The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll underwent significant reshuffling after a chaotic second week of the season, with the Texas Longhorns rising to No. 1 following a dramatic comeback win over Ohio State, while Ohio State and Oklahoma both suffered steep falls despite losing narrowly to strong opponents. The shake-up highlights an ongoing debate in college football over whether teams should be judged purely on wins and losses or given credit for the strength of their schedule, since Ohio State and Oklahoma were penalised heavily despite competitive performances against ranked or improving sides.

Oklahoma dropped 13 places after losing 10-3 at Michigan, while Ohio State fell five spots despite leading Texas by 20 points before losing by a single score, with advanced metrics suggesting the game was essentially a coin flip. Meanwhile, teams such as BYU, Indiana and Miami rose in the rankings after beating weaker opposition, including a 77-7 rout of Florida A&M by Miami. Oregon, previously considered a Big Ten title contender, also slipped after narrowly beating Boise State and then losing to Oklahoma State, leaving little room for error with tough fixtures against USC, Ohio State, Michigan and Washington still to come.