USC tumbles in AP Top 25 poll after disastrous loss at Notre Dame
USC dropped to No. 18 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, released on Sunday.
After a pair of close wins in Weeks 5 and 6, USC (6-1, 4-0 Pac-12) went on the road in Week 7 and fell apart. The Trojans weren’t exactly blasted — Notre Dame did only have 251 yards of total offense in the game — but they were thoroughly out-classed in a 48-20 loss to the Fighting Irish. USC turned the football over five times, including three interceptions from quarterback Caleb Williams.
It was one of the poorest performances of Williams’ otherwise sparkling career, and it came at the worst of times. USC dropped in the AP poll each of the previous three weeks despite wins, and it plummeted eight spots after its first loss.
USC is joined in the poll this week by five other Pac-12 teams. Washington State dropped out after a drubbing at the hands of Arizona. Washington climbed to No. 5 while Oregon moved down to No. 9 following Saturday’s showdown in Seattle. Oregon State climbed to No. 12 and Utah to No. 14. UCLA dropped to No. 25.
The Trojans host the Utes in Week 8, a game that serves as a rematch of the 2022 Pac-12 title contest. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. PT on FOX.
The rest of the AP Top 25 can be found below, with first-place votes in parentheses:
- Georgia (43)
- Michigan (16)
- Ohio State (1)
- Florida State (1)
- Washington (2)
- Oklahoma
- Penn State
- Texas
- Oregon
- North Carolina
- Alabama
- Oregon State
- Ole Miss
- Utah
- Notre Dame
- Duke
- Tennessee
- USC
- LSU
- Missouri
- Louisville
- Air Force
- Tulane
- Iowa
- UCLA
Receiving votes: James Madison 70, Clemson 35, Florida 12, Washington St. 11, Fresno St. 6, Liberty 5, Kentucky 4, Wyoming 4, Kansas 2, West Virginia 1, Oklahoma St. 1, Miami 1