July 8, 2026

AP Top 25 poll: Ohio State leaps over Alabama and Cincinnati for No. 2 in new college football rankings

Getty Images The voting habits of the AP Top 25 poll voters and the College Football Playoff selection committee have often differed, but the way Week 12 played out with two top-10 teams losing and Ohio State putting on a show in one of the most-typed top-10 matchups of the season bring some interesting debates to the top of the rankings. After Sunday’s balloting, the AP voters have Georgia still the unanimous No. 1, but the Buckeyes have jumped from No. 5 all the way to No.  2 in the new poll.  Ohio State is followed by Alabama at No. 3 and Cincinnati at No. 4, with each team giving up one spot in the poll because of the Buckeyes notable leap. Notre Dame moved up to No. 5, followed by Michigan, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Baylor and Oklahoma to round out the top 10.  Oregon predictably had one of…

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