Can Oregon Ducks Jump AP Poll No. 1 Texas Longhorns If They Beat Ohio State Buckeyes?

The No. 3 Oregon Ducks have their biggest game of the season this week vs No. 2 Ohio State in a matchup that will attract the eyes of everyone in college football. If the Ducks win, can they jump over No. 1 Texas for the top spot in the AP Poll?

Oregon running back CJ Verdell runs past Ohio State safety Bryson Shaw (17) and cornerback Cameron Brown (26) for a 77-yard touchdown on Saturday. Verdell scored two touchdowns. Oregon Ducks At Ohio State Buckeyes Football / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The No. 3 Oregon Ducks are on the verge of being ranked as the No. 1 team in the AP Poll. The Ducks could potentially jump into the top spot with a win over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday.

In terms of magnitude, it's the biggest game of the entire weekend slate. However, a win over the No. 2 team in the country doesn't guarantee the Ducks the top ranking. Oregon will need a bit of help from No. 18 Oklahoma as the Sooners are taking on No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry.

Hypothetically, a Texas loss and an Oregon win would push the Ducks to as the top ranked team in the nation. It's not impossible to imagine the Longhorns dropping the game against the Sooners. Oklahoma picked up a tough road win against Auburn on Sept. 28 in their last outing. Coming off a bye and a relatively new quarterback change, the Sooners could have enough juice to upset one of the most hated rivals in Texas.

According to ESPN BET, the Longhorns are -14.5 favorites heading into Saturday's game.

Oregon Ducks inside linebacker Dylan Williams leaps into the crowd before the game as the Ducks host the Spartans Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On the flip side of things, if Ohio State were to pick up a win at Oregon, it could really make things interesting for the next poll reveal next week. The Buckeyes were the only other team to receive votes for the No. 1 spot as they received nine votes.

If Ohio State were to go into Autzen Stadium, a notably hard stadium to win, and beat the Ducks by a marginal figure, an argument could be made that the Buckeyes should be in the top spot come next week, regardless if Texas wins or not.

The Ducks are going to be home underdogs for the first time this season as Ohio State has opened as a -3 favorite.

Oregon does have a good track record as being the home underdog. They have an 11-10 record at Autzen when they aren't favored. The last time the Ducks were not favored in a home games was back in 2018 when Washington came into town. Oregon would go onto beat the Huskies 30-27 in overtime.

Sep 28, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) leaps in the air during a second quarter run against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Ducks are going to a big bounce back game from quarterback Dillon Gabriel as he arguably had his worst performance of the season last week vs. Michigan State. He threw for 257 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions as well.

If the Ducks defense can slow down Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's offense, then Oregon could be in business. The ex-Oregon head coach currently has the Buckeyes averaging over 500 yards a game on offense, but the Ducks defense will be the first serious test that Ohio State has faced.

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