AP Top 25 poll preview: Oregon narrowly gets past Iowa, Texas A&M keeps undefeated streak alive

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Week 11 of College Football is underway, and this time, every team in the running for a College Football Playoff spot knows where it stands in the eyes of selection committee members.

No. 8 BYU at No. 9 Texas Tech headlined the slate as a showdown between the Big 12's top two contenders. Texas Tech came out on top and is set to leapfrog the Cougars in the rankings, taking sole possession of the conference.

No. 2 Indiana narrowly avoided its first loss of the season and a potentially significant drop-off in the rankings in a last-minute thriller against Penn State. Fernando Mendoza found Omar Cooper Jr. in the end zone with 36 seconds remaining, carrying Indiana to the 27-24 win.

Iowa played No. 6 Oregon tough, but the Hawkeyes fell just short in the final moments as the Ducks kicked a game-winning field goal. The 18-16 loss marks Iowa's third of the season and jeopardizes its playoff path.

– Texas Tech handed BYU its first loss of the season on Saturday, defeating the Cougars with a convincing 29-7 win. The Red Raiders rank directly below BYU in the AP Top 25 and College Football Playoff rankings and are poised to move up.

— The rankings could shift in No. 18 Miami's favor after the Hurricanes' 38-10 rout of Syracuse on Saturday.

– BYU will drop after a loss in what was the first top-10 matchup for a Big 12 conference game since 2021.

— No. 19 Missouri lost 38-17 to No. 3 Texas A&M. The Tigers trailed in all four quarters and were outplayed on both sides of the ball in their first outing after quarterback Beau Pribula's season-ending injury. It marks Missouri's third loss this season.

– No. 22 Memphis lost 38-32 to unranked Tulane on Friday night. Memphis trailed for the majority of the game, tying it twice in the first quarter and early in the second. The Tigers went on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter, but Tulane held them off for the win.

— James Madison is two spots out of the AP Top 25, and a 35-23 win against Marshall, paired with a Memphis loss to Tulane, could be enough to crack the rankings. It was a solid performance for a Dukes' team that believes it's worthy of consideration for the CFP’s Group of Five spot.

— Iowa nearly pulled off the upset against No. 6 Oregon, taking the lead with 6:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. Oregon answered with a game-winning field goal with three seconds on the clock, solidifying the 18-16 victory. Iowa came in at No. 20 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

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