Top-25 Preseason Poll Revealed: Shake Up In Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon Ducks Rankings?

The AP Top-25 Preseason Poll was released on Monday, and the Oregon Ducks are ranked behind Big Ten foes like the Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions. The Texas Longhorns top the list at No. 1 to start the 2025 season.

Aug 31, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads the team into the stadium before the game against the Idaho Vandals at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The college football season has not quite arrived, but the AP Top-25 Poll was released on Monday. As many expected, the Texas Longhorns sit atop the preseason poll at No. 1, with Penn State and Ohio State at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. The Oregon Ducks are the third team from the Big Ten in the top-10 of the preseason rankings, sitting at No. 7.

Here is the full AP Top-25 Preseason Poll:

Jul 15, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning answers questions from the media during SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

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

BYU, Utah, Baylor, Louisville, USC

Oregon Ducks No. 7

Oregon ended the 2024 regular season with a No. 1 national ranking. Starters such as quarterback Dillon Gabriel and offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. went on to the next level. Ducks coach Dan Lanning brought in new talent in the offseason, but much uncertainty lies ahead with a different-looking team.

Because of the unpredictability surrounding the Ducks’ roster, many national analysts have listed Oregon behind Big Ten foes Penn State and Ohio State in preseason rankings.

CBS Sports released their preseason rankings, giving a potential preview to what the AP Top-25 Poll might look like on Monday. In fact, the order of the top-10 teams in both rankings is exactly the same in both polls.

CBS Sports' Preseason Top 25

Aug 31, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads the team into the stadium before the game against the Idaho Vandals at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

No. 1 Texas Longhorns

No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions

No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes

No. 4 Clemson Tigers

No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs

No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

No. 7 Oregon Ducks

No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide

No. 9 LSU Tigers

No. 10 Miami Hurricanes

No. 11 Arizona State Sun Devils

No. 12 Florida Gators

No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illini

No. 14 Kansas State Wildcats

Noo. 15 Michigan Wolverines

No. 16 South Carolina Gamecocks

No. 17 SMU Mustangs

No. 18 Texas A&M Aggies

No. 19 Iowa State Cyclones

No. 20 Tennessee Volunteers

No. 21 Texas Tech Raiders

No. 22 Ole Miss Rebels

No. 23 Indiana Hoosiers

No. 24 Oklahoma Sooners

No. 25 Utah Utes

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Oregon Solidifying Its Depth Chart

The Longhorns return third-year quarterback Arch Manning this season, while Big Ten programs Penn State and Ohio State return top offensive players like Nittany Lions’ quarterback Drew Allar and Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

On the offensive side of the field, Oregon will have a new starting quarterback and new names leading the running back and wide receiver rooms.

Combat Ducks running back Dierre Hill Jr. carries the ball as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is who many predict to earn the starting job, but he’ll likely look a lot different from when he was thrown into the fire as a true freshman at UCLA in 2023. Meanwhile, fans will see how transfer running back Makhi Hughes fits into the Ducks’ backfield.

Oregon completed its first fall scrimmage on Saturday and Lanning stated that the staff should have some idea of a depth chart following the second scrimmage.

“As we go into that second scrimmage, there'll be some pieces of the puzzle we want in certain spots, but there's still a lot of competition to be had,” Lanning said.  “And start still a lot of guys we evaluate where they're at from a winning football standpoint.”

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore runs the ball as the Ducks host the Spartans Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks added a lot of talent between the transfer portal and the 2025 recruiting class. While former Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman and five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore are additions that will likely strengthen Oregon’s lineup, a lack of continuity makes it hard to predict the Ducks’ exact standing before they play their first game.

Oregon steadily made its way up the national top 10 rankings each week of the 2024 season until it became No. 1 in the nation. It could be a similar storyline in 2025 as the new puzzle pieces start fitting together.