It was a week of upheaval in the Associated Press college football poll, with Texas returning to No. 1 on Sunday after a one-week absence following Vanderbilt‘s monumental upset of Alabama.
The Commodores’ win as more than three-touchdown underdogs caused the Crimson Tide to drop from No. 1 to No. 7. The last top-ranked team to fall so far was Ohio State, which plunged to No. 11 in 2010 after an October loss to Wisconsin.
Texas, which had an open date, received 52 out of 61 first-place votes and became the first team in two years to bounce in and out of the top spot in a span of three polls. The Longhorns also were just the third team since 2008 to be voted No. 1 after not playing the day before.
Ohio State beat Iowa for its fourth straight easy win, received nine first-place votes and moved up a spot to No. 2.
Oregon and Penn State each rose three spots, with the Ducks up to No. 3 and the Nittany Lions fourth. Georgia remained No. 5.
Six of the 18 AP Top 25 teams that played lost to unranked opponents (33%), the highest mark since six of 16 (38%) lost the first week of October 2020.
The Crimson Tide were among four teams in the top 11 to lose to unranked opponents — the first time that has happened since October 2016.
Texas A&Msoundly beatMissouri at home in the only Top 25 matchup. That earned the Aggies a promotion from a tie for No. 25 to No. 15 and the Tigers a demotion from No. 9 to No. 21.
POLL POINTS
The Big Ten dominates the top five, but the SEC maintains its grip on the top 10. No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon and No. 4 Penn State are bookended by the SEC’s Texas and Georgia. The SEC also has Alabama, Tennessee and Ole Miss in the top 10.
Double-digit drops by Missouri, Michigan and USC mark the first time since Nov. 13, 2016, that three teams fell 10 or more spots in the same poll. That week it happened to Auburn (8 to 18), Texas A&M (10 to 23) and North Carolina (15 to receiving votes).
The biggest upward movers were Texas A&M (25 to 15), Clemson (15 to 10) and Iowa State (16 to 11).
WHO’S IN; WHO’S OUT
SMU (5-1) was rewarded for knocking off Louisville on the road and enters the rankings at No. 25. The Mustangs have appeared in the Top 25 all but one season (2022) since 2019. Louisville (3-2) has lost two of three and dropped out.
Pittsburgh won at North Carolina to start 5-0 for the first time since 1991 and enters the rankings at No. 22 for its first appearance in two years.
USC (3-2) has lost two of its first three Big Ten games and is out, as is UNLV, whose first-ever Top 25 appearance was spoiled by an overtime home loss to Syracuse.
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma (at Dallas): It’s their first head-to-head SEC meeting, and it’s a Top 25 matchup for the sixth time in eight games. The Sooners scored with 15 seconds left last season to hand Texas its only regular-season loss. Both teams are coming off open dates.
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon: Entering the season, this was billed as a midseason preview of the Big Ten championship game. It still could be. The Buckeyes have won nine of 10 previous meetings, the only loss coming in the most recent one (2021).
No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 13 LSU: Huge College Football Playoff implications here. The Rebels and Jaxson Dart prevailed 55-49 last year in a dizzying matchup with Heisman winner Jayden Daniels.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Jeremiyah Love tied the Notre Dame record with a 98-yard touchdown run,Riley Leonard added two more scores and the Fighting Irish shut down the highest-scoring team in the College Football Playoff, overwhelming Indiana27-17 on Friday night.
The seventh-seeded Fighting Irish (12-1) won their 11th straight — and their first playoff victory. They’ll face second-seeded Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman got the biggest win of his three-year career by extending his Irish record to 12 victories over ranked teams in three seasons.
“There’s no place like Notre Dame,” Leonard said. “This is why you come here, this is why I came here — to play for a championship.”
Tenth-seeded Indiana (11-2) completed a magical season by finishing with its second fewest points this season on a cold, brisk night in the first CFP game ever played on a campus site. Both of the Hoosiers’ losses came to top-five opponents. Indiana set a single-season school record for wins but still hasn’t won at Notre Dame since 1898.
Notre Dame took control on its third offensive play when Love scooted around the right side of Indiana’s defense, eluded one tackle and sprinted down the sideline to make it 7-0. He matched Josh Adams’ longest run in school history, set in 2015 against Wake Forest. It was also the longest run in CFP history.
“It’s all about finding a way to get another week,” Freeman said. “It wasn’t easy. But we’re going to enjoy this one and we’ll get another one.”
Love finished with eight carries for 108 yards despite appearing to reinjure his left knee later in the first half.
Indiana never recovered after Notre Dame made it 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Leonard’s 1-yard TD run late in the fourth gave him 15 this season to break Notre Dame’s season record by a quarterback.
Indiana scored both of its touchdowns in the final 1:27.
Notre Dame made it 14-0 on Leonard’s 5-yard TD pass to Jayden Thomas early in the second quarter. The Irish settled for three more field goals, and the defense took care of the rest — allowing just one field goal.
Leonard was 23 of 32 with 201 yards and one interception. Notre Dame receiver Jordan Faison caught seven passes for 89 yards.
Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke turned in another poor game against a top defense, finishing 20 of 33 with 215 yards, with two TDs and one interception, and the Hoosiers rushed for just 63 yards.
“They took it to us,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. “They won, they deserve to win. We didn’t play our best game, but they had a lot to do with that tonight.”
Takeaways Indiana: The Hoosiers trailed fewer minutes than any other FBS team this season and had the highest-scoring team entering the playoffs. They didn’t do either Friday night against a stout Irish defense that rattled Rourke early.
Notre Dame: The Irish have relied on the running game and defense all season — and it was that combination that gave Notre Dame the first playoff win in school history. It may need more out of its passing game to win its first national championship since 1988.
Up next Indiana: Will spend a busy offseason trying to replicate what they built in Year 1 under coach Curt Cignetti.
Notre Dame: Plays Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A federal judge set a Jan. 8 hearing to hear NASCAR’s motion to throw out an antitrust lawsuit filed against the stock car series by Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports
The two teams are suing NASCAR and were granted a preliminary injunction Wednesday that will allow them to compete as chartered teams in 2025.
U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth D. Bell said Friday that “NASCAR fans [and members of the public who may become fans] have an interest in watching all the teams compete with their best drivers and most competitive teams.” NASCAR has indicated it will appeal his ruling and wants his injunction partially blocked pending the appeal.
The hearing is the latest in the legal brawl between the two Cup Series teams and the sanctioning body that began late last season. Judge Bell is set to decide other motions, as well. He also set a Sept. 19, 2025, deadline for discovery to be completed and set a trial date of Dec. 1 — after the completion of next season.
23XI, the team owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row refused in September to sign take-it-or-leave it charter renewal offers made by NASCAR. A charter is essentially a franchise and guarantees prize money, a spot in the field each week and other protections.
The teams filed suit alleging NASCAR owners are “monopolistic bullies” and lost a bid in November to be recognized as “chartered” teams as the suit continues.
23XI and Front Row can now sign the charter agreements and still pursue their lawsuit. They also each were granted permission to purchase additional charters from Stewart Haas Racing, which is going from four Cup cars to one, though NASCAR must approve the transfers to those teams.