Florida State (16-2-4) surged from No. 6 to No. 1, displacing Stanford (21-2-2) after the Cardinal's reign at the top ended with a drop to second. The Seminoles' ascent is the headline of a poll that saw dramatic movement across the board — Duke rocketed from No. 11 to No. 3, and Washington climbed from No. 13 to No. 6, signaling that the race for national supremacy is wide open.
The falls were just as seismic. Arkansas plummeted from No. 4 to No. 17, Memphis slid from No. 3 to No. 18, and Notre Dame tumbled from No. 2 to No. 11 — three former top-five teams now scrambling to rediscover their identity. Ohio State entered the poll at No. 9 after being unranked, joined by new arrivals North Carolina, Kansas, and BYU.
What the poll says: depth is the story. Twelve teams held their ground or moved up, but the volatility at the top suggests nobody's seat is safe heading into the postseason.
Data via ESPN · Summarized by D1Ball's editorial engine from official statistics.
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