{
  "id": 16409984,
  "title": "College football winners and losers: After Oregon and Michigan's latest defeats, a third of the teams in the top 15 of the preseason AP Top 25 have at least three losses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/college-football-winners-and-losers-after-oregon-and-michigans-latest",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-25T01:45:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/college-football-winners-and-losers-after-oregon-and-michigans-latest-defeats-a-third-of-the-teams-in-the-top-15-of-the-preseason-ap-top-25-have-at-least-three-losses-014537819.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Three teams that were inside the top 20 of the preseason AP poll have lost at least three games through the first eight weeks of the season, signaling a dramatic shift from their initial rankings. The situation is particularly dire for Oregon, whose season appears doomed after a loss to Illinois. The Ducks were once favorites to win the national championship, but now their lackluster performance has left them with a 4-3 record and a grim outlook. Similarly, Texas A&M and Michigan have also fallen short of their preseason expectations. The Aggies, who entered the season as preseason No. 8, now find themselves 1-4 in the SEC due to inconsistent quarterback play. Michigan, once projected to contend for a national title, is now 4-3 and struggling to put together a functional offense. With a lackluster performance against Indiana, the Wolverines have become a spoiler in the Big Ten Conference. As the season progresses, these teams will face challenges in securing bowl eligibility and avoiding a bottom-tier finish.",
  "summary": "Throw in Penn State, and six of the top 20 teams in the preseason top 25 already have at least three defeats.",
  "key_points": [
    "Three preseason top 20 teams have at least three losses",
    "Oregon's season appears doomed after loss to Illinois",
    "Texas A&M and Michigan fall short of preseason expectations"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The rapid decline of preseason favorites signals a volatile season where early rankings no longer guarantee championship contention or even basic bowl eligibility for once-promising programs.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}