College Football News Today: Texas Takes No. 1, Major Upsets Shake the Rankings and Week 3 Brings Huge Matchups
September 14, 2026
College football needed only two full weekends to toss the preseason script into a blender.
Texas has taken over the No. 1 ranking after completing a historic comeback against Ohio State, Oregon suffered one of the biggest upsets of the young season, Michigan has climbed back into the Top 25, and the SEC now owns six of the country's top 10 spots.
Next up comes another loaded weekend featuring LSU at Ole Miss, Houston at Texas Tech, SMU at Louisville, Florida State at Alabama and a Texas matchup with particular interest across South Texas: UTSA visiting the newly crowned No. 1 Longhorns.
Texas Is the New No. 1 Team in America
The biggest college football story in the country belongs to Texas.
The Longhorns moved to No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 after rallying from a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat then-No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 in Austin.
According to the Associated Press, it was the largest fourth-quarter comeback ever completed against an AP No. 1 team. Texas received 56 first-place votes in the newest poll.
Quarterback Arch Manning struggled during portions of the game but came alive when Texas needed him most. The Longhorns scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and Hollywood Smothers scored the decisive 1-yard touchdown with 25 seconds remaining.
Texas is now ranked No. 1 during the regular season for the first time since October 2024 and has not held the top spot this early in a season since 1965.
That's quite a Saturday night.
Ohio State Falls From No. 1 to No. 6
The other side of Texas' celebration is a major early-season setback for Ohio State.
The Buckeyes controlled much of the game and entered the fourth quarter leading 23-3 before everything unraveled. A missed 45-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter gave Texas life, and the Longhorns responded with the game-winning drive.
Ohio State dropped all the way from No. 1 to No. 6 in the new AP rankings. It is the first time the Buckeyes have been outside the top five in two seasons.
The loss does not eliminate Ohio State from the national championship picture, but the margin for error just became considerably thinner.
Oklahoma State Delivers the Season's Biggest Shock So Far
If Texas beating Ohio State was dramatic, Oklahoma State beating Oregon was downright seismic.
The Cowboys stunned then-No. 6 Oregon 39-31, ending a 21-game losing streak against FBS opponents. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker passed for 317 yards, rushed for 109 more and accounted for three touchdowns.
Oklahoma State produced 554 total yards, while Oregon managed only 281.
The result sent Oregon tumbling 15 places to No. 21 in the AP poll.
For a program that entered the season with national championship expectations, that's a very expensive September loss.
Michigan Is Back in the Top 25
Michigan had one of the strangest starts to the season after barely surviving Western Michigan in its previous game.
The Wolverines answered with a much stronger statement Saturday, defeating then-No. 11 Oklahoma 17-10.
Quarterback Bryce Underwood threw for 111 yards while adding 87 rushing yards and a touchdown. Michigan's defense shut down Oklahoma's final possession to secure the victory.
The win pushed Michigan back into the AP Top 25 at No. 19, while Oklahoma plunged 13 positions to No. 24.
Welcome back to the rankings, Wolverines. College football's revolving door is spinning at full speed.
Georgia and Notre Dame Keep Rolling
While chaos hit several national contenders, Georgia and Notre Dame handled business without much drama.
Georgia demolished Western Kentucky 70-20, with Gunner Stockton throwing five touchdown passes. The Bulldogs scored on their first seven possessions and have now outscored their first two opponents 133-23.
Notre Dame shut out Rice 52-0 behind another impressive performance from quarterback CJ Carr, who threw four touchdown passes.
Those performances helped Georgia remain No. 2 and Notre Dame hold No. 3 in the newest AP poll.
The New AP Top 10
Following the chaos of Week 2, the current AP Top 10 is:
- Texas
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Indiana
- Miami
- Ohio State
- LSU
- Ole Miss
- Texas A&M
- Alabama
The SEC now has nine ranked teams overall and six of the Top 10, tying a conference record.
That makes the coming weeks especially important because SEC teams will increasingly begin eliminating one another.
LSU vs. Ole Miss Is the Game of the Week
If there is one game to circle this weekend, this is it.
No. 7 LSU travels to No. 8 Ole Miss Saturday night in Oxford.
It will be the first top-10 matchup between the programs since 1962.
LSU enters 2-0 after defeating Louisiana Tech 45-14. Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for 344 yards and accounted for four touchdowns despite throwing three interceptions.
Ole Miss is also 2-0 after beating Charlotte 41-9.
The matchup comes with an additional layer of emotion because LSU coach Lane Kiffin will return to Oxford after leaving Ole Miss.
Translation: The Grove may be slightly louder than a library Saturday evening.
Houston and Texas Tech Bring a Ranked Big 12 Battle
Friday night gets its own heavyweight matchup.
No. 22 Houston visits No. 13 Texas Tech in Lubbock.
Houston enters after destroying Southern 77-6, scoring touchdowns on its first 11 drives.
Texas Tech had a much tougher fight, rallying to defeat Oregon State 35-24. Will Hammond threw the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Associated Press notes that Texas Tech has won 12 of the past 13 meetings between the programs and has not lost to Houston at home since 1990.
That history now meets a Houston team carrying serious early-season momentum.
SMU and Louisville Meet in Another Ranked Matchup
The third ranked-vs-ranked game features No. 16 SMU at No. 23 Louisville.
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings enters the matchup after throwing five first-half touchdown passes in a 56-10 victory over UC Davis.
Both programs are trying to establish themselves as serious ACC contenders, making this one of the more important conference games on Saturday's slate.
Texas A&M Continues to Build Momentum
No. 9 Texas A&M enters Week 3 undefeated after beating Arizona State 48-20.
Marcel Reed threw three touchdown passes, while the Aggies defense produced two interception returns for touchdowns. Texas A&M forced four turnovers in the victory.
The Aggies host Kentucky Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field.
Kentucky is already 0-1 in SEC play following a 45-17 loss to Alabama, while Texas A&M has an opportunity to strengthen its early résumé before the schedule becomes more demanding.
UTSA Gets Its Shot at No. 1 Texas
One of the most interesting games for Texas fans happens Saturday night in Austin.
UTSA travels to face newly crowned No. 1 Texas at 8 p.m. ET.
For the Roadrunners, this is the ultimate measuring-stick game.
For Texas, it presents a completely different challenge.
The Longhorns just experienced the emotional high of defeating the nation's No. 1 team in dramatic fashion. Now they must immediately reset against an in-state opponent with absolutely nothing to lose.
Those are the games where coaches start using words like "focus" about 47 times during the week.
The matchup is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Saturday.
Upcoming College Football Games to Watch
All times Eastern.
Thursday, September 17
Syracuse at Pitt
7:30 PM | ESPN
Friday, September 18
No. 5 Miami at Wake Forest
7:30 PM | ESPN
No. 22 Houston at No. 13 Texas Tech
8:00 PM | FOX
Portland State at No. 21 Oregon
10:30 PM | Big Ten Network
Saturday, September 19
Noon Window
Kent State at No. 6 Ohio State
12:00 PM | FOX
No. 2 Georgia at Arkansas
12:00 PM | ABC
Buffalo at No. 14 Penn State
12:00 PM | Big Ten Network
Afternoon Window
Kentucky at No. 9 Texas A&M
3:30 PM
Florida State at No. 10 Alabama
3:30 PM | ABC
No. 12 USC at Rutgers
3:30 PM | CBS
No. 16 SMU at No. 23 Louisville
3:30 PM
Utah State at No. 17 Utah
3:30 PM | FOX
Western Kentucky at No. 4 Indiana
4:00 PM | Peacock
Evening Window
Troy at No. 20 Missouri
7:00 PM
Michigan State at No. 3 Notre Dame
7:30 PM | NBC
No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss
7:30 PM | ABC
New Mexico at No. 24 Oklahoma
7:30 PM | ESPN2
No. 11 BYU at Colorado State
7:30 PM | CBS
Kennesaw State at No. 15 Tennessee
7:45 PM | SEC Network
UTSA at No. 1 Texas
8:00 PM
The NCAA's published schedule lists the complete Week 3 slate and notes that schedules and television assignments remain subject to change.
What to Watch This Weekend
The first two weeks have already reminded everyone why preseason rankings have a remarkably short shelf life.
Texas went from contender to No. 1 in one quarter of football.
Ohio State went from No. 1 to No. 6.
Oregon went from national-title hopeful to No. 21 after one afternoon in Stillwater.
And Michigan went from being questioned nationally to beating Oklahoma and returning to the rankings.
Now the sport moves into a weekend where conference games begin carrying more weight.
LSU-Ole Miss could immediately reshape the SEC race. Houston-Texas Tech will help establish the Big 12 hierarchy. SMU-Louisville has ACC implications. Alabama gets a traditional heavyweight name in Florida State. And top-ranked Texas must avoid an emotional hangover against UTSA.
It's September.
Nobody has been eliminated yet.
But college football has already begun separating teams that looked good on paper from teams capable of surviving Saturdays.
Sources and full links
ESPN | Oklahoma State stuns Oregon
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49918995/oklahoma-state-stuns-no-6-oregon-39-31-thriller
Associated Press | LSU roster and SEC dispute
https://apnews.com/article/6dcea392c8d266d456bfc23c5627cc1e
Reuters | Top 25 roundup: Texas defeats Ohio State, Oregon upset and more
https://www.reuters.com/sports/top-25-roundup-oklahoma-state-stuns-no-6-oregon-end-skid--flm-2026-09-13/
NCAA.com | College football television schedule and game times
https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/college-football-tv-schedule-game-times-preview
ESPN | Texas rises to No. 1 in AP poll
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49929921/texas-rises-top-ap-poll-ohio-state-oregon-tumble-michigan-back-top-25
ESPN | Oklahoma State stuns Oregon
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49918995/oklahoma-state-stuns-no-6-oregon-39-31-thriller
Associated Press | LSU roster and SEC dispute
https://apnews.com/article/6dcea392c8d266d456bfc23c5627cc1e