Miami takes No. 1 in AP poll, though Nicole Auerbach put BYU first on her ballot
The Hurricanes received 40 first-place votes to BYU’s 20. Auerbach said the Cougars’ win over Notre Dame made the difference on her ballot.
Miami took the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 college football poll released on October 18, 2026, after a weekend of upsets, while BYU rose to No. 2. NBC Sports voter Nicole Auerbach placed BYU first on her individual ballot, citing its home win over Notre Dame. The published poll reflects all voters’ ballots: CBS Sports reported 40 first-place votes for Miami and 20 for BYU.
Five of the eight highest-ranked teams lost on Saturday, CBS Sports reported. Georgia, previously No. 1, fell to fifth after a home loss to unranked Auburn. Notre Dame dropped from second to fourth following its loss to BYU, leaving Miami and BYU at the top of a reshuffled poll.
Why Auerbach ranked BYU above Miami
Auerbach wrote that she considered BYU, Miami and Ohio State for first place. She chose BYU because of its win over Notre Dame and an earlier victory against Arizona. She said BYU’s offense surprised her with big plays against the Irish in the first half, strengthening her view of the Cougars’ case.
She questioned Miami’s case after the Hurricanes needed two overtimes to beat Florida State. She also pointed to Wake Forest as Miami’s best win but judged that result insufficient to put the Hurricanes ahead of BYU on her ballot. Those were Auerbach’s assessments; Miami finished first in the overall vote.
Ohio State had a strong claim too, Auerbach wrote, with road wins over Indiana and Iowa. Its loss to Texas counted against it in her decision, particularly as she believed Texas’s standing had worsened. Ohio State ultimately placed third in the poll, ahead of Notre Dame and Georgia.
How the AP top 10 changed
BYU climbed from eighth to second, according to CBS Sports’ poll table. Texas Tech moved up to eighth and Utah placed tenth, giving the Big 12 three top-10 teams. CBS Sports also reported that the Big 12 said officials erred by failing to put another second on the clock in BYU’s game against Notre Dame.
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Sources and context
- Inside the AP Poll: Why I voted for BYU — not Miami — at No. 1NBC Sports (Nicole Auerbach; republished by Yahoo Sports)
- AP Top 25 poll: Miami takes over at No. 1, BYU surges to No. 2 in college football rankingsCBS Sports
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.