NEW YORK — Texas A&M made a big jump into the top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll Sunday after its dramatic win at Notre Dame, which became the first team since 1988 to stay in the AP Top 25 with an 0-2 record.
Ohio State, fellow Big Ten program Penn State and LSU of the Southeastern Conference remained the top three teams, with Atlantic Coast Conference member Miami moving up a spot to No. 4 and Georgia moving up a spot to No. 5 even after a close call at No. 15 Tennessee in the SEC opener for both teams.
Oregon slipped two spots to No. 6 — despite a 20-point road win for the reigning Big Ten champions against Northwestern to open league play — and the Ducks were followed by Florida State of the ACC, Texas of the SEC and Illinois of the Big Ten.
Completing the top 10 was Texas A&M after the Aggies beat Notre Dame on Saturday night in South Bend, Indiana — a year after the Fighting Irish went to College Station and won in the season opener for both teams.
Georgia Tech of the ACC, Vanderbilt of the SEC and Southern California of the Big Ten made their season debuts in the rankings.
Ohio State tussled with Mid-American Conference visitor Ohio into the middle of the third quarter before the Buckeyes ran away for a 37-9 win and received 55 first-place votes, two fewer than last week. Penn State got five first-place votes, LSU got two, Miami got three and Oregon got one. Miami’s first-place votes are the first for the Hurricanes since getting three on Nov. 19, 2017.
SEC member Alabama was rewarded for its 24-point home win against Wisconsin of the Big Ten and moved up five spots to No. 14. Voters didn’t punish Tennessee for its 44-41 overtime loss to Georgia at Neyland Stadium and kept the Volunteers No. 15.
Texas A&M was promoted six spots after it overcame a scary injury to safety Bryce Anderson, a blocked punt the Irish returned for a touchdown and 13 penalties to win 41-40 on Marcel Reed’s fourth-and-goal pass to Nate Boerkircher with 11 seconds left.
The Aggies, who opened with solid wins over UTSA and Utah State, are 3-0 for the first time since 2021 and have their highest ranking since they were No. 10 entering November last season.
Notre Dame has lost its first two games, both against ranked opponents, by a total of four points. The Irish lost 27-24 at Miami and had an open date before Texas A&M visited. They fell from No. 8 to No. 24.
The 1988 Michigan Wolverines, the previous team to start 0-2 and remain ranked, also had an extremely tough first two games. They entered the season ranked ninth and lost to No. 13 Notre Dame 19-17, dropped to No. 15 and lost 31-30 at No. 1 Miami. Michigan was No. 19 the following week and went 9-0-1 the rest of the way.
Other teams that started 0-2 and stayed in the rankings: Purdue in 1948, Missouri in 1949, SMU in 1958 and Auburn in 1984.
IN & OUT
Georgia Tech, coming off its win over Clemson, is 3-0 for the first time since 2016, and its No. 18 ranking is its highest since 2015.
No. 20 Vanderbilt’s 24-point win at South Carolina earned the Commodores their highest ranking since they started 5-0 in 2008.
No. 25 Southern Cal has its first ranking since the first week of last October.
South Carolina (which was No. 11), Clemson (No. 12) and South Florida (No. 18) are out.
The Gamecocks were down 14-7 late in the first half against Vanderbilt in the SEC opener for both teams when South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers was knocked out of the game with a concussion. Clemson, the reigning ACC champion that was ranked No. 4 in the preseason, hasn’t been 1-2 since 2014.
American Conference member South Florida’s weeklong stay in the poll ended with its 49-12 loss at Miami.
POLL POINTS
Texas and Texas A&M are in the top 10 together for the first time since Sept. 20, 2020. Excluding that season, when college football was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s the first time since Oct. 2, 1978. The Longhorns are in their second season in the SEC since moving over from the Big 12; the Aggies made that move ahead of the 2012 season.
Southern Cal, among the teams that exited the Pac-12 ahead of the 2024 season, has been ranked at least once in 24 straight seasons, the sixth-longest streak in the nation.
No. 17 Texas Tech’s ranking is its highest since the Big 12’s Red Raiders were No. 15 entering November 2013.
CONFERENCE CALL
SEC: 11 ranked teams (Nos. 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 20, 22, 23).
Big Ten: Seven (Nos. 1, 2, 6, 9, 19, 21, 25).
ACC: Three (Nos. 4, 7, 18).
Big 12: Three (Nos. 12, 16, 17).
Independent: One (No. 24).
RANKED VS. RANKED
No. 17 Texas Tech at No. 16 Utah: The Red Raiders’ 58 points per game lead the nation, but now an offense that is quarterbacked by Behren Morton and has averaged 600 yards per game gets its first real test on the road. Utah has limited each of its first three opponents to less than 250 yards.
No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma: Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold started 10 games for Oklahoma over the past two seasons. His replacement with the Sooners, John Mateer, is one of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy heading into the visit from the Tigers and the start of SEC play for both teams.
No. 9 Illinois at No. 19 Indiana: This Big Ten game is matchup of national top-10 offenses and defenses. Indiana has scored 156 points against three weak opponents. The Fighting Illini have played a light, but better, schedule and have allowed just 22 points over three games.
AP TOP 25 SCHEDULE
Saturday, Sept. 20
No. 3 LSU (3-0) vs. Southeastern Louisiana Louisiana (2-1), 7:45 p.m.
No. 4 Miami (3-0) vs. Florida (1-2), 7:30 p.m.
No. 6 Oregon (3-0) vs. Oregon State (0-3), 3 p.m.
No. 7 Florida State (2-0) vs. Kent State (1-2), 3:30 p.m.
No. 8 Texas (2-1) vs. Sam Houston State (0-3), 8 p.m.
No. 9 Illinois (3-0) at No. 19 Indiana (3-0), 7:30 p.m.
No. 11 Oklahoma (3-0) vs. No. 22 Auburn (3-0), 3:30 p.m.
No. 13 Ole Miss (3-0) vs. Tulane (3-0), 3:30 p.m.
No. 15 Tennessee (2-1) vs. UAB (2-1), 12:45 p.m.
No. 16 Utah (3-0) vs. No. 17 Texas Tech (3-0), Noon
No. 18 Georgia Tech (3-0) vs. Temple (2-1), 4:30 p.m.
No. 20 Vanderbilt (3-0) vs. Georgia State (1-2), 7:30 p.m.
No. 21 Michigan (2-1) at Nebraska (3-0), 3:30 p.m.
No. 23 Missouri (3-0) vs. South Carolina (2-1), 7 p.m.
No. 24 Notre Dame (0-2) vs. Purdue (2-1), 3:30 p.m.
No. 25 Southern California (3-0) vs. Michigan State (3-0), 11 p.m.