A&M Climbs; Texas Tech Rises in Polls

Ohio State remained No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the fifth straight week while Oregon climbed to No. 2 after a two-overtime win at Penn State. Ole Miss surged to No. 4 after beating LSU (which fell to No. 13), Miami slipped to No. 3, and Oklahoma and Texas A&M rounded out the top group, with A&M moving to No. 6 in the AP (No. 5 in the US LBM Coaches Poll) following a gritty 16-10 victory over Auburn that produced the Aggies’ first 4-0 start since 2016. The Aggies’ win came despite 13 penalties and just one touchdown, a resilience coach Mike Elko highlighted; A&M will host Mississippi State on Oct. 4, and Mississippi State dropped out of the Coaches Poll at No. 35 after a 41-34 overtime loss to Tennessee. Alabama returned to the top 10 after upsetting Georgia and ending the Bulldogs’ 33-game home win streak, sending Georgia to its lowest ranking since December 2020; losses by Penn State, LSU and Georgia marked the first time since 2016 that three top-five teams lost in the same regular-season week. Virginia reentered the Top 25 for the first time in six years, and Texas Tech climbed in the polls after a 4-0 start and a bye week; Texas Tech returns to the road to face Houston next week.