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AP Top 25 Poll Shuffles Before Rivalry Week

The end of the college football regular season has arrived, but the AP Top 25 Poll is still shuffling the best teams in the country. How far will the No. 16 USC Trojans fall in the rankings after losing to the No. 6 Oregon Ducks on the road?
Charlie Viehl|
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, and USC head coach Lincoln Riley shake hands before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, and USC head coach Lincoln Riley shake hands before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Oregon DucksUSC TrojansOle Miss RebelsOklahoma SoonersMissouri TigersTexas A&M AggiesWashington CommandersSMU MustangsGeorgia Tech Yellow JacketsPittsburgh PanthersArizona State Sun Devils

EUGENE - The No. 19 USC Trojans fell to the No. 5 Oregon Ducks in Autzen Stadium, effectively eliminating USC's from the College Football Playoff race. Despite the 15-point loss, the Trojans are still ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll upon its release on Sunday. With the loss, USC fell three spots from No. 16 to No. 19.

With only one week remaining the regular season, the top teams continue to take care of business. No. 1 Ohio State beat Rutgers 42-9 while SEC teams like No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Georgia, and No. 10 Alabama handled inferior opponents. The biggest shuffle in the top 10 came from Oregon, who moved past No. 6 Ole Miss after beating USC.

USC Trojans ap top 25 poll college football rankings oregon ducks notre dame oklahoma sooners lincoln riley brent venable
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with his players after winning a NCAA football game 70-7 against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish beat Syracuse 70-7, and the style points could in fact boost the perception of their résumé. However, Notre Dame stayed put at No. 9 in the latest AP Poll.

No. 8 Oklahoma picked up a ranked win over then-No. 23 Missouri as the Sooners continue to cement their case for the College Football Playoff. Oklahoma has not made the CFP since USC coach Lincoln Riley left the Sooners for Southern California. Meanwhile, the Trojans have yet to make the expanded four-team or 12-team field in program history.

Missouri is now unranked, but they still received the third-most votes outside of the top-25 teams.

AP Top 25 Poll Week 14

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

Then-No. 15 Georgia Tech lost to previously unranked Pittsburgh, ending the Yellow Jackets' chances of winning the ACC Championship. Like USC, however, Georgia Tech still stayed ranked but fell to No. 23. With the win, Pitt climbed up to No. 24 in the AP Poll.

USC Trojans ap top 25 poll college football rankings oregon ducks notre dame oklahoma sooners lincoln riley brent venables
Nov 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Ja'Kyrian Turner (25) runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

MORE: USC Trojans' Interesting Betting Odds Released For Crosstown Rivalry vs. UCLA

MORE: AP Top 25 Poll Prediction Before Rivalry Week

MORE: Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Gives USC Credit After Beating the Trojans 

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Joining Pitt as a new ranked team is No. 25 SMU. AP voters went against the College Football Playoff Selection Committee which ranked Arizona State at No. 25. The Sun Devils defeated Colorado on Saturday after running away from the Buffaloes in the fourth quarter.

USC Trojans ap top 25 poll college football rankings oregon ducks notre dame oklahoma sooners lincoln riley brent venables
Nov 1, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham is all smiles after the Sun Devils defeated the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Instead, SMU gets the nod after a 38-6 win over Louisville.

A number of teams have an argument to be ranked at this point in the season, including those receiving the most votes outside of the top-25 like Navy, Illinois, and Missouri. Additionally, the Washington Huskies have a case to be ranked after dominating UCLA on the road.

AP Top 25 Poll Prediction

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

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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