No disrespect to Oregon’s Week 1 opponent Fresno State, but nearly all eyes are on that Week 2 game when the Ducks go to Ohio State.
Almost every pre-season poll has the Buckeyes near the top with Oregon somewhere hovering near the Top 10. The Associated Press college football poll isn’t any different as the AP published its first poll of the 2021 season.
Oregon sits squarely just outside the Top 10 at No. 11 with that team in Columbus at No. 4. North Carolina was able to squeak past the Ducks with 31 more votes to claim that No. 10 spot.
Other notables include the USC Trojans at No. 15, Washington at No. 20, Utah at No. 24, and despite all of their off-the-field issues, Herm Edwards’ Arizona State squad barely makes it into the poll at No. 25. Chip Kelly’s UCLA team managed to receive two votes.
That makes it five Pac-12 schools who will be ranked when the season begins and considering the league is usually fifth among the Power 5 conferences, that’s a good showing.
We’ll see how everything changes as the season progresses.
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