AP college football poll reaction: What's next for each Top 25 team

ByESPN staff ESPN logo
Monday, October 9, 2023

The new AP Top 25 college football poll is out.

Georgia and Michigan kept rolling at the top, while Oklahoma took down No. 3 Texas in a classic Red River Rivalry game. The Sooners and Louisville Cardinals are rising, while Washington and Oregon get ready for a top-10 showdown in Seattle.

What does it mean for the new AP Top 25? Let's break down the rankings.

Stats courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information.

All times Eastern

No. 1Georgia Bulldogs

Previous ranking: 1

2023 record:6-0

Week 6 result: Defeated Kentucky 51-13

Stat to know:Carson Beck threw for career highs in passing yards (389) and touchdown passes (4) as the Bulldogs won their 23rd consecutive SEC game.

What's next:Saturday at Vanderbilt, Noon, CBS

No. 2Michigan Wolverines

Previous ranking: 2

2023 record:6-0

Week 6 result:Defeated Minnesota 52-10

Stat to know:Fueled in part by a pair of pick-sixes, the Wolverines went over 30 points for the ninth consecutive game, the longest streak in program history.

What's next:Saturday vs. Indiana, Noon, Fox

No. 3Ohio State Buckeyes

Previous ranking:4

2023 record:5-0

Week 6 result:Defeated Maryland 37-17

Stat to know: Ohio State's 62 rushing yards were its fewest in a win since when it had 44 against NC State in 2003.

What's next:Saturday at Purdue, Noon, Peacock

No. 4Florida State Seminoles

Previous ranking:5

2023 record:5-0

Week 6 result:Defeated Virginia Tech 39-17

Stat to know:Trey Benson ran for 200 yards on only 11 carries, the fewest carries for any FSU running back to hit the 200-yard mark in program history.

What's next:Saturday vs. Syracuse, Noon, ABC

No. 5Oklahoma Sooners

Previous ranking:12

2023 record:6-0

Week 6 result:Defeated Texas 34-30

Stat to know:After going 0-5 in one-score games last season, the Sooners won their first such game this season thanks to QB Dillon Gabriel's 285 passing yards and 113 rushing yards.

What's next:Oct. 21 vs. UCF

No. 6Penn State Nittany Lions

Previous ranking:6

2023 record:5-0

Week 6 result: Idle

Stat to know:The Nittany Lions have scored 30 or more points in 12 straight games, their longest streak since 1993-95.

What's next:Saturday vs. UMass, 3:30 p.m., Big Ten Network

No. 7Washington Huskies

Previous ranking:7

2023 record:5-0

Week 6 result:Idle

Stat to know:Michael Penix Jr. is the first FBS player in the past 20 years with at least 300 passing yards and 70% completion percentage in each of his team's first 5 games.

What's next:Saturday vs. Oregon, 3:30 p.m., ABC

No. 8Oregon Ducks

Previous ranking:8

2023 record:5-0

Week 6 result:Idle

Stat to know:Last week, Bo Nix became just the seventh FBS player with 80 passing touchdowns and 30 rushing scores in his career.

What's next: Saturday at Washington, 3:30 p.m., ABC

No. 9Texas Longhorns

Previous ranking: 3

2023 record:5-1

Week 6 result:Lost to Oklahoma 34-30

Stat to know:After two early interceptions, QB Quinn Ewers had a streak of 19 consecutive completions, setting a Texas record.

What's next:Oct. 21 at Houston

No. 10USC Trojans

Previous ranking:9

2023 record:6-0

Week 6 result:Defeated Arizona 43-41 (3OT)

Stat to know:USC is only the sixth team in Pac-12 history to average 50 points per game over its first six games.

What's next:Saturday at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m., NBC

No. 11Alabama Crimson Tide

Previous ranking:11

2023 record:5-1

Week 6 result:Defeated Texas A&M 26-20

Stat to know:WR Jermaine Burton had 197 receiving yards -- more than he had in the first five games combined -- and two scores, as Alabama improved to 115-1 against unranked teams since 2008.

What's next:Saturday vs. Arkansas, Noon, ESPN

No. 12North Carolina Tar Heels

Previous ranking:14

2023 record:5-0

Week 6 result:Defeated Syracuse 40-7

Stat to know:Drake Maye threw for 442 yards and three scores, adding a touchdown on the ground as the Tar Heels started 5-0 for the first time since 1997.

What's next:Saturday vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m., ABC

No. 13Ole Miss Rebels

Previous ranking:16

2023 record:5-1

Week 5 result: Defeated Arkansas 27-20

Stat to know:Ole Miss' 349 total yards were its fewest in a win since 2014 against Texas A&M.

What's next:Oct. 21 at Auburn

No. 14Louisville Cardinals

Previous ranking:25

2023 record:6-0

Week 6 result:Defeated Notre Dame 33-13

Stat to know:RB Jawhar Jordan is one of only three players with 140 yards rushing and two touchdowns against Notre Dame in the past 10 years, joining Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette.

What's next:Saturday at Pitt, 6:30 p.m., CW

No. 15Oregon State Beavers

Previous ranking: 15

2023 record:5-1

Week 6 result:Defeated Cal 51-40

Stat to know:The Beavers threw six touchdown passes in the game, tied for the most in school history.

What's next:Saturday vs. UCLA, 8 p.m., Fox

No. 16Utah Utes

Previous ranking: 18

2023 record:4-1

Week 6 result:Idle

Stat to know:The Utes had only 198 total yards of offense in last week's loss at Oregon State.

What's next:Saturday vs. Cal, 3 p.m., Pac-12 Network

No. 17Duke Blue Devils

Previous ranking:19

2023 record:4-1

Week 6 result:Idle

Stat to know:RB Jordan Waters has scored a rushing touchdown in each of the past five games, and with one more against NC State next weekend can have the longest streak for a Blue Devil in the past 20 years.

What's next:Saturday vs. NC State, 8 p.m., ACC Network

No. 18UCLA Bruins

Previous ranking:NR

2023 record:4-1

Week 6 result:Defeated Washington State 25-17

Stat to know:Keegan Jones became the first Pac-12 wide receiver with two rushing touchdowns in a game since Colorado's Laviska Shenault Jr. in 2018.

What's next:Saturday at Oregon State, 8 p.m., Fox

No. 19Washington State Cougars

Previous ranking:13

2023 record:5-1

Week 6 result:Lost to UCLA 25-17

Stat to know:QB Cameron Ward was held in check for the first time this season, completing 19 of 39 passes for 197 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

What's next:Saturday vs. Arizona, 7 p.m., Pac-12 Network

No. 19Tennessee Volunteers

Previous ranking:22

2023 record:4-1

Week 6 result:Idle

Stat to know:Last week's 41-30 win over South Carolina was the Vols' 18th game with 40 or more points since the start of 2021 -- the third most in FBS behind only Ohio State and Georgia.

What's next:Saturday vs. Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m., CBS

No. 21Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Previous ranking: 10

2023 record:5-2

Week 6 result: Lost to Louisville 33-13

Stat to know:QB Sam Hartman has turned the ball over 10 times in two games against Louisville the past two years. He has only 10 turnovers in all other games.

What's next:Saturday vs. USC, 7:30 p.m., NBC

No. 22LSU Tigers

Previous ranking:23

2023 record:4-2

Week 6 result:Defeated Missouri 49-39

Stat to know:Jayden Daniels rushed for 130 yards, the fourth most for an LSU quarterback, as the Tigers erased a 15-point deficit on the road.

What's next:Saturday vs. Auburn, 7 p.m., ESPN

No. 23Kansas Jayhawks

Previous ranking:NR

2023 record: 5-1

Week 6 result:Defeated UCF 51-22

Stat to know:Devin Neal ran for 154 yards and Daniel Hishaw Jr. added another 134 as the Jayhawks dominated on the ground.

What's next:Saturday at Oklahoma State, 3:30 p.m., FS1

No. 24Kentucky Wildcats

Previous ranking:20

2023 record:5-1

Week 6 result:Lost to Georgia 51-13

Stat to know:Kentucky pressured Georgia QB Carson Beck on just one of his 36 dropbacks, the lowest pressure percentage against a qualified Georgia QB since 2014.

What's next:Saturday vs. Missouri, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network

No. 25Miami Hurricanes

Previous ranking:17

2023 record:4-1

Week 6 result:Lost to Georgia Tech 24-20

Stat to know:With 1:22 remaining, Miami had a 99.9% chance of winning the game, according to ESPN Analytics.

What's next:Saturday at North Carolina, 7:30 p.m., ABC

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