A shake-up is coming to the AP Top 25 after a wild Week 6, and the biggest question is simple: who takes over at No. 1?
Texas opened the weekend at the top of the poll, but the Longhorns’ first loss of the season to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry opens the door. Georgia also did its part, knocking off then-No. 6 Alabama, and that win puts the Bulldogs squarely in the mix for the top spot when Sunday’s rankings drop.
Exactly how far Texas falls is the intrigue. The Longhorns still have a win over No.
5 Ohio State on their résumé, which should help cushion the drop. Alabama’s fate is less certain after a close home loss to Georgia, and it remains to be seen whether the Crimson Tide slide out of the top 10.
The top of the poll is expected to get a full reshuffle, with Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State and Indiana all positioned near the front of the pack. One projected order has Georgia climbing to No. 1, while another keeps Texas at the top despite the loss. Either way, the rankings are about to look very different.
The real pressure point for USC sits a little lower down the list. Lincoln Riley’s team survived the White Out and beat Penn State, giving the Trojans a signature win as they move to 5-1.
That result keeps USC firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation, even with the earlier home loss to No. 13 Oregon.
But the road ahead is brutal. USC still has No.
5 Ohio State, No. 7 Indiana and UCLA left on the schedule, and that stretch leaves almost no margin for error.
The Trojans can only beat the teams in front of them, and the path they’ve been handed is anything but forgiving.
UCLA’s upset of Oregon in Eugene is another piece that could help reshape the middle of the AP poll. The Bruins are expected to move ahead of USC after the win, and the Ducks’ loss adds another ranked opponent to the Trojans’ already crowded résumé. Oregon’s standing is now in question as Sunday approaches.
If USC can navigate that remaining gauntlet, the Penn State win could end up carrying real weight. Even with some movement expected ahead of them because of losses elsewhere, the Trojans’ place in the rankings should improve only slightly.
One projected top 25 has Georgia at No. 1, followed by Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State and Alabama, with Indiana at No. 7, BYU at No.
8, Ole Miss at No. 9 and LSU at No. 10.
In that version, USC comes in at No. 19, just behind Oklahoma State and ahead of Iowa, UCLA, Houston, Boise State, SMU and Pittsburgh.
Another forecast keeps Texas at No. 1, with Georgia second and Notre Dame third. In that setup, USC is again slotted at No. 19, with Iowa at No. 20 and UCLA at No. 21.
However Sunday’s poll shakes out at the top, USC’s next few weeks will decide everything. The Trojans have the kind of schedule that can either build a playoff case or bury one.
In Other News...
Oregon Heads To Nebraska With A Quarterback Problem And Bigger Questions
The loss to No. 21 UCLA left Oregon with more than just a bad result to unpack. Backup quarterback Brock Thomas stepped in for Dylan Raiola in the fourth quarter and helped spark scoring drives, but the Ducks still couldn't overcome a night defined by turnovers, penalties and an offensive line that never quite settled in. Even in defeat, the defense did enough to keep Oregon within striking distance, which only sharpened the focus on how much the offense struggled to find traction.
Now the Ducks head to Nebraska with the quarterback picture still cloudy, and the uncertainty goes beyond one game. Raiola's status is only part of it, with the possible return of Dante Moore after an injury adding another layer to a situation that already feels unsettled. For an Oregon team trying to steady itself, the next step may depend as much on who is available as on anything it showed against UCLA. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon's AP Slide Suddenly Feels Bigger Than One Bad Loss
A week ago, Oregon looked secure near the top of the AP Top 25. Now, after a rough loss of its own and with No. 1 Texas also stumbling, the Ducks are part of a wider reshuffle that figures to send Georgia to the top spot and create movement just behind it. Even in a season where rankings can change fast, Oregons slide stands out because it comes with more than just the sting of one bad result.
For the Ducks, the bigger concern is how quickly one setback can feed into a larger conversation about where the program is headed. The recent struggles have put the coaching situation back under a brighter spotlight, and the ripple effects could extend beyond this weeks poll. Recruiting is part of the equation too, which is why this feels less like a temporary dip and more like an early test of how much margin Oregon really has. [Read more 🡒]
Phil Knight's Presence Raised The Stakes For Oregon Against UCLA
Phil Knights arrival at Autzen Stadium added another layer to a game Oregon already needed to handle carefully. The Nike co-founder has remained a steady presence around the university, and his support has been especially visible after his recent $1 billion donation to the Knight College of Engineering, a reminder of how tightly his name remains tied to the Ducks across campus and on the field.
Against UCLA, Oregon did not make the home crowd feel easy early. With Dante Moore in concussion protocol, backup quarterback Dylan Raiola got the start, and the offense spent much of the first half searching for a rhythm before Jordon Davison punched in the Ducks only touchdown of the opening half. Even with that score, Oregon went to halftime trailing 10-6, leaving plenty of room for a second-half response in a game where the stakes felt a little bigger with Knight watching. [Read more 🡒]