Alabama Secures Top Position in AP Poll Following Key Victory

Alabama has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press (AP) Poll for the first time in nearly two years following a significant win over Georgia. The Crimson Tide‘s victory propelled them from their previous No. 4 position, surpassing both the University of Texas and Ohio State University, which had dominated their conference opponents but did not accumulate enough first-place votes to remain at the top.

This week’s AP Poll, released on September 29, saw Alabama earn 40 first-place votes, while Texas and Ohio State received 19 and four, respectively. Key shifts in rankings included the downward movement of Georgia to No. 5 after their loss to Alabama.

The top five spots in the latest rankings are occupied by Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Georgia. Tennessee maintained its strong position, moving up to No. 4, while Oregon‘s successful performance enabled it to leap to No. 6. Other notable movements include Missouri and Michigan, which entered the top 10 following victories.

In other developments, Ole Miss and Utah experienced significant drops in rankings. Ole Miss fell six positions after a defeat at the hands of an unranked opponent, while Utah witnessed an eight-position fall following a loss to Arizona.

Indiana and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) made their debut in the AP Poll, landing at No. 23 and No. 25, respectively. Indiana achieved a remarkable 42-28 victory against Maryland, marking a 5-0 start under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti. Meanwhile, UNLV’s win over Fresno State marked its first appearance in the AP Poll, buoyed by Hajj-Malik Williams’ outstanding performance.