The college football landscape saw a significant shift on Sunday as Tennessee climbed to No. 5 in the latest rankings, while Boise State made a triumphant return to the top 25 after a four-year absence. Texas maintained its grip on the top spot, garnering 44 of 62 first-place votes, as the top four teams remained unchanged. Georgia held steady at No. 2, receiving 13 first-place votes, while Ohio State secured the No. 3 spot with five first-place votes. Alabama rounded out the top four.
Tennessee’s impressive 25-15 road victory over Oklahoma propelled the Volunteers up the rankings for the fourth consecutive week. They began the season at No. 15, rising to No. 14 after Week 1, No. 7 after Week 2, and No. 6 last week. This marks the first time Tennessee has cracked the top five since peaking at No. 2 on October 30, 2022.
Ole Miss slipped to No. 6, while Miami, Oregon, and Penn State each moved up one spot to Nos. 7, 8, and 9, respectively. Utah jumped two places to No. 10 after defeating Oklahoma State on the road.
Boise State’s return to the rankings marks its first appearance since a brief stint in early November 2020. The Broncos improved to 2-1 with a convincing win over Portland State on Saturday.
The Southeastern Conference continued its dominance, boasting five of the top six spots in the rankings. This marks the third consecutive week the SEC has held four of the top five spots, a feat never before achieved in the 88-year history of the poll.
In other notable movements, Missouri dropped four spots to No. 11 after an overtime victory against Vanderbilt, while BYU entered the rankings at No. 22 after routing Kansas State. Nebraska and Northern Illinois exited the rankings following their first losses of the season.
This week’s matchups feature several high-stakes games, including No. 2 Georgia’s visit to No. 4 Alabama, No. 19 Illinois’s trip to No. 9 Penn State, and No. 20 Oklahoma State’s clash with No. 23 Kansas State.
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