Texas Holds No. 1 as Ole Miss Surges into Top 4 in Latest AP Poll Shakeup

The September sorting mechanism has arrived, and it is ruthless. Following a chaotic Week 4 slate, the latest AP Top 25 poll has violently reshuffled the deck behind No. 1 Texas, rewarding statement victories and punishing early stumbles as the expanded College Football Playoff race takes shape.[1][2]

Texas retained its unanimous grip on the top spot following a suffocating 30-6 victory over UTSA in Austin. The Longhorns' defense set the tone immediately, with senior linebacker Rasheem Biles intercepting Owen McCown on the first play from scrimmage—extending the program's FBS-leading streak of forcing a turnover in 26 consecutive home games.[3]

Quarterback Arch Manning capitalized instantly, connecting with Cam Coleman for a 24-yard touchdown. Manning finished 16-of-32 for 161 yards and two scores, while adding 50 yards on the ground, as Texas held the Roadrunners to just 143 total yards and kept them out of the end zone for the first time since October 2020.[3][4]

But the most seismic shift in the rankings occurred in Oxford, Mississippi. In a highly anticipated top-10 showdown laced with narrative drama, No. 8 Ole Miss vaulted to No. 4 after outlasting No. 7 LSU 32-24 in an absolute shootout.[1][2][5]

The Magnolia Bowl doubled as a high-stakes revenge game against former Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin, who departed for Baton Rouge following the 2025 Egg Bowl. Under the direction of Pete Golding, Ole Miss packed a Vaught-Hemingway Stadium record crowd of 70,033 into the stands and delivered a defining victory.[2][5]

Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss engineered the offense brilliantly, completing 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns—his 16th consecutive game with a passing score, tying Eli Manning for the third-longest streak in school history. After LSU erased an early deficit to score 17 unanswered points, Chambliss orchestrated a late drive capped by his own 14-yard rushing touchdown and a successful two-point conversion by JT Lindsey.[5]

The Ole Miss defense slammed the door on the 32-24 win when Jaylon Braxton intercepted LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt in the end zone with just over a minute remaining. The victory propelled the Rebels into the top four, while the Tigers slid to No. 10.[1][5]

Further down the poll, the ACC hierarchy clarified as No. 23 Louisville overpowered No. 16 SMU 41-31 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. The Cardinals leaned on a punishing ground game, racking up 265 rushing yards to break the Mustangs' will.[6][7]

Running back Keyjuan Brown celebrated his 22nd birthday by erupting for a career-high 163 yards and two touchdowns, including a 53-yard burst in the fourth quarter. "All we do is play hard to the end," Brown said following the win. "I couldn't have done this without the O-line." Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz added 177 passing yards and two scores, helping Louisville survive a heavyweight bout that featured eight lead changes.[6][7]

The victory marked Louisville's first ranked win of the season and handed SMU its first conference loss, positioning the Cardinals as a primary challenger to No. 5 Miami in the ACC title race. Louisville climbed seven spots to No. 16 in the AP Poll, recording the week's biggest jump.[1][7]

Conversely, Texas A&M suffered the steepest drop of the weekend. The Aggies tumbled 14 places to No. 23 after suffering a 31-21 home defeat to Kentucky, marking their first setback of the 2026 campaign and severely denting their playoff margin for error.[1]

Elsewhere, Georgia and Notre Dame held steady at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Oregon remained at No. 20 after rebounding from an earlier upset with an 84-0 demolition of Portland State, while Florida and Mississippi State leaped into the Top 25 at Nos. 21 and 24 following weekend victories.[1][2]

With conference play now fully underway, the runway is shrinking. The early-season blowouts are fading into the rearview, replaced by the resume-defining, high-stakes matchups that will ultimately dictate the 12-team playoff bracket come December.[1][2]