one-point win.
Louisville rushed for one touchdown, and quarterback Caullin Lacy threw for one touchdown. Adam Randall led the Tigers with 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The Cardinals dropped out of the poll after their loss. They were also ranked No. 20 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Georgia Tech narrowly tops Boston College
After losing its first game of the season two weeks ago at N.C. State, Georgia Tech (9-1) flirted with another loss at Boston College (1-10) on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets pulled off a stunning 36-34 win, scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter.
Georgia Tech scored two touchdowns and two field goals in the final period to claw back. It took a 33-28 lead before the Eagles regained a one-point advantage. Ultimately, Aidan Birr came in clutch once again, making a 26-yard kick with 11 seconds remaining in the game.
The Yellow Jackets overcame an 11-point deficit late in the third to remain tied for first place in the ACC. Quarterback Haynes King threw for 371 yards and one touchdown, while Malachi Hosley ran for 107 yards and a score.
BC quarterback Dylan Lonergan threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns and was assisted by Turbo Richard, who ran for 141 yards and a pair of scores.
The Yellow Jackets dropped one spot to No. 15.
Sooners upset Tide in Tuscaloosa
Oklahoma (8-2) defeated Alabama (8-2), 23-21, to snap the Crimson Tide’s 17-game home winning streak and give Kalen DeBoer his first home loss.
The Sooner defense stayed stalwart late in the game, forcing two punts, one fumble and a turnover on downs. The Tide only gained 57 yards across its final four drives. Alabama made a surge in the second quarter and took a one-point lead in the third quarter, but OU responded with a field goal.
Oklahoma recovered two Alabama fumbles and Eli Bowen scored an 87-yard pick six. John Mateer threw for 138 yards and ran for 23. He contributed one rushing touchdown, which was the only offensive score of the day, with the interception return and field goals accounting for the remaining points. OU’s 212 yards of offense were the fewest in a game since 2022. It was the fewest in a win since 2001. Bob Stoops, fresh off the 2000 national championship, and his squad defeated Mack Brown and his No. 5 Texas team.
Alabama QB Ty Simpson threw for 326 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Daniel Hill found the end zone twice in the Tide’s rushing attack.
OU rose three spots to No. 8, with most of the top 10 shifting up a spot or two after Alabama and Texas’ losses.
Navy notches ranked victory
Navy toppled South Florida and created a measure of chaos atop the American Conference. The Midshipmen (8-2) beat the Bulls (7-3), 41-38, ending USF’s hopes of a playoff spot and likely knocking it out of the poll again.
Navy put together three double-digit scoring quarters and led South Florida, 24-9, at halftime. The Bulls scored 22 points in the final quarter as it attempted the comeback, but wasn’t able to pull off the win. USF had the ball with six seconds remaining, but a fumble recovered by Navy ended any hope of a Hail Mary play.
The Midshipmen tore up the South Florida run defense to rack up 336 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Alex Tecza recorded 126 yards and found the end zone once, while Braxton Woodson added 103 yards and two scores.
After repeatedly being left out of the top 25, Navy still didn’t make it. The Midshipmen finished 26th in the voting with 61 points.
Other notable results
Oregon moved to 9-1 after defeating Minnesota (6-4) in a commanding 42-13 win on Friday night. The Ducks scored more points in both the first and second quarters than the Golden Gophers ended the night with. Oregon entered the week ranked No. 7 in the AP poll and No. 8 in the playoff rankings. It rose to No. 6.
No. 3 Texas A&M (10-0) overcame a 30-3 halftime deficit and beat South Carolina (3-7), 31-30, at home. The Gamecocks defense dominated the first half. It recorded multiple turnovers, including one pick six, and stymied the Aggies rhythm. A&M scored 21 unanswered points to cut into the South Carolina lead The Aggies out-scored the Gamecocks, 21-0, in the third quarter and 28-0 in the second half. Marcel Reed threw for 439 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions for the Aggies. KC Concepcion caught seven passes for 158 yards, and Ashton Bethel-Roman added 139 yards and one touchdown.
Ohio State dominated UCLA (3-7), 48-10, in a game that included a 100-yard kickoff return. The Buckeyes led wire-to-wire to move to 10-0.
Indiana (11-0) also beat Wisconsin (3-7), 31-7, behind Fernando Mendoza’s four touchdown passes. Mendoza, a California transfer, completed 91.7% of his passes and led the team to its first 11-0 record in program history.
Texas A&M, Ohio State and Indiana remain the lone undefeated teams in the nation. The Buckeyes remained at No. 1, with the Hoosiers and Aggies in second and third.
Miami (8-2) throttled N.C. State (5-5) in a 41-7 victory at home to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Hurricanes were effective on both sides of the ball, finding a rhythm on offense and completely shutting down the Wolfpack offense. They racked up 581 yards of total offense and only gave up 143 yards. N.C. State did not cross midfield until late in the fourth quarter. Miami was ranked No. 16 last week and it moved up two spots with all the shuffling.
Georgia (9-1) beat Texas (7-3), 35-10, likely ending the Longhorns’ playoff hopes. Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton led the efforts, completing 24 of 29 passes for 229 yards and five touchdowns. Aside from an early Texas field goal, Georgia led for the majority of the game. The Longhorns fell seven spots to No. 17, despite their win over Oklahoma earlier this season, following their third defeat. Georgia rose one spot to No. 4.
Cincinnati (7-3) lost to Arizona (7-3), 30-24, at home. Pittsburgh (7-3) lost to Notre Dame (8-2), 37-15, also at home. Notre Dame remained at No. 9. Cincinnati and Pitt dropped out.
Tulane beat Florida Atlantic (4-6), 35-24, at home to move to 8-2 and 5-1 in the American. The Green Wave has been knocking on the door of the rankings for most of the season and finally found itself in the top 25. North Texas (9-1) came in at 22. Missouri (7-3) and Houston (8-2) reentered at No. 23 and No. 25, respectively.
Week 13 AP Top 25 poll
This story was originally published November 16, 2025 at 10:56 AM.
