AP Top 25 Poll Projection After USC Trojans Fall to Oregon Ducks

Los Angeles — The No. 12 USC Trojans lost their first game of the season to the No. 20 Oregon Ducks 41-27, meaning USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans can expect to fall down the latest AP Top 25 Poll when the newest rankings are released on Sunday.

While USC could not come away victorious over Oregon, the rest of the college football world saw a number of upsets and ranked matchups that should shuffle the AP Top 25 Poll.

usc trojans lincoln riley ap top 25 poll reaction rankings prediction oregon ducks dan lanning big ten dante moore injury — Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II (8) celebrates after tacking Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (not pictured) before he is charged with targeting during the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In addition to USC, teams like No. 4 Ole Miss, No. 13 Penn State, No. 18 Michigan, and No. 19 Missouri all lost on Saturday. The Trojans falling entirely out of the AP Top 25 after one loss feels dramatic, but some questions remain for Riley and company if USC can indeed reach the first College Football Playoff berth in program history this season.

AP Top 25 Poll Week 4 Projection

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

This article will be updated on Sunday upon the release of the AP Top 25 Poll.

AP Top 25 Poll Questions

No. 5 Indiana struggled to put away Northwestern on Friday night, so will the Hoosiers see their ranking change at all come Sunday?

No. 4 Ole Miss climbed into the top five, but the Rebels' loss to Florida will bring some drastic changes to the top 10. Will Oregon be a top-15 or even top-10 team in the latest AP Poll after beating USC, or will the injury to quarterback Dante Moore affect the Ducks' ranking?

After No. 17 Iowa escaped with a last-second win over No. 18 Michigan, the Hawkeyes can also expect to move up. Staying in the Big Ten, though, how far does Penn State fall after losing to an unranked Wisconsin team at home?

USC Trojans AP Poll Implications

USC had opportunities to come away with a win over Oregon after starting quarterback Dante Moore was knocked out of the game, but the Trojans came up short as the Ducks' pick up their fifth consecutive win over USC.

West Coast rivalry aside, where will USC end up in the AP Top 25 Poll? One loss to Oregon does not end the Trojans' season or the team's chances of making the College Football Playoff, but the road ahead gets considerably more difficult for Riley and company.

After entering the week ranked No. 12, does USC fall outside of the top-20? The Trojans can still work their way back up the polls, especially with games against No. 5 Indiana and No. 7 Ohio State still on the schedule.

AP Top 25 Poll Rankings Week 3

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

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