Florida jumped 13 spots to No. 8 in the Associated Press Top 25 released on Sept. 27, 2026, entering the top 10 for the first time in five years following a major Week 4 shuffle. The Gators secured the massive promotion under first-year coach Jon Sumrall after defeating then-No. 4 Mississippi by a 24-point margin on Saturday.
Texas Holds No. 1 Spot as Top Teams Shuffle
Texas maintained a firm grip on the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll, capturing 62 first-place votes from the media voting panel—four more than the previous week. The Longhorns’ retention of the top spot followed a hard-fought 20-17 victory over Tennessee in their first road contest of the season. Georgia secured the No. 2 spot with six first-place votes after a convincing win over Oklahoma that pushed the Bulldogs’ average scoring margin to 41.5 points per game. Notre Dame remained at No. 3 with a 4-0 record, while Miami climbed to a season-high No. 4 with a single first-place vote, and Ohio State moved up two spots to round out the top five at No. 5.
Major Movers and Historic Rises in Week 4
Several programs experienced significant movement following a weekend that saw seven ranked teams suffer defeats. Mississippi State jumped eight spots to No. 16—its highest ranking in four years—following a home win against Missouri. Iowa reached No. 14, marking its highest position since 2021, after defeating Michigan on the final play of the game. Oregon advanced five positions to No. 15 following a road victory over Southern California, and Houston climbed five spots to No. 20 after defeating Georgia Southern on the road.
Four new programs entered the Top 25 rankings during the poll shuffle:
- Oklahoma State: Landed at No. 19 after defeating West Virginia for its third victory, marking the program’s first appearance in the poll in two years.
- Boise State: Entered at No. 22 as the first Group of Six team to crack the rankings this season, following a 25-point win at Western Michigan.
- UCLA: Reached No. 23 with a 4-0 record after a 51-point road victory against Maryland, returning to the Top 25 for the first time in three years.
- Kentucky: Claimed the No. 24 spot following a victory at South Alabama, earning its first ranking since 2023.
Conference Breakdown and Teams Falling Out
The Southeastern Conference leads all conferences with 10 ranked teams, featuring Texas at No. 1, Georgia at No. 2, Alabama at No. 7, Florida at No. 8, Mississippi at No. 9, LSU at No. 11, Mississippi State at No. 16, Tennessee at No. 17, Kentucky at No. 24, and Missouri at No. 25. The Big Ten follows with six ranked programs, the Big 12 places five teams in the poll, the ACC has two, the Pac-12 has one, and Notre Dame competes as an independent.
Four teams dropped out of the Top 25 following Week 4 losses. Penn State suffered the steepest drop, falling from No. 13 to unranked after losing at home to Wisconsin. Michigan, Louisville, and Texas A&M also exited the rankings.