Oregon dipped slightly in the AP Top 25 released Sunday morning but their standing has improved in one crucial way.
At 8-1 and No. 7 nationally they are ahead of 9-1 Texas Tech, 7-1 Notre Dame and 7-2 Texas. If they can stay there they would host a home game in the first round, which last year proved to be the best route to gaining momentum and making a deep run in the College Football Playoff.
The committee meets Tuesday to update their rankings ahead of the final draw on December 7. Seeds 5-8 host a first-round playoff game at home.
BYU dropped to No. 12 after their loss to the Red Raiders, plus Louisville and Virginia lost in ACC play, giving the Ducks some breathing room and playoff bracket security.
Their win over Iowa dropped the Hawkeyes out of the poll, so Oregon still does not have a ranked win. They keep wrecking teams in a way that harms their own resume, but their November 22 game against No. 17 USC looms as a possible resume-enhancer or playoff hope-destroyer.
The Trojans feature one of the nation's most balanced and potent offenses. They rank No. 1 in yards per play at 7.61, tied seventh in scoring at 39.6 points per game. Quarterback Jayden Maiava, receivers Makai Lemon and Jakobi Lane and running back KIng Miller will test a stingy Oregon defense.
The Ducks lost ground this week despite a gritty road win against the College Football Playoff No. 20 Hawkeyes as new No. 6 Ole Miss rolled to a 49-0 win over The Citadel. Texas Tech topped BYU in Lubbock 29-7, a win that probably boosts them over the Ducks in the CFP.
That's all right as holding on to a spot in the coveted 5-8 range remains the goal and the key.
Top 25 showdowns in Week 12 include No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 24 Pittsburgh, No. 12 Oklahoma at No. 4 Alabama, and Iowa at USC. It's the time of the year for phone updates and ESPN app-watching, as fans become conscious of the fact that it's not only how their team is doing, it's whether there's any movement in the polls.
Nineteen spots in the Top 25 poll have new teams in a major shuffling a month before the College Football Playoff matchups are set.https://t.co/7dTTUiSC1j pic.twitter.com/m7Gl5e2jEE
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) November 9, 2025
The upsets in the ACC and Big 12 this weekend increased the chances those conferences will get just one bid in the 12-team playoff. No. 24 James Madison at 8-1 is zeroing in on the Group of Five bid, which will probably bump a higher-ranked team.
Winding up 11th or 12th in the poll is dangerous territory for that reason. The Group of 5, ACC and Big 12 are guaranteed at least one slot. Meanwhile, the SEC gets closer and closer to having as many as six teams in the December 7 bracket, an odious prospect.