EUGENE, OR — The Oregon Ducks led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel have climbed back to the top of college football for the seventh time in program history, landing as the number one ranked team in the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today coaches polls. It represents the first time Oregon has been ranked number one overall in five years, a welcome return to glory for a program that had slipped during her first—and fourth-year student seasons.
Nationwide experts praised the Ducks as they claimed 50 of a possible 53 first-place votes in the coaches poll and 59 out of an available 61 in the AP Poll. The Ducks are not alone in flying the flag of the Big Ten Conference program among this week’s top teams, as No. 3 Penn State and Ohio State at No. 4 also make an appearance near the top ranks of college football standings heading into Week 6. On the other hand, Indiana and Illinois also continue to hang in there at No. 13 and No. 20.
This is the fifth time that Oregon has held the top spot in both polls but just second for a team out of the Rocky Mountains or the West Coast. The Oregon Ducks were last ranked No. 1 in both polls on November 11, 2012, and all the Ducks’ previous No. 1 rankings came during the 2010 season.
The Ducks will return home to Autzen Stadium this Saturday, October 26 to host No. 20 Illinois in a matchup at 12:30PM PT on CBS.
