Media Panel Shakes Up College Football’s Power Map

Ohio State dropped from No. 2 to No. 11 after a 30-18 loss at Southern California, prompting the Associated Press media panel to reshuffle the rankings that shape college football’s public pecking order. Miami stayed at No. 1 after beating North Carolina, UCLA rose to No. 5, and New Mexico made the poll for the first time in program history at No. 22. The ballot doesn't decide the playoff, but it helps frame the debate over which teams belong in the 12-team field.

Who Gets to Set the Order

Miami earned 62 of 70 first-place votes from the media panel. Georgia got seven, and Utah got one. Georgia moved to No. 2, followed by Utah, Notre Dame and UCLA. Indiana slid to No. 6 after a 23-16 overtime win over Minnesota; BYU, Kentucky, Alabama and Texas rounded out the top 10.

The poll leaned heavily toward the SEC, which put 10 teams in the rankings. The Big 12 and Big Ten had five apiece. The ACC had Miami and Wake Forest, Notre Dame stood as an independent, Boise State represented the Pac-12, and New Mexico represented the Mountain West. These numbers show how conference ties and poll positions shape the public view of college football’s contenders.

UCLA reached 8-0 for the first time since 2005 under first-year coach Bob Chesney, shutting out Nevada 27-0. Its No. 5 ranking marked the program’s first top-five appearance in 25 years. New Mexico improved to 7-1 with a 21-16 win over San Jose State, its first such start since 1982. The Lobos stood alone among Mountain West schools, unbeaten in conference play, and drew notice as a serious contender for the Group of Six playoff spot.

Players Pay for the Power Struggle

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin got hurt before the loss at Southern California, and freshman Luke Fahey made his first career start. USA Today Network senior national college football columnist Blake Toppmeyer argued the defeat shouldn't fall on Fahey, though the three-star freshman hadn't inspired abundant confidence. He blamed a defense that didn't give Fahey enough support, along with 11 penalties and red-zone problems.

Ohio State had lost its second game, with four Big Ten games left and Sayin not expected back soon. Toppmeyer said the Buckeyes needed to go 4-0 in November with a backup quarterback and predicted another loss. He questioned how the playoff committee would judge a team without its starter, pointing to its reference to Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis’ injury when it excluded the undefeated Seminoles under a different committee and four-team format. A player’s injury becomes a committee calculation; the people doing the calculating hold the gate.

Toppmeyer also argued Texas would make a better playoff choice than Ohio State if both finished 9-3 and only one could enter the bracket. Texas beat Mississippi State 31-3 as Arch Manning had a strong game. The US LBM Coaches Poll, though, placed Ohio State at No. 10, one spot ahead of Texas, even after Ohio State’s loss at Texas.

The Bracket Has Its Own Hierarchy

Southern California entered the AP poll at No. 18 after beating Ohio State, a result described as the biggest win of Lincoln Riley’s five seasons and one that put the Trojans back in the playoff hunt. Toppmeyer wrote that the Big Ten might struggle to send more than two teams to the playoff, despite producing the previous three national champions. He said UCLA was the conference team he trusted most to reach the playoff, while the Big Ten needed Southern California to keep winning.

The Big 12’s standing also hinged on how the committee ranked its teams. Utah joined Miami and UCLA as the nation’s undefeated teams. Texas Tech wouldn't play BYU or Utah in the regular season, leaving open the chance that the conference could finish with two one-loss teams alongside its champion. Toppmeyer laid out a favorable scenario: Utah in the top three, BYU the highest-ranked one-loss team outside Georgia or Indiana, and Texas Tech inside the top 12.

The poll also put No. 1 Miami at No. 4 Notre Dame on the schedule, matching the teams’ rankings for their 1988 “Catholics vs. Convicts” meeting. No. 2 Georgia was set to face No. 12 Mississippi, and No. 7 BYU was scheduled to meet No. 3 Utah. The rankings turn teams, conferences and injured players into entries in a managed contest for access. New Mexico’s arrival and UCLA’s rise change the table; the playoff gatekeepers still decide who gets through.