College Football Rankings: ‘Notre Dame’ climbs into top-20 after solid Irish win over Boise State and upset losses by five then-top-20 teams, including two then-top-10 teams losing to unranked opponents with losing records

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U.S. Map, adapted from image at usda.gov

After ‘Notre Dame’s’ solid 28-7 win over Boise State at home on “Irish Wear Green” day, the Irish climbed five spots and jumped well into the top-20 at #16 in the AP and the Coaches Poll.

Five top-20 teams lost over the weekend, three of them to unranked opponents. That included two then-top-10 teams, Penn State and Texas, losing to unranked opponents with losing records. All five of the top-20 losers plummeted below the Irish, in some cases falling completely out of the rankings.

Last week the Irish were the only team without a winning record ranked in the top-25, sitting at .500. With the win over Boise State they finally climb above .500 on the year, to 3-2.

In the AP top-25, the Irish are joined by one other 3-2 team, #25 Florida State, with previous top-10 Texas and Penn State, each now 3-2, falling out of the top-25 entirely.  Over in the Coaches Poll, it was Florida State that dropped out, while 3-2 Texas and Penn State are at #19 and #22.

More of the story follows below the rankings.

– AP –

1 Ohio State 5-0
2 Oregon 5-0
3 Miami (Fla.) 4-0
4 Ole Miss 5-0
5 Texas A&M 4-0*
6 Oklahoma 5-0
7 Indiana 5-0
8 Alabama 4-1
0 Texas Tech 5-0
10 Georgia 4-1
11 LSU 4-1
12 Tennessee 4-1
13 Georgia Tech 5-0
14 Missouri 5-0
15 Michigan 4-1
16 Notre Dame 3-2
17 Illinois 5-1
18 BYU 5-0
19 Virginia 5-1
20 Vanderbilt 5-1
21 Arizona State 4-1
22 Iowa State 5-1
23 Memphis 6-0
24 South Florida 4-1
18 Florida State 3-2

Also receiving votes: Cincinnati 129, Texas 111, Penn State 97, Utah 82, Nebraska 60, USC 46, UNLV 19, North Texas 16, TCU 14, Mississippi State 10, Washington 10, Navy 4, Louisville 3, Auburn 1

 – AFCA Coaches Poll –

1 Ohio State 5-0
2 Oregon 5-0
3 Miami (Fla.) 5-0
4 Ole Miss 5-0
5 Texas A&M 5-0*
6 Oklahoma 5-0
7 Indiana 5-0
8 Alabama 4-1
9 Georgia 4-1
10 Texas Tech 5-0
11 LSU 4-1
12 Tennessee 4-1
13 Georgia Tech 5-0
14 Missouri 5-0
15 Michigan 4-1
16 Notre Dame 3-2
17 Illinois 5-1
18 BYU 5-0
19 Texas 3-2
20 Vanderbilt 5-1
21 Iowa State 5-1
22 Penn State 3-2
23 Arizona State 4-1
24 Virginia 5-1
25 Memphis 6-0

Also receiving votes: Utah 134, Florida State 93, Cincinnati 70, South Florida 65, North Texas 28, Navy 26, Washington 25, USC 23, UNLV 21, Nebraska 17, TCU 15, Old Dominion 13, Louisville 10, Tulane 8, Duke 7, Auburn 7, Iowa 5, SMU 2

Then-#10/7 Texas lost to a Florida team with a losing record. Most infamously, then-#7/6 Penn State lost to a previously winless UCLA, with the Bruins under an interim coach after firing their previous head coach.

In the AP, the Longhorns and the Nittany Lions went into freefall, actually going from being in the top-10 to falling completely out of the rankings.  In the Coaches Poll, Texas  fell to #19, while the Nittany Lions plummeted to #22.

Iowa State lost to unranked Cincinnati, who has a solid 4-1 record but remains unranked. Vanderbilt lost to top-10 Alabama. Then-#19 Florida State lost by six points to top-5 Miami (Fla.) and fell out of the rankings in the Coaches Poll, while hanging on at #25 in the AP.

(Steve Welsh – SCW 10.5.25)

(* Texas A&M wins include one where the winning touchdown in the final seconds was essentially the result of cheating, when, on the Aggies’ last offensive play of the game, an Aggie offensive lineman tackled a pass rusher from behind as he was barreling towards the quarterback; but an SEC officiating crew ignored the penalty and did not throw a flag; without the cheating and/or the non-call, the Aggies likely would be 2-1)