AP Top 25 rankings updated following epic Week 7 of college football

If you didn’t watch any of the action in Week 7, you missed one of the most epic weekends of college football in recent memory. From start to finish, the slate was jam-packed with intriguing matchups and the games lived up to the hype in every way. With the dust settled on Week 7 and the page turning towards Week 8, new AP Top 25 rankings have been revealed with some interesting movement.

Just 19 teams from last week’s AP Top 25 were in action during Week 7, with six teams on bye. There were six matchups between two AP-ranked teams, with the results poised to completely shake up this week’s top 25.

No. 3 Alabama was the highest ranked team to lose this weekend, with the Crimson Tide falling to No. 6 Tennessee in a game that’s going to be remembered for a long time. It came down to the final second, but the Vols’ victory will result in drastic movement in the top five.

No. 7 USC also lost on Saturday, falling 43-42 to No. 20 Utah. No. 8 Oklahoma State also lost 43-40 in double overtime to No. 13 TCU. There was one more top ten matchup on the weekend slate, this one between No. 5 Michigan and No. 10 Penn State. Ultimately, the Wolverines had no issues in their 41-17 victory, strengthening their case as a top five team.

No. 15 NC State couldn’t overcome the loss of Devin Leary, with the Wolfpack offense struggling in a 24-9 loss against No. 18 Syracuse. Additionally, No. 16 Mississippi State lost 27-17 to No. 23 Kentucky, with the Wildcats getting back in the win column after a tough two-week stretch.

Furthermore, No. 19 Kansas lost in a high-scoring affair with unranked Oklahoma. The Sooners ultimately got back on track themselves with a 52-42 victory. No. 25 James Madison also lost 45-38 to unranked Georgia Southern.

All of the action is complete, and a new-look AP Top 25 is here with multiple new teams as things officially flip from Week 7 to Week 8.

New AP Top 25 rankings after Week 7

1. Georgia (7-0) (31 first-place votes)
2. Ohio State (6-0) (17)
3. Tennessee (6-0) (15)
4. Michigan (7-0)
5. Clemson (7-0)
6. Alabama (6-1)
7. Ole Miss (7-0)
8. TCU (6-0)
9. UCLA (6-0)
10. Oregon (5-1)
11. Oklahoma State (5-1)
12. USC (6-1)
13. Wake Forest (5-1)
14. Syracuse (6-0)
15. Utah (5-2)
16. Penn State (5-1)
17. Kansas State (5-1)
18. Illinois (6-1)
19. Kentucky (5-2)
20. Texas (5-2)
21. Cincinnati (5-1)
22. North Carolina (6-1)
23. NC State (5-2)
24. Mississippi State (5-2)
25. Tulane (6-1)

Georgia and Ohio State remained in the top two spots, with the Bulldogs and Buckeyes receiving 48 of the 63 total first-place votes. Tennessee earned 15 first-place votes, coming in at No. 3 after rising three spots. Michigan and Clemson swapped spots to round out the top five, while Alabama fell three spots and out of the top five.

TCU (up five spots), UCLA (up two spots), and Oregon (up two spots) each joined the top ten this week. Syracuse (four spots), Utah (five spots), and Illinois (six spots) also saw notable jumps. Oklahoma State fell three spots out of the top ten, while USC also fell out of the top ten after dropping five spots. Penn State also dropped six spots, while NC State and Mississippi each fell eight spots.

North Carolina and Tulane are the lone new teams in this week’s rankings. They take the places of Kansas and James Madison.

Purdue was the top vote-getting team outside of the top 25, receiving 05 votes. LSU also received 87 votes before a sizeable drop-off. UCF was the next-highest, but the Knights received just 13 votes alongside South Carolina. Kansas also received 12 votes, and nobody else received more than six.