AP Poll trivia and minutiae heading into 2026

[medinabuckeye1]

outside of a misprint/correction, i image 1 week is shortest, with a lot of teams tied for that.

Agreed, short stays aren't terribly uncommon. Just this year we've already had a two week stay (tOSU) and a one week stay (UGA).

In 2025 we had a one week stay (TX) and a two week stay (IU).

In 2024 we had two two week stays (TX twice) and two one week stays (Bama, tOSU).

[FearlessF]

#1:
Miami moved up two spots and makes their 69th appearance at #1. That is the 8th most appearances at #1. If Miami remains #1 one more week they will catch Nebraska for 7th. 

well, I almost always root against the Canes, so next week will be no different

[medinabuckeye1]

Four teams (Arkansas, Boston College, North Carolina, and Wisconsin) have each been ranked #1 exactly once so they each obviously have a one week stay.

I was curious about these so I looked them up:

Arkansas:
The Razorbacks were #6 in the 1965 preseason poll.  This was during the short-lived 10-team era (1961-1967).  They won their first four games (OkSU, Tulsa, TCU, Baylor) and climbed to #3 in the October 11, 1965 poll which set them up for a humongous game against #1 Texas on October 16, 1965.  Arkansas won that and leapfrogged #2 Nebraska to move to #1 in the October 18, 1965 poll.  

The Razorbacks didn't lose the #1 spot by losing.  In their one-and-only game as #1, they beat North Texas 55-20 but N. TX was an unranked 1-4 team.  That same day #2 Michigan State beat #6 Purdue in West Lafayette and the Spartans leapfrogged Arkansas to claim the #1 spot.  Arkansas remained at #2 until they lost the Cotton Bowl to LSU and dropped to #3 in the final poll.  

Boston College:
In 1942 the first poll was not until October 12 when most teams had already played three or four games.  The Eagles were 2-0 with wins over WVU and Clemson and were #11 in the first poll of 1942.  They continued winning and climbed to #3 in the November 9 and November 16 polls then ascended to #1 in the November 23 poll compliments of a road win by unranked Auburn over #1 Georgia.  

In their one-and-only game as the #1 team, Boston College got obliterated by Holy Cross, 55-12.  That dropped them to #8.  

North Carolina:
The Tar Heels were 2-0 and #2 in the first poll of 1948 (October 4) but it was REALLY close.  Notre Dame was #1 with 50 first place votes and 1,200 points while UNC was #2 with 55 first place votes and 1,190 points.  Both teams won that weekend (ND 26-7 vs MSU, UNC 28-6 at Wake) and apparently UNC's win was more impressive because the Tar Heels were #1 in the October 11, 1948 poll.  

Like Arkansas, the Tar Heels didn't lose the #1 spot by losing.  On October 16, 1948 they beat NCST at home 14-0 but they got leapfrogged by both Michigan (beat #3 NU 28-0) and Notre Dame (beat UNL 44-13 on the road).  

Wisconsin:
The Badgers were #7 in the 1952 preseason poll and dropped to #8 on September 29.  That weekend they beat #2 Illinois and jumped all the way up to #1 in the October 6, 1952 poll.  Unfortunately for Wisconsin their next game was in Columbus where they lost 23-14 to Ohio State in Wisconsin's one-and-only game as #1.