The AP Top 25 got a shakeup this week. In the poll released Sunday, September 20, 2026, Ole Miss cracked the top five, Louisville went on the biggest climb of the week, and Texas A&M took the hardest fall after an upset loss. Texas held at No. 1 for a second straight week, and the SEC now has 10 teams ranked. Below you will find the full Week 4 rankings, every riser and faller compared with last week, a plain-English explainer of how the poll works, and a free printable Top 25 ballot so you can rank the teams yourself.
Printable AP Top 25 ballot (free PDF)
Want to play voter? Print the blank ballot, fill in your own Top 25, then check it against the writers below. The one-page PDF puts this week’s actual AP poll on the left and 25 fill-in lines on the right, so it works great for a group, a class, or a watch party.
Week 4 AP Top 25 rankings
Here is the complete Associated Press Top 25 for Week 4, with each team’s record, its ranking last week, and how far it moved. The rankings match our live College Football Top 25 scores tracker, which updates on game days.
| Rank | Team | Record | Last week | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 3-0 | 1 | Even |
| 2 | Georgia | 3-0 | 2 | Even |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 3-0 | 3 | Even |
| 4 | Ole Miss | 3-0 | 8 | Up 4 |
| 5 | Indiana | 3-0 | 4 | Down 1 |
| 6 | Miami (FL) | 3-0 | 5 | Down 1 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 2-1 | 6 | Down 1 |
| 8 | Alabama | 3-0 | 10 | Up 2 |
| 9 | BYU | 3-0 | 11 | Up 2 |
| 10 | LSU | 2-1 | 7 | Down 3 |
| 11 | Texas Tech | 3-0 | 13 | Up 2 |
| 12 | USC | 4-0 | 12 | Even |
| 13 | Penn State | 3-0 | 14 | Up 1 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 3-0 | 15 | Up 1 |
| 15 | Utah | 3-0 | 17 | Up 2 |
| 16 | Louisville | 2-1 | 23 | Up 7 |
| 17 | Iowa | 3-0 | 18 | Up 1 |
| 18 | Michigan | 3-0 | 19 | Up 1 |
| 19 | Missouri | 3-0 | 20 | Up 1 |
| 20 | Oregon | 2-1 | 21 | Up 1 |
| 21 | Florida | 3-0 | NR | New |
| 22 | SMU | 2-1 | 16 | Down 6 |
| 23 | Texas A&M | 2-1 | 9 | Down 14 |
| 24 | Mississippi State | 3-0 | NR | New |
| 25 | Houston | 2-1 | 22 | Down 3 |
Biggest movers
Louisville was the week’s biggest gainer, jumping seven spots to No. 16 after a 41-31 home win over SMU in an early ACC showdown. SMU paid the price, sliding six places to No. 22.
Ole Miss made the loudest statement, climbing from No. 8 to No. 4 after holding off Lane Kiffin and LSU 32-24. It is the Rebels’ first top-five ranking since they closed last season at No. 3. LSU slipped three spots to No. 10.
Texas A&M took the hardest fall of the week, tumbling from No. 9 all the way to No. 23 after a 31-21 home loss to unranked Kentucky. That 14-spot drop was the largest of any ranked team.
Two teams joined the party. Florida returned to the poll at No. 21 after a 44-39 road win at Auburn that pushed the Gators to 3-0 under first-year coach Jon Sumrall. Mississippi State debuted at No. 24, its first Top 25 appearance since 2022, after erasing a 16-point deficit to beat South Carolina 41-34. Oklahoma and Virginia dropped out to make room.
Want to see how these teams line up week to week? Compare with last week in our Week 3 AP Top 25 rankings.
How the AP Top 25 works
The Associated Press Top 25 is a weekly ranking voted on by a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. This season the panel has 69 voters. Each voter submits a ballot ranking their top 25 teams, and points are awarded on a sliding scale: 25 points for a first-place vote down to 1 point for a 25th-place vote. Add up every ballot and the team with the most points sits at No. 1. This week Texas topped 58 of the 69 ballots, with Indiana, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Miami collecting the other first-place votes.
A preseason poll comes out in August, then a new Top 25 is released every week once games begin, usually on Sunday or Monday. The poll is a snapshot of opinion, not an official standing, so it does not decide the College Football Playoff on its own. It does, however, shape the national conversation and is a useful weekly barometer of who is trending up and down.
More from Sports Brackets
- College Football Top 25 scores tracker: live scores and the current AP poll, updated on game days.
- Week 4 college football schedule and TV: every ranked matchup with kickoff times and networks.
- 2026 College Football Playoff predictions: how this Top 25 would seed the bracket.
- Future college football schedules: opponents by year for every team.
Frequently asked questions
Who is No. 1 in the AP Top 25 this week?
Texas is No. 1 for the second week in a row. The Longhorns are 3-0 and topped 58 of the 69 ballots after a 30-6 win over UTSA.
Who was the biggest mover in the Week 4 AP Top 25?
Louisville was the biggest riser, up seven spots to No. 16. Texas A&M was the biggest faller, down 14 spots to No. 23 after losing to Kentucky.
How many SEC teams are ranked?
Ten. The SEC placed 10 teams in the Week 4 Top 25, the seventh time in poll history the league has had at least 10 ranked in a regular-season poll.
When does the next AP Top 25 come out?
The next poll is released after this coming weekend’s games, typically on Sunday afternoon. We update our tracker and post a fresh rankings article each week.
Can I print a blank AP Top 25 ballot?
Yes. Use the free printable ballot near the top of this page. It lists this week’s AP poll on the left with 25 blank lines on the right so you can fill in your own Top 25.
