USC Trojans 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 with respect to the AP Top 25 Poll.

Then-ranked No. 1 Ohio State fell to then-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 then-ranked 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. 12 USC Trojans remain unscathed through their non-conference schedule, and teams like USC are some of the bigger benefactor of top-ranked teams beating up on each other or suffering upset losses.

Then-No. 10 Oklahoma fell to Michigan, and the Wolverines were unranked after a controversially close win over Western Michigan. The Sooners fell to No. 24 while Michigan is back inside the top 25 at No. 19 in the country.

As for USC, the Trojans moved 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, now ranked No. 12 in the nation.

AP Top 25 Poll Week 2

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

Biggest Risers, Fallers in AP Top 25 Poll

As expected, Oregon fell dramatically from its No. 6 ranking down to No. 21, a drop of 15 spots in the rankings. On the other hand, the Oklahoma State Cowboys remain unranked despite the upset win over the Ducks.

The Trojans were 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 suffered a big drop while Michigan jumped back up, while No. 1 Texas took Ohio State's spot atop the rankings, dropping the Buckeyes down to No. 6 in the country. It was unlikely that the Buckeyes are one of the biggest fallers in the AP Poll as they they stay above teams like No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss.

Then-No. 19 Washington fell out of the AP Poll after struggling against Utah State.

AP Top 25 Poll Prediction

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

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