How Star-Telegram’s Steven Johnson voted in AP poll: New No. 1? Is TCU back?
The schedule was underwhelming on paper, but Week 6 still produced a number of important results across the country that will shake up the College Football Playoff race.
Penn State and Texas joined Clemson as the most disappointing teams in the country with upset defeats to UCLA and Florida, respectively.
Despite Ohio State picking up another blowout win, there’s a new No. 1 team atop my Associated Press Top 25 ballot because of its slightly more impressive resume.
Locally, TCU got back in the win column with a 35-21 victory over Deion Sanders and Colorado, but would that win be enough to get the Horned Frogs back on the ballot?
Here’s how the Star-Telegram’s Steven Johnson voted on his weekly Associated Press Top 25 ballot:
Steven Johnson’s AP Top 25 ballot
1. Miami (5-0): The Hurricanes finally supplant Ohio State at the top of the ballot after picking up another quality win over Florida State. Miami has the best set of wins in the country. Last week: 2
2. Ohio State (5-0): The Buckeyes hammered Minnesota and continue to look like a machine, but their resume took a hit with Texas falling off the ballot. Last week: 1
3. Ole Miss (5-0): The Rebels moved up over Oregon due to Penn State — the Ducks’ best win — falling off the ballot. Last week: 4
4. Texas A&M (5-0): The Aggies pulled away in the second half to defeat a much improved Mississippi State team 31-9. Last week: 5
5. Oregon (5-0): The Ducks had a bye week, but their quality win against Penn State doesn’t look as great after the Nittany Lions were upset by UCLA. Last week: 3
6. Indiana (5-0): The Hoosiers had a bye week. Last week: 6
7. Texas Tech (5-0): The Red Raiders continue to separate themselves in the Big 12 after another blowout win at Houston. Last week: 7
8. Oklahoma (5-0): Backup quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. put on a show as the Sooners rolled past Kent State 44-0. A struggling Texas team awaits them Saturday. The status of starting QB John Mateer will be a key storyline to watch. Last week: 8
9. Alabama (4-1): The Crimson Tide avenged last year’s embarrassing loss to Vanderbilt with a gritty win over the Commodores in Tuscaloosa. Last week: 10
10. Georgia (4-1): The Bulldogs handled their business with a 35-14 win over Kentucky. Could we see a Georgia-Bama rematch in the SEC title game? Last week: 11
11. Notre Dame (3-2): The Fighting Irish put together another strong showing with a 28-7 win over Boise State. Notre Dame is the best two-loss team in the country. Last week: 13
12. Tennessee (4-1): The Vols were off this week. Last week: 12
13. Missouri (5-0): The Tigers had a bye week. Last week: 14
14. Georgia Tech (5-0): The Yellow Jackets had a bye week. Last week: 20
15. LSU (4-1): The Tigers had a bye week. Last week: 15
16. BYU (5-0): The Cougars make their first appearance on my ballot after defeating West Virginia 38-24. Bear Bachmeier threw for 351 yards in the victory. Last week: NR
17. Michigan (4-1): Bryce Underwood threw for 271 yards as the Wolverines picked up a 24-10 win over Wisconsin. Underwood continues to improve each week. Last week: 21
18. Virginia (5-1): The resurgence of TCU transfer quarterback Chandler Morris and head coach Tony Elliott continues to be one of the best stories in college football after the Cavaliers survived in overtime at Louisville. Last week: 25
19. Florida State (3-2): The Seminoles are trending in the wrong direction after losing to Miami 28-22 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. Last week: 9
20. Arizona State (4-1): The Sun Devils had a bye week. Last week: 24
21. Memphis (6-0): The Tigers continue to look like the best Group of Five team after blowing out Tulsa. Last week: 22
22. Vanderbilt (5-1): The Commodores remain ranked after coming up short against the Crimson Tide. Last week: 17
23. Nebraska (4-1): The Cornhuskers made a nice jump onto the ballot, as their win over Cincinnati suddenly became a quality victory after the Bearcats knocked off previously unbeaten Iowa State. Last week: NR
24. Cincinnati (4-1): The Bearcats earned a 38-30 home victory over Iowa State, No. 18 last week on my ballot. Cincy led 31-7 at one point. Last week: NR
25. Iowa State (5-1): The Cyclones stormed back to make it close against Cincinnati, but Iowa State couldn’t overcome the loss of two of the Big 12’s best cornerbacks. How Iowa State’s defense performs down the stretch will be a key storyline to watch. Last week: 18
Dropped out: Penn State (16), Texas (19), Mississippi State (23)
Moved up: BYU, Nebraska, Cincinnati
Why TCU didn’t make the cut
While the Horned Frogs improved to 4-1 with a comeback win over the Buffaloes, TCU still has a number of issues that must be addressed if it wants to be viewed as one of the best teams in the country, the primary concern being the Horned Frogs’ offensive line and run game.
Would TCU be able to rush for more than 100 yards against anybody currently on the ballot? The odds would be against it.
The Horned Frogs remain in the No. 25-35 range and could jump back onto the ballot depending on the outcome of their road game at Kansas State on Saturday.
Why others fell
Penn State and Texas falling off the ballot is pretty easy to explain. They’re two of the few Power Four conference teams to not have a win over a Power Four opponent this season.
The programs are easily the biggest disappointments of the year after the Longhorns and Nittany Lions were ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the preseason AP poll.
Mississippi State still has the win over Arizona State on its resume, but two straight losses sent the Bulldogs tumbling off the ballot.
This story was originally published October 5, 2025 at 11:57 AM.
