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The USC Trojans were ranked No. 25 in the preseason Associated Press college football poll, then began their 2011 season with an unimpressive 19-17 home win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. With only a few top 25 teams losing in Week 1, and several teams ranked just below the Trojans garnering impressive opening wins, USC's hold on a top 25 spot seems tenuous at best.
Only four AP top 25 teams lost in Week 1:
- No. 3 Oregon lost on the road 40-27 to No. 4 LSU. The Ducks don't figure to drop too far, at least enough to affect the Trojans.
- No. 14 TCU lost on the road 50-48 to Baylor
- No. 16 Notre Dame lost at home 23-20 to South Florida
- No. 19 Georgia lost at home 35-21 to No. 5 Boise State
Notre Dame and TCU might drop below USC, while Georgia lost to a higher-ranked team, albeit at home. But we also must consider the teams just below USC, in the "others receiving votes section."
- No. 26 Texas beat Rice at home, 34-9
- No. 27 Penn St. beat Indiana St at home, 41-7
- No. 28 Arizona St. beat UC Davis at home, 48-14
- No. 29 Miami (FL) hasn't yet played. They play at Maryland Monday night on Labor Day
- No. 30 Utah beat Montana St. at home, 27-10
Given the results on Saturday, USC could end up in the next AP poll anywhere from the mid 20s to the 30s, and that's if their lackluster two-point home win is deemed worthy enough to receive votes by enough voters. No matter where they are ranked in the next poll, USC has a chance to improve its standing as early as next week, as they host the Utah Utes in their first Pac-12 conference game of the year.
For more USC football news and notes, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.