Texas Tech’s Stunning Rise to No. 8 Shakes Up the AP Top 25 After BYU Triumph

It’s that time again—the latest AP Top 25 college football rankings have rolled in, and for the second week straight, the top five spots are as solid as a rock. No shakeups there, which feels almost serene in a sport that’s anything but predictable. Now, if you’re hunting for movement, the eye-catching shift happened just outside that elite quintet. Texas Tech snagged the No. 8 spot, thanks to a commanding 29-7 smackdown of BYU that sent the Cougars tumbling from eighth all the way to 12th — snapping their once unblemished streak. Meanwhile, Ole Miss and Oregon swapped places at six and seven, after some nail-biting finishes that kept fans on edge. The ACC saw its own bit of chaos, with Virginia plummeting from 12th to 20th following a tough home loss—tough break, especially with QB Chandler Morris sidelined mid-game. And that shuffle has Georgia Tech stepping up as the conference’s top-ranked squad at No. 14. The SEC? Oh, they’re flexing, claiming half of the top 10 and eight teams in total, although Missouri’s stumble dropped them out of the rankings. Week 12’s slate is looking massive: Alabama hosting Oklahoma, Georgia going head-to-head with Texas, and Notre Dame taking on Pitt. Buckle up—it’s gonna be a wild push to the playoffs! LEARN MORE

The top five didn’t have any movement in the AP Top 25 for the second straight week.

The biggest move in the top 10 came as Texas Tech moved up a spot to No. 8 after its 29-7 win over BYU. The Cougars fell from No. 8 to No. 12 as their undefeated season ended.

The only move above the Red Raiders came as Ole Miss switched spots with Oregon at Nos. 6 and 7. The Rebels beat The Citadel and Oregon needed a late field goal to beat Iowa. The top five remained Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia in that order.

Behind Tech, Notre Dame moved up to No. 9 and Texas jumped Oklahoma to move to No. 10 as the Sooners stayed at No. 11. Texas was behind Oklahoma a week ago despite beating the Sooners.

Outside the top 10 there was an ACC-laden shakeup. Virginia fell from No. 12 to No. 20 after losing at home to Wake Forest as QB Chandler Morris missed the second half of the game. Louisville lost at home to Cal in overtime and dropped five spots to No. 19. The Cardinals are ahead of the Cavaliers even though Virginia beat Louisville earlier this season.

Georgia Tech was off in Week 11 and is now the top ACC team in the AP Top 25 at No. 14. The league also has Miami ranked at No. 16 and Pitt at No. 23.

Overall, the SEC has half the top 10 and eight ranked teams as Missouri fell out of the rankings after losing to Texas A&M.

In Week 12, No. 4 Alabama hosts No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 5 Georgia hosts No. 10 Texas and No. 9 Notre Dame visits No. 23 Pitt.