Saturday’s shakeup should leave the top of the AP Top 25 with a new face, and Texas looks headed for a steep fall after losing to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.
Georgia is the clear candidate to move into No. 1, but the rest of the poll is where things get messy. Texas losing on a neutral field to a rival raises the question of just how far the Longhorns slide. Alabama also took a loss, yet the Crimson Tide still appear strong enough to stay in the top 10.
That leaves little room for UCLA to make a huge leap despite its upset of Oregon. The Bruins have a real argument as one of the weekend’s biggest risers, but with Texas and Alabama still likely hanging around near the top, a top-10 breakthrough may be too crowded to happen. LSU’s loss to Kentucky only adds to the churn, and the Tigers look like the team most likely to be nudged aside by Texas Tech or Utah.
Oregon’s spot is far less secure. After a second loss, the Ducks may not even remain in the rankings, and the hit could be severe after a season that has already gone sideways. The Ducks have not started this slowly since Dan Lanning’s first year in Eugene, and for a program that has lived near the top of the poll, this is a real scramble back into relevance.
The revised projection has Georgia at No. 1, followed by Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State and Indiana. Texas lands at No. 6, with Alabama at No. 7 and BYU, Ole Miss and Texas Tech rounding out the top 10. Utah is next at No. 11, then Missouri, UCLA, Tennessee and Mississippi State.
The rest of the projected top 25 lists Oklahoma State, LSU, USC, Iowa and Kentucky before Houston, Boise State, SMU, Wake Forest and Wisconsin.
Another projected version has Texas still at No. 1, Georgia at No. 2 and Notre Dame at No. 3, but the more likely result appears to be Georgia taking over the top spot after the chaos-heavy weekend.
For Oregon, the concern goes beyond one bad Saturday. Questions are already swirling about the Ducks’ offense, especially with former offensive coordinator Will Stein and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi gone. Oregon was without starting quarterback Dante Moore, but the problems on offense looked bigger than one missing player.
The comparisons to Penn State’s 2025 collapse have already started after the Ducks’ loss to Oklahoma State, though a full unraveling like that still feels unlikely. Even so, the frustration could linger. Penn State saw transfer portal losses and recruiting de-commitments after James Franklin was fired, and Oregon’s future under Lanning does not appear to be in immediate jeopardy.
The bigger question now is whether the Ducks can hold this roster together and avoid any fallout on the recruiting trail while trying to climb back into the AP rankings.
The poll will be updated when the AP Top 25 is released on Sunday.
In Other News...
Oregon's Quarterback Crisis Just Got Harder To Ignore
Oregons quarterback situation was already under a bright enough spotlight with Dante Moore sidelined by a concussion, and the fourth quarter against UCLA only sharpened the concerns. After Dylan Raiola struggled with turnovers, Dan Lanning turned to Brock Thomas, a move that underscored how little margin the Ducks had as the offense searched for a rhythm. Even with a touchdown and a field goal on the board, the Ducks were still chasing the game late.
The trouble was not just the score, but the way the offense kept putting itself in difficult spots. Multiple turnovers and other offensive issues left Oregon trailing 17-9 entering the fourth quarter, and the shuffle under center made the depth chart feel unsettled at a moment when stability mattered most. For a team built to compete at the top of the conference, the quarterback conversation is suddenly becoming impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Win Now Comes With A Big Ten Question For Bear Alexander
Oregons win over UCLA is already producing a bigger aftershock than the final score, because a viral clip from the game has put defensive tackle Bear Alexander in the middle of a possible Big Ten review. The video appears to show Alexander striking Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava during a tackle, and Iamaleava later left with a lower body injury, leaving the play under fresh scrutiny as the conference weighs its next step.
The Big Ten has a sportsmanship policy that can allow for discipline in cases like this, and Oregon is waiting to see whether the league decides to act. The situation also lands in a sensitive spot for Dan Lanning, who recently condemned a similar incident involving another player, making the conferences response to Alexanders case the next development that could shape how the aftermath of the game is remembered. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Heads To Nebraska With A Quarterback Problem And Bigger Questions
The late push from Brock Thomas gave Oregon something to hang onto after a 17-15 loss to No. 21 UCLA, but it also left the Ducks with a familiar kind of uncertainty as they head to Nebraska. Thomas stepped in for starter Dylan Raiola in the fourth quarter and helped lead scoring drives, yet the bigger picture was hard to ignore: turnovers, penalties and offensive line problems kept the offense from ever finding a steady rhythm, even as the defense did enough to keep the game within reach.
Now the attention shifts to the quarterback picture, and it is not getting any clearer. Oregon could also be waiting on the possible return of Dante Moore from injury, which only adds another layer to a situation already made messy by the loss to UCLA. The Ducks leave with a hard-earned defensive performance to build on, but with the offense still searching for answers, the trip to Nebraska feels like a test of both depth and direction. [Read more 🡒]