Texas Tops AP Poll As SEC Asserts Early Dominance Over Big Ten

The Associated Press Top-25 college football poll released on Sunday afternoon reveals a shifting of power in the sport, with the SEC Conference asserting its dominance over the Big Ten. Texas Longhorns have climbed to the top of the rankings after an impressive comeback in a recent game against Ohio State, the previous No. 1-ranked team.

Star quarterback Arch Manning has been instrumental in Texas' success this season. The Longhorns are trying to break the Big Ten's stranglehold on the College Football Playoff, as Ohio State, Indiana, and Michigan have won the last three national titles. Texas' victory over Ohio State marked the largest fourth-quarter rally ever against a No. 1-ranked team, according to Sportradar, and is expected to be one of the most-watched college football broadcasts of the regular season.

Meanwhile, the Big Ten claimed a notable victory over the SEC, with Michigan defeating No. 11 Oklahoma 17–10, returning to the Top 25 rankings at No. 19. Ohio State, on the other hand, fell to No. 6, marking its first position outside the top five in two seasons. The SEC's No. 2 ranked team, Georgia, and No. 7 ranked LSU, along with No. 8 Ole Miss and No. 9 Texas A&M, and No. 10 Alabama, give the conference six teams in the Top 10.

This sets the stage for the upcoming Ole Miss-LSU rivalry, which will be the first all-top-10 edition of the Magnolia Bowl since 1962. The game will see Lane Kiffin, the former Rebels coach, returning to Oxford, Mississippi, for the first time since his controversial departure.