AP Week 9 poll reaction: What’s next for each Top 25 team
It was a relatively stable week in the Top 25 — just three teams, Illinois, Arizona State, and South Florida, lost to unranked opponents. Oklahoma, Missouri, and LSU lost to more highly ranked teams. Texas A&M overcame a sluggish start to keep its undefeated season alive. Georgia Tech, Indiana, and Ohio State are now the only other unbeatens remaining.
What does it all mean for the AP Top 25? Let’s break down the rankings.
Stats courtesy of ESPN Research.
All times Eastern.
Previous ranking: 1
2025 record: 7-0
Week 9 result: Idle
What’s next: Nov. 1 vs. Penn State, noon, Fox
Previous ranking: 2
2025 record: 8-0
Week 9 result: Defeated UCLA 56-6
Stat to know: This is the third 8-0 start in program history.
What’s next: Saturday at Maryland, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Previous ranking: 3
2025 record: 8-0
Week 9 result: Defeated LSU 49-25
Stat to know: Texas A&M has scored 40 or more points in its past four road games. That is tied for the longest streak in SEC history.
What’s next: Nov. 8 at Missouri
Previous ranking: 4
2025 record: 7-1
Week 9 result: Defeated South Carolina 29-22
Stat to know: Alabama trailed by 8 in the fourth quarter. That is its largest fourth-quarter comeback since 2021 at Auburn.
What’s next: Nov. 8 vs. LSU
Previous ranking: 5
2025 record: 6-1
Week 9 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday vs. Florida (in Jacksonville), 3:30 p.m., ABC
Previous ranking: 6
2025 record: 7-1
Week 9 result: Defeated Wisconsin 21-7
Stat to know: Oregon is 6-0 against unranked opponents this season.
What’s next: Nov. 8 at Iowa
Previous ranking: 8
2025 record: 7-1
Week 9 result: Defeated Oklahoma 34-26
Stat to know: Ole Miss is now 3-0 against Oklahoma.
What’s next: Saturday vs. South Carolina, 7 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 7
2025 record: 8-0
Week 9 result: Defeated Syracuse 41-16
Stat to know: Georgia Tech is 8-0 for the first time since 1966.
What’s next: Saturday at NC State, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 10
2025 record: 7-1
Week 9 result: Defeated Missouri 17-10
Stat to know: This is Vanderbilt’s first 7-1 start to a season since 1941.
What’s next: Saturday at Texas, noon, SEC Network
Previous ranking: 9
2025 record: 6-1
Week 9 result: Defeated Stanford 42-7
Stat to know: Miami outscored Stanford 42-0 after allowing a touchdown on the opening drive.
What’s next: Saturday at SMU, noon, ESPN
Previous ranking: 11
2025 record: 8-0
Week 9 result: Defeated Iowa State 41-27
Stat to know: This is BYU’s first time starting 8-0 in back-to-back seasons.
What’s next: Nov. 8 at Texas Tech
Previous ranking: 12
2025 record: 5-2
Week 9 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday at Boston College, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 14
2025 record: 7-1
Week 9 result: Defeated Oklahoma State 42-0
Stat to know: The win over Oklahoma State was Texas Tech’s first shutout against a Big 12 opponent since 2005.
What’s next: Saturday at Kansas State, 3:30 p.m., Fox
Previous ranking: 17
2025 record: 6-2
Week 9 result: Defeated Kentucky 56-34
Stat to know: The win over Kentucky was Tennessee’s third game with three passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns this season. That puts them in a tie with Oregon for the most such games in FBS this season.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Previous ranking: 16
2025 record: 7-1
Week 9 result: Defeated North Carolina 17-16 (OT)
Stat to know: Virginia has won six straight games, its longest streak within a season since 2007.
What’s next: Saturday at Cal, 3:45 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 19
2025 record: 6-1
Week 9 result: Defeated Boston College 38-24
Stat to know: Louisville is 6-1 for the second time in three seasons under Jeff Brohm.
What’s next: Saturday at Virginia Tech, 3 p.m., The CW
Previous ranking: 21
2025 record: 7-1
Week 9 result: Defeated Baylor 41-20
Stat to know: Cincinnati is on a seven-game win streak, its second-longest streak over the past five seasons.
What’s next: Saturday at Utah, 10:15 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 13
2025 record: 6-2
Week 9 result: Lost to Ole Miss 34-26
Stat to know: Xavier Robinson’s 109 rushing yards are the most by an Oklahoma player in a game this season.
What’s next: Saturday at Tennessee, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Previous ranking: 15
2025 record: 6-2
Week 9 result: Lost to Vanderbilt 17-10
Stat to know: Both Missouri starting quarterback Beau Pribula and backup Sam Horn left the game with injuries. Horn is out for the season.
What’s next: Nov. 8 vs. Texas A&M
Previous ranking: 22
2025 record: 6-2
Week 9 result: Defeated Mississippi State 45-38 (OT)
Stat to know: Against Mississippi State, Texas overcame a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter for the first time since 2007.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Vanderbilt, noon, SEC Network
Previous ranking: 25
2025 record: 6-2
Week 9 result: Defeated Michigan State 31-20
Stat to know: Michigan is now bowl-eligible for the fifth straight season.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Purdue, 7 p.m., BTN
Previous ranking: NR
2025 record: 7-1
Week 9 result: Defeated Arizona State 24-16
Stat to know: Houston is 7-1 for the first time since 2021.
What’s next: Saturday vs. West Virginia, noon, FS1
Previous ranking: NR
2025 record: 5-2
Week 9 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday at Nebraska, 7:30 p.m., NBC
Previous ranking: NR
2025 record: 6-2
Week 9 result: Defeated Colorado 53-7
Stat to know: Utah led Colorado 43-0 at halftime, the largest halftime lead without allowing a point by a Big 12 team in a conference game since 2011.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Cincinnati, 10:15 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: NR
2025 record: 7-1
Week 9 result: Defeated South Florida 34-31
Stat to know: Memphis outscored South Florida 17-0 in the fourth quarter to complete its second 14-point comeback this season.
What’s next: Friday at Rice, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Wisconsin will start true freshman quarterback Carter Smith at No. 2 Indiana on Saturday, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel, replacing Danny O’Neil after the sophomore was carted off the field with a right leg injury last week.
O’Neil was injured on a 21-yard keeper during the first quarter of last Saturday’s 13-10 win over then-No. 23 Washington. He had a towel over his head as he was carted to the locker room.
Smith made his season debut following O’Neil’s injury, completing 3 of 12 passes for 8 yards while rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Also available to the Badgers at quarterback is senior Hunter Simmons, who is 48-for-95 for 485 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions this season.
For Indiana, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt is doubtful to play, sources said. Sarratt, who is tied for the Big Ten lead with 10 touchdown receptions, injured his hamstring against Maryland on Nov. 1 and missed the Penn State game last week.
With Indiana having a bye next week, Sarratt is on track to return against Purdue on Nov. 28.
Quarterback issues have hindered Wisconsin all season and throughout coach Luke Fickell’s three-year tenure.
Billy Edwards Jr. was Wisconsin’s first-team quarterback at the start of the season, but he sprained his knee in the second quarter of the Badgers’ opener and has played only one full series since.
Tanner Mordecai missed 3½ games with a broken hand in 2023. Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL in the third game of the 2024 season.
Wisconsin’s intended season-opening starting quarterback has been available for the entirety of only 11 of the 34 games the Badgers have played since the beginning of the 2023 season. The last time Fickell had his season-opening starting quarterback healthy for a full game was in a 27-13 victory over South Dakota on Sept. 7, 2024.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava will not play Saturday against No. 1 Ohio State because of a concussion, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Iamaleava was injured during last week’s loss to Nebraska. He began experiencing concussion symptoms after the game, according to On3, which first reported that Iamaleava would not play.
With Iamaleava out, redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan will make his first career start. Duncan has not attempted a pass in college as he tries to take down the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Iamaleava has thrown for 1,659 yards with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in his first year with the Bruins after transferring from Tennessee.
He led UCLA to three straight wins in October, including a victory over then-No. 7 Penn State, but the Bruins (3-6) have lost two straight and need to win out to become bowl eligible.
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