AP Poll shock: Ohio State jumps to No. 1 after upset of Texas

• by Elias Whitestone
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A new No. 1 after a Week 1 shocker

Week 1 didn’t tiptoe into the season—it blew up the map. Ohio State toppled preseason No. 1 Texas 14-7 in the marquee game of the opening weekend, then vaulted to the top spot in the AP Poll with 55 first-place votes. The Buckeyes jumped two places from their preseason ranking on the strength of a defensive performance that choked out one of the most hyped offenses in the country.

It wasn’t pretty, and that was the point. The game lived in the mud: field position, third-down stops, and a late stand that tilted the night. Texas had been the consensus favorite heading into the season, loaded with speed and expectations. Ohio State didn’t match that flash; it smothered it. For a voter base that often rewards clean, dominant wins, this was a statement about toughness and composure when the lights were hottest.

Poll swings this big in early September are rare because voters usually lean conservative after one week. But context matters. Beating the No. 1 team in a nationally watched opener is a gravitational event. Add the tone—defense first, mistake-free in the fourth—and you get the kind of leap that sends a message to the rest of the Big Ten: the road to January just got a lot steeper.

Who climbed, who stumbled — and what it means next

Penn State held its ground at No. 2 after a 46-11 blowout of Nevada, and the Nittany Lions picked up seven first-place votes. That split tells you voters saw more than one elite in Week 1. Penn State’s result wasn’t about drama; it was about control from kickoff to kneeldown. In early September, that steadiness reads loud.

The biggest surge inside the top 10 belonged to LSU, now No. 3 after a 17-10 win at Clemson. Taking a ranked opponent on the road in a stadium known for swallowing visiting teams is the definition of a signature win. It wasn’t track meet football; it was patient and disciplined, the kind of performance that ages well with voters as the season grinds on.

Georgia nudged up to No. 4 after a 45-7 cruise past Marshall, a result that looked like vintage Bulldogs: deep rotation, clean execution, and no panic. Miami made the jump nobody saw coming into the elite tier at No. 5 after edging Notre Dame 27-24 in a thriller. That win wasn’t just a résumé booster; it hinted at a ceiling Miami’s been trying to reach for years. If the defense keeps creating late stops and the offense avoids the big mistake, the ACC race just got crowded.

Then came the slide. Texas fell six spots to No. 7. Given the closeness of the loss and the quality of the opponent, voters didn’t crater the Longhorns, which leaves them with everything still in front of them. Clemson dropped to No. 8 after the one-score home loss to LSU. Notre Dame slipped to No. 9, the price of a three-point defeat to a fast-rising Miami. The biggest fall of the week belonged to Alabama, all the way down to No. 21 after a 31-17 loss at Florida State. The Seminoles used that upset to rocket into the rankings at No. 14, a payoff for an off-season of optimism that now has teeth.

• Ohio State: Up to No. 1 after beating Texas 14-7; 55 first-place votes.
• Penn State: Steady at No. 2 with seven first-place votes.
• LSU: Up six to No. 3 after a road win at Clemson.
• Georgia: Up to No. 4 following a 45-7 win over Marshall.
• Miami: Up five to No. 5 after edging Notre Dame.
• Texas: Down six to No. 7 after the one-score loss to Ohio State.
• Clemson: Down to No. 8 after falling to LSU at home.
• Notre Dame: Down to No. 9 after a narrow loss to Miami.
• Florida State: In at No. 14 after beating Alabama 31-17.
• Alabama: Down to No. 21 after the Florida State defeat.

Why the reshuffle? Voters weigh who you beat and where you beat them more than raw margin. Road wins over ranked teams signal durability that carries into November. It’s also week one—depth charts are still settling, and coaches are learning who they can trust on third-and-medium and in two-minute drills. Style points matter, but against ranked opponents, making the right play at the right time often counts more than a gaudy final score.

For Ohio State, the climb brings new pressure. Sitting at No. 1 means every opponent circles the date, every mistake gets magnified, and every win is graded on a tougher curve. The Big Ten is more than a two-team story, but with the Buckeyes at No. 1 and Penn State at No. 2, the conference now owns the top of the poll and, with it, a national spotlight. That can be fuel or a distraction. The teams that handle it best treat the ranking like noise and keep leaning on fundamentals.

LSU’s jump matters for playoff math. In a 12-team College Football Playoff world, early losses aren’t fatal, but early road wins over brand-name opponents pay interest all season. Seeding and byes depend on stacking quality wins and staying clean against teams you should beat. The AP poll isn’t the selection committee, but it shapes the weekly narrative—who’s legit, who’s lurking, and who needs style points to stay relevant.

Texas walks away with bruises, not a broken season. The drop to No. 7 reflects respect from voters who watched a defense hold firm for most of the night. The path back is simple and brutal: clean up the small errors, tune up the red-zone plan, and let the schedule do the work. Win, and the Longhorns will climb again. Lose again, and the margin for error evaporates before October.

Clemson and Alabama read differently but share a theme: the brand still commands attention, but the cushion is thinner. Clemson’s loss came against a team that surged into the top three, which softens the hit. The Tigers still control a big chunk of their ACC future if they stabilize the offense in tight games. Alabama’s slide to No. 21 is jarring because of what it represents—voters punishing a two-score loss, even to an opponent that just debuted at No. 14. The Tide now need steady quarterback play, cleaner situational defense, and a couple of statement wins to reset the narrative.

Georgia’s quiet climb is classic Bulldogs. Handle business, rotate the depth, and get out healthy. It’s early, but their baseline looks familiar: a defense that squeezes space and an offense that can take the air out of a game once it has a lead. You don’t need drama when you’re this organized.

Miami and Florida State are suddenly loud in the ACC conversation. For Miami, the top-five jump means opponents will test the run defense and force long third downs to see if the offense can stay on schedule. For Florida State, the challenge is different: manage the hype. The Seminoles looked fast and disciplined against Alabama, which is the right mix for September. Now they need to stack routine wins before the next headliner.

Week 1 is when small samples lie, but not always. Voters lean on what they see. They saw Ohio State erase space and force Texas to win ugly—then take the win away. They saw LSU survive a road fistfight. They saw stability from Georgia and Penn State, urgency from Miami, and a Florida State team that didn’t blink. That’s how you earn a jump in early September.

The next few weeks are landmine territory. Emotional wins can lead to flat starts. Teams that just rose will get their opponents’ best shots, and coaches will be fighting complacency as much as the game plan. Freshmen who flashed in Week 1 will face their first real film study from opponents. Special teams, often the quiet edge in early games, could swing another ranked matchup or two.

What’s clear after one week: defense still travels, road wins still matter most, and reputation only buys you so much. The poll will keep moving as more data comes in. For now, Ohio State owns the top line, Penn State is right there, and a handful of heavyweights just learned how thin the margin is when the lights come on.