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

Where will the No. 12 USC Trojans be ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll after picking up their first loss of the season?
Charlie Viehl|
Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks off the field after the game against the Oregon Ducks at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks off the field after the game against the Oregon Ducks at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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USC TrojansOregon DucksOle Miss RebelsFlorida GatorsIowa HawkeyesMichigan Wolverines

Los Angeles — Then-ranked No. 12 USC lost their first game of the season to the then-ranked No. 20 Oregon Ducks 41-27, meaning USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans fell down to No. 18 in the AP Top 25 Poll as a result of the loss.

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 shuffled the AP Top 25 Poll, adding in new teams like No. 23 UCLA, No. 22 Boise State, and No. 19 Oklahoma State.

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 then-ranked No. 4 Ole Miss, then-ranked No. 13 Penn State, then-ranked No. 18 Michigan, and then-ranked No. 19 Missouri all lost on Saturday. Penn State and Michigan dropped out of the top 25 entirely while Ole Miss and Missouri dropped five and six spots, respectively.

The Trojans falling entirely out of the AP Top 25 after one loss would have felt 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

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

usc trojans lincoln riley ap top 25 poll reaction rankings prediction oregon ducks dan lanning big ten dante moore injury
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian prepares to lead his team onto the field to start the college football game against Texas on Sept. 26, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

AP Top 25 Poll Reactions

No. 5 Indiana struggled to put away Northwestern on Friday night, so the Hoosiers slid down out of the top five to No. 7.

Ole Miss climbed into the top five after beating No. 11 LSU, but the Rebels' loss to Florida will bring some drastic changes to the top 10, including the Gators now being ranked No. 8 in the country.

Oregon's win over USC was good enough to propel the Ducks up to No. 15.

After then-No. 17 Iowa escaped with a last-second win over then-No. 18 Michigan, the Hawkeyes moved up to 14 while the Wolverines dropped out entirely.

USC Trojans AP Poll Implications

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 quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws a eleven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tanook Hines (not pictured) against the Oregon Ducks during the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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.

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, how can USC get back into the top-15? The Trojans can still work their way back up the polls, especially with games against No. 6 Indiana and No. 5 Ohio State still on the schedule.

AP Top 25 Poll Prediction

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. Mississippi State
20. Penn State
21. Kentucky
22. Houston
23. Boise State
24. Oklahoma State
25. Missouri

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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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