Poll preview: Rankings could see no change in top 10; No. 13 Gators' loss to USF is biggest surprise

South Florida wide receiver Keshaun Singleton (11) celebrates his 66-yard touchdown against Florida with quarterback Byrum Brown (17) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
South Florida wide receiver Keshaun Singleton (11) celebrates his 66-yard touchdown against Florida with quarterback Byrum Brown (17) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
South Florida fans celebrate in front of the team after they defeated Florida in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
South Florida fans celebrate in front of the team after they defeated Florida in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Mississippi State fans react to the team winning an NCAA college football game against Arizona State in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Mississippi State fans react to the team winning an NCAA college football game against Arizona State in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz takes a snap against Grambling State during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz takes a snap against Grambling State during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Penn State defensive end Enai White (45) celebrates after sacking Florida International quarterback Keyone Jenkins (1) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State defensive end Enai White (45) celebrates after sacking Florida International quarterback Keyone Jenkins (1) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
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Chaos gave way to calm, mostly, in The Associated Press Top 25.

A week after four losses by top-10 teams set off a rankings shuffle that kept only three teams in the same spots, Saturday was marked by blowouts and just a couple of notable upsets, with Mississippi State beating No. 12 Arizona State 24-20 and South Florida knocking off No. 13 Florida 18-16 on the road.

No. 1 Ohio State, a 70-0 winner over Grambling, was among four AP Top 25 teams to score 70 points against overmatched opponents, and three other teams hung 60.

No. 2 Penn State shook off a slow start to beat Florida International 34-0, No. 3 LSU wasn't sharp but beat Louisiana Tech 23-7, No. 4 Georgia beat FCS Austin Peay 28-6 in a game that had a nearly two-hour weather delay and No. 5 Miami defeated Bethune-Cookman 45-3.

Look for them to move up

— No. 14 Florida State followed up its win over Alabama with a 77-3 rout of FCS East Texas A&M and likely will move ahead of Florida.

— No. 18 Oklahoma merits a big move after its 24-13 win over No. 15 Michigan.

— No. 19 Texas A&M turned in a solid performance in a 44-22 win over Utah State and could be in line for a promotion.

Look for them to drop

— Florida had won five straight before losing to USF.

— Arizona State will fall a few places, maybe more.

— No. 17 SMU squandered a two-touchdown lead in the last eight minutes of regulation and lost 48-45 to unranked Baylor.

Wild cards

No. 6 Oregon's 69-3 romp over Oklahoma State set a Ducks record for margin of victory against a power-conference opponent.

— No. 11 Illinois got points on five straight possessions to start the second half and put away Duke 45-19 for its most lopsided nonconference road win since 2001. The Illini are in line for only their second top-10 ranking since 1991.

— No. 16 Iowa State is 3-0 for a second straight year thanks to a pair of three-point wins, with its 16-13 win over Iowa on Saturday coming two weeks after its 24-21 win over Kansas State in Ireland.

Knocking on the door?

— USF, which opened the season with an easy win over Boise State, is the class of the Group of Five teams so far. The Bulls should crack the ratings after beating a second straight ranked opponent.

— Georgia Tech, which was three spots out of the AP Top 25, won 59-12 over Gardner-Webb without starting quarterback Haynes King. He was held out with a lower-body injury.

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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

 

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