The Associated Press released its latest Top 25 college football poll on Tuesday, with the University of Miami defending its No. 1 ranking as the sport entered the heart of its conference schedule. The Hurricanes held the position they claimed for the first time since 2002.

BYU entered the week at No. 2, its highest ranking since the Cougars' 1984 national championship season, according to the AP. The poll, voted on by a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, reflects a weekend of results that reshuffled the standings.

The weekly rankings carry added weight in October as teams position themselves for the 12-team College Football Playoff. Voters weigh strength of schedule, margin of victory and head-to-head results when ranking the field.

The AP Top 25 remains the most widely cited measure of college football standing, distributed to hundreds of newspapers and digital outlets each Tuesday during the season. Coaches, athletic directors and television networks track its movement closely as bowl and playoff selection approaches.

Several teams just outside the top 10 faced pressure to climb this week, while any ranked squad that lost to an unranked opponent risked dropping out entirely. The poll's release sets the narrative for the coming slate of marquee matchups.