USC Trojans Projected to Make Move in AP Top 25 Poll After Chaotic Weekend

The college football season is well underway with multiple upsets taking place, raising questions for some teams while casting doubt onto other programs.

No. 1 Ohio State fell to No. 4 Texas in what was an instant-classic thanks in part to the Longhorns' comeback win, but the biggest shock of the day came from No. 6 Oregon falling to unranked Oklahoma State.

usc trojans ap top 25 poll ranking college football playoff lincoln riley louisiana oregon oklahoma state ohio state michigan — Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) throws during the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas on Sept. 12, 2026. Texas won 24-23. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The No. 14 USC Trojans remain unscathed through their non-conference schedule, and teams like USC may be the biggest benefactor of top-ranked teams beating up on each other or suffering upset losses.

No. 10 Oklahoma fell to Michigan, and the Wolverins were unranked after a controversially close win over Western Michigan. How far will the Sooners drop, and where will Michigan land in the week 2 AP Top 25 poll, assuming the Wolverines are again ranked?

As for USC, the Trojans are expected to slide up slightly thanks to both Oregon and Oklahoma losing ahead of them. While it's likely too early to realistically talk about College Football Playoff resumes and rankings, USC is slowly inching its way from a potential bubble team to a legitimate contender out of the Big Ten.

AP Top 25 Poll Projection

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

Biggest Risers, Fallers in AP Top 25 Poll

Oregon is expected to fall dramatically from its No. 6 ranking, likely falling all the way outside of the top 15. On the other hand, will the Oklahoma State Cowboys enter the top-25 rankings despite holding a 1-1 record thanks to a loss to Tulsa in week 1?

The Trojans are also not expected to take a major leap after beating the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, but if USC continues to take care of business, then coach Lincoln Riley and his team could climb into the top 10 sooner than later. The Oregon loss helps USC not only in the Big Ten standings but also the CFP picture, but the Trojans will have to take care of business when the Ducks travel to face USC in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 26.

Oklahoma and Michigan are expected to make moves, but what about Texas and Ohio State? The Longhorns could have a claim to the No. 1 ranking after dethroning the Buckeyes, but how far will Ohio State fall? It's unlikely that the Buckeyes are one of the biggest fallers in the AP Poll, but will they stay above teams like No. 7 Miami and No. 8 LSU?

Will No. 19 Washington fall at all in the AP Poll after struggling against Utah State? And which teams will drop out of the rankings should Michigan and/or Oklahoma enter the top 25 in the week 2 edition of the AP Poll.

Week 1 AP Top 25 Poll Ranking

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

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