Ohio State Drops to No. 10 After Losing to USC

Ohio State suffered a major setback in the college football rankings after losing 30-18 to unranked USC, prompting an eight-position drop in the Coaches Poll released Sunday, November 1, 2026. The Buckeyes fell from No. 2 to No. 10, while USC climbed to No. 17 and strengthened its College Football Playoff ambitions.

According to CBS Sports, Ohio State's defeat was the week's biggest upset in college football. Despite suffering its second loss of the season, the Buckeyes remain in contention for a College Football Playoff position.

Ohio State's defensive performance was a major factor in the defeat. Although backup quarterback Luke Fahey attracted attention, the defense's inability to contain USC contributed significantly to the 30-18 result.

Miami maintained its position at No. 1 following a narrow 38-35 victory over North Carolina. The Hurricanes secured their first road victory as the nation's top-ranked team since 2002 and now face a major test against No. 6 Notre Dame on Saturday night.

Georgia moved into second place after delivering a convincing 27-8 victory over Florida in Atlanta. The Bulldogs climbed from No. 3, while Florida dropped out of the top 25 after previously occupying No. 20.

Indiana also improved its position, moving up one spot to No. 3 despite a challenging victory over Minnesota. The Hoosiers prevailed in overtime after both teams converted 60-yard field goals late in regulation, marking the first time in FBS history that two 60-yard field goals were made in the same game.

Indiana backup quarterback Grant Wilson secured the victory with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Becker in overtime. According to CBS Sports, the Hoosiers had averaged just 17.8 points per game over their previous four contests, although their results remained strong apart from their loss to Ohio State.

Indiana will have a week off before hosting USC. The upcoming matchup could have significant implications for both programs' College Football Playoff prospects, particularly following USC's rise in the latest rankings.

Texas Tech also improved its standing after defeating Arizona 34-26 at home. The Red Raiders climbed one position to No. 13, recovering slightly after dropping nine places in the previous week's poll.

SMU experienced one of the biggest declines, falling from No. 16 to No. 24 following its loss to Syracuse. The setback also damaged the Mustangs' prospects of reaching the College Football Playoff, according to CBS Sports.

New Mexico entered the top 25 for the first time in the latest Coaches Poll. The team climbed four positions from the "others receiving votes" category to claim the No. 25 ranking.

Among the teams outside the top 25, South Carolina received 91 votes, followed by Florida with 81. UTSA and Duke each collected 76 votes, while Virginia Tech received 53 and Oregon earned 41.

Minnesota received 10 votes, followed by Oklahoma State with nine and Liberty with six. North Texas collected four votes, Wisconsin received three, Memphis earned two, and North Dakota State, Nebraska, and Cincinnati each received one vote.