Poll Archive
AP Top 25 1986 Postseason Rankings
Explore the canonical weekly archive for AP Top 25 Postseason, including movement, chaos, leaders, and rankings context.
1986
Penn State
Postseason
Points
—
1st Place Votes
—
Top Team
Penn State
AP Top 25 • Postseason • FBS Independents
Ranked Teams
20
Teams currently listed after any conference filtering.
Avg Points
0.0
Average poll points for teams in the current view.
First-Place Votes
0
Combined first-place votes in the selected week.
Biggest Riser
Arizona ▲5
Arizona moved from No. 16 to No. 11.
Biggest Faller
Arkansas ▼6
Arkansas moved from No. 9 to No. 15.
Most Consistent
Miami
Lowest rank variance across 14 ranked weeks.
Most Volatile
Arizona State
Range of 14 ranking spots across 13 ranked weeks.
Chaos Index
100
Chaos
What changed this week?
This week's ranking story
AP Top 25 1986 Postseason: Penn State is No. 1, Arizona ▲5 is the biggest riser, Arkansas ▼6 is the biggest faller, Georgia, NC State, and Stanford dropped out, and FBS Independents leads with 4 ranked teams.
Dropped out: Georgia, NC State, and Stanford.
AP Top 25 — 1986 (Postseason)
Hover rows to compare the current ranking, previous spot, and movement context.
| Rank | School | Record | Prev | Change | Points | 1st Place | Conference | Why moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penn State | 12-0 | No. 2 | ▲1 | — | — | FBS Independents | Moved up 1 spot after W 14-10 vs Miami.W 14-10 vs Miami |
| 2 | Miami | 11-1 | No. 1 | ▼1 | — | — | FBS Independents | Fell 1 spot after L 10-14 vs Penn State.L 10-14 vs Penn State |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 11-1 | No. 3 | — | — | — | Big 8 | Held position after W 42-8 vs Arkansas.W 42-8 vs Arkansas |
| 4 | Arizona State | 10-1-1 | No. 7 | ▲3 | — | — | Pac-10 | Moved up 3 spots after W 22-15 vs Michigan.W 22-15 vs Michigan |
| 5 | Nebraska | 10-2 | No. 6 | ▲1 | — | — | Big 8 | Moved up 1 spot after W 30-15 vs LSU.W 30-15 vs LSU |
| 6 | Auburn | 10-2 | No. 10 | ▲4 | — | — | SEC | Moved up 4 spots after W 16-7 vs USC.W 16-7 vs USC |
| 7 | Ohio State | 10-3 | No. 11 | ▲4 | — | — | Big Ten | Moved up 4 spots after W 28-12 vs Texas A&M.W 28-12 vs Texas A&M |
| 8 | Michigan | 11-2 | No. 4 | ▼4 | — | — | Big Ten | Fell 4 spots after L 15-22 vs Arizona State.L 15-22 vs Arizona State |
| 9 | Alabama | 10-3 | No. 13 | ▲4 | — | — | SEC | Moved up 4 spots after W 28-6 vs Washington.W 28-6 vs Washington |
| 10 | LSU | 9-3 | No. 5 | ▼5 | — | — | SEC | Fell 5 spots after L 15-30 vs Nebraska.L 15-30 vs Nebraska |
| 11 | Arizona | 9-3 | No. 16 | ▲5 | — | — | Pac-10 | Moved up 5 spots after W 30-21 vs North Carolina.W 30-21 vs North Carolina |
| 12 | Baylor | 9-3 | No. 14 | ▲2 | — | — | Southwest | Moved up 2 spots after W 21-9 vs Colorado.W 21-9 vs Colorado |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 9-3 | No. 8 | ▼5 | — | — | Southwest | Fell 5 spots after L 12-28 vs Ohio State.L 12-28 vs Ohio State |
| 14 | UCLA | 8-3-1 | No. 15 | ▲1 | — | — | Pac-10 | Moved up 1 spot after W 31-10 vs BYU.W 31-10 vs BYU |
| 15 | Arkansas | 9-3 | No. 9 | ▼6 | — | — | Southwest | Fell 6 spots after L 8-42 vs Oklahoma.L 8-42 vs Oklahoma |
| 16 | Iowa | 9-3 | No. 19 | ▲3 | — | — | Big Ten | Moved up 3 spots after W 39-38 vs San Diego State.W 39-38 vs San Diego State |
| 17 | Clemson | 8-2-2 | UR | NEW | — | — | ACC | Entered the poll after W 27-21 vs Stanford.W 27-21 vs Stanford |
| 18 | Washington | 8-3-1 | No. 12 | ▼6 | — | — | Pac-10 | Fell 6 spots after L 6-28 vs Alabama.L 6-28 vs Alabama |
| 19 | Boston College | 9-3 | UR | NEW | — | — | FBS Independents | Entered the poll after W 27-24 vs Georgia.W 27-24 vs Georgia |
| 20 | Virginia Tech | 9-2-1 | UR | NEW | — | — | FBS Independents | Entered the poll after W 25-24 vs NC State.W 25-24 vs NC State |
Dropped Out
- Georgia (was No. 17)
- NC State (was No. 18)
- Stanford (was No. 20)
Conference Snapshot
Representation within the selected poll and week.
Average points —
Average points —
Average points —
Average points —
Average points —
Average points —
Average points —
Stability & Volatility
Identify which teams stayed steady and which teams had the wildest ranking swings.
Most Consistent
Miami
Lowest rank variance across 14 ranked weeks.
Most Volatile
Arizona State
Range of 14 ranking spots across 13 ranked weeks.
Season Ranking Movement
Compare how teams climbed, fell, or stayed steady week by week.
Chaos Meter
This score estimates how turbulent each week was across the rankings.
Peak Chaos Week
Postseason
100 points (Chaos)
Season Chaos Average
63.3
Average weekly turbulence for this season.
Ranked losses 0 • Top-10 losses 0 • New teams 0 • Movement 0
Ranked losses 2 • Top-10 losses 0 • New teams 14 • Movement 16
Ranked losses 4 • Top-10 losses 3 • New teams 3 • Movement 43
Ranked losses 6 • Top-10 losses 2 • New teams 4 • Movement 55
Ranked losses 4 • Top-10 losses 2 • New teams 2 • Movement 38
Ranked losses 3 • Top-10 losses 0 • New teams 3 • Movement 8
Ranked losses 6 • Top-10 losses 2 • New teams 3 • Movement 52
Ranked losses 4 • Top-10 losses 1 • New teams 2 • Movement 12
Ranked losses 6 • Top-10 losses 2 • New teams 3 • Movement 38
Ranked losses 7 • Top-10 losses 2 • New teams 2 • Movement 50
Ranked losses 6 • Top-10 losses 2 • New teams 3 • Movement 44
Ranked losses 4 • Top-10 losses 3 • New teams 1 • Movement 46
Ranked losses 5 • Top-10 losses 4 • New teams 2 • Movement 38
Ranked losses 3 • Top-10 losses 1 • New teams 1 • Movement 23
Ranked losses 9 • Top-10 losses 5 • New teams 3 • Movement 55
Ratings Systems
No ratings data is available yet for 1986.
Weekly Leaders
Track which program held the top spot throughout the selected season.
Most Weeks at No. 1
Miami
10 weeks at No. 1.
| Week | Leader | Conference | Points | 1st Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular • Week 1 | Tennessee | SEC | — | — |
| Regular • Week 2 | Oklahoma | Big 8 | — | — |
| Regular • Week 3Streak 2 | Oklahoma | Big 8 | — | — |
| Regular • Week 4Streak 3 | Oklahoma | Big 8 | — | — |
| Regular • Week 5 | Miami | FBS Independents | — | — |
| Regular • Week 6Streak 2 | Miami | FBS Independents | — | — |
| Regular • Week 7Streak 3 | Miami | FBS Independents | — | — |
| Regular • Week 8Streak 4 | Miami | FBS Independents | — | — |
| Regular • Week 9Streak 5 | Miami | FBS Independents | — | — |
| Regular • Week 10Streak 6 | Miami | FBS Independents | — | — |
| Regular • Week 11Streak 7 | Miami | FBS Independents | — | — |
| Regular • Week 12Streak 8 | Miami | FBS Independents | — | — |
| Regular • Week 13Streak 9 | Miami | FBS Independents | — | — |
| Regular • Week 14Streak 10 | Miami | FBS Independents | — | — |
| Postseason | Penn State | FBS Independents | — | — |
Poll Dominance
Show which teams controlled the No. 1 ranking the most.
Single No. 1 run • Most recent season 1986
Single No. 1 run • Most recent season 1986
Single No. 1 run • Most recent season 1986
Entries & Exits
Show when teams entered the rankings, dropped out, and returned.
| Week | Team | Event | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular • Week 2 | Oklahoma | Entered rankings | 1 |
| Regular • Week 2 | Miami | Entered rankings | 2 |
| Regular • Week 2 | Michigan | Entered rankings | 3 |
| Regular • Week 2 | Alabama | Entered rankings | 4 |
| Regular • Week 2 | Penn State | Entered rankings | 5 |
| Regular • Week 2 | Nebraska | Entered rankings | 6 |
| Regular • Week 2 | Texas A&M | Entered rankings | 7 |
| Regular • Week 2 | Auburn | Entered rankings | 9 |
| Regular • Week 2 | Ohio State | Entered rankings | 10 |
| Regular • Week 2 | Baylor | Entered rankings | 12 |
| Regular • Week 2 | LSU | Entered rankings | 14 |
| Regular • Week 2 | UCLA | Entered rankings | 16 |
| Regular • Week 2 | Washington | Entered rankings | 17 |
| Regular • Week 2 | Arkansas | Entered rankings | 18 |
| Regular • Week 3 | Arizona | Entered rankings | 17 |
| Regular • Week 3 | Arizona State | Entered rankings | 18 |
| Regular • Week 3 | Notre Dame | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Regular • Week 3 | Tennessee | Dropped out | 8 |
| Regular • Week 3 | Ohio State | Dropped out | 10 |
| Regular • Week 3 | Michigan State | Dropped out | 20 |
| Regular • Week 4 | USC | Entered rankings | 12 |
| Regular • Week 4 | Maryland | Entered rankings | 13 |
| Regular • Week 4 | Iowa | Entered rankings | 15 |
| Regular • Week 4 | Michigan State | Entered rankings | 19 |
| Regular • Week 4 | BYU | Dropped out | 11 |
| Regular • Week 4 | Florida | Dropped out | 13 |
| Regular • Week 4 | Georgia | Dropped out | 14 |
| Regular • Week 4 | Notre Dame | Dropped out | 20 |
| Regular • Week 5 | Fresno State | Entered rankings | 19 |
| Regular • Week 5 | NC State | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Regular • Week 5 | Maryland | Dropped out | 13 |
| Regular • Week 5 | Florida State | Dropped out | 20 |
| Regular • Week 6 | Stanford | Entered rankings | 18 |
| Regular • Week 6 | Mississippi State | Entered rankings | 19 |
| Regular • Week 6 | Clemson | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Regular • Week 6 | UCLA | Dropped out | 15 |
| Regular • Week 6 | Michigan State | Dropped out | 17 |
| Regular • Week 6 | Fresno State | Dropped out | 19 |
| Regular • Week 7 | North Carolina | Entered rankings | 18 |
| Regular • Week 7 | UCLA | Entered rankings | 19 |
| Regular • Week 7 | SMU | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Regular • Week 7 | NC State | Dropped out | 17 |
| Regular • Week 7 | Stanford | Dropped out | 18 |
| Regular • Week 8 | Stanford | Entered rankings | 19 |
| Regular • Week 8 | NC State | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Regular • Week 8 | USC | Dropped out | 15 |
| Regular • Week 8 | North Carolina | Dropped out | 18 |
| Regular • Week 8 | Baylor | Dropped out | 20 |
| Regular • Week 9 | Ohio State | Entered rankings | 17 |
| Regular • Week 9 | USC | Entered rankings | 18 |
| Regular • Week 9 | Florida State | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Regular • Week 9 | Clemson | Dropped out | 16 |
| Regular • Week 9 | SMU | Dropped out | 18 |
| Regular • Week 9 | Stanford | Dropped out | 19 |
| Regular • Week 10 | Georgia | Entered rankings | 19 |
| Regular • Week 10 | Clemson | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Regular • Week 10 | Mississippi State | Dropped out | 19 |
| Regular • Week 10 | Florida State | Dropped out | 20 |
| Regular • Week 11 | Stanford | Entered rankings | 16 |
| Regular • Week 11 | Baylor | Entered rankings | 18 |
| Regular • Week 11 | Ole Miss | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Regular • Week 11 | NC State | Dropped out | 15 |
| Regular • Week 11 | Iowa | Dropped out | 16 |
| Regular • Week 11 | Georgia | Dropped out | 19 |
| Regular • Week 12 | Georgia | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Regular • Week 12 | Ole Miss | Dropped out | 20 |
| Regular • Week 13 | NC State | Entered rankings | 19 |
| Regular • Week 13 | Iowa | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Regular • Week 13 | Stanford | Dropped out | 16 |
| Regular • Week 13 | Clemson | Dropped out | 19 |
| Regular • Week 14 | Stanford | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Regular • Week 14 | USC | Dropped out | 17 |
| Postseason | Clemson | Entered rankings | 17 |
| Postseason | Boston College | Entered rankings | 19 |
| Postseason | Virginia Tech | Entered rankings | 20 |
| Postseason | Georgia | Dropped out | 17 |
| Postseason | NC State | Dropped out | 18 |
| Postseason | Stanford | Dropped out | 20 |