Oregon moved up to No. 2 behind top-ranked Texas in the AP Top 25 college football poll on Sunday after its dramatic win over Ohio State.

The Ducks took a leap forward after defeating Ohio State 32-31 in a thriller at Autzen Stadium on Saturday night to reach their highest ranking since finishing the 2014 season at No. 2. The fourth-ranked Buckeyes’ first loss of the season only cost them two spots as they also fell behind Penn State, which moved up to No. 3 after beating USC in overtime.

Texas received 56 first-place votes after defeating Oklahoma, while Oregon had six votes. The Longhorns’ lead at No. 1 is on the line next Saturday night when No. 5 Georgia visits Austin in another top-five SEC matchup. It’s the third AP top five matchup in four weeks.

The biggest mover is LSU, which moved up five spots to No. 8 and fell nine spots to No. 18 after beating Ole Miss. The Tigers have won five straight games since their opening loss to USC. Undefeated Iowa State also made it into the top 10 at No. 9 after a win at West Virginia.

Despite the win, Tennessee dropped three spots and slipped to No. 11 after needing overtime to beat Florida.

Others receiving votes: Vanderbilt 68, Nebraska 62, Arizona State 39, Oklahoma 36, ​​Washington State 32, Iowa 29, Texas Tech 18, Syracuse 13, Arkansas 13, Utah 7, Louisville 6, Southern Cal 5, Liberty 2, UNLV 1

In and out

Oklahoma fell out of the rankings for the first time since 2022 after the Sooners were defeated by Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Utah is also unranked for the first time this season after the Utes lost their second straight game to Arizona State on Friday night.

In their places are the undefeated Army (No. 23) and the Navy (No. 25). It is the first survey in which the Black Knights and Midshipmen have participated together since 1960. Vanderbilt narrowly fell short after its wins over Alabama and Kentucky, becoming the first team to be eliminated.

Why I chose Oregon #1

Most of my adjustments this week were relatively subtle, with shifts of one or two places for much of the top 20. However, I decided to vote for another new No. 1: Welcome to the top of my choice, Oregon.

Yes, it feels strange to put a team like Texas down after the Longhorns beat their rival by 31 points, but the decision was much more about giving Oregon the respect it deserves because it achieved its best win of the season so far against Ohio State, which I only dropped back one place to 3rd place. The Ducks also picked up a win against a team from Boise State. I rank 11th behind Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty. The Ducks have the best combination of talent And resume.

Of course, if Texas beats Georgia next week, I’ll likely make another change at the top of my rankings. — Matt Brown, senior college sports editor

Does Penn State deserve to be No. 3?

The Nittany Lions have their best ranking since No. 2 in 2017, but it feels like they are beneficiaries of the results of other big games rather than truly worthy of this high ranking.

Penn State is just 23 points ahead of No. 4 Ohio State, so it’s not like voters flocked to the Nittany Lions.

To be clear, Penn State did a good job against respectable opposition. Especially considering away games at West Virginia and USC and a thorough handling of Illinois.

Voters reward the undefeated record, but it seems hyperbolic to suggest that the Nittany Lions, with their narrow and dramatic losses to Oregon and Alabama, respectively, are actually better than Ohio State and Georgia.

And if voters rely on the zero in the loss column, a similar argument can be made for Miami ahead of the Buckeyes and Bulldogs.

Of course, Penn State will get a chance to show off their skills on the field in a few weeks at home against the Buckeyes, who they haven’t beaten since 2016. — Ralph Russo, senior writer for college sports

What’s next in week 8?

No. 5 Georgia visits No. 1 Texas is the headliner, and it will be the first time the Longhorns will host a meeting between two AP Top 5 teams since a loss to Ohio State in September 2006. The SEC has two high-profile matchups as No. 7 Alabama will face No. 11 Tennessee in a game between two one-loss teams that have been on shaky ground in recent weeks.

The other matchup in the rankings is No. 24 Michigan and No. 22 Illinois. But also keep an eye on Nebraska taking on undefeated No. 16 Indiana in the Big Ten.

Oregon, meanwhile, will try to avoid a hangover Friday night at Purdue. Penn State and Ohio State are both idle.

Required reading

(Photo: Sam Hodde/Getty Images)