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BYU and Utah both climb in latest AP Top 25

The Cougars moved to No. 8 after an ugly win at TCU, while the Utes rose to No. 12 during their bye week.

(LM Otero | AP Photo) BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, front left, is congratulated by teammates after running for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against TCU, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.

(LM Otero | AP Photo) BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, front left, is congratulated by teammates after running for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against TCU, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.

By https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/sltrib/684b2f12-8528-496e-97cc-4cfa23d2fc8b.jpg Jason Batacao
 | Oct. 4, 2026, 12:18 p.m.

While Utah kicked back and relaxed during its bye week, BYU traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, and escaped with an ugly win over TCU.

AP voters didn’t think it was too ugly, though.

After sliding to No. 10 in last week’s rankings, BYU climbed to No. 8 in the latest AP Top 25 poll released Sunday. The Cougars had some blemishes in their victory, including injuries to key starters running back LJ Martin and linebacker Isaiah Glasker.

BYU’s offense also managed just 216 yards of total offense, which raised some questions about the program’s chances of being the top contender in the Big 12, especially if Martin’s injury keeps him out for an extended period.

Or it could have been the rain. Time will tell.

BYU jumped two SEC schools — Florida, which was blown out by Missouri on Saturday, and Ole Miss — and now a potential top-10 matchup is brewing in Provo when No. 3 Notre Dame comes to town in two weeks.

Utah, which came in at No. 13 last week, moved to No. 12 during its off week. The Utes’ last game was a 31-17 victory over Iowa State — a win that got a boost, though, with the Cyclones’ 45-42 win over West Virginia.

The Cougars and Utes are among five ranked teams from the Big 12, along with No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 18 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Houston.

AP Top 25

1. Texas

2. Georgia

3. Notre Dame

4. Miami

5. Ohio State

6. Alabama

7. Indiana

8. BYU

9. Ole Miss

10. LSU

11. Texas Tech

12. Utah

13. Oregon

14. Missouri

15. Tennessee

16. Florida

17. Mississippi State

18. Oklahoma State

19. USC

20. Iowa

21. UCLA

22. Houston

23. Boise State

24. SMU

25. Pittsburgh

Others receiving votes: Kentucky 160, Wake Forest 142, Wisconsin 88, Duke 83, Northwestern 59, Nebraska 48, Minnesota 19, Arizona 19, James Madison 12, North Dakota State 7

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https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/sltrib/684b2f12-8528-496e-97cc-4cfa23d2fc8b.jpg
Jason BatacaoUniversity of Utah sports reporter

Jason Batacao, a former Oklahoma City resident who graduated from the University of Oklahoma, covers the University of Utah for The Salt Lake Tribune. When he’s not covering the Utes, Jason enjoys watching movies, playing on his Xbox Series X and reading books.