BYU football ranked No. 19, No. 20 in national polls

PROVO, Utah — After improving to 3-1 on the season Saturday night, BYU football stayed at No. 19 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 national rankings, while moving up three spots to No. 20 in the USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll. 

The two national polls were released Sunday with the coaches jumping the Cougars into their top 20 following BYU's 38-24 victory over previously 3-1 Wyoming, while AP voters continued to rate the Cougars higher at No. 19 again this week.

BYU and upcoming homecoming opponent Arkansas are flip-flopped in the two polls. The Razorbacks out of the Southeastern Conference are ranked just in front of the Cougars at No. 19 by the coaches and just behind Kalani Sitake's team at No. 20 by the media. Arkansas, who comes to Provo on Oct. 15 to face BYU in LaVell Edwards Stadium, fell nine and 10 spots, respectively, from its No. 10 rankings last week following its first loss of the season in a 23-21 setback to nationally ranked Texas A&M on Saturday. The Aggies, meanwhile, moved up to No. 17 in both polls this week following the win, a six-spot jump in AP and three places in the AFCA rankings. 

Baylor, who BYU defeated in week two, is ranked No. 14 this week in the AFCA and rated the 16th-best team in the country by AP after being ranked at No. 17 in both polls last week. Oregon, BYU's lone defeat of the season, was moved up two spots to No. 13 by the media and three slots to No. 15 by the coaches this week. 

The top five teams in both polls stayed the same this week, with Georgia again considered the class of FBS football at No. 1, followed by No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Michigan and No. 5 Clemson. USC is the consensus No. 6 team this week, moving up one place after previous No. 6 Oklahoma fell to No. 16 (AFCA) and No. 18 (AP) following its loss to Big 12 foe Kansas State. The Wildcats entered the AP rankings at No. 25 following the win and are receiving votes in the coaches' poll. 

Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma State and NC State round out the top 10 in the AP rankings, while the coaches differ only in their placement, with the Cowboys claiming the No. 7 slot in the AFCA poll followed by the Wildcats, Volunteers and Wolfpack.

This week's AP ranking marks BYU’s 278th overall appearance in the AP poll. The Cougars have been ranked in 13 consecutive AP polls and 34 of the last 37 dating back to 2020.

This week BYU (3-1) hosts in-state rival Utah State (1-3) in a Thursday night nationally featured telecast at 6 p.m. MT/8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Tickets to the game are available at BYUtickets.com.