Colorado, Duke Surge into AP Top 25 After Shocking Upsets; Florida State Joins Top Five

Colorado and Duke entered the AP Top 25 college football poll following significant upsets, while Florida State secured a top-five spot after a commanding victory over LSU in Week 1's marquee game.

Georgia retained its No. 1 position with 58 first-place votes, and Michigan held steady at No. 2 with two first-place votes. Alabama moved up to No. 3, while Florida State climbed four spots to No. 4, receiving the remaining three first-place votes. This marks Florida State's first appearance in the top five since the beginning of the 2017 season.

Ohio State rounded out the top five in the AP's first regular-season poll. LSU dropped nine spots to No. 15, and Clemson, which suffered an upset loss to Duke, fell 16 places to No. 25. TCU, defeated by Colorado, dropped out of the rankings after being No. 17 in the preseason.

Colorado's stunning win against TCU, led by coach Deion Sanders in his debut, earned the Buffaloes a ranking for the first time since 2020. Duke's victory over Clemson, ending a decades-long losing streak against top-ten teams, placed them back in the rankings for the first time since 2018.

Duke's Jordan Waters (7) and Riley Leonard (13) at NCAA college football in Durham. N.C. (AP/Ben McKeown)

Florida State's return to the top five is significant as it hasn't achieved this ranking during the regular season since 2016, following a successful era under coach Bobby Bowden. The Seminoles had a remarkable stretch in the late 1980s to the early 2000s, including 14 consecutive seasons finishing in the top five and two national titles.

The beleaguered Pac-12 conference now boasts six ranked teams, matching its count from the previous season. The SEC leads with six teams in the rankings as well.

This poll reflects the exciting developments and surprises of the college football season's opening weekend.

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