Oregon up to No. 1

Published Oct. 18, 2010 10:04 p.m. ET

foxsports

<em style="b">Edited by USA TODAY.</em>

By EDDIE TIMANUS

USA TODAY

The college football weekend was good for the Oregon Ducks - and they didn't even play.

Oregon ascended to the No. 1 spot in the USA TODAY coaches poll and figure to have a favorable spot in the first Bowl Championship Series standings of the season due out later Sunday.

The Ducks received 42 of 59 first-place votes to supplant Ohio State. The Buckeyes' 31-18 loss at Wisconsin meant their stay at No. 1 lasted only one week. The Buckeyes slipped to 10th, while the Badgers climbed five slots to No. 11.

The Ducks weren't unanimous at No. 1, however. For the second consecutive week, five schools received at least one first-place vote. Boise State climbed to No. 2, its highest poll position in history, with 11 first-place nods. Oklahoma had four No. 1 votes and climbed to third, leapfrogging fourth-ranked TCU. But the Horned Frogs also retained a first, and new No. 5 Auburn also got one heading into next week's showdown with No. 6 LSU.

There were many changes farther down the rankings as well with four teams dropping out, including two from non-automatic BCS conference. Nevada suffered its first loss of the season at Hawaii, and Air Force fell at San Diego State for its first Mountain West Conference defeat. Florida, whose losing streak was extended to three thanks to a home loss to Mississippi State, is unranked for the first time in 91 polls dating to 2004. Michigan was the other dropout after a home loss to Iowa, which moved up to No. 12.

Mississippi State claimed the No. 24 ranking after its win at the Swamp. No. 22 Texas averted a three-game losing streak with a 20-13 win at then-No. 4 Nebraska to get back into the rankings and ACC members Virginia Tech and Miami (Fla.) also returned to the rankings at No. 23 and No. 25, respectively.