AP Top 25 Poll Reaction After Halloween Upsets

Which new teams entered the AP Top 25 Poll after more upsets on Halloween?

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day motions during the NCAA football game against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 31, 2026. Ohio State lost 30-18. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The biggest upset of the weekend came in Southern California as the unranked USC Trojans soundly defeated the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday. What are the AP Poll implications?

USC was among a few Big Ten teams that dropped completely out of the rankings, including Oregon and Iowa, and all three had a chance at re-joining the AP Poll. The Trojans are now No. 18 and Iowa is up to No. 21 while the Ducks are still on the outside looking in of the top 25. Oregon received the 27th-most votes, behind Northwestern.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning yells to his team as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

AP Top 25 Poll Week 9

1. Miami
2. Georgia
3. Utah
4. Notre Dame
5. UCLA
6. Indiana
7. BYU
8. Kentucky
9. Alabama
10. Texas
11. Ohio State
12. Ole Miss
13. Texas Tech
14. Wake Forest
15. LSU
16. Tennessee
17. Houston
18. USC
19. Missouri
20. Boise State
21. Iowa
22. New Mexico
23. South Carolina
24. Arizona
25. Florida

Biggest AP Top 25 Poll Reactions

Oregon upset then-No. 20 Northwestern at home while Iowa defeated then-No. 25 Wisconsin 30-0 at home, scoring 30 points on a Badgers defense that previously held USC to 7 points after a bye week. Might the Trojans have been looking ahead to their game against Ohio State?

USC pulled off the upset over the Buckeyes, regardless, shaking up the top of the AP Poll. The Ducks remain unranked and stay behind Northwestern in the polls, but Iowa and USC made some of the biggest leaps.

The most shuffling occurred at the bottom with Northwestern, then-No. 19 SMU, then-No. 22 Arizona, then-No. 24 Oklahoma State, and Wisconsin all losing.

No. 24 Arizona nearly pulled off an upset win over No. 13 Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders pulled away with 24 points in the second half to defeat the Wildcats.

In the other ranked matchup on Saturday, then-No. 3 Georgia took care of business against then-No. 17 Florida, beating the Gators 27-8 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Bulldogs became the No. 2 team in the country thanks to Ohio State's loss while Florida stays in the AP Poll at No. 25.

No. 22 New Mexico sits at 7-1 and joins the rankings after beating San Jose State. Other teams that were receiving votes like Cincinnati and Oregon State lost, meaning No. 23 South Carolina got the nod.

Oct 17, 2026; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; New Mexico Lobos head coach Jason Eck walks off the field before his team takes on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Ducks rebounded against a ranked opponent in Northwestern, and the team will have another chance to prove itself against Ohio State. While Oregon may not be ranked quite yet, the Ducks should not have a problem in the AP Poll if they can beat the Buckeyes.

Oregon Ducks AP Poll Implications

Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks survived a scary scene on Halloween, defeating the No. 20 Northwestern Wildcats in Autzen Stadium. While betting odds from DraftKings Sportsbook viewed the Ducks as favorites over the Wildcats, Oregon's win over Northwestern was considered an upset from the perspective of the AP Poll.

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola, celebrates as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Ducks have some positive momentum after making a change at play-caller, but how the Oregon offense fares on the road against Ohio State remains to be seen. Where the Buckeyes fall to in the AP Poll also remains to be seen, but both Ohio State and Oregon will be playing with razor thin margins of error when facing off in week 10.

Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin is out indefinitely, and Ducks quarterback Dante Moore is not expected to return this season. Oregon has had its fair share of struggles when working with backup quarterbacks, and Ohio State's offense struggled to find the end zone against USC with quarterback Luke Fahey leading the charge.

AP Top 25 Poll Prediction

1. Miami
2. Georgia
3. Indiana
4. Notre Dame
5. Utah
6. UCLA
7. BYU
8. Kentucky
9. Alabama
10. Texas
11. Ohio State
12. Ole Miss
13. Texas Tech
14. USC
15. Wake Forest
16. LSU
17. Tennessee
18. Houston
19. Boise State
20. Missouri
21. Iowa
22. Florida
23. Oregon
24. New Mexico
25. Arizona

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