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AP Top 25: Texas overtakes Georgia for No. 1 spot after Longhorns dominate, Bulldogs struggle

The Longhorns tops the AP Poll for the first time in 16 years

ian casselberry
Contributing writer
·3 min read

The AP Top 25 has a new No. 1 after Saturday's Week 3 action.

Texas is the new team atop the poll after the Longhorns' 56–7 demolishing of UTSA in Austin. Starting quarterback Quinn Ewers left the game in the second quarter with a reported strained abdomen, but Arch Manning took over and led Texas to five touchdowns.

Georgia drops to No. 2 after surviving against Kentucky for a 13–12 win in Lexington. The Bulldogs' offense struggled against a tenacious Wildcats defense that contained the run well. Georgia finally scored a touchdown to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but still had to hang on for a final victory. The 13 points are the fewest scored by a No. 1 team to win since Alabama beat LSU, 10–0, in 2016.

For the Longhorns, it's their first time in the No. 1 spot since 2008. Texas held the top spot for three weeks before losing at Texas Tech in an early November matchup.

This year's squad figures to stay at No. 1 for at least one week with Louisiana-Monroe next on the schedule. A victory over Mississippi State also looks likely after the Bulldogs lost 41–17 to Toledo in Week 3. After that is the annual Red River Rivalry matchup with Oklahoma on Oct. 12.

Texas hosts Georgia in an SEC showdown on Oct. 19 that could determine the No. 1 spot for the rest of the season.

The rest of the top five held with Ohio State remaining at No. 3, followed by Alabama at No. 4 and Ole Miss at No. 5.

Tennessee moved up one spot to No. 6 after crushing Kent State 71–0, while Missouri dropped to No. 7 after defeating Boston College, 27–21. Miami jumped up two spots to No. 1 following its 62–0 win over Ball State. Oregon held at No. 9. And Penn State dropped two spots to No. 10 on a bye week.

For the second consecutive week, the SEC holds six of the top seven spots in the poll.

Boston College dropped out of the Top 25 after losing to Missouri, while Arizona is also out after losing 31–7 to Kansas State. Illinois moves into the poll for the first time this season, taking the No. 24 spot, and Texas A&M is back in following its 33–20 win over Florida.

  1. Texas

  2. Georgia

  3. Ohio State

  4. Alabama

  5. Ole Miss

  6. Tennessee

  7. Missouri

  8. Miami

  9. Oregon

  10. Penn State

  11. USC

  12. Utah

  13. Kansas State

  14. Oklahoma State

  15. Oklahoma

  16. LSU

  17. Notre Dame

  18. Michigan

  19. Louisville

  20. Iowa State

  21. Clemson

  22. Nebraska

  23. Northern Illinois

  24. Illinois

  25. Texas A&M