Last week, Michigan became the highest-ranked team since 1989 to fall out of the AP Top 25 after a win. At the same time, Dan Lanning’s Oregon also dropped four spots after its close win against Boise State. Post Week 2, the situation has completely changed for the Wolverines, while the Ducks posted the largest single-week drop of any ranked team this season and their lowest ranking in four years.
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The Sunday, September 13, AP Top 25 changed the picture after Week 2 games. Michigan jumped from receiving no votes to No. 19, a nine-spot rise. The Wolverines are the only previously unranked Big Ten team to enter the Top 25.
Michigan started the 2026 campaign at No. 16. However, voters dropped the Wolverines after a controversial 13-12 win over Western Michigan. Besides the controversial nature of the result, a bad offensive display against an unranked team hurt Kyle Whittingham’s team.
Heading into their Week 2 game, everyone counted the Wolverines out. Even their most ardent fans were not sure they could get a result against the Sooners. Michigan answered those doubts by beating No. 11 Oklahoma 17-10 at home.
The Wolverines never trailed in that game. Bryce Underwood ran for 87 yards and a 38-yard touchdown and threw for 111 yards with no turnovers. The defense held Oklahoma to 289 yards. New coach Kyle Whittingham called it a signature win after the Week 1 questions.
Voters treated that Oklahoma result as proof that the Western Michigan game was not the real Michigan. A ranked SEC opponent, a physical defense, and clean quarterback play mattered more. Michigan moved from 69 receiving-vote points to No. 19 and now sits 2-0.
While Michigan climbed, Oregon fell. The Ducks fell from No. 6 to No. 21, a 15-spot drop. They opened the year at No. 2 in the preseason AP Poll with 14 first-place votes, their highest preseason ranking ever.
Oregon lost 39-31 at Oklahoma State as 23.5-point favorites. The Cowboys came in after a 1-11 season and a 21-game losing streak against FBS teams. Oregon led only once after the first quarter and needed two defensive takeaways just to stay close.
“We got our a– kicked in a lot of areas,” Lanning said after the Oklahoma State loss. He took full responsibility and said the team did not arrive with the right mindset or a strong enough plan.
The loss also showed growing pains after Lanning promoted Drew Mehringer and Chris Hampton to coordinator roles following the departure of the previous offensive and defensive coordinators to head-coaching jobs.
Voters decided Oregon no longer belonged near the top despite its preseason No. 2 ranking and national-title talk. The Coaches Poll dropped Oregon only 12 spots to No. 18. Coaches had kept Michigan at No. 24 after Week 1, while AP voters dropped the Wolverines out entirely.
Early College Football Playoff projections have already pulled Oregon from most 12-team brackets. Oregon still must face USC, Ohio State, Michigan, and Washington.
Oklahoma also fell 13 spots from No. 11 to No. 24. Texas rose to No. 1 after a 24-23 comeback over then-No. 1 Ohio State. Georgia stayed at No. 2, and Notre Dame held No. 3. Indiana sat at No. 4, and Miami at No. 5. LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Alabama all stayed in the top 10.