How Far Will USC Trojans Fall in AP Poll After Alabama, Tennessee, Michigan Lose?

The No. 11 USC Trojans lost to unranked Minnesota 24-17, resulting in a likely drop out of the top 15 in the AP Poll. Other highly ranked teams like No. 1 Alabama, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 9 Missouri, and No. 10 Michigan all suffered upsets.

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans running back Quinten Joyner (0) fumbles the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The No. 11 USC Trojans lost to Minnesota 24-17 in a crazy weekend of college football. The Trojans are sure to drop in the most updated AP Poll, but they should benefit from the chaos that occurred across the country.

Four teams from the AP Poll's top 10 were upset in week six. No. 1 Alabama, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 9 Missouri, and No. 10 Michigan all lost on the road.

A week after beating No. 5 Georgia in an instant-classic, Alabama lost to unranked Vanderbilt on the road. The Crimson Tide were down 23-14 at halftime, and Vanderbilt held on to win 40-35. However, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer and his team were not the only member of the top-five to lose to an unranked SEC opponent.

Arkansas beat Tennessee 19-14 after Razorbacks quarterback Malachi Singleton rushed for an 11-yard touchdown with less than two minutes in the fourth quarter.

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans running back Quinten Joyner (0) fumbles the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Missouri's loss to No. 25 Texas A&M was never close, as the Tigers lost 41-10. With a questionable resume at this point in the season, Missouri might drop below the Trojans.

USC's first loss of the year came to Michigan, and the Wolverines were upset by the Washington Huskies 27-17 on Oct. 5. Both USC and Michigan now have two losses, and they will most likely remain close to each other in future rankings.

Behind the Trojans, No. 22 Louisville lost at home to SMU, and Syracuse lost at home to No. 25 UNLV.

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) intercepts a pass during the second half against the USC Trojans at Huntington Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

So, where will USC fall in the latest edition of the AP Poll? They might drop as far as No. 19 after the loss.

USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans had multiple opportunities to win against Minnesota. In the final minute of the game, the USC defense could not come up with a goal-line stand, and Trojans quarterback Miller Moss's pass was intercepted during the comeback attempt.

After the game, Riley noted the need for improvement across all phases for the Trojans.

"We're going to hold all three sides accountable, all the coaches, everybody," said Riley. "We need to be a little bit better because we had the makings of a really good team tonight."

With the number of upsets that occurred in front of the Trojans, there was potential of a top-10 matchup in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as No. 7 Penn State is scheduled to make the trip to Southern California on Oct. 12.

The game against the Nittany Lions now becomes a must-win game for Riley and his USC team. After the upset to Minnesota, the Trojans are expected to fall out of the top 15 instead of climb into the top 10.

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