Oregon Ducks' AP Top 25 Poll Ranking Drops After Upset Scare

The Oregon Ducks fell out of the top five in the AP Top 25 Poll after surviving a near upset against Boise State.

Sep 5, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning encourages players during warm ups before a game against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The then-ranked No. 2 Oregon Ducks survived an early-season upset scare against the Boise State Broncos for the second time in three seasons, and Oregon fell to No. 6 in the AP Top 25 Poll as a result.

Boise State received the third-most votes of any team ranked outside the preseason top 25, and the Broncos put up a fight against the Ducks despite entering the game as 24.5-point underdogs, per DraftKings Sportsbook. Boise State is unlikely to jump into the top 25 as an 0-1 team, but the Broncos could find themselves ranked in the AP Poll by the season's end.

Sep 5, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Boise State Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning embrace after a game at Autzen Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Boise State is unranked, and Oregon fell from No. 2 to No. 6, dropping from its historic ranking to start the season.

No. 3 Notre Dame beat Wisconsin on Sunday, but neither No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 24 Louisville saw their rankings change after facing off on Sunday after Labor Day Weekend. With college football taking advantage of the full holiday weekend, combined with the fact that the NFL regular season has yet to kickoff, the later games impacted the release of the week 1 AP Poll.

The week 1 AP Top 25 Poll came out on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 11 a.m. PT, instead of its typical Sunday release.

Week 1 AP Top 25 Poll

Sep 5, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Legend Bey (2) celebrates a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Ball State Cardinals at Ohio Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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

Reacting to College Football Week 1

Oregon's upset scare was one of a couple exciting matchups during the first full week of college football. Then-No. 16 Michigan's controversial, last-second win over Western Michigan stole headlines thanks to a replay review that added one second onto the clock and caused the Big Ten to release a statement on the officiating decision.

Michigan started the year ranked No. 16 in the preseason AP Poll, and voters felt inclined to drop the Wolverines all the way out of the poll.

Then-No. 11 LSU dominated Clemson, and the Tigers jumped past a few teams up to No. 8, one spot ahead of Ole Miss.

Tigers Head Coach Lane Kiffin, LSU Tigers take on the Clemson Tigers. September 5, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Still, voters are unlikely to make dramatic moves in the rankings until more marquee matchups take place like No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Texas and Michigan vs. No. 10 Oklahoma in week 2. Until then, fans likely have to wait until conference play begins to see some serious shake ups in the rankings.

AP Top 25 Poll Projection

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

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.