AP Top 25 Poll Prediction After USC's Upset Over Ohio State

What a difference a week can make.

The USC Trojans fell all the way out of the AP Top 25 Poll from No. 16 after losing 24-7 to Wisconsin on the road. On Halloween, back in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans took down the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 30-18, holding the lead for 59 minutes of the game.

USC Trojans vs. Ohio State AP Poll Implications

ap top 25 poll rankings prediction reaction lincoln riley upset usc trojans ohio state buckeyes ryan day julian sayin big ten — 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

Riley spent part of the week answering why he thinks he's the right man for the job in Southern California, and he made his biggest case on Saturday evening with a win over the Buckeyes. After falling completely unranked, how high do Riley and the Trojans now climb being firmly back in the College Football Playoff picture and Big Ten Championship race with two losses?

As for the Buckeyes, the offense struggled to score points, settling for field goals instead of touchdowns with freshman quarterback Luke Fahey starting. Do AP Poll voters drop Ohio State more than expected after seeing the team operate without quarterback Julian Sayin? The Buckeyes certainly drop from No. 2, and they could be at risk of falling out of the top 10 completely after losing to an unranked USC.

Amid a particularly chaotic season full of upsets, USC's win over Ohio State marked one of the biggest wins of Saturday's slate. As most of the teams in the top 10 took care of business, programs like No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 6 Utah, and No. 7 UCLA all move up accordingly. Could USC jump all the way in and above the Buckeyes? It depends how far Ohio State falls.

No. 1 Miami survived an upset scare on the road against North Carolina, beating the Tar Heels 38-35. Minnesota nearly beat No. 4 Indiana before the Hoosiers forced overtime with a 60-yard field goal, and Indiana won 23-16.

In the two ranked matchups on the weekend, No. 13 Texas Tech beat No. 22 Arizona, and No. 3 Georgia dominated No. 17 Florida. Both the Wildcats and the Gators could remain ranked thanks to other ranked teams in the back part of the AP Poll losing to unranked squads.

No. 20 Northwestern lost to Oregon, and the Ducks could be re-entering the AP Poll now. No. 19 SMU fell to Syracuse, and No. 25 Wisconsin 30-0 to Iowa on Saturday. The same Badgers that held the Trojans to 7 points gave up 30 to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

No. 24 Oklahoma State also fell to Iowa State on a walk-off field goal. As a result, the later parts of the rankings should see the most movement.

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

AP Top 25 Poll Questions

Will the AP Poll course correct at all after dropping USC, Iowa, Oregon out of the polls entirely?

The Trojans are the most likely to re-enter the rankings after beat the No. 2 team in the country at home, but USC will have its hands full with No. 4 Indiana and No. 7 UCLA still on the schedule. As a result, the Trojans have plenty of opportunities to knock off the teams above them in the Big Ten and College Football Playoff rankings.

As a result, the Trojans have plenty of opportunities to knock off the teams above them in the Big Ten and College Football P — USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks the sideline during the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 31, 2026. Ohio State lost 30-18. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As for Oregon, the Ducks get a chance at upsetting Ohio State themselves in week 10 while Iowa faces Northwestern.

Will teams be punished for winning close games? No. 8 BYU beat Arizona State by one score and No. 4 Indiana needed overtime against Minnesota whereas teams like No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 6 Utah impressed against inferior opponents.

AP Top 25 Poll Week 8

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

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