Georgia claimed the No. 1 spot in the new AP poll on Sunday after outlasting Alabama 20-17 in an SEC showdown on Saturday. The Bulldogs claimed 66 of 70 first-place votes while rising to the top spot for the first time since the 2024 season.
Beating Alabama validated UGA after a light beginning to the Bulldogs’ 2026 season. Georgia’s first three SEC opponents were the league’s three lowest-rated offenses, and facing the Crimson Tide marked a test for the UGA defense. They passed that test to reach 6-0 (4-0 SEC) ahead of a Week 7 home game with Auburn.
Texas dropped six spots to No. 7 after falling to Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown. The Longhorns were one of three SEC schools to take major falls this week. LSU dropped 12 spots to No. 22 after losing at Kentucky, and Florida dropped out of the poll after falling at South Carolina.
Kentucky was the biggest riser in this week’s poll, surging from unranked to No. 15. Close behind was UCLA, which vaulted nine spots after taking down Oregon on the road. The Ducks fell out of the poll after dropping to 3-2.
Northwestern ranked for first time since 2020
Northwestern surged into the AP poll for the first time since 2020 after improving to 4-1 with a 45-14 win over Ball State. It marks a milestone in the program’s journey back to relevance following a messy ending to coach Pat Fitzgerald’s tenure before the 2023 season. Fourth-year coach David Braun led the Wildcats to bowl victories in two of his first three seasons and has reestablished the program as a threat in the Big Ten. The Wildcats were the first team left out of this week’s Coaches Poll.
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David Cobb
Conference breakdown
Florida dropped out of the poll, but Kentucky entered to replace the Gators and keep the SEC’s contingent of ranked teams at nine. That’s the most of any conference, followed by the Big Ten with six and the Big 12 with five. The Big Ten has three more teams — Wisconsin, Oregon and Nebraska — among the top four in the “others receiving votes” category.
The ACC has three teams in the poll after Pitt fell out and was replaced by No. 21 Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons were a notable riser after improving to 5-1 with a win at NC State on Saturday.
Setting the stage for Week 7
With Indiana coming in at No. 4 and Ohio State landing at No. 5, it cements this week’s showdown between the Hoosiers and Buckeyes as a top-five battle. With Notre Dame at No. 2 and BYU at No. 8, a Week 7 clash between the Fighting Irish and Cougars will be a top-10 showdown. With Tennessee staying at No. 14 and Alabama landing at No. 7, their SEC clash will be a top-15 clash.
Week 7 AP Top 25
| RANK | SCHOOL | REC | LW | PTS |
| 1 | Georgia (66) | 6-0 | 2 | 1,745 |
| 2 | Notre Dame (1) | 6-0 | 3 | 1,630 |
| 3 | Miami (2) | 5-0 | 4 | 1,594 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 5-1 | 5 | 1,508 |
| 5 | Indiana (1) | 6-0 | 7 | 1,461 |
| 6 | Alabama | 5-1 | 6 | 1,372 |
| 7 | Texas | 4-1 | 1 | 1,371 |
| 8 | BYU | 5-0 | 8 | 1,237 |
| 9 | Ole Miss | 4-1 | 9 | 1,135 |
| 10 | Texas Tech | 5-0 | 11 | 1,132 |
| 11 | Utah | 5-0 | 12 | 1,073 |
| 12 | UCLA | 5-0 | 21 | 951 |
| 13 | Missouri | 5-1 | 14 | 882 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 5-1 | 15 | 706 |
| 15 | Kentucky | 5-1 | NR | 655 |
| 16 | Mississippi State | 4-1 | 17 | 650 |
| 17 | Iowa | 5-1 | 20 | 621 |
| 18 | Oklahoma State | 4-1 | 18 | 604 |
| 19 | Southern Cal | 6-1 | 19 | 505 |
| 20 | Houston | 5-1 | 22 | 380 |
| 21 | Wake Forest | 5-1 | NR | 326 |
| 22 | LSU | 4-2 | 10 | 274 |
| 23 | Boise State | 5-1 | 23 | 268 |
| 24 | SMU | 4-1 | 24 | 142 |
| 25 | Northwestern | 4-1 | NR | 112 |
Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 92, Oregon 86, Arizona 82, Nebraska 65, Oklahoma 44, James Madison 29, Florida 9, Duke 5, New Mexico 3, Oregon State 1
