Oregon Ducks Jump to No. 3 in AP Poll After Alabama, Tennessee, Michigan Lose

The Oregon Ducks move up to No. 3 in the AP Poll. Their next opponent, the Ohio State Buckeyes, are the No. 2 team in the country.

The Big Ten has three teams in the top four as Penn State moves up to No. 4. The Nittany Lions will face an unranked USC on Oct. 12 after the Trojans lost on the road to Minnesota.

From unranked teams upsetting some of the highest ranked programs in the nation, to a goal post making its way through the streets of downtown Nashville, college football drama was at its peak this weekend. However, the Ducks got their fifth win earlier than usual this week.

Oregon Ducks defensive end Jordan Burch sacks Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles 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

Under the Friday night lights of Autzen Stadium, Oregon dominated the Michigan State Spartans 31-10 on Oct. 4. Defensively, Oregon was a powerhouse, limiting the Spartans to 250 yards of total offense compared to Oregon’s 477 yards.

Ducks defensive end Jordan Burch had a highlight game of the season with two and a half sacks and one quarterback hurry of Michigan State’s Aiden Chiles leading to two and a half tackles for loss. Linebacker Teitum Tuioti continued to add to his strong resume, leading the team with seven total tackles.

When the dust cleared, five Ducks contributed to five sacks, and five Ducks helped pick up six tackles for loss. The Oregon defense made very few mistakes, and shut down the Spartans especially in the run game and created immense pressure in the pocket.

On the offensive side, quarterback Dillon Gabriel had one of his worst games this season, completing 20 of 32 attempts He threw two interceptions vs. the Spartans, when his first ever interception came against UCLA last week. Granted, Gabriel did suffer a hard hit in the first quarter, and after one play out, came back to score a 9-yard rushing touchdown.

However, Gabriel wasn’t the only offensive member on the field struggling in the passing game. Several Ducks made drops at key moments when the ball was easily catchable.

Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James carries 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

What helped the Ducks cement their win against the Spartans was the run game and especially Jordan James. James was dominant on the field, picking up 166 yards and was a main factor for moving the ball when the passing game was lacking. The offensive line, led by center Iapani Poncho Lalolou, also gave one of their best performances of the season. The irony of the Oregon run game going from the teams’ biggest concern at the beginning of the season to the most dependable factor during the Michigan State game should not be lost on Duck fans.

No. 4 Tennessee lost to an unranked Arkansas 19-14, No. 9 Missouri lost to No. 25Texas A&M 41-10, No. 11 USC bit the dust to an unranked Minnesota 24-17, and the Washington Huskies overtook No. 10 Michigan 27-17. The biggest loss of the weekend goes to No. 1 Alabama who lost in a shocking upset against unranked Vanderbilt (hence the goal posts parading through downtown Nashville).

Given these massive upsets, Oregon should move from their current spot at No. 6 to No. 3, as Alabama and Tennessee will both move downward from their one and four spots respectively. No. 5 Georgia will stay where they are, as they lost to Alabama the previous week. So, the top three will likely be Texas, Ohio State, and Oregon, leading to a top three match-up next weekend in Autzen when Ohio State travels to face the Ducks.

Here is the official AP Poll for Week 7:

1 Texas

2 Ohio State

3 Oregon

4 Penn State

5 Georgia

6 Miami

7 Alabama

8 Tennessee

9 Ole Miss

10 Clemson

11 Iowa State