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Oregon Ducks' Lowest AP Top 25 Poll Ranking Since Dan Lanning's First Year

The No. 21 Oregon Ducks dropped to their lowest AP Poll ranking since 2022.
Charlie Viehl|
Sep 5, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) walks off the field after a game against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium
Sep 5, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) walks off the field after a game against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Oregon DucksOklahoma State CowboysMichigan WolverinesOklahoma SoonersOhio State BuckeyesTexas Longhorns

The then-ranked No. 6 Oregon Ducks suffered the largest upset of the weekend, falling to the Oklahoma State Cowboys 39-31 on the road, and the score might mislead some into thinking that Oklahoma State did not control the game.

The Ducks took advantage of timely turnovers, but the Oregon offense and defense were outplayed by the Cowboys for what felt like all four quarters. With such an upset loss, the Ducks tumbled down to No. 21 overall in the AP Top 25 Poll. Oklahoma State remains unranked, interestingly.

ap top 25 poll rankings oregon ducks dan lanning dante moore upset loss oklahoma state cowboys michigan ohio state
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, center left, and Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris approach to shake hands as the Oregon Ducks face the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 12, 2026, at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Whether or not Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his squad stay ranked at all was a question for the Ducks heading into Sunday. The No. 19 Michigan Wolverines started the season at No. 16 and were dropped out of the top 25 entirely by AP voters after a narrow and controversial win over Western Michigan. Oregon fell from No. 2 to No. 6 after a close win over Boise State, and the loss to Oklahoma State moves the Ducks farther down the rankings.

While Oregon's loss is certainly a major storyline after week 2, especially considering the lofty preseason expectations placed upon the Ducks, the latest AP Poll saw some major shuffling.

AP Top 25 Poll Week 2

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

ap top 25 poll rankings oregon ducks dan lanning dante moore upset loss oklahoma state cowboys michigan ohio state
Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. (7) tackles Texas Longhorns running back Hollywood Smothers (2) during the NCAA football game at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas on Sept. 12, 2026. Texas won 24-23. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Biggest AP Poll Questions

With No. 6 Ohio State's loss to No. 1 Texas, the Buckeyes arguably have the best loss in the country while the Longhorns own the best win in all of college football. It was enough to propel the Longhorns to the No. 1 spot, but did Ohio State deserve to fall outside of the top five?

Meanwhile, Michigan re-entered the rankings after a brief one week hiatus. Do coach Kyle Whittingham and his team deserve to be back inside the top 20 after upsetting Oklahoma?

As for the Sooners, does No. 24 behind Oregon make sense?

ap top 25 poll rankings oregon ducks dan lanning dante moore upset loss oklahoma state cowboys michigan ohio state
Sep 12, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines cornerback Smith Snowden (3) gestures to the crowds during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners at Michigan Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oregon suffered the biggest drop of any ranked team, but the Washington Huskies fell out of the AP Poll entirely on Sunday.

Oklahoma State is not yet ranked, but the Cowboys received the fourth-most votes of any team not inside the top 25, placing Oklahoma State at an effective ranking of No. 29 in the nation. As for Washington, the Huskies are the first team outside of the AP Top 25.

After the starting the season as the No. 2 preseason team behind only Ohio State, Oregon is in fact the lowest-ranked Big Ten team in the AP Poll.

AP Top 25 Poll Projection

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

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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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