Kentucky football returns to AP Top 25 after overtime win over LSU, while Louisville drops out and Indiana remains near top

Kentucky has surged back into the Associated Press Top 25 college football rankings after an overtime win over LSU, according to a report from WLKY on Oct. 11, 2026. The update returns the Wildcats to the national poll after they fell out of the rankings in a prior week.

In the same AP Top 25 release, Indiana retained its place near the top of the poll, remaining in the same spot as the season’s standings cycle through this week’s rankings, WLKY reported. The Indiana result means the Hoosiers did not drop or move out of their current positioning in the latest poll.

Louisville, meanwhile, did not make the Top 25 in the updated rankings. WLKY reported that the Cardinals were left out of the poll after the most recent game outcomes this past week.

The WLKY report attributes the Kentucky ranking change to the overtime outcome against LSU. That result became the key factor behind the Wildcats’ re-entry into the Top 25, while the contrasting poll outcomes for Indiana and Louisville reflected how their results played into the AP voting this cycle.

For Kentucky fans and the program, the return to the AP Top 25 is a recognition milestone tied to the overtime win, which can affect how the team is perceived nationally during the final stretch of the regular season. For Louisville, dropping out of the rankings places additional emphasis on upcoming games to regain recognition in subsequent AP releases.

The next AP Top 25 update will be based on the latest set of results, as voters weigh team performance week to week. Teams positioned within or outside the rankings will look to translate their recent outcomes, including Kentucky’s overtime win, into consistent results that hold their place in the national conversation.