### Michigan Plummets in Latest AP Top 25 College Football Poll Following Washington Loss

In a tumultuous week for the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 college football poll, Michigan has experienced a significant drop. The Wolverines, now 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten, tumbled 14 spots to No. 24 after their 27-17 defeat to Washington. This game was a rematch of last season's national title clash, adding an extra layer of disappointment for Michigan fans.

Texas reclaimed the No. 1 spot, leveraging its open date and benefiting from Vanderbilt's surprise victory over Alabama. The Commodores, entering the game as more than three-touchdown underdogs, pulled off a shocking upset that saw Alabama fall from No. 1 to No. 7. This drastic drop is the largest for a top-ranked team since Ohio State’s fall to No. 11 in 2010 after a loss to Wisconsin.

The Longhorns garnered 52 out of 61 first-place votes. This also marked Texas as the first team in two years to leap in and out of the top spot within three polls, and the third team since 2008 to be voted No. 1 after not playing the day prior. Ohio State moved up to No. 2 after a comfortable win over Iowa, securing nine first-place votes.

Oregon and Penn State both advanced three spots to No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Georgia held steady at No. 5 after the latest poll update. Miami staged an impressive comeback from a 25-point second-half deficit to edge out California 39-38, climbing two spots to No. 6.

The latest poll saw a significant number of AP Top 25 teams losing to unranked opponents. Six of the 18 ranked teams that played were defeated by lower-ranked foes, a notable pattern not seen since the first week of October 2020. Alabama was among four teams in the Top 11 to face such losses, a phenomenon last observed in October 2017. Tennessee’s loss to Arkansas sent them from No. 4 to No. 8.

Michigan’s drop to No. 24 came alongside other significant declines: Southern California fell out of the Top 25 following a loss to Minnesota, and Missouri's home defeat to Texas A&M saw the Tigers fall from No. 9 to No. 21. Meanwhile, Texas A&M’s victorious performance propelled them from a tie at No. 25 to No. 15.

Though the Big Ten dominates the upper rankings with Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State occupying three of the top four spots, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) still boasts strong representation in the Top 10 with Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

Notably, this week marks the first time since November 2016 that three teams — Missouri, Michigan, and USC — have each fallen 10 or more spots in the same poll. The biggest gainers included Texas A&M soaring from No. 25 to No. 15, Clemson moving up to No. 10 from No. 15, and Iowa State climbing to No. 11 from No. 16.

New entrants in the Top 25 include SMU at No. 25 after an away win over Louisville, marking their return to the rankings after a one-year absence. Pittsburgh also entered at No. 22, starting 5-0 for the first time since 1991 following a win at North Carolina. On the other hand, both USC and UNLV dropped out — the latter after losing in overtime to Syracuse.

The poll breakdown sees the SEC with nine ranked teams, the Big Ten with six, the Big 12 holding four spots, the ACC also with four, the Mountain West with one, and Independents capturing one spot. Additional teams receiving votes included Southern Cal, Nebraska, Navy, and others.