UNDATED (AP) — Ohio State is out of the top 10 of The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in five years, UCLA is in the top five for the first time in 25 years and New Mexico has earned its first ranking in program history. The Buckeyes plummeted from No. 2 to No. 11 following their 30-18 loss at Southern California. Miami is No. 1 for the third straight week after escaping North Carolina with a 38-35 victory. Georgia moved up a spot to No. 2 and was followed by Utah, Notre Dame and UCLA.
UNDATED (AP) — Utah and Notre Dame have joined Miami and Georgia as top-four seeds in a hypothetical 12-team College Football Playoff bracket based on The Associated Press Top 25. The AP poll, released Sunday, saw a shuffle after Ohio State lost to Southern California. Miami remains the No. 1 seed, followed by Georgia, Utah, and Notre Dame. The top four seeds receive first-round byes. The Southeastern Conference would have four teams in the bracket. The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night and continue weekly until December 6. The championship game is set for January 25 in Las Vegas.
UNDATED (AP) — March Madness is famous for its underdog stories, but Cinderella teams are struggling in the world of bigger conferences spending more money. The NCAA Tournament is expanding to 76 teams in the 2026-27 season. This change could favor larger schools with more resources. Smaller teams, like UMBC and St. Peter's, often lose top players and coaches to bigger programs. The expansion will likely include more big-conference teams, potentially sidelining smaller schools. While America loves an underdog, the most-watched finals often feature big names like Duke and North Carolina. The financial gap between schools continues to grow.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s nearly 40-year scoring streak almost came to an end against Southeastern Conference rival Georgia on Saturday. The Gators needed to convert two fourth-down plays on a fourth-quarter drive to extend their NCAA-record streak to 481 games. TCU holds the second-longest streak at 427 consecutive games. Tramell Jones Jr.'s keeper on put the Gators on the scoreboard with 6:59 to play in a 27-8 loss in Atlanta. The touchdown prevented the relocated “Cocktail Party” from becoming a shutout celebration for the Bulldogs.
ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia-Florida rivalry game had a different look this year at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It also had a different sound to it, as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party was renamed the Invesco QQQ Atlanta Gridiron Classic. But despite the long list of changes, the intensity of the rivalry remained strong. Fans who had traveled long and far embraced the new venue despite the commute and Georgia-heavy crowd. It wasn't quite uncharted territory for Gators fans, who have plenty of experience in Atlanta-based SEC championship games and Peach Bowls over the years. Third-ranked Georgia beat No. 17 Florida 27-8.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy returned to the field for the No. 23 Tigers on Saturday night at Arkansas, nearly six months after being wounded in the leg during a shooting at an outdoor concert. Hardy entered the game late in the first quarter to an ovation from Missouri fans. He finished Missouri’s 34-10 victory with two carries for 5 yards. Hardy, who ran for 1,649 yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns in 2025, was attending a concert in Laurel, Mississippi, in his home state, when he was shot in the leg as a bystander on May 10. Police made an arrest in the shooting and charged the suspect with two felony counts of aggravated assault.
