Will the Oregon Ducks overtake Texas for No. 1 in the top 25 rankings after beating Ohio State?

The No. 3 Oregon Ducks defeated the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 32-31 in front of the largest crowd ever gathered at Autzen Stadium. Will a win over the No. 2 team be enough to push the Ducks over Texas and take over the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll Top 25?

Seven weeks into the 2024 college football season, there are already three teams ranked No. 1 in the AP poll: Georgia and Alabama, as well as current No. 1 Texas. Can Oregon overtake the Longhorns and finish fourth?

No. 5 Georgia began the season in first place, but voters chose Texas over the Bulldogs after the Longhorns traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan and defeated the Wolverines 31-12. Alabama retained the No. 1 ranking after defeating Georgia in a thrilling win, but the Crimson Tide were upset the following week by an unranked Vanderbilt team. As a result, Texas moved straight back to No. 1.

Texas certainly has a case for remaining the No. 1 team in the country after defeating No. 18 Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. However, Oregon could claim it has the best resume in the country with wins over No. 17 Boise State and No. 2 Ohio State. Therefore, the Ducks should expect to be named the No. 1 team in the country when the AP poll is released at 11 a.m. PT.

“In games like this, you just find ways to win… We all knew we were going to be in a dogfight,” Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel said. “It’s two heavyweights, that’s what college football is all about.”

The Ducks were without starting defensive back Jordan Burch after he suffered an injury during the week, but Oregon's defense was able to get the job done. Wide receiver Traeshon Holden was sent off in the first half after spitting on an opposing player.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his team outlasted the Buckeyes in their toughest Big Ten Conference game yet. Ducks kicker Atticus Sappington gave Oregon its first point after a successful field goal attempt with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter.

“You feel right because your guys work so hard because you know they wanted it, but it's never about the team that wants it most,” Lanning said after the win. “It’s never just about the team, which has big emotions. It's about the team that performs. You know, I'm full of great excitement. I'm really proud of our guys, but I'm also figuring out what we can do to attack and improve because the team we are today on October 12th is not going to be the same team we were in December.”

This article will be updated once the AP Top 25 is released at 11 a.m. PT.