The Bruins ascended to No. 1 in the latest poll with a 37-1 record, overtaking the Huskies, who dropped from the top spot to No. 3 despite a 38-1 mark — a reminder that the committee weighs more than win totals. The Gamecocks leapt two spots to No. 2 at 36-4, setting the stage for a three-team collision at the summit where one loss could mean everything.
No team captured the poll's imagination quite like the Fighting Irish, who rocketed 13 spots from No. 22 to No. 9 behind a 25-11 campaign. The Horned Frogs also surged, climbing eight places to No. 6 at 32-6, announcing themselves as a legitimate threat in the second week of the poll.
The Hawkeyes absorbed the poll's hardest fall, tumbling nine spots from No. 7 to No. 16 after a 27-7 season. Three newcomers — the Cavaliers, Crimson Tide, and a second Huskies squad at 22-11 — cracked the field, proof that the race is expanding just as the margin for error is shrinking.
Data via ESPN · Summarized by D1Ball's editorial engine from official statistics.
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