Poll Watch Week 7: Buckeyes steady at No. 1 as chaos swirls behind them
Ohio State did its part — and then some. The Buckeyes’ 42–3 demolition of Minnesota kept them No. 1 in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll. The more interesting movement happened beneath them: Miami jumped to No. 2 in the AP after winning at Florida State, while Oregon sits No. 2 with voters in the Coaches after its double-OT thriller at Penn State. Upsets and near-upsets shuffled the middle: UCLA stunned Penn State, dropping the Lions out of the AP and all the way to 22 in the Coaches; Texas fell out of the AP after a loss at Florida (down to 19 in the Coaches). Meanwhile, Texas Tech and Georgia keep creeping, and Memphis joins at 6–0 in both polls.
From an Ohio State lens, the résumé is a little quirky this week: with Texas falling out of the AP, the Buckeyes temporarily lose a ranked AP win, but they immediately pick up a chance to add one back — at No. 17/22 Illinois is next. The gap at the top is still healthy but tightening: OSU holds 40 AP and 59 Coaches first-place votes, while Miami/Oregon split the rest (AP: 21/5; Coaches: 3/3). Inside the Big Ten picture, five league teams are ranked by the AP (OSU, Oregon, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois) and six by the Coaches (adds Penn State). Translation: there’s plenty of runway for quality-win opportunities as October rolls on.
Quick hits
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Statement win: OSU’s 42–3 over Minnesota keeps the defense’s no-TD streak alive and sustains No. 1 despite voters redistributing a few firsts to Miami/Oregon.
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Next up matters: At Illinois (AP No. 17 / Coaches No. 17) gives Ohio State an immediate chance to add another ranked W.
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Big Ten snapshot: AP (5): OSU, Oregon, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois. Coaches (6): adds Penn State at 22.
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Risers: Texas Tech (both polls), Georgia back to 10 AP/9 Coaches, Missouri up to 14/14.
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Fallers: Penn State’s slide (UCLA loss) reshapes the league pecking order; Texas tumbles in both after Gainesville.
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New faces: Memphis (6–0) debuts in both; South Florida joins the AP after a 50-burger on Charlotte.
AP Top 25 – Week 7 (2025)
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | 1st | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | 5–0 | 1620 | 40 | – |
| 2 | Miami | 5–0 | 1579 | 21 | ▲1 |
| 3 | Oregon | 5–0 | 1542 | 5 | ▼1 |
| 4 | Ole Miss | 5–0 | 1376 | 0 | – |
| 5 | Texas A&M | 5–0 | 1361 | 0 | ▲1 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 5–0 | 1346 | 0 | ▼1 |
| 7 | Indiana | 5–0 | 1213 | 0 | ▲1 |
| 8 | Alabama | 4–1 | 1202 | 0 | ▲2 |
| 9 | Texas Tech | 5–0 | 1135 | 0 | ▲2 |
| 10 | Georgia | 4–1 | 1084 | 0 | ▲2 |
| 11 | LSU | 4–1 | 949 | 0 | ▲2 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 4–1 | 892 | 0 | ▲3 |
| 13 | Georgia Tech | 5–0 | 782 | 0 | ▲4 |
| 14 | Missouri | 5–0 | 775 | 0 | ▲5 |
| 15 | Michigan | 4–1 | 707 | 0 | ▲5 |
| 16 | Notre Dame | 3–2 | 610 | 0 | ▲5 |
| 17 | Illinois | 5–1 | 522 | 0 | ▲5 |
| 18 | BYU | 5–0 | 463 | 0 | ▲5 |
| 19 | Virginia | 5–1 | 452 | 0 | ▲5 |
| 20 | Vanderbilt | 5–1 | 407 | 0 | ▼4 |
| 21 | Arizona State | 4–1 | 214 | 0 | ▲4 |
| 22 | Iowa State | 5–1 | 165 | 0 | ▼8 |
| 23 | Memphis | 6–0 | 153 | 0 | NR |
| 24 | South Florida | 4–1 | 150 | 0 | NR |
| 25 | Florida State | 3–2 | 147 | 0 | ▼7 |
Others 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.
Dropped: Penn State, Texas.
Coaches Poll – Week 4 (2025)
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | 1st | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | 5–0 | 1638 | 59 | – |
| 2 | Oregon | 5–0 | 1572 | 3 | – |
| 3 | Miami | 5–0 | 1531 | 3 | – |
| 4 | Ole Miss | 5–0 | 1402 | 0 | – |
| 5 | Texas A&M | 5–0 | 1330 | 1 | – |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 5–0 | 1283 | 0 | ▲2 |
| 7 | Indiana | 5–0 | 1206 | 0 | ▲2 |
| 8 | Alabama | 4–1 | 1183 | 0 | ▲3 |
| 9 | Georgia | 4–1 | 1128 | 0 | ▲1 |
| 10 | Texas Tech | 5–0 | 1082 | 0 | ▲4 |
| 11 | LSU | 4–1 | 999 | 0 | ▲2 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 4–1 | 889 | 0 | ▲3 |
| 13 | Georgia Tech | 5–0 | 819 | 0 | ▲3 |
| 14 | Missouri | 5–0 | 736 | 0 | ▲4 |
| 15 | Michigan | 4–1 | 653 | 0 | ▲5 |
| 16 | Notre Dame | 3–2 | 491 | 0 | ▲5 |
| 17 | Illinois | 5–1 | 484 | 0 | ▲5 |
| 18 | BYU | 5–0 | 453 | 0 | ▲5 |
| 19 | Texas | 3–2 | 372 | 0 | ▼12 |
| 20 | Vanderbilt | 5–1 | 329 | 0 | ▼3 |
| 21 | Iowa State | 5–1 | 295 | 0 | ▼9 |
| 22 | Penn State | 3–2 | 294 | 0 | ▼16 |
| 23 | Arizona State | 4–1 | 292 | 0 | ▲1 |
| 24 | Virginia | 5–1 | 258 | 0 | NR |
| 25 | Memphis | 6–0 | 162 | 0 | NR |
Others 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.
Dropped: Florida State, Utah.
Photo Credit: Cleveland.com