Texas claims top spot in Coaches Poll as Ohio State falls to sixth after loss to Longhorns
Texas moved to No. 1 in the AFCA Coaches Poll after beating Ohio State, while Oregon dropped out of the top ten and Ohio State fell to sixth following a 24-23 defeat.
Texas ascended to the No. 1 position in the AFCA Coaches Poll after its 24-23 comeback win over Ohio State, which erased a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit. The Buckeyes, who had received 50 of 74 first-place votes the previous week, dropped to sixth in the rankings.
Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana and Miami completed the top five. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said the team "played well for three quarters and didn't play well enough in the fourth quarter, that's the bottom line," adding that the squad must address its late-game execution.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who completed 20 of 37 passes for 196 yards and led three fourth-quarter touchdown drives, praised his teammates, saying, "I'm so proud of our guys in all three phases… It wasn't very pretty, but we found a way to win. That's what good teams do."
Oregon fell 12 spots to No. 18, marking its first appearance outside the top ten under coach Dan Lanning since September 2023. Oklahoma slipped from 10th to No. 21, and Florida dropped out of the poll despite a 49-point victory over Campbell.
Michigan moved up to No. 18 after defeating Oklahoma, while LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and other programs also shifted in the top 25.
The poll shows Texas with 42 first-place votes, Georgia 15 and Indiana 10, while six teams received at least one first-place vote, including seventh-ranked LSU.