Posted on by

AP Top 25 Poll: Oregon moves to No. 1 in college football rankings for first time since 2012

AP Top 25 Poll: Oregon moves to No. 1 in college football rankings for first time since 2012

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Oct. 18. Oregon at Purdue
Getty Images

Despite being one of the great modern powers in college football, Oregon does not have a long history that has earned it the No. 1 spot in the rankings. Dan Lanning has already begun to change that, leading the Ducks to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll released Sunday for the first time since 2012.

Overall, Oregon had only been ranked No. 1 eight times in school history. In 2010, the Ducks were ranked No. 1 for seven straight weeks before losing to Auburn in the BCS Championship Game. Then, in November 2012, the Ducks were at the top for a week before bouncing back to No. 5 with an overtime loss to Stanford the following week. Not even the 2014 Ducks team, led by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, ranked No. 1 in the poll, although that team spent 12 of 17 weeks in the top three and finished at No. 2.

Oregon’s rise to No. 1 was made possible in part by Georgia’s 30-15 win at Texas on Saturday night, which pushed the Longhorns from the top spot to No. 5. The Bulldogs also made a move, passing both Penn State and Ohio State for second place, picking up two first-place votes in the process. The Ducks become the fourth team to hold the No. 1 award this season, joining Georgia, Texas and Alabama, and their advancement marks the fifth time the top spot has changed hands.

Other shakeups within the top 10 include Alabama falling from No. 7 to No. 15 after the loss to Tennessee and moving up four spots from No. 11 to No. 7 after the win. Indiana (up three spots to No. 13) and Illinois (up two spots to No. 20) also advanced after picking up big conference wins over the weekend, with the Fighting Illini’s win over Michigan resulting in the Wolverines being knocked out of the conference With one spot vacated in the rankings, Vanderbilt moves up to No. 25, marking the program’s first appearance in the AP poll since 2013.

Week 9 AP Top 25 Poll

  1. Oregon (59 first place finishers)
  2. Georgia (2)
  3. Penn State
  4. Ohio State
  5. Texas
  6. Miami
  7. Tennessee
  8. LSU
  9. Clemson
  10. Iowa State
  11. BYU
  12. Notre Dame
  13. Indiana
  14. Texas A&M
  15. Alabama
  16. Kansas State
  17. Boise State
  18. Ole Miss
  19. Pittsburgh
  20. Illinois
  21. Missouri
  22. SMU
  23. army
  24. marine
  25. Vanderbilt

Dropped out: No. 24 Michigan

Others receive votes: Washington State 46, Syracuse 15, UNLV 5, Duke 2, South Carolina 1, Nebraska 1, Liberty 1