AP College Football Poll 2026 Week 3 Rankings Released with Top Risers and Fallers

There's a new No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 after Texas completed an improbable comeback against Ohio State on Saturday night.

The AP voters sent the Longhorns into the top spot following their 24-23 victory. The Buckeyes fell from first to sixth.

Oregon, meanwhile, experienced the biggest tumble in the wake of a 39-31 upset at the hands of Oklahoma State. The Ducks, who opened at No. 2 in the preseason poll, are now all the way down in No. 21.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Michigan is back in the Top 25 (No. 19) after holding on to take down Oklahoma.

2026 AP Poll Week 3

1. Texas (2-0)

2. Georgia (2-0)

3. Notre Dame (2-0)

4. Indiana (2-0)

5. Miami (2-0)

6. Ohio State (1-1)

7. LSU (2-0)

8. Ole Miss (2-0)

9. Texas A&M (2-0)

10. Alabama (2-0)

11. BYU (2-0)

12. USC (3-0)

13. Texas Tech (2-0)

14. Penn State (2-0)

15. Tennessee (2-0)

16. SMU (2-0)

17. Utah (2-0)

18. Iowa (2-0)

19. Michigan (2-0)

20. Missouri (2-0)

21. Oregon (1-1)

22. Houston (2-0)

23. Louisville (1-1)

24. Oklahoma (1-1)

25. Virginia (2-0)

Take your pick of consequential results from Week 2.

Texas vs. Ohio State was highlighted as one of the biggest games of the season, and it mostly lived up to the hype after three quarters without much drama. The Longhorns scored 21 points in the fourth to wipe out a 20-point deficit.

The narrative totally flipped as the contest unfolded.

Through the first half, the sky was falling in Austin. Texas was heading toward another dispiriting loss, one that raised big picture questions over the state of the program.

Now, those concerns are being raised about Ohio State. The Buckeyes continue to win the games they should win under Ryan Day yet stumble and throw away wins on the biggest stages.

It's fair to say OSU fans are spoiled by the team's consistency from year to year while at the same time they aren't wrong to ask whether Day is maximizing all of the resources at his disposal.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning is firmly in that zone as well.

The stars had aligned for the Ducks in 2026. They retained a lot of their key underclassmen from last year, and they have a relatively easy schedule all things considered. Ohio State, USC and Washington are the three ranked opponents they drew within the Big Ten.

As much attention as quarterback Dante Moore drew, defense should be Oregon's calling card. Instead, Oklahoma State torched the unit to the tune of 554 yards. Running back Caleb Hawkins and quarterback Drew Mestemaker each ran for 100 yards as the Cowboys averaged 5.9 yards per carry.

Lanning isn't on the hot seat by any means. He's under contract through the 2031 season. The heat on him is beginning to intensify, though, in a way that points to the growing discontent in Eugene.