Alabama
AP top 25 poll: Alabama rises, Georgia falls in college football rankings for Week 12
A weekend full of prove-it moments and some consequential upsets has AP top 25 voters reconsidering who belongs where, resulting in some notable changes in the college football rankings as we move into the Week 12 games.
One fifth of last week’s AP ranked teams lost their games over the weekend, including two of the top-four teams in the country, leaving voters with some big decisions to make.
Winners and losers in statement games across the SEC swapped places in this week’s AP rankings, as Alabama and Ole Miss moved up the poll, while Georgia and LSU slid down, as other SEC and Big Ten hopefuls took advantage of the movement around the top-10.
Ohio State moved back into the No. 2 position while Texas jumped to No. 3 and Big Ten hopefuls Penn State and Indiana inched into the top-five.
Where do things stand in the updated AP top 25 college football rankings this week?
Let’s take a look at what teams moved up, who tumbled down, and who stayed put, in the Week 12 poll, according to AP top 25 voters.
First-place votes in parentheses
- Oregon (62)
- Ohio State
- Texas
- Penn State
- Indiana
- Tennessee
- BYU
- Notre Dame
- Alabama
- Ole Miss
- Georgia
- Miami
- Boise State
- SMU
- Texas A&M
- Army
- Clemson
- Colorado
- Washington State
- Kansas State
- LSU
- Louisville
- South Carolina
- Missouri
- Tulane
How did we do? Our prediction for the AP top 25 rankings
These teams got votes on the AP top 25 ballots this week, but not enough to qualify for the official rankings
Iowa State 92, Arizona State 35, Pittsburgh 18, UL-Lafayette 14, UNLV 10.
LSU (Down 7). A big drop for the Tigers after they were effectively eliminated from College Football Playoff after an ugly loss at home against Alabama.
Ole Miss (Up 6). Some strong defense helped stymie Georgia in the signature win of Lane Kiffin’s career, one that puts the Rebels back in the playoff conversation.
Georgia (Down 9). Likewise for the Bulldogs, who plummeted from the No. 2 spot in the rankings outside the top 10 after a big loss at Ole Miss that puts their playoff hopes in some peril heading into a date against CFP hopeful Tennessee.
Indiana (Up 3). A closer game than most for the Hoosiers, but a 5-point win against Michigan at home that results in IU’s first-ever 10-win season, and an undefeated record as playoff selection looms, but a date at Ohio State in two weeks.
Miami (Down 8). Cam Ward didn’t have enough to pull off another second-half comeback in the Hurricanes’ first loss of the season, at Georgia Tech, and there are legitimate questions around whether this defense is playoff-caliber going forward.
Colorado (Up 3). A statement win for Coach Prime at Texas Tech that puts the Buffaloes into second place in the Big 12 title picture and showed they have some credible defensive firepower to go with that potent offense led by Shedeur Sanders.
And then there were four.
Miami couldn’t pull off another second-half comeback this time, falling on the road against Georgia Tech and dropping out of the top spot in the ACC standings.
Who remains perfect this week?
Big Ten: Oregon, Indiana
Big 12: BYU
AAC: Army
More … ESPN top 25 college football rankings for Week 12
And … Week 12 Coaches Poll top 25 rankings
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More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams
Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks
Alabama residents will make their choice for U.S. Congress during the May 19 primary, and officials are urging people to vote despite an ever-evolving situation surrounding the state’s congressional maps.
Currently, there are legal disputes surrounding the Congressional districts map in use in Alabama. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling in late April on a redistricting case in Louisiana, Alabama asked for the preliminary injunction which barred them from redrawing their maps until 2030 to be lifted, which the courts have granted as of May 11.
Though there’s been some confusion in the face of ongoing legal motions regarding the maps, what is certain is that primary elections will go on as planned despite Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey calling for a special election in August for the affected congressional districts — Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7.
The Northern District Court of Alabama, which originally issued the injunction, still has to reconsider the case. The court asked state officials in a May 12 order to explain the plan for the 2026 elections and to explain how they plan to “ensure that all Alabamians may timely and efficaciously exercise their constitutional right to vote.”
There are two more elections after the primaries this month. On June 16, the state will hold primary runoff elections, and on Nov. 3, the state will host the general election. Additional candidates could come up after the primaries conclude, so once the names are finalized, the ballots may appear differently in November.
The special election in races affected by new congressional maps is currently planned for Aug. 11, though officials — including Ivey — have encouraged all voters to cast their ballots in the regular May 19 primary.
Who’s running for U.S. Senate?
The seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is up for election. Tuberville, who has thrown his hat in the governor’s race, will not be returning to the position, so all candidates listed would be new to the Senate. The other seat is held by U.S. Sen. Katie Britt and won’t be open until her term expires in 2028.
Republican candidates
- Seth Burton
- Dale Shelton Deas Jr.
- Jared Hudson
- Steve Marshall
- Barry Moore
- Rodney Walker
Some names on this list are already serving in federal and Alabama state government positions, with Marshall currently serving as the state’s Attorney General, and Moore currently representing Alabama’s 1st District in the House of Representatives and previously representing the 2nd District. Of the candidates, President Donald Trump has endorsed only one, which is Moore.
Hudson is the only candidate who has attempted to run for another position, albeit unsuccessfully — he ran for sheriff of Jefferson County in 2022, but lost to incumbent Sheriff Mark Pettway.
Democratic candidates
- Dakarai Larriett
- Kyle Sweetser
- Everett Wess
- Mark S. Wheeler II
Who’s running for House of Representatives?
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell is running unopposed in District 7. Voters in every district have candidates from both sides of the aisle to consider.
Considering the special election that is now on the horizon, candidate names may appear differently on ballots in August if different maps are approved. For the May 19 primaries, the following is how candidate names will appear.
District 1 Republican Candidates
- Jerry Carl
- James (Jimmy) Dees
- Rhett Marques
- Joshua McKee
- John Mills
- James Richardson
- Austin Sidwell
District 1 Democratic Candidates
Senate candidate Moore currently holds the District 1 position, so no candidates are incumbents. A few of the candidates in this race have previous political experience. Carl is a former member of the U.S. House and used to represent District 1, with his tenure in office lasting from 2021-25. Marques is a current Alabama State House representative.
District 2 Republican Candidates
District 2 Democratic Candidates
U.S. Rep. Figures currently holds the District 2 position.
District 3 Republican Candidates
District 3 Democratic Candidates
U.S. Rep. Rogers currently holds the District 3 position.
District 4 Republican Candidates
- Robert B. Aderholt
- Tommy Barnes
District 4 Democratic Candidates
- Amanda N. Pusczek
- Shane Weaver
U.S. Rep. Aderholt currently holds the District 4 position. His one Republican opponent, Barnes, has a history in public service, serving as a Colbert County Commissioner.
District 5 Republican Candidates
District 5 Democratic Candidates
- Jeremy Devito
- Candice Dollar Duvieilh
- Andrew Sneed
U.S. Rep. Strong currently holds the District 5 position.
District 6 Republican candidates
District 6 Democratic candidates
U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer currently holds the District 6 position.
How do I check my voter registration status?
To vote in the primary election, voters need to have been registered to vote in Alabama for 15 days before the election is scheduled to happen.
To check your registration status, visit vote.gov.
Sarah Clifton covers business for the Montgomery Advertiser. You can reach her at sclifton@montgome.gannett.com or follow her on X @sarahgclifton and TikTok @sarahgclifton. To support her work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
PENSACOLA, Fla. — A bipartisan bill is making its way through Washington that would preserve and possibly restore a famous piece of naval aviation history.
The F-14 Tomcat was in service with the Navy for more than 30 years and was famously used in the original “Top Gun” movie.
But when the aircraft retired in 2005, the U.S. government destroyed a majority of the airplanes that were here in the U.S. This made the prospects of the jet returning to the skies next to impossible.
The “Maverick Act” hopes to bring a jet that inspired a generation back to life.
“The Maverick Act got a lot of support,” “It passed the Senate unanimously. It now heads to Congress for a final vote.”
Pensacola Navy veteran Dan McCort can still feel the raw power the F-14 Tomcat brought to naval aviation.
“It was a blast to fly. I gotta tell you I got it,” McCort said. “I love the airplane. I love the missions because it came with a huge mission set.”
The only country in the world flying the jet was Iran. The jets were given to Iran in 1979. But when the government was overthrown, the jets fell into the hands of an anti-American government.
Because of that, when the jet retired in 2006, the U.S. ordered most of the aircraft and its parts be destroyed.
During Operation Epic Fury, American and Israeli pilots destroyed Iran’s entire Air Force, including all the remaining flyable F-14s.
“We had to take them out, but boy that was hard for me to watch,” McCort said.
A bill dubbed the “Maverick Act” was introduced through a bipartisan effort. The legislation would preserve and restore three F-14s sitting in our nation’s boneyard.
“That airplane inspired an entire nation, partly because of the movie, partly because of the times it was hard Cold War, and it represented frankly American air power,” said McCort.
“A fantastic piece of equipment that served our country well,” Congressman Jimmy Patronis said. “But I can’t help but poke fun at it simply because of what Tom Cruise has done with the most recent ‘Top Gun’ movies.”
The bill calls for the Navy to donate the Tomcats to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where they will be restored. If there’s enough spare parts, the bill calls for one of them to be restored to flight status to be flown at airshows across the country.
All of this would be funded by private donors, and not American taxpayers.
“If there’s no taxpayer dollars being used to restore these things then put it on the table,” said Patronis.
McCort says restoring the airplane will cost millions of dollars.
“A foundation that could generate some donations to defer the costs of making this thing fly because it will not be inexpensive,” said McCort. “I believe we’ll pay dividends down the road, both for the museum as well as a recruiting opportunity… as well as a recruiting opportunity for the country in general, and for the Navy frankly.”
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