Pool Poll Week 8: Seven Ranked Teams Fall and Two More Coaches Fired After Wild Saturday

 

Georgia put an end to a perfect season for Ole Miss.

    Another Saturday is in the books, and we are no closer to figuring out who's going to be headed for the playoffs outside of Ohio State. The Buckeyes continued to cruise through their worst of the Big Ten schedule that will include Penn State, Purdue, UCLA, and Rutgers. Michigan may be the only team they see that's ranked before their likely Big Ten Championship appearance. The SEC is wide open after Georgia took down Ole Miss, Alabama clobbered Tennessee, and Texas A&M held on to defeat Arkansas. The Aggies weren't the only close call for an undefeated team as BYU escaped the Holy War with a win over Utah, 24-21.

The Cardinals weathered the Hurricanes to ruin their perfect season.

    Ole Miss was one of five undefeated teams to earn its first loss of the season. Texas Tech was upended by Arizona State. Memphis was stunned by a UAB team that had just fired Trent Dilfer last week. Boise State dismantled UNLV. The biggest stunner came when Louisville snuck past Miami thanks to four interceptions.

Billy Napier was given his exit notice on Sunday despite winning.

    Those teams might have had a rough day, but for Billy Napier (Florida) and Jay Norvell (Colorado State). Napier led Florida to a 23-21 win over Mississippi State for their second win in three games, but those victories brought him to 22-23 overall. That was enough to add him to the growing list of giant buyouts as he's set to get $21 million to not coach the Gators. Norvell, meanwhile, struggled to get anything going at Colorado State going 18-26. Unlike Napier, he was fired after a loss to Hawaii at home to send the Rams to a 2-5 start.

    

The Tar Heels were this close to a win against Cal.

    The ACC after dark has taken over for the Pac-12 and produced some of the most memorable games that people likely didn't see. On Friday, Cal and UNC went back and forth with the Tar Heels going for the win late in the game when they fumbled at the goal line to keep the Bears' strong season alive. Virginia survived late against Washington State to stay in the Top 25 thanks to a go-ahead safety. Then the grand finale on Saturday featured a stunning win by Stanford over Florida State that had the Seminoles stuffed at 1-yard line as time expired to fall to the Cardinal.

Here's a look at this week's overhauled Top 25.

Carnell Tate put on a show in Madison to spur the Buckeyes' offense.

1. Ohio State (7-0, 63.7 WA, 0 LA)

Last Week Rank: 2

Last Week: A 34-0 beatdown of Wisconsin. The defense is allowing just 6 points per game this season.

Up Next: Bye

2. Texas A&M (7-0, 84.1, 0)

Last Week Rank: 3

Last Week: The Aggies survived a back and forth with Arkansas, 45-42.

Up Next: LSU (5-2, 39)

3. Indiana (7-0, 89, 0)

Last Week Rank: 5

Last Week: Rain or shine, it doesn't matter, all Curt Cignetti does is win and he did that against Michigan State, 38-13.

Up Next: UCLA (3-4, 83)

4. Georgia Tech (7-0, 90.4, 0)

Last Week Rank: 6

Last Week: The Yellow Jackets remain the top team in the ACC after a 27-18 win over Duke.

Up Next: Syracuse (3-4, 105)

BYU claimed bragging rights in the Beehive State.

5. BYU (7-0, 95.4, 0)

Last Week Rank: 8

Last Week: The Cougars held off their rivals Utah, 24-21.

Up Next:  Iowa State (5-2, 32)

6. Navy (7-0, 116, 0)

Last Week Rank: 11

Last Week: The Midshipmen took the week off to try to keep their perfect season and AAC Championship bid.

Up Next: Florida Atlantic (3-4, 98)

7. Alabama (6-1, 31.2, 86)

Last Week Rank: 12

Last Week: The Crimson Tide rolled past Tennessee in convincing fashion, 37-20.

Up Next: South Carolina (3-4, 88)

8. Ole Miss (6-1, 55.7, 20)

Last Week Rank: 1

Last Week: The Rebels were unable to rally against Georgia, 43-35.

Up Next: Oklahoma (6-1, 10)

9. USF (6-1, 67.7, 29)

Last Week Rank: 14

Last Week: The Bulls coasted over Florida Atlantic, 48-13.

Up Next: Memphis (6-1, 20)

The Sooners bounced back from their loss against Texas.

10. Oklahoma (6-1, 70.3, 55)

Last Week Rank: 16

Last Week: The Sooners trampled the Gamecocks, 26-7.

Up Next: Ole Miss (6-1, 8)

11. Georgia (6-1, 75.3, 56)

Last Week Rank: 20

Last Week: Kirby Smart probably thought Lane Kiffin's antics were funnier when he was handing him his first loss.

Up Next: bye

12. Virginia (6-1, 82.7, 57)

Last Week Rank: 18

Last Week: The Cavaliers late safety kept them towards the top of the ACC.

Up Next: UNC (2-4, 111)

13. Tulane (6-1, 83.7, 7)

Last Week Rank: 19

Last Week: The Green Wave were able fend off Army, 24-17.

Up Next: bye

14. Vanderbilt (6-1, 88.8, 34)

Last Week Rank: 27

Last Week: The Commodores continued to prove they are for real with a 31-24 win over LSU.

Up Next: Missouri (6-1, 19)

The Ducks found the end zone early and often.

15. Oregon (6-1, 95.8, 9)

Last Week Rank: 26

Last Week: Oregon steamrolled Rutgers 56-10.

Up Next: Wisconsin (2-5, 112)

16. North Texas (6-1, 100.3, 29)

Last Week Rank: 28

Last Week: The Mean Green sped past UTSA, 55-17.

Up Next: Charlotte (1-6, 129)

17. Texas Tech (6-1, 100.8, 38)

Last Week Rank: 7

Last Week: The Red Raiders were downed by Arizona State, 26-22.

Up Next: Oklahoma State (1-6, 128)

18. Cincinnati (6-1, 101.3, 39)

Last Week Rank: 24

Last Week: The Bearcats are bowl eligible for the first time under Scott Satterfield after a 49-17 win over OKST.

Up Next: Baylor (4-3, 69)

19. Missouri (6-1, 102, 22)

Last Week Rank: 29

Last Week: The Tigers survived a double-overtime thriller against Auburn.

Up Next: Vanderbilt (6-1, 14)

The Tigers were knocked off by their rivals UAB.

20. Memphis (6-1, 109.3, 116)

Last Week Rank: 9

Last Week: The Tigers were caught looking ahead to USF and were upset by UAB, 31-24.

Up Next: USF (6-1, 9)

21. Houston (6-1, 113.3, 20)

Last Week Rank: 31

Last Week: The Cougars are a sneaky top contender in the Big 12 thanks to a 31-28 win over Arizona.

Up Next: Arizona State (5-2, 28)

22. UNLV (6-1, 114.3, 49)

Last Week Rank: 10

Last Week: The Rebels might've been undefeated, but the Mountain West title still runs through Boise.

Up Next: bye

23. James Madison (6-1, 119, 21)

Last Week Rank: 32

Last Week: The Dukes are currently atop the Sun Belt and are lobbying to get into the playoffs at the top group of 5.

Up Next: bye

24. Louisville (5-1, 62.6, 29)

Last Week Rank: 33

Last Week: The Cardinals stunned Miami on Friday to end their undefeated season.

Up Next: Boston College (1-6, 132)

The Canes dropped their first game of 2025.

25. Miami (5-1, 83.6, 33)

Last Week Rank: 4

Last Week: The Hurricanes better watch out for Stanford who just upended Florida State last week.

Up Next: Stanford (3-4, 90)

Dropped Out: USC, Washington, Tennessee, LSU, Utah, Nebraska, and WKU

Watch List: San Diego State, Hawaii, Arizona State, Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, Iowa State, Washington, Tennessee, Texas, TCU, Boise State, Cal, LSU, and Utah

UMass was a minute away from its first victory and instead lost 28-21.

Bottom 10:

127. Nevada (1-6)

128. Oklahoma State (1-6)

129. Charlotte (1-6)

130. South Alabama (1-6)

131. Northern Illinois (1-6)

132. Boston College (1-6)

133. Georgia State (1-6)

134. Oregon State (1-7)

135. Sam Houston State (0-7)

136. UMass (0-7)

Will the Jack Rabbits or Bison take the top spot after their showdown next week?

FCS Top 10:

1. Lehigh (7-0)

2. South Dakota State (7-0)

3. North Dakota State (7-0)

4. Montana (7-0)

5. Tarleton State (8-0)

6. Presbyterian (7-0)

7. Tennessee Tech (7-0)

8. Harvard (5-0)

9. Lamar (6-1)

10. Monmouth (6-1)

Pool Poll: Four Teams Handed Their First Loss, While Three Coaches are Handed Their Pink Slips

 

The Hoosiers showed they are for real with a tough road win in Eugene.

    There were plenty of great matchups on Saturday and after the dust settled, 11 undefeated teams survived, while four others finally fell into the loss column. The biggest showdown was out West for a battle of Big Ten undefeated teams. Indiana dominated the Oregon to hand the Ducks a 30-20 loss. Curt Cignetti continues to check firsts off the list for the Hoosiers as they knocked a team in the Top 10 for the first time on the road in the history of the program and subsequently earned their highest AP ranking ever. 

    Ole Miss got caught in a trap game, narrowly escaping Washington State. The Buckeyes continued to roll over their last ranked opponent (Illinois) for quite some time, maybe until the Big Ten Championship if Michigan falls apart. Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, and Texas Tech all coasted to double figure victories. BYU needed double overtime to escape Arizona, Navy rallied late past Temple, and UNLV survived a scare by Air Force.

Arch Manning upended Oklahoma's perfect season bid.

    Not everyone was so lucky. Oklahoma was lulled into a false sense of security as they surrendered 23 unanswered points to Arch Manning in the Red River Rivalry. Alabama spoiled Missouri's perfect season and perhaps the ugliest first loss belonged to North Texas who were dismantled by 27 points at the hands of USF.

James Franklin is gone after 12 years at Penn State.

    Others who were not so lucky included James Franklin, Trent Dilfer (UAB), and Trent Bray (Oregon State). Franklin and the Nittany Lions lost a shocking third-straight game, this time to Northwestern. The Dilfer experiment was a disaster at UAB with the Blazers going 9-21 under his time as their head coach. The Beavers began 4-1 under Bray and then went a disastrous 1-13 including eight straight losses. Former Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith (Michigan State), Luke Fickell (Wisconsin), and Billy Napier (Florida) are currently feeling the pressure and could be next on the chopping block.

Here's a look at this week's Top 25, which includes seven new teams.

The Rebels had to fight off Wazzu to avoid a Homecoming disaster.

1. Ole Miss (6-0, 55.7 WA, 0 LA)

Last Week Rank: 1

Last Week: The Rebels were sweating as they didn't expect the Cougars of Washington State to put up much of a fight on Homecoming in Oxford. Perhaps Ole Miss was looking ahead to Georgia and had to stifle a series of laterals at the end of the game to hold on 24-21.

Up Next: Georgia (5-1, 20)

2. Ohio State (6-0, 56.8, 0)

Last Week Rank: 2

Last Week: The Buckeyes played Illinois for the first time since 2017 and retained the Illibuck trophy with a 38-16 win over the Illini.

Up Next: Wisconsin (2-4, 105)

3. Texas A&M (6-0, 79.2, 0)

Last Week Rank: 4

Last Week: The Aggies had no problems with Florida as they coasted to a 34-17 win.

Up Next: Arkansas (2-4, 114)

4. Miami (5-0, 83.6, 0)

Last Week Rank: 5

Last Week: bye

Up Next: Louisville (4-1, 33)

Don't doubt Indiana from here on out.

5. Indiana (6-0, 90.8, 0)

Last Week Rank: 1

Last Week: The Hoosiers scored a huge 30-20 win on the road over the Ducks.

Up Next: Michigan State (3-3, 78)

6. Georgia Tech (6-0, 98.8, 0)

Last Week Rank: 6

Last Week: The Yellow Jackets coasted 35-20 over Virginia Tech.

Up Next: Duke (4-2, 40)

7. Texas Tech (6-0, 100.8, 0)

Last Week Rank: 12

Last Week: The Red Raiders blew past Kansas 42-17.

Up Next: Arizona State (4-2, 38)

8. BYU (6-0, 107.7, 0)

Last Week Rank: 14

Last Week: The Cougars escaped Arizona with a 33-27 double overtime victory. Now it's time for a Holy War.

Up Next: Utah (5-1, 22)

9. Memphis (6-0, 109.3, 0)

Last Week Rank: 11

Last Week: The Tigers took the week off and can now plan for a new UAB head coach.

Up Next: UAB (2-4, 116)

The Rebels haven't skipped a beat under Dan Mullen.

10. UNLV (6-0, 114.3, 0)

Last Week Rank: 13

Last Week: The Rebels eked out a last-minute win over Air Force, something the number 11 team can relate to.

Up Next: Boise State (4-2, 49)

11. Navy (6-0, 116, 0)

Last Week Rank: 15

Last Week: The Midshipmen got a big 51-yard touchdown run with 39 seconds left by Blake Horvath and then he converted a 2-point conversion to seal the 32-31 victory over Temple.

Up Next: bye

12. Alabama (5-1, 34, 86)

Last Week Rank: 22

Last Week: The Crimson Tide played spoiler to Missouri's perfect season bid in a close 27-24 win.

Up Next: Tennessee (5-1, 17)

13. USC (5-1, 58.6, 50)

Last Week Rank: 25

Last Week: The Trojans knocked around the Wolverines with ease and have a chance to put a death nail in Notre Dame's playoff hopes.

Up Next: Notre Dame (4-2, 39)

14. USF (5-1, 65.8, 29)

Last Week Rank: 29

Last Week: The Bulls absolutely dismantled North Texas, 63-36, to add to their impressive resume early on this season.

Up Next: Florida Atlantic (3-3, 77)

The Huskies played with their opponent's emotions again.

15. Washington (5-1, 68.2, 7)

Last Week Rank: 26

Last Week: The Huskies again pretended to struggle against an east coast Big Ten team (Rutgers) and then crushed them in the second half to remain atop the conference.

Up Next: Michigan (4-2, 42)

16. Oklahoma (5-1, 70.4, 55)

Last Week Rank: 3

Last Week: Oklahoma looked more like Sam Houston State than one of the Top 5 teams in the country when they played Texas.

Up Next: South Carolina (3-3, 70)

17. Tennessee (5-1, 72.8, 40)

Last Week Rank: 24

Last Week: The Volunteers survived a close call with Arkansas.

Up Next: Alabama (5-1, 12)

18. Virginia (5-1, 83, 57)

Last Week Rank: 17

Last Week: The Cavaliers took a break to watch the Ole Miss/Washington State game to make sure they won't get caught off guard like the Rebels.

Up Next: Washington State (3-3, 81)

19. Tulane (5-1, 86.8, 7)

Last Week Rank: 30

Last Week: The Green Wave fended off ECU on Thursday night, 26-19, to stay in the playoff hunt.

Up Next: Army (3-3, 68)

This timeout has Auburn fans fuming conspiracy.

20. Georgia (5-1, 90.2, 56)

Last Week Rank: 33

Last Week: The Bulldogs clapped their way to a 20-10 victory over Auburn.

Up Next: Ole Miss (6-0, 1)

21. LSU (5-1, 93.6, 2)

Last Week Rank: 34

Last Week: The Tigers lived in the Gamecocks backfield so much that South Carolina ended up firing their offensive line coach.

Up Next: Vanderbilt (5-1, 27)

22. Utah (5-1, 93.6, 38)

Last Week Rank: 39

Last Week: The Utes obliterated Arizona State right out of the rankings, 42-10.

Up Next: BYU (6-0, 8)

23. Nebraska (5-1, 95, 46)

Last Week Rank: 37

Last Week: The Cornhuskers made it back-to-back weeks that the Maryland Terrapins choked away a lead late in the game.

 

Up Next: Minnesota (4-2, 53)

24. Cincinnati (5-1, 96.4, 39)

Last Week Rank: 35

Last Week: The Bearcats slugged their way past UCF to stay afloat in the busy Big 12 race.

Up Next: Oklahoma State (1-5, 126)

WKU is in control of CUSA.

25. WKU (5-1, 97.4, 51)

Last Week Rank: 20

Last Week: The Hilltoppers took the week off to prepare for midweek Conference USA action.

Up Next: FIU (2-3, 103)

Dropped Out: Oregon, North Texas, Missouri, Iowa State, Illinois, Fresno State, Vanderbilt, and Arizona State

Watchlist: Oregon, Vanderbilt, Missouri, San Diego State, North Texas, Houston, James Madison, Louisville, Iowa State, Illinois, Fresno State, Hawaii, Arizona State, Notre Dame, and Duke

FCS Top 10:

The Bison are back on top after a lengthy run by Lehigh.

1. North Dakota State (6-0)

2. Lehigh (7-0)

3. South Dakota State (6-0)

4. Montana (6-0)

5. Presbyterian (6-0)

6. Tennessee Tech (6-0)

7. Tarleton State (7-0)

8. Harvard (4-0)

9. UC Davis (5-1)

10. Jackson State (5-1)

Bottom 10

Da'Realyst Clark and Kent State made sure UMass stayed in the bottom spot.

127. UTEP (1-5)

128. Charlotte (1-5)

129. South Alabama (1-5)

130. Northern Illinois (1-5)

131. Air Force (1-5)

132. Boston College (1-5)

133. Georgia State (1-5)

134. Oregon State (0-7 *officially eliminated from bowl contention)

135. Sam Houston State (0-6)

136. UMass (0-6)

    

Pool's Poll First Rankings: Pretenders are Kicked to the Curb by Conference Bottom Feeders in Wild Saturday

 

Penn State lost back-to-back games for the first time under James Franklin.

    We are halfway through the season for so many teams with the Memphis Tigers (6-0) already clinching a bowl spot. They are one of 15 undefeated teams still in the hunt for a playoff spot, while four teams (Maryland, Louisville, Iowa State, and Houston) were handed their first loss of the season. All of the four teams who suffered their first loss were to formidable opponents (Washington, Virginia, Cincinnati, and Texas Tech respectively), but Penn State and Texas found themselves in unforgiveable territory. The Nittany Lions were fresh off their loss to Oregon and looked for a west coast trip against winless UCLA as a good spot to rebound. Unfortunately, they must have been jet lagged, because they spotted the Bruins a lead they could not overcome and face a long flight home.

Arch Manning struggled again.

    In the Swamp, a preseason Heisman favorite, Arch Manning, struggled again in the big moment for Texas. Like the Nittany Lions, the Longhorns spotted their 1-3 opponent a large lead that they could not overcome late in the game. Granted, the Gators had lost to three-straight quality opponents, so it wasn't as shocking as UCLA, but the relentless pressure that Manning faced all game (6 sacks, 2 INT) showed that Texas has more than just QB problems at the moment. There's no rest for the wicked in the SEC as Florida follows up with Texas A&M (5-0), while Texas participates in the Red River Showdown with Oklahoma (5-0).

    

UNLV stayed undefeated, even in the first snow game of the season in Wyoming.

The SEC to no one's surprise, tops the Conference Power Index early in the season with the Big Ten and Big 12 following close behind. The MAC has crowned itself the worst conference by having only one team with a winning record (Toledo) and the only conference without a team in the Top 50. The Power Index is measured by teams in the Top 50 and teams ranked 100 or lower to show a conference's competitiveness. Here's a look at the first one for this season:

SEC (+8): Top 50: Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU,  and Mississippi State  Rated 100 or Lower: Florida and Arkansas

Big Ten (+7): Top 50: Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, Illinois, USC, Washington, Michigan, Nebraska, and Maryland R100: Purdue and UCLA

Big 12 (+6): Top 50: Texas Tech, BYU, Iowa State, Arizona State, TCU, Cincinnati, Utah, Houston, Arizona, and Kansas R100: Kansas State, West Virginia, Colorado, and Oklahoma State

ACC (+5): Top 50: Miami, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Louisville, Duke, Cal, and NCST R100: Virginia Tech and Boston College

AAC (+2): Top 50: North Texas, Memphis, Navy, USF, and Tulane R100: UAB, Tulsa, and Charlotte

Mountain West (0): Top 50: UNLV, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Hawaii R100: Wyoming, Nevada, Air Force, and Colorado State

Sun Belt (-4): Top 50: Old Dominion and James Madison R100: Louisiana, Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina, Arkansas State, Georgia State, and South Alabama

CUSA (-5): Top 50: WKU and La Tech R100: Jacksonville State, Missouri State, FIU, Middle Tennessee State, UTEP, Liberty, and Sam Houston State

MAC (-6): Top 50: None R100: Miami, Akron, Northern Illinois, Kent State, EMU, and UMass

Now for the (not so) big reveal, the first Top 25 of the regular season. For those new to this circus, teams are ranked based on winning percentage, then the strength of their wins, and finally the strength of their losses. In the event of a tie in all three category, I add my personal bias. Also, I'll include the 10 worst teams and this week a bonus Top 25 to introduce you to the best of the FCS, as I've been tracking that league for the first time this year.

Top 25

The Landsharks are off to prove this is finally their year in the SEC.

1. Ole Miss (5-0, 53.6 Win Opponent Average, 0 Loss Average)

Preseason Rank: 18

2025 So Far: The Rebels were boosted to the top spot after key wins over Tulane and LSU. They'll have to wait another week for an SEC challenge after a bye and a non-conference foe coming up.

Up Next: Washington State (3-2, 66)

2. Ohio State (5-0, 64.6, 0)

Preseason Rank: 1

2025: The Buckeyes got an impressive win over Texas and a solid road win over Washington and have yet to allow double figures this season. If you're wondering why they are not number one, it's their Week 2 opponent, Grambling, that's bringing them down.

Up Next: Illinois (5-1, 18)

3. Oklahoma (5-0, 70.4, 0)

Preseason Rank: 42

2025: The Sooners are boosted by wins over Auburn and Michigan, but the rest of their three wins are less than impressive competition. They have a chance to kick a rival while they are down and after a beatdown of Kent State on Homecoming, they're ready for Arch.

Up Next: Texas (3-2, 55)

4. Texas A&M (5-0, 75, 0)

Preseason Rank: 34

2025: The Aggies got a signature win under Mike Elko when they held on to beat Notre Dame early in the season. They also just added a win over the pesky Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Up Next: Florida (2-3, 100)

The Hurricanes rained on another Top 25 teams parade.

5. Miami (5-0, 83.6, 0)

Preseason Rank: 10

2025: The Hurricanes got a top win over Notre Dame in Week 1 as well, but have shifted their focus to the state of Florida. The Sunshine State victory tour has claimed Bethune Cookman (FCS), USF, Florida, and Florida State. They take a bye week to get ready for a solid Louisville team.

Up Next: Bye

6. Georgia Tech (5-0, 95.2, 0)

Preseason Rank: 46

2025: The Yellow Jackets looked like they had some impressive wins over Colorado and Clemson, but both of those teams have gotten off to rough starts. They rallied to survive an overtime contest with Wake Forest before taking a week off.

Up Next: Virginia Tech (2-4, 117)

7. Oregon (5-0, 99.8, 0)

Preseason Rank: 5

2025: That win over Penn State looks less impressive after UCLA did the same thing. They'll have a tough task that both teams had an extra week to prepare for.

Up Next: Indiana (5-0, 9)

8. North Texas (5-0, 105.4, 0)

Preseason Rank: 96

2025: The Mean Green have survived two overtime scares and will be rewarded with their first major challenge in USF.

Up Next: USF (4-1, 29)

9. Indiana (5-0, 107.6, 0)

Preseason Rank: 17

2025: The Hoosiers hadn't really played anyone and it looked like they might be tested against Illinois. Instead, they pummeled the Fighting Illini by 53 points and then in true Big Ten fashion, struggled the next week at Iowa.

Up Next: Oregon (5-0, 7)

10. Missouri (5-0, 108.6, 0)

Preseason Rank: 22

2025: The Tigers took down rival Kansas and then knocked off South Carolina, in an otherwise pedestrian non conference schedule.

Up Next: Alabama (4-1, 22)

The Tigers are the first team to clinch a bowl spot.

11. Memphis (6-0, 109.3, 0)

Preseason Rank: 24

2025: They've stockpiled 6 wins and the most impressive was surviving a late push at Arkansas. That win was so good that it ended up with the Razorbacks firing Sam Pittman the next day.

Up Next: Bye

12. Texas Tech (5-0, 111.8, 0)

Preseason Rank: 29 

2025: The Red Raiders best wins are over Houston and Utah.

Up Next: Kansas (4-2, 46)

13. UNLV (5-0, 112, 0)

Preseason Rank: 36

2025: Well the Rebels had no issue beating UCLA, so I'm not sure what Penn State's problem was.

Up Next: Air Force (1-4, 126)

14. BYU (5-0, 120.8, 0)

Preseason Rank: 9

2025: The Cougars will get a good challenge this week in Big 12 play.

Up Next: Arizona (4-1, 42)

Navy claimed the first leg of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.

15. Navy (5-0, 123.8, 0)

Preseason Rank: 30

2025: The Midshipmen won a hard-fought battle with Air Force and now set their sights on AAC play.

Up Next: Temple (3-2, 77)

16.  Iowa State (5-1, 60.8, 53)

Preseason Rank: 14

2025: The season started with a crazy win over Kansas State in Ireland and they've been tight roping all season long before falling off Saturday at Cincinnati.

Up Next: Colorado (2-4, 115) 

17. Virginia (5-1, 83, 57)

Preseason Rank: 83

2025: The Cavaliers are some cardiac kids after coming away with back-to-back overtime wins over Florida State and Louisville.

Up Next: Bye

18. Illinois (5-1, 95.6, 36)

Preseason Rank: 13

2025: The Illini have a blowout win over Duke and a gutsy win over USC, but that 53-point beatdown by Indiana still lingers.

Up Next: Ohio State (5-0, 2)

19.  Fresno State (5-1, 95.6, 54)

Preseason Rank: 85

2025: After an opening week loss to Kansas, it's been five straight wins for the Bulldogs.

Up Next: Colorado State (1-4, 129)

The Hilltoppers are poised to take CUSA this season.

20. Western Kentucky (5-1, 97.4, 51)

Preseason Rank: 79

2025: WKU's lone loss is to Toledo, but they remain undefeated in conference play, which is good enough for them.

Up Next: Bye

21. Vanderbilt (5-1, 102.4, 34)

Preseason Rank: 60

2025: They took South Carolina and Virginia Tech down, but they couldn't make it back-to-back wins over Alabama.

Up Next: Bye

22. Alabama (4-1, 40, 86)

Preseason Rank: 16

2025: That early season loss to FSU has lost its luster a little but wins over ranked opponents Georgia and Vanderbilt have reestablished the Tide. Now they get a chance for three straight.

Up Next: Missouri (5-0, 10)

23. Arizona State (4-1, 62.5, 106)

Preseason Rank: 7

2025: It's been a season of close calls for the Sun Devils with them coming up on the plus side against TCU and Baylor and falling just short to Mississippi State.

Up Next: Utah (4-1, 39)

24. Tennessee (4-1, 65.8, 40)

Preseason Rank: 23

2025: It's a tale of two overtimes. They fell short against Georgia and then pulled it out late against Mississippi State.

Up Next: Arkansas (2-3, 101)

Jayden Maiava has been an impact player for USC.

25. USC (4-1, 66.5, 50)

Preseason Rank: 41

2025: They were a late-second field goal against Illinois from being undefeated. Now they get three straight tests in Michigan, Notre Dame, and Nebraska.

Up Next: Michigan (4-1, 27)

Dropped Off: Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, Georgia, SMU, Clemson, Boise State, LSU, South Carolina, Kansas State, Louisville, and Army

Watchlist: Washington, Michigan, Louisville, USF, Tulane, TCU, La Tech, Georgia, LSU, Cincinnati, San Diego St, Nebraska, Maryland, Utah, and Houston

Bottom 10:

UMass is bringing down the MAC to lower standards then they already were.

127. Liberty (1-4)

128. Kent State (1-4)

129. Colorado State (1-4)

130. Boston College (1-4)

131. Georgia State (1-4)

132. Eastern Michigan (1-5)

133. South Alabama (1-5)

134. Oregon State (0-6)

135. Sam Houston State (0-5)

136. UMass (0-5)

Lehigh holds the top spot on the inaugural FCS Pool Poll.

1. Lehigh (6-0)

2. South Dakota State (5-0)

3. North Dakota State (5-0)

4. Montana (5-0)

5. Harvard (3-0)

6. Tennessee Tech (5-0)

7. Tarleton State (6-0)

8. Presbyterian (5-0)

9. West Georgia (5-1)

10. UTRGV (5-1)

11. Lamar (4-1)

12. UC Davis (4-1)

13. SIU (4-1)

14. Jackson State (4-1)

15. Alabama State (4-1)

16. Mercer (4-1)

17. Monmouth (4-1)

18. Furman (4-1)

19. Dayton (4-1)

20. Brown (2-1)

21. Austin Peay (4-2)

22. Princeton (2-1)

23. Penn (2-1)

24. Dartmouth (2-1)

25. Montana State (4-2)