It’s a good day for Ole Miss in the AP Top 25 rankings. The Rebels — who held off Lane Kiffin and LSU 32-24 on Saturday night — jumped over the Tigers and three other teams to land at No. 4. Making their season debut in the poll are No. 21 Florida, which is 3-0 for the first time since 2019, and No. 24 Mississippi State. That leaves the Southeastern Conference with 10 ranked teams this week. Texas A&M took the biggest fall, going from No. 9 to No. 23 after its 31-21 home loss to unranked Kentucky. Louisville was the biggest gainer, rising seven spots to No. 16 after its 41-31 victory over SMU. Texas was No. 1 for the second straight week, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Indiana. Miami, Ohio State, Alabama, BYU and LSU completed the top 10. That’s a three-spot slip for the Tigers.

What’s next?

By MAURA CAREY

Week 4 offers a loaded slate of ranked-on-ranked competition.

No. 1 Texas travels to No. 14 Tennessee for an SEC matchup in one of the more difficult road game settings. No. 17 Iowa and No. 18 Michigan go head-to-head, with each fighting to emerge as a Big Ten contender.

No. 4 Ole Miss visits Gainesville to face newly ranked No. 21 Florida. No. 23 Texas A&M takes on No. 10 LSU in a matchup between two SEC teams desperate for a win after conference losses.

No. 20 Oregon visits No. 12 USC in search of a quality win to erase a Week 2 blunder against Oklahoma State. No. 19 Missouri travels to freshly ranked No. 24 Mississippi State.

Ole Miss turns to another ranked opponent

By MAURA CAREY

It’s back to business next weekend for Ole Miss, which faces another ranked opponent on Saturday given Florida’s rise into the Top 25. The Rebels head to Gainesville to face the No. 21 Gators as 2.5-point underdogs.

It’s the seventh game of Pete Golding’s head coaching career and his sixth ranked opponent. Golding is 4-1 against AP Top 25-ranked teams early into his stint as the Rebels’ head coach.

Ask a voter: How hostile were LSU fans at Saturday’s game against Ole Miss?

By MICHAEL KATZ

Hey Michael, I felt like I barely saw any LSU fans on the broadcast. Were you able to see any, and if so, on a scale of 1-10, how hostile?

Nicholas

Let’s just say they didn’t get a large allotment of tickets.

But I saw plenty around The Grove, including at College GameDay. I know there was a lot of talk about tensions and hostilities between all parties, but I think that was way overblown, other than the occasional skirmish I assume took place.

For the most part, everyone got along and was hospitable. Everyone just wanted to be part of the atmosphere. — Ole Miss athletics reporter Michael Katz has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @MichaelLKatz.

Ask a voter: Break down the Heisman race as you see it in these early stages

By MICHAEL KATZ

Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss is an obvious Heisman Trophy candidate (again). Break down the Heisman race as you see it in these early stages.

AP sports editor Dave Zelio

I’m probably a bit slanted because I see him week in and week out, but I think Trinidad is the best player in the country and means the most to his team. You watch a game, and you immediately realize he is the best player on the field.

Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney are my next two, and the order is really dealer’s choice for me. Jeremiah Smith is in there for sure, as is Arch. Kamario Taylor is a guy to keep an eye on as well. He has that MSU offense rolling. — Ole Miss athletics reporter Michael Katz has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @MichaelLKatz.

Louisville replaces SMU at No. 16

By MAURA CAREY

Louisville moved up seven spots to take SMU’s slot at No. 16 after defeating the Mustangs 41-31 on Saturday. SMU fell to No. 22.

The Cardinals and Mustangs traded the lead eight times before Louisville pulled away. Keyjuan Brown ran for a career-high 163 yards on 10 carries and broke loose for touchdown runs of 58 and 53 yards. Louisville sealed the win with Isaac Brown’s 27-yard touchdown with 5:32 remaining.

The Cardinals improved to 2-1 and 1-0 in the ACC, while SMU fell to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play..

Ask a voter: Is the Grove really the Mecca of college football tailgating?

By MICHAEL KATZ

Is the Grove really the Mecca of College Football tailgating, like I keep hearing?

Carmen F.

It’s so unique. How many places do you see chandeliers hanging in tents?? It’s such a tight-knit community in Oxford with so much hospitality. I’m from Los Angeles and really didn’t know what an SEC tailgate was. The community at The Grove is unmatched.

— Ole Miss athletics reporter Michael Katz has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @MichaelLKatz.

Miami’s Darian Mensah continues to impress

By MAURA CAREY

Miami quarterback Darian Mensah (10) looks to pass against Wake Forest during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Darian Mensah is off to an electric start as Miami’s quarterback, leading the Hurricanes to a 3-0 start and outscoring opponents by a combined 155-33.

Mensah completed his first 24 passes in Friday night’s win against Wake Forest, tying for the third most in a game in FBS history. He had 35 straight completions over the last two games, setting an ACC record. He has also boasted an 85% completion percentage or higher in each of his three starts, becoming the first FBS player in over 30 years to meet that mark.

USC fends off Rutgers to hold steady at No. 12

USC held off winless Rutgers 42-35 and stayed right at No. 12 in the AP Top 25.

Quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, but the Trojans face a much stiffer test this weekend while hosting No. 20 Oregon — a team eager for a quality win after losing to Oklahoma State.

Rutgers proved to be a tougher test for the Trojans than it might appear on paper, making the Ducks’ visit to Los Angeles next weekend even more intriguing.

Ole Miss cracks the top five

Ole Miss moved up four spots, from No. 8 to No. 4, after a 32-24 win over LSU on Saturday night. It’s the third straight year the Rebels have reached the top five in September, a feat they previously accomplished only from 1959-61.

It’s also the first time since October 2022 that Ole Miss and Mississippi State have been ranked in the same poll. Miami and Florida ended a similar drought, appearing in the same poll for the first time since Sept. 2, 2025.

Texas A&M takes a hard fall, Kentucky turns heads

Texas A&M fell 14 spots, from No. 9 to No. 23, after a 31-21 home loss to Kentucky.

The game was tied at 7-7 heading into the half. But unlike last week vs. Alabama, when Kentucky lost its 17-13 lead and was outscored 32-0 in the second half, the Wildcats kept their foot on the gas. Kentucky had a three-touchdown lead by the end of the third and came up with an interception and a big fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Kentucky’s performance caught voters’ attention. The Wildcats received the second-most votes of any unranked team.

AP Top 25 temperature check

Heating up: Ole Miss (4), Alabama (8), BYU (9), Texas Tech (11), Penn State (13), Tennessee (14), Utah (15), Louisville (16), Iowa (17), Michigan (18), Missouri (19), Oregon (20), Florida (21) and Mississippi State (24).

Cooling down: Indiana (5), Miami (6), Ohio State (7), LSU (10), SMU (22), Texas A&M (23), Houston (25), Oklahoma (OUT) and Virginia (OUT).

Holding steady: Texas (1), Georgia (2), Notre Dame (3) and USC (12).

Ask a voter: Why did Miami drop?

By MICHAEL KATZ

Why did Miami drop? I understand the second half kinda was scary, but why’d we drop for it?

Aiden

For me at least, it was more about needing to reward Ole Miss for their body of work. Miami is incredible, but I don’t think their quality of wins is as impressive as Ole Miss’.

They and Indiana are kind of interchangeable for me right now. — Ole Miss athletics reporter Michael Katz has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @MichaelLKatz.

Ask a voter: How do you balance credit for a team pulling off an upset vs. a correction of overranking?

By MICHAEL KATZ

Early in the season, how do you balance credit for a team pulling off an upset (WVU or OSU) versus a correction of overranking (UVA/Oregon)?

Chris S.

That’s a really interesting question.

For me, at least, an upset has to have a bit of a body of work behind it for a big rise in the rankings. Oklahoma State, for example, would easily be ranked but dropped a stinker in their opener to Tulsa. So even though they beat a ranked Oregon team, it’s hard for me to give them credit for the body of work quite yet.

For Oregon, I don’t hit the “overranked” button too hard until I see them have a couple of alarming games. Obviously, a loss to Oklahoma State dropped them really far, but I know some people dropped them out entirely.

I still think Oregon is really good, and bad days happen. But if they throw up another clunker, then you start to wonder who they really are. — Ole Miss athletics reporter Michael Katz has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @MichaelLKatz.

Conference breakdown

By MAURA CAREY

The SEC has 10 ranked teams in this week’s AP Top 25, including five in the top 10: Texas (1), Georgia (2), Ole Miss (4), Alabama (8), LSU (10), Tennessee (14), Missouri (19), Florida (21), Texas A&M (23) and Mississippi State (24).

The Big Ten has seven ranked teams: Indiana (5), Ohio State (7), USC (12), Penn State (13), Iowa (17), Michigan (18) and Oregon (20).

The Big 12 has four ranked teams: BYU (9), Texas Tech (11), Utah (15) and Houston (25).

The ACC has three ranked teams: Miami (6), Louisville (16) and SMU (22).

Notre Dame (3) is independent.

Ask a voter: Walk us through your top 10 on today’s ballot, including Ole Miss at No. 4 and LSU at No. 10

By MICHAEL KATZ

Walk us through your top 10 on today’s ballot, including Ole Miss at No. 4 and LSU at No. 10.

AP sports editor Dave Zelio

It hasn’t always been pretty, but Ole Miss has two ranked wins in three games, including a top-10 victory over a rival. I jumped them above Indiana and Miami because I think they’ve earned it so far.

Texas is still No. 1 for what is the best win of the season so far, and UGA and ND are still in great standing, though it was tempting to move Ole Miss over Notre Dame given the Fighting Irish not looking dominant against Michigan State.

I am never going to penalize a top-10 team too much for losing a one-score game on the road to another top-10 team, so I only dropped LSU to 10. Alabama and BYU were beneficiaries of Texas A&M’s strange day as well. — Ole Miss athletics reporter Michael Katz has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @MichaelLKatz.

In and out

By MAURA CAREY

No. 21 Florida and No. 24 Mississippi State are new to the rankings this week at the expense of Oklahoma and Virginia.

Florida got off to its first 3-0 start since 2019 with a 44-39 win against Auburn.

Mississippi State had another electric game offensively in a 41-34 win against South Carolina. Quarterback Kamario Taylor led the Bulldogs back from a 16-0 deficit while throwing for 251 yards and four touchdowns.

Oklahoma is out of the rankings after just barely getting past New Mexico as 21.5-point favorites. Virginia suffered the same fate after a 38-27 loss to West Virginia.

AP Top 25 rankings

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

1. Texas

2. Georgia

3. Notre Dame

4. Ole Miss

5. Indiana

6. Miami (Fla.)

7. Ohio State

8. Alabama

9. BYU

10. LSU

11. Texas Tech

12. USC

13. Penn State

14. Tennessee

15. Utah

16. Louisville

17. Iowa

18. Michigan

19. Missouri

20. Oregon

21. Florida

22. SMU

23. Texas A&M

24. Mississippi State

25. Houston

—

Also receiving votes: Washington, Kentucky, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Boise State, Virginia Tech, Western Michigan, Duke, Tulsa, Arizona, Pittsburgh, UCLA, James Madison, North Dakota State, Kansas State and Nebraska.

Louisville beats SMU in an ACC matchup

By MAURA CAREY

No. 23 Louisville beat No. 16 SMU at home on Saturday in an early ACC showdown, outscoring the Mustangs 41-31 in a back-and-forth battle that included eight changes in who held the lead.

It was another strong performance from Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, who threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 42 yards and a score. Kienholz’s rushing touchdown was one of four for the Cardinals. Keyjuan Brown had 163 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

SMU also found success in the run game. Kendrick Raphael, who stole the show, ran for 197 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries.

Aggies suffer a big upset in College Station

Texas A&M fell 31-21 to Kentucky in a major upset. It was Kentucky’s first win against Texas A&M in 74 years, with the Wildcats’ only other win dating back to 1952.

The loss is sure to impact Texas A&M’s position in the AP Top 25 and puts the Aggies in must-win mode as SEC competition ramps up.

It was the first road game for new Kentucky coach Will Stein, and it was a personal one for Kentucky defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, who spent the previous two seasons in the same role at Texas A&M.

Florida makes its case

Florida started the week with the second-most votes of any unranked team (behind Washington). The Gators could break into the rankings after a 44-39 win over SEC foe Auburn.

It’s Florida’s first 3-0 start since 2019 and would be its first Top 25 ranking since last September.

Running back Jadan Baugh had yet another impressive outing, boosting his season totals to 458 rushing yards and eight scores.

A wild finish in Nashville

One of the week’s more unforgettable endings unfolded in Nashville, when NC State gave up a 31-28 lead as the clock expired.

NC State quarterback CJ Bailey was hit by three Commodores as he scrambled in the end zone and fumbled. Vanderbilt cornerback Cayden Daniels recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown, giving the Commodores an improbable 35-31 win.

Business as usual for the top 6

Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Miami and Ohio State each cruised to expected victories.

No. 5 Miami started the weekend with a 33-20 win against Wake Forest on Friday night. No. 2 Georgia beat Arkansas 45-17 on the road. No. 3 Notre Dame shut down Michigan State in the second half to come out on top 27-10. No. 4 Indiana rolled past Western Kentucky 38-0. And No. 6 Ohio State returned to the win column with a 59-3 rout of Kent State.

Teams to watch

No. 9 Texas A&M’s top-10 status is in jeopardy after a 31-21 upset loss to unranked Kentucky.

No. 22 Houston could be on the move after a hard-fought 28-26 loss to No. 13 Texas Tech.

No. 24 Oklahoma didn’t quite bounce back this week with an uninspiring 14-6 win over New Mexico.

Virginia had little margin for error going into the week at No. 25 and fell 38-27 to West Virginia on Saturday.

LSU-Ole Miss showdown didn’t disappoint

Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford got off to a slow start, as Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss led the Rebels to a 24-7 halftime lead with a near-flawless first half.

Momentum shifted in the third quarter as LSU scored two unanswered touchdowns and Ole Miss lost running back Kewan Lacy to a shoulder injury.

LSU tied it up at 24-all with a field goal to start the fourth quarter. Chambliss then put the Rebels back on top after running it in for a touchdown and subsequent two-point conversion. Ole Miss sealed the 32-24 win as Jaylon Braxton picked off a pass from LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt in the end zone.