College Football Rankings 2020: Projected AP Top 25 for Week 6

Like Wisconsin, the team they took down in last January’s Rose Bowl game, Oregon didn’t quite climb up to their original preseason position when they were reintroduced to the AP Top 25 last week. Mario Cristobal’s crew opened at No. 9 back in August, but returned only at No. 14 when slotted back in by the voters. That was largely a function of being left off 15 ballots when they were voted no lower than No. 14 by any voter in the preseason.

Also like Wisconsin, Oregon’s high esteem this season is largely a product of a dynamic returning defense. With players like Kayvon Thibodeaux back on the line and a slew of talent back in Eugene on that side of the ball even after accounting for players opting out, the hope for Ducks fans is that the defense will allow a rebuilding offense to find its feet over the course of the Pac-12 schedule.

Now that the Pac-12 has released its schedule for the 2020 season, we know that Oregon will open the year on November 7 at home against Stanford. The Ducks landed UCLA as their interdivisional opponent to complete their six-game schedule, which could tamp down their schedule strength in the eyes of the voters down the road.