What Four Unranked College Football AP Top 25 Teams Must Do to Enter the Poll

College football’s Week 2 is in the books, we made our prognostications for the AP Top 25 poll and the voters on Sunday spoke, moving Texas to No. 1 after its thrilling upset of Ohio State, while dropping both Oregon and Oklahoma out of the top 20 following their losses to unranked Oklahoma State and Michigan, respectively.

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The Wolverines, checking in at No. 19, are back in the voters’ good graces a week after their highly controversial win over Western Michigan. And seeing as Top 25 teams went 22–3 in action this past week, the voters were left with the difficult choice to drop somebody out of the Top 25 heading into Week 3.

That was Washington, fresh off of an unconvincing win over Utah State. So it got us thinking. What do the Huskies and three other teams have to do to convince the voters they belong in the Top 25 next week?

Washington Huskies

What the Huskies must do: Find some consistency on offense

Through two weeks of play, the Huskies offense has been offensive. Despite boasting one of the most experienced offensive units in the country, Washington has been a smorgasbord of bad on that side of the ball, complete with third-down struggles, red zone problems, dropped passes and drive-stalling penalties. It’s been a tough watch.

But given what the defense has shown, particularly with its ability to stop the run and generate turnovers, the Huskies just need to show a pulse offensively and they’ll be back in the Top 25 in short order. An Eastern Washington team that just surrendered 517 yards and 41 points to South Dakota could be just what the doctor ordered.

Florida Gators

What the Gators must do: Ace their first real test defensively vs. Auburn

Thanks to a strong start from quarterback Aaron Philo and star wideout Vernell Brown III, the Gators have had no trouble putting points up on the board. The defense, however, has been a bit shaky, yielding 396 yards and 21 points to Florida Atlantic, then allowing Campbell to go seven plays for 63 yards en route to a field goal on the opening drive of Week 2’s victory.

To be fair, the Gators chomped down afterwards, generating two turnovers and two sacks while clamping down on third downs. To prove they’re Top 25 worthy, they’ll need to hold down a Byrum Brown–led Auburn offense that really got cooking in Week 2 and rumbled for 343 rushing yards.

Boise State Broncos

What the Broncos must do: Leave no doubt against South Dakota

After giving Oregon a scare in Week 1, the Broncos pulled away from fellow Group of 6 power Memphis, 38–20, averaging 7.6 yards per rush in the process. So after nearly beating a Power 4 program and rebounding from early adversity-they trailed the Tigers 17–3 in the second quarter-to beat one of the better Group of 6 teams, what must Boise State do to catch the voters’ eye?

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Soundly defeat South Dakota, one of the best FCS teams in the country over the last few years. It won’t be easy, as the Coyotes are running hot offensively, but the Broncos need to clean up the penalties and avoid the slow start they had vs. Memphis if they really want to impress the voters.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

What must the Cowboys do: Prove it wasn’t a fluke

That sounds a little ridiculous after Oklahoma State’s thrilling win over Oregon, particularly with the mental fortitude Cowboys quarterback Drew Mestemaker showed in the biggest moments. But the voters, perhaps still remembering the shaky Week 1 loss to Tulsa, dipped their toes in the proverbial Top 25 waters as it pertains to the Cowboys, who earned 36 votes this week.

It’s almost as if the voters said, “That was nice, but let’s see it one more time.” A convincing performance against Murray State (1–2) could provide the Cowboys with a chance to backdoor their way into next week’s Top 25.

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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 2:47 PM.