Oregon moved up to No. 2 behind top-ranked Texas in the AP Top 25 college football poll Sunday after their dramatic win against Ohio State.
The Ducks jumped a spot after beating Ohio State 32-31 in a thriller at Autzen Stadium on Saturday night for their highest ranking since finishing the 2014 season at No. 2. The fourth-ranked Buckeyes’ first loss of the season cost them only two spots, as they also fell behind Penn State, which moved up to No. 3 after beating USC in overtime.
Texas received 56 first-place votes after blowing out Oklahoma, while Oregon had six. The Longhorns’ hold on No. 1 will be on the line next Saturday night when No. 5 Georgia visits Austin in another top-five matchup in the SEC. It’s the third AP top-five matchup in four weeks.
The biggest mover is LSU, which jumped five spots to No. 8 after beating Ole Miss, which plummeted nine spots to No. 18. The Tigers have won five games in a row since their opening loss to USC. Undefeated Iowa State also cracked the top 10 at No. 9 after a win at West Virginia.
Tennessee dropped three spots despite winning, slipping to No. 11 after needing overtime to beat Florida.
AP Top 25 after Week 7
|
Rank |
Team |
Record |
Prev. |
Matt’s vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Others receiving votes: Vanderbilt 68, Nebraska 62, Arizona State 39, Oklahoma 36, Washington State 32, Iowa 29, Texas Tech 18, Syracuse 13, Arkansas 13, Utah 7, Louisville 6, Southern Cal 5, Liberty 2, UNLV 1
In and out
Oklahoma fell out of the rankings for the first time since 2022 after the Sooners were routed by Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Utah is also out of the rankings for the first time this season after the Utes lost their second consecutive game on Friday night to Arizona State.
In their spots are undefeated Army (No. 23) and Navy (No. 25). It’s the first poll the Black Knights and Midshipmen have appeared in together since 1960. Vanderbilt just missed after its wins against Alabama and Kentucky, as it’s the first team out.
Why I voted Oregon No. 1
Most of my adjustments this week were relatively subtle, with moves of one or two places for much of the top 20. I did, however, decide to vote for another new No. 1: Welcome to the top of my ballot, Oregon.
Yes, it feels odd to move a team like Texas down after the Longhorns beat their rival by 31 points, but the decision was much more about giving Oregon the respect it deserves for notching what could be the best win of the season so far against Ohio State, which I dropped only one spot to No. 3. Plus, the Ducks also have a win against a Boise State team I have ranked 11th behind Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty. The Ducks have the best combination of talent and resume.
Of course, if Texas beats Georgia next week, I’ll likely make another swap at the top of my rankings. — Matt Brown, college sports managing editor
Does Penn State deserve to be No. 3?
The Nittany Lions have their best ranking since reaching No. 2 in 2017, but it feels like they are more the beneficiary of the results of other big games than truly worthy of that lofty ranking.
Penn State is only 23 points ahead of No. 4 Ohio State, so it’s not as if voters went flocking to the Nittany Lions.
To be clear, Penn State has done good work against respectable opposition. Especially when you take into consideration road games at West Virginia and USC and a thorough handling of Illinois.
Voters are rewarding the unbeaten record, but it feels like a stretch to make the case that the Nittany Lions are actually better than Ohio State and Georgia, with their narrow and dramatic losses to Oregon and Alabama, respectively.
And if voters are deferring to the zero in the loss column, a similar case can be made for Miami ahead of the Buckeyes and Bulldogs.
Of course, Penn State will get its chance to prove it on the field in a few weeks at home against the Buckeyes, who they have not beaten since 2016. — Ralph Russo, college sports senior writer
What’s next in Week 8?
No. 5 Georgia visiting No. 1 Texas is the headliner, and it’s the first time the Longhorns have hosted a matchup of two AP top-five teams since a loss to Ohio State in September 2006. The SEC has a pair of high-profile matchups, as No. 7 Alabama will visit No. 11 Tennessee in a game between two one-loss teams that have been on shaky ground the past couple of weeks.
The other ranked matchup is No. 24 Michigan at No. 22 Illinois, though also keep an eye on Nebraska going to undefeated No. 16 Indiana in the Big Ten.
Oregon, meanwhile, will try to avoid a hangover on Friday night at Purdue. Penn State and Ohio State are both idle.
