Ducks Digest

AP Top 25 Poll Chaos After Penn State, Texas Suffer Upset Losses

Then-No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions and then-No. 9 Texas Longhorns both suffered upset losses on the road, and both teams fell outside of the AP Top 25 Poll. The Florida State Seminoles also fell seven spots after falling to the Miami Hurricanes.
Charlie Viehl|
Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin (middle) looks on after defeated by UCLA Bruins 42-37 at Rose Bowl.
Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin (middle) looks on after defeated by UCLA Bruins 42-37 at Rose Bowl. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

In this story:

Oregon DucksIndiana HoosiersPenn State Nittany LionsUCLA BruinsTexas LonghornsFlorida GatorsAlabama Crimson TideVanderbilt CommodoresFlorida State SeminolesMiami (FL) Hurricanes

It was an action-packed weekend of college football, and the AP Top 25 Poll saw tons of movement upon its release on Sunday. Then-No. 7 Penn State lost to the UCLA Bruins, then-No. 9 Texas Longhorns lost to Florida, and then-No. 14 Iowa State Cyclones lost to Cincinnati.

After defeating the No. 25 Florida State Seminoles, the No. 2 Miami Hurricanes climbed one spot above the No. 3 Oregon Ducks.

Week 7 AP Top 25 Poll

1. Ohio State
2. Miami
3. Oregon
4. Ole Miss
5. Texas A&M
6. Oklahoma
7. Indiana
8. Alabama
9. Texas Tech
10. Georgia
11. LSU
12. Tennessee
13. Georgia Tech
14. Missouri
15. Michigan
16. Notre Dame
17. Illinois
18. BYU
19. Virginia
20. Vanderbilt
21. Arizona State
22. Iowa State
23. Memphis
24. South Florida
25. Florida State

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning makes his entry during ESPN’s “College GameDay” Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 on campus
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning makes his entry during ESPN’s “College GameDay” Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN's College GameDay announced that the show will be in Eugene, Oregon, for a top-10 matchup between the No. 3 Oregon Ducks and No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers.

The Ducks are one of the top teams in the country, but Penn State's loss at UCLA takes some shine away from Oregon's double-overtime win in the White Out. The same can be said for No. 1 Ohio State after the Buckeyes' signature win against No. 9 Texas took a hit with the Longhorns' loss to Florida.

Penn State and Texas suffered the biggest drops in Sunday's top-25 poll, falling out of the rankings entirely. Florida State fell seven positions while Iowa State dropped eight.

The Seminoles now have two losses in ACC play, but Florida State still has one of the better wins in the country after beating No. 8 Alabama 31-17 in week 1.

Week 7 AP Top 25 Poll Prediction

1. Ohio State
2. Miami
3. Oregon
4. Ole Miss
5. Oklahoma
6. Texas A&M
7. Indiana
8. Alabama
9. Texas Tech
10. Georgia
11. LSU
12. Tennessee
13. Georgia Tech
14. Missouri
15. Michigan
16. Notre Dame
17. Illinois
18. Iowa State
19. Virginia
20. BYU
21. Arizona State
22. Utah
23. Memphis
24. Florida State
25. Vanderbilt

Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Duce Robinson (0) reaches for the ball in the end zone as it sails past his fingertips.
Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Duce Robinson (0) reaches for the ball in the end zone as it sails past his fingertips. The Miami Hurricanes defeated the Florida State Seminoles 22-28 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. | Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide took care of business against then-No. 16 Vanderbilt, and Alabama can expect to be ranked inside the top-10 once the new AP Top 25 Poll is released. The Commodores fell four spots from No. 16 to No. 20.

MORE: How Penn State's Upset Loss Impacts Oregon Ducks' Résumé

MORE: Oregon Ducks Coach Dan Lanning Receives Boldest Prediction Yet

MORE: Oregon Ducks Eyeing Elite Quarterback Recruit in 2027 Class

MORE: Five Shocking Stats From Oregon Ducks Undefeated Season So Far

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) throws for a touchdown to Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) against Vanderbilt
Oct 4, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) throws for a touchdown to Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) against Vanderbilt at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. | Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

No. 23 Memphis and No. 24 South Florida entered the top-25 after Texas and Penn State fell out. Teams like Utah, South Florida, and Memphis received votes after week 6, and they were most likely the top candidates to be ranked inside the top-25 come Sunday.

While it's early to think about College Football Playoff seeding, the Memphis Tigers are making a compelling case to be the Group of 5 representative.

Published | Modified
Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

Charlie Viehl is the deputy editor for the Oregon Ducks, Colorado Buffaloes, and USC Trojans on SI. He has written hundreds of articles for SI and has covered events like the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician, holding a degree in Music and Philosophy from Boston College. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.

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