It was a relaxing weekend for the Oregon Ducks as the team spent the weekend on the bye following an emotional win over the USC Trojans. The bye week came at the perfect time as it allowed the Ducks to recover from some of the injuries the team is dealing with, headlined by the concussion Dante Moore suffered in the USC game.
The disappointing part of the Ducks being on the bye is the fact that the team couldn't continue building momentum after a statement win. While Oregon wasn't in action, the games around the country created some upsets, allowing the Ducks to keep marching up the AP Poll rankings.
Oregon jumps two places in AP Poll ahead of UCLA clash
On Sunday, the Associated Press unveiled the "Week 5" AP Poll with the Ducks climbing up two places from 15th to 13th.
BREAKING: College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/ZeYnSxjUiI pic.twitter.com/3wEByTQqqs
— On3 (@On3) October 4, 2026
The Ducks were the biggest benefactor of No. 8 Florida losing to Missouri and dropping to 16th while No. 14 Iowa lost to Ohio State dropping to 20th in the Poll. Missouri and Tennessee are both within 100 points of passing the Ducks so continuing to win games is key.
The poll also comes with some good news for the Ducks, as several Oregon opponents remain in the top 25. Oregon's wins over No. 19 USC and No. 23 Boise State will continue to be foundation wins for the Ducks' resume, while they look to add more. Oklahoma State jumped up 1 place to 18th, and the Cowboys continuing to impress only softens the blow of the loss.
Heading into a tough matchup against the UCLA Bruins, it's great to see Bob Chesney's team getting respect and ranking 21st in the Poll. Oregon can't afford to lose any games, and the Bruins jumping up to 21st in the poll gives the Ducks a chance to add another resume building win this weekend.
If Oregon is able to knock off UCLA, it'll give the Ducks another top 25 win and give the team a chance to keep climbing up the rankings. The Ducks are just 165 points behind No. 12 Utah, 231 points behind No. 11 Texas Tech, and 256 points away from jumping LSU for the final place in the Top 10 of the poll.
Oregon should also start rooting for some of the teams landing in the "Others receiving votes" category to continue building momentum. Northwestern and Nebraska each received votes this weekend coming off impressive wins, and if they can climb into the Top 25 range, it'll only help the Ducks build a great resume.
Aside from the UCLA Bruins, the lone Top 25 matchup left on the schedule is the November 7th showdown with Ohio State. The Buckeyes continue to look like one of the most dangerous teams in the country, with Jeremiah Smith torching defenses. If both teams hold serve in October, the game will have massive stakes, as either team taking a second loss could push them to the brink of CFP elimination.
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