After impressive performances in two of the young season’s most attractive nonconference showdowns, Oregon jumps to No. 2 in The Associated Press college football poll behind No. 1 Florida State — and ahead of No. 3 Alabama — and Virginia Tech vaults into the rankings at No. 17.
The Ducks pulled away late from Michigan State on Saturday at Autzen Stadium in Eugene to beat the Spartans 46-27. Oregon receives 16 first-place votes from the media panel.
Florida State has 38 first-place votes.
Alabama slipped one spot. No. 4 Oklahoma receives two first-place votes. No. 5 Auburn, No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Texas A&M give the Southeastern Conference four of the top seven.
Michigan State slipped six spots to 13th.
Big Ten rival Ohio State dropped to 22nd after losing 35-21 at home to Virginia Tech, which is ranked for the first time since the middle of last season.
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Sept. 6, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
| Record | Pts | Pv | |
| 1. Florida St. (38) | 2-0 | 1,463 | 1 |
| 2. Oregon (16) | 2-0 | 1,415 | 3 |
| 3. Alabama (1) | 2-0 | 1,334 | 2 |
| 4. Oklahoma (2) | 2-0 | 1,303 | 4 |
| 5. Auburn | 2-0 | 1,236 | 5 |
| 6. Georgia (1) | 1-0 | 1,201 | 6 |
| 7. Texas A&M (2) | 2-0 | 1,101 | 9 |
| 8. Baylor | 2-0 | 1,043 | 10 |
| 9. Southern Cal | 2-0 | 1,039 | 14 |
| 10. LSU | 2-0 | 1,029 | 12 |
| 11. Notre Dame | 2-0 | 815 | 16 |
| 12. UCLA | 2-0 | 779 | 11 |
| 13. Michigan St. | 1-1 | 751 | 7 |
| 14. Mississippi | 2-0 | 703 | 15 |
| 15. Stanford | 1-1 | 592 | 13 |
| 16. Arizona St. | 2-0 | 570 | 17 |
| 17. Virginia Tech | 2-0 | 532 | NR |
| 18. Wisconsin | 1-1 | 391 | 18 |
| 19. Kansas St. | 2-0 | 285 | 20 |
| 20. Missouri | 2-0 | 237 | 24 |
| 21. Louisville | 2-0 | 234 | 25 |
| 22. Ohio St. | 1-1 | 222 | 8 |
| 23. Clemson | 1-1 | 206 | 23 |
| 24. South Carolina | 1-1 | 199 | 21 |
| 25. BYU | 2-0 | 179 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Nebraska 153, North Carolina 118, Oklahoma St. 92, Florida 70, Duke 43, Penn St. 35, TCU 31, Mississippi St. 29, Marshall 18, Tennessee 14, Iowa 10, Cincinnati 6, West Virginia 6, Washington 4, N. Dakota St. 3, Pittsburgh 3, Texas Tech 3, Utah 2, Arizona 1.