Oregon Ducks Move Up One Spot In Most Updated AP Top 25 Poll, Ranked No. 8

The Oregon Ducks and coach Dan Lanning are 3-0. Despite not playing an opponent in week three of the season, the Ducks still moved up one spot.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) hands off the ball to Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James (20) during the annual rivalry game against the Oregon State Beavers on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. / Abigail Dollins/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After a weekend off and the Oregon Ducks' coaching staff spending time on the road across the country for some high school recruiting, it's time for head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks to lock back in.

It might be the last thing on Coach Lanning's mind but a lot of different factors came into picture for how the Associated Press could have played out the national rankings after this week. Does No. 9 Oregon deserve to stay where they're currently at, move up or down? No one really knows with a team that didn't even have to suit up on a college football Saturday.

Missouri barely beat unranked Vanderbilt at home in double-overtime. Michigan upset USC but at the Big House. As a result of those two key matchups, the Ducks moved up to No. 8 ahead of their matchup with the UCLA Bruins. 

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning talks to his team during a timeout as the Oregon State Beavers host the Oregon Ducks Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here are the headlines from the Top Ten of the Week 5 AP Top 25 Poll. At the top is the No. 1 Texas Longhorns, who overtook the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs in Week 4 for the top spot. The highest-ranked Big Ten conference team is the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 8 Oregon is the next highest Big Ten team, followed by the No. 9 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions.

The Ducks now have to prepare for their first Big Ten Conference test in program history. Oregon will travel down to the Rose Bowl to take on the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, Sept. 28. A familiar matchup as both were a part of the transition from the Pac-12 Conference. UCLA is coming off a still impressive road loss to the Southeastern Conference's LSU, 34-17. Not something to sleep on.

Coach Lanning feels good about his team's growth during the bye week.

"The key is growth. We're not the best version of us yet, and we won't be the best version of us right until, hopefully, the end of the season," explained Lanning Wednesday after practice. "The key is, are we getting better today and getting better tomorrow as we continue to progress." 

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) looks for an opening during the second half of the annual rivalry game against the Oregon State Beavers on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. / Abigail Dollins/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here is the full AP top 25:

1 Texas

2 Georgia

3 Ohio State

4 Alabama

5 Tennessee

6 Ole Miss

7 Miami

8 Oregon

9 Penn State

10 Utah

11 Missouri

12 Michigan

13 USC

14 LSU

15 Louisville

16 Notre Dame

17 Clemson

18 Iowa State

19 Illinois

20 Oklahoma State

21 Oklahoma

22 BYU

23 Kansas State

24 Texas A&M

25 Boise State

62 sportswriters and broadcasters from throughout the country vote individually for the AP poll rankings. Teams are given points on a scale: No. 1 gets you 25, No. 2 gets you 24, so on and so forth. These ballots are then combined and released each Sunday at 11 a.m. PT.

MORE: Oregon Ducks Football Schedule: Official Kickoff Time Vs. UCLA Bruins Announced

MORE: Denver Broncos Quarterback Bo Nix Laughed at By Steelers Defensive Backs

MORE: Oregon Ducks Football Autzen Stadium Is One Of The Loudest College Football Stadiums

MORE: Oregon Ducks Recruiting: Five-Star Wide Receiver Commit Visiting For Ohio State Game

MORE: Oregon Ducks Recruiting: Flip Creates Big Position Need in 2025 Recruiting Class

MORE: Oregon Ducks Commit Dakorien Moore Attempting to Flip 5-Star CB From Ohio State?