The AP Top 25 shook up Oregon’s early-season outlook, and not in the way Ducks fans wanted. After surviving Boise State 34-27 at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5, Oregon slid from No. 2 to No. 6 in the Week 1 rankings.
That drop makes sense when you look at how the opener unfolded. Oregon was a 24.5-point favorite against the Broncos, per DraftKings Sportsbook, yet found itself down by as many as 10 points before finally settling in offensively after halftime. Dante Moore powered the comeback effort, completing 28 of 37 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns.
Jeremiah McClellan was just as sharp in the win, hauling in six catches for 150 yards and a touchdown as Oregon avoided an upset and moved on to prepare for its first road test of the season at Oklahoma State.
The Ducks weren’t the only team to take a hit in the new poll. Michigan took one of the steepest falls, dropping from No. 16 to unranked after a controversial 13-12 home win over Western Michigan. The finish has sparked plenty of conversation around the college football world after Michigan’s converted second Hail Mary attempt, when a second was added back on the clock.
Texas A&M and Washington also slipped, with the Aggies and Huskies both falling two spots despite winning their Week 1 games.
The biggest riser in this AP Top 25 update was LSU, which blasted Clemson 51-10 to open the season and jumped three places to No. 8. Lane Kiffin’s Tigers also picked up five first-place votes after the statement win in Baton Rouge.
LSU’s starting quarterback delivered a balanced night, throwing for 230 yards and a touchdown while adding 113 rushing yards and two scores. Winston Watkins Jr., who followed Kiffin from Ole Miss to LSU, made an immediate impact in his debut with seven receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Oregon’s next challenge comes against Drew Mestemaker and Oklahoma State, which is coming off a 24-10 road loss to Tulsa. Kickoff from Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is set for 9 a.m. PT, with ESPN carrying the game.
In Other News...
Michigans Opener Already Sparked A Response Fans Will Notice Against Oklahoma
Rod Moore did not sugarcoat Michigans season-opening showing against Western Michigan, calling it well below the standard the Wolverines expect. The reaction inside the program was immediate, too, with team captains calling an emergency player-only meeting to address what went wrong and to reset the tone before the schedule tightens up.
The response showed up on the practice field, where the defense ramped up its physical intensity in preparation for Oklahoma. Edge defender Dom Nichols also drew attention for both his strong play and his work ethic, a reminder that Michigan is trying to turn a flat opener into a sharper, more urgent version of itself before a much bigger test arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Win Is Now At Center Of A Stunning Official Fight
The final sequence of Michigans 13-12 win over Western Michigan has turned into more than a narrow nonconference finish. A reviewed Hail Mary added one second back onto the clock, and that extra snap led to the game-winning catch that kept the Wolverines on top. The Big Ten later backed the decision after its own video review, treating the ending as a properly administered piece of officiating in a game that was already tense enough on the field.
Now the dispute has moved from the scoreboard to the offices that govern the sport. The Mid-American Conference has formally appealed to the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee and the College Football Playoff, asking them to recognize Western Michigan as the winner. For Michigan, the result stands for now, but the unusual fight over a single second has made this one of the more talked-about finishes of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Win Sparked A Debate Fans Should Care About
Michigans disputed 13-12 win over Western Michigan did more than send people scrambling through the rule book. It also reignited a familiar gripe about how college football handles the last moments of a close game, with ESPNs Rece Davis arguing that fans would be better served by a single shared game clock and by live access to replay officials conversations so the process feels less opaque.
The sequence at the end of the game made the frustration easy to understand: the broadcast clock hit zero, but replay officials restored one second after using a synchronized system, and Michigan turned that final snap into the touchdown that decided it. Officials and conference representatives backed up the replay process, and Western Michigan president Richard N. Yensen acknowledged the clocks did not match while saying he did not view the outcome as unfair, but the larger transparency debate is unlikely to fade soon. [Read more 🡒]