The 2023 college football season came to an end on Monday in Houston when the Michigan Wolverines finished 15-0 and won their first national championship since 1997 over the Washington Huskies. Even though Oregon did not qualify for the college football playoffs, Dan Lanning’s team in Eugene saw improvement this season. The Ducks defeated the Liberty Flames 45–6 in the Fiesta Bowl to end the season with a 12–2 record.
Bo Nix, the quarterback, was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, the Will Stein offence had a huge first year, and Oregon’s defence got better in almost every area. The Ducks will lose several of their top players, most notably Nix, to the NFL Draft in 2024, but they will also be gaining back some outstanding players in the form of All-Pac-12 linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, defensive end Jordan Burch, and promising rookie cornerback Jahlil Florence.
Now, all eyes are on Oregon’s Big Ten debut season, which will kick off conference play on September 28 against Chip Kelly and the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Below is the complete final AP Poll.
Pac-12 universities are indicated in bold*. Michigan Wolverines (15-0) 2. The 14-1 Washington Huskies 3. Longhorns of Texas (12-2) 4. The 13-1 Georgia Bulldogs 5. Crimson Tide of Alabama (12-2) 6. Ducks of Oregon (12-2) 6. The 13-winning Florida State Seminoles 8. Tigers of Missouri (11-2)
9. The Rebels, Ole Miss (11-2) 10. The Buckeyes of Ohio State (11-2) 11. Wildcats of Arizona (10-3) 12. Tigers from LSU (10-3) 13. The 10-3 Penn State Nittany Lions 14. The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (10-3) 15. Sooners of Oklahoma (10-3) 16. The 10-4) Oklahoma State Cowboys 17. Volunteers from Tennessee (9-4) 18. Wildcats of Kansas State (9-4)
19. The 10-4 Louisville Cardinals 20. Tigers of Clemson (9-4) 21. Wolfpack from North Carolina State (9-4) 22. Mustangs from SMU (11-3) 23. Jayhawks of Kansas (9-4) 24. Hawkeyes of Iowa (10-4) 25. Flames of Liberty (13-1) The following teams also received votes: Air Force 8, Toledo 7, Duke 6, Kentucky 4, UCLA 4, Miami (Ohio) 4, UTSA 3, Wyoming 2, Northwestern 2, Ohio 1. Oregon St. 96, West Virginia 90, Tulane 76, James Madison 52, Southern Cal 35, Memphis 32, Utah 14, Troy 10.
