Oregon

AP Top 25: Oregon, Georgia, Ohio State, Miami lead poll ahead of first Playoff rankings

Published

1 year ago

November 3, 2024

AP Top 25: Oregon, Georgia, Ohio State, Miami lead poll ahead of first Playoff rankings

In the last AP Top 25 before the College Football Playoff selection committee weighs in, Oregon became the first team to be a unanimous No. 1 during the past three regular seasons and No. 8 Indiana and No. 13 SMU both surged up the rankings Sunday.

The Ducks received 62 first-place votes, winning over the last remaining holdout after getting 61 last week with Georgia receiving one. The Bulldogs were the last team to be unanimous No. 1 during the regular season, holding the top spot for eight straight weeks in 2021.

During the CFP era, the national champion has typically been a unanimous No. 1 in the final poll.

Georgia remained No. 2 with a win against Florida, seven points ahead of Ohio State after the Buckeyes beat Penn State 20-13 on Saturday in Happy Valley. No. 4 Miami and No. 5 Texas each moved up a spot. Penn State dropped three spots to No. 6 after losing for the first time this season, and Tennessee held at No. 7.

Indiana jumped five places into the top 10 for the first time this season. The Hoosiers are 9-0 for the first time in program history. Indiana last cracked the top 10 and peaked at No. 7 for four weeks of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Before that, the Hoosiers’ last top-10 appearance was in 1969.

AP Top 25 after Week 10

Rank	Record	Prev. Advertisement	Matt’s vote	Diff
1 Advertisement	9-0	1	1	0
2 Advertisement	7-1	2	2	0
3 Advertisement	7-1	4	3	0
4 Advertisement	9-0	5	4	0
5 Advertisement	7-1	6	6	-1
6 Advertisement	7-1	3	8	-2
7 Advertisement	7-1	7	7	0
8 Advertisement	9-0	13	5	3
9 Advertisement	8-0	9	9	0
10 Advertisement	7-1	8	11	-1
11 Advertisement	6-2	14	13	-2
12 Advertisement	7-1	15	12	0
13 Advertisement	8-1	20	10	3
14 Advertisement	6-2	16	16	-2
15 Advertisement	7-2	10	15	0
16 Advertisement	7-2	19	18	-2
17 Advertisement	7-1	11	14	3
18 Advertisement	8-0	21	17	1
19 Advertisement	6-2	11	24	-5
20 Advertisement	7-1	22	22	-2
21 Advertisement	6-2	23	20	1
22 Advertisement	7-2	17	19	3
23 Advertisement	7-1	18	21	2
24 Advertisement	6-3	NR	25	-1
25 Advertisement	6-3	NR	23	2

Others receiving votes: Missouri 81, South Carolina 58, Tulane 41, UNLV 9, Louisiana 9, Washington 4, Arizona State 3, Iowa 2, Texas Tech 2

SMU was the biggest mover up, climbing seven spots from No. 20 to a season-high 13th after routing previously unbeaten Pitt. The Mustangs have their highest ranking since pre-NCAA death penalty in 1987. SMU began the 1985 No. 3 in the nation before finishing unranked. During its time in the American Athletic Conference, the Mustangs had four seasons during which they were ranked at some point, with a peak of No. 15 in 2019.

BYU is No. 9 and Notre Dame rounds out the top 10. After both Iowa State and Kansas State lost to unranked opponents Saturday, BYU is the only Big 12 team in the top 16. The Cyclones are 17th, Colorado is 21st and Kansas State is No. 22.

Undefeated Army is up to No. 18, its highest ranking since reaching the top 10 in 1962.

How will the poll compare to the CFP rankings?

The first CFP rankings in the expanded 12-team playoff will be released Tuesday night. During the 10 years of the four-team format, the selection committee’s initial rankings and the previous AP poll have had the same No. 1 team five times.

In only three instances, including last year, were the same four teams ranked in the top four in both the AP poll and first CFP Top 25 — but never in the same order.

Small differences seem huge when the cut-off is the top four. Generally, the two rankings are not drastically different. This season, the hot spot will be Nos. 10-14.

The AP’s 10-14 was shaken up this week with three upsets. Texas A&M, Clemson and Iowa State all lost to unranked teams Saturday. That cleared the way for No. 11 Alabama and No. 14 LSU to move up ahead of their matchup in Baton Rouge, La., next Saturday night.

Boise State is up three spots to No. 12, its highest AP ranking since 2011. The committee has historically been less bullish on Group of 5 teams, but where they land in the rankings has high stakes attached to it.

The 12-team CFP format reserves spots for the five highest-ranked conference champions, guaranteeing a spot for at least one team from outside the Power 5 conferences. Those teams are also eligible to receive at-large bids, but in the four-team system with no automatic access for conference champions, only once did a non-Power 5 team make the field: Cincinnati out of the AAC in 2021. — Ralph Russo, national college football writer

In and out

Illinois (6-3) ended a seven-week run in the rankings, tumbling out after losing to Minnesota on Saturday.

No. 25 Louisville (6-3) jumped back into the Top 25 after spending five weeks ranked earlier this season. The Cardinals beat Clemson for the first time in program history on Saturday night in Death Valley.

No. 24 Vanderbilt (6-3) is back in the poll after the Commodores broke an 11-year drought earlier this season. Vandy won at Auburn on Saturday, giving the school victories against both Alabama SEC teams for the first time since 1955.

Missouri, which had been barely hanging on to its ranking at No. 25, dropped out during an idle week. — Russo

How I voted this week

• Indiana has been the most underrated team in the poll for a while, but voters are finally coming around to giving the season’s biggest surprise team respect. No, the Hoosiers haven’t played a daunting schedule, but they dominate opponents week after week. They rank second in yards per play differential and first in point differential. In other words, they do what a good team is supposed to do. I have Indiana all the way up at No. 5 on my ballot, and it finally moved up five spots in the poll to No. 8 after its 47-10 win against Michigan State moved it to 9-0 for the first time.

• A case could be made to jump Ohio State ahead of Georgia for No. 2 after winning at Penn State, especially given the Bulldogs’ struggles to pull away from Florida for much of Saturday. Then again, Ohio State had the same problem against Nebraska last week. Ultimately, they feel similar, both among the most talented teams in the country and capable of winning the national championship, but neither consistently hitting its full potential. I kept Georgia at No. 2 but moved the Buckeyes up two spots after I had them lower than the poll at fifth last week. It’s a close call. Georgia can strengthen its position with a win against Ole Miss next week.

• I moved Louisville in at No. 23, one spot ahead of Clemson. Clemson had been getting the benefit of the doubt with its only loss coming to Georgia, but it was blown out in that game and had feasted on a weak ACC slate. Though Louisville has one more loss, its three losses have come by seven points each to ranked teams (Notre Dame, Miami and SMU), and now it owns a dominant road win against the Tigers — its largest road win against a ranked team since 2000. Clemson hasn’t done anything to deserve being ranked ahead of the Cardinals, who did at least crack the poll at No. 25.

• I’m also higher on SMU than most of the rest of the voting panel. I vaulted the Mustangs to No. 10 on my ballot after their largest win against a ranked team since 1985. Not only did they blow out Pitt, which is still ranked, but their win against Louisville got a boost by the Cardinals’ big night at Clemson. Plus, SMU’s only loss is by three to unbeaten BYU. — Matt Brown college sports managing editor and AP Top 25 voter

What’s next in Week 11?

No. 1 Oregon will be heavily favored in hosting Maryland next Saturday, as will No. 3 Ohio State against Purdue. In the rest of the top five, No. 4 Miami visits Georgia Tech and No. 5 Texas hosts Florida, which may be down to its third-string quarterback. The week has a pair of ranked matchups, both in the SEC:

No. 11 Alabama at No. 14 LSU. The Tigers and Tide will meet as ranked teams for the 32nd time, including 17 of the past 19 meetings.

No. 2 Georgia at No. 16 Ole Miss. This will be the third straight meeting dating back to 2016 the Bulldogs and Rebels will both be ranked.

Required reading

(Photo of Traeshon Holden: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Source link

Click to comment

Oregon

Oregon lawmakers advance one-year moratorium on tax breaks for data centers

Published

10 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Oregon lawmakers advance one-year moratorium on tax breaks for data centers

Written by Alma McCarty & KGW:

SALEM, Oregon — In the final week of Oregon’s legislative short session, lawmakers in Salem discussed regulating data centers — specifically, placing a one-year moratorium on certain tax breaks.

Governor Tina Kotek has been looking to expand the state’s enterprise zone program, which is intended to grow Oregon companies and attract new ones. Businesses that locate or expand within designated zones can qualify for property tax exemptions on new investments if they meet eligibility requirements.

However, some advocates argue that extending incentives to data centers may not be sustainable long term.

“Data centers have been around for a while,” said Kelly Campbell, policy director for Columbia Riverkeeper. “Data centers are getting bigger and bigger. Some of these new AI hyperscale data centers are exponentially bigger than those tiny ones. They’re really just using a lot of energy, a lot of water.”

However, some advocates argue that extending incentives to data centers may not be sustainable long term.

Last week, Columbia Riverkeeper released a report examining data centers operating or planned along the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington.

“I think the question becomes, do we want to stick to our climate goals of getting to 100% renewable? Or do we want to have these big, mega data centers owned by big tech companies — some of the wealthiest corporations in the world — getting to use whatever energy they want? We would say, no, that’s not OK,” Campbell said.

On Monday, lawmakers amended an economic incentives bill to block new data centers from qualifying for certain tax breaks for one year.

“I think this moratorium is a pretty short pause to give the advisory council time and space to do their work,” said Rep. Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, during a subcommittee meeting Monday morning.

The Data Center Advisory Committee, convened by Kotek, held its first meeting Friday. The group’s goal is to develop policy recommendations addressing the rapid growth of data centers.

“There are some businesses that will need them, but freestanding data centers, the way we’ve been growing in the state, is not sustainable,” the Governor told reporters during a press conference last week.

On Monday, her office sent KGW a statement regarding the moratorium:

“The moratorium will address immediate concerns and also allow for the Governor’s Data Center Advisory Committee to develop recommendations to strategically pursue economic development opportunities while ensuring utility costs, infrastructure investments, and environmental impacts remain sustainable and equitable for all residents.”

Supporters of data center growth, particularly in rural communities, also spoke during work sessions.

“This moratorium will have a disparate impact on communities east of the Cascades — communities like Prineville, Hermiston and Redmond that have leveraged enterprise zones and data centers to bring hundreds of living-wage jobs to their communities,” said Alexandra Ring, a lobbyist for the League of Oregon Cities.

“While data centers may be seen as a nuisance or inconvenient in Washington County, they are not in Crook County. They are not in Morrow County, in Umatilla County,” said Sen. Mark McLane, who represents several Eastern Oregon counties, including Baker, Crook, Grant and Harney.

Even if the House and Senate ultimately approve the moratorium, it would apply only to new data centers — not those that already receive tax breaks or projects currently underway.

Source link

Oregon

Iranian in Oregon says he was a political prisoner in his home country

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Iranian in Oregon says he was a political prisoner in his home country

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A member of Oregon’s Iranian community on Monday reacted to American and Israeli strikes in his home country and the death of Iran’s supreme leader over the weekend.

That reaction came as the conflict in the Middle East expanded into a third day. President Donald Trump indicated it could go on for several weeks.

Amin Yousefimalakabad says right now he is concerned about his family, who he says lives near military bases in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

He described businesses with shattered windows and explosions near his family’s home.

At the same time, Yousefimalakabad says he felt relief learning about the killing of the ayatollah.

He says he fled Iran four years ago after facing political persecution.

“I used to be a political prisoner in Iran. I got arrested in one of the protests that happened in Iran, and I was under torture for two weeks,” he said in an interview with KATU News. “They put me in prison for six months. I had, even when I was thinking about those days, it made my body shake from inside because I didn’t deserve that. I just wanted the first things that I can have in a foreign country like America in my country. I wanted freedom. I wanted to have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, to choose who I want to be.”

Meanwhile, Yousefimalakabad says he still can’t return to Iran, fearing he would be punished for his Christian beliefs and says although the regime could change, the ideology in Iran might not.

Source link

Oregon

How Wisconsin Badgers logistically pulled off extended West Coast trip

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

How Wisconsin Badgers logistically pulled off extended West Coast trip

Wisconsin has taken time zone changes into account when planning West Coast trips like the recent one to Oregon and Washington.
Oregon and Washington were ‘super hospitable’ to the Badgers when they were traveling from Feb. 23-28.
Wisconsin’s Lindsay Lovelace and Eli Wilke have done a “really good job” in their operations roles.

SEATTLE – Wisconsin men’s basketball’s day that ended with a resounding 90-73 win over Washington did not exactly have a resounding start.

After loading the bus at the team’s downtown Seattle hotel before the Feb. 28 game roughly four miles away at Alaska Airlines Arena, there was a slight issue.

The bus broke down.

But the Badgers had another bus and were only delayed “maybe 10, 15 minutes at the most.”

“All the managers and everybody moved all the bags onto the other bus,” said Lindsay Lovelace, Wisconsin’s assistant director of basketball operations. “So thankfully we had that second bus, and then the bus company did a really good job of getting us another one really fast.”

Wisconsin’s quick pivot was part of the extensive efforts that have gone into an extended road trip like what the Badgers recently concluded against Oregon and Washington.

“Knowing where we’re going, we reserve flights in July and August,” Lovelace said. “Once we finalize game times and stuff, then we can finalize our flight times and everything. And then I started booking hotels for every trip in September-ish, I would say – September, early in October.

“It kind of starts with those big pieces, and then about a month, month-and-a-half out, we start doing meals and scheduling with itineraries.”

The pair of West Coast games made for a six-day, five-night trip as the Badgers played at Oregon on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and at Washington on Saturday, Feb. 28. It was just UW’s second time this season staying on the road between road games, albeit not nearly as long as the 11-night stay in Salt Lake City and San Diego in the nonconference schedule.

“It seems like it’s a big trip, but it’s essentially just two trips, two days each basically,” said Eli Wilke, who is in his first season as Wisconsin’s operations coordinator after previously working as a graduate manager.

As UW did for the Salt Lake City/San Diego trip earlier in the season and the Los Angeles trip last season, the Badgers arrived two days before the first game instead of the typical one day for shorter road trips on the Big Ten schedule.

“We all decided that it’s just the best to get out there one night earlier, try and get their sleep adjusted as best as possible and then give them a day to sleep in and get up and then practice,” Lovelace said.

Lovelace, who has been in her role since 2021, had the benefit of leaning on last season’s Los Angeles trip and past postseason trips. But the Oregon-Washington trip marked the Badgers’ first road game at Washington since 1955, and it was the Badgers’ first regular-season road game at Oregon since 1990.

The Badgers did have a blueprint for traveling to Eugene following their 2023 NIT game against the Ducks. This trip naturally allowed for much more planning time, too, than a postseason game.

“I said to [UW general manager] Marc [VandeWettering], ‘I remember liking the hotel that we stayed at for the NIT,’” Lovelace said. “And he agreed. The food was good, and the setup they had was really good. It was pretty close to the arena.”

Lovelace also turned to her counterparts who work with Wisconsin football and volleyball, which have similarly been adjusting to the new Big Ten cities. UW volleyball made its first trip to Seattle during the 2025 season, and both UW football and volleyball played in Eugene.

“I talked to John [Richter, UW’s director of football operations] a little bit, but a lot with Jess Williams from volleyball,” Lovelace said. “And she kind of gave me some pointers on traffic and making sure you plan ahead for Seattle because traffic can be really busy at times.”

Wisconsin’s men’s basketball operations staff got a helping hand, too, from Oregon and Washington’s operations personnel.

“Especially with these West Coast trips, these teams are used to it now with these teams doubling up,” Wilke said. “Because they’re all super hospitable and trying to help us out.”

That hospitality includes everything from laundry service to logistical information such as parking and practice options.

Wisconsin secured two practice times in the two days leading up to the Wisconsin-Washington game at Alaska Airlines Arena. The Badgers practiced at Matthew Knight Arena in Oregon the day before and had a shootaround the day of the very late game.

The Badgers were at the mercy of whenever Alaska Airlines Arena was available, though, which turned out to be on a Thursday evening and Friday evening before a Saturday early-afternoon game.

“We know that we really have to be flexible on what they give us,” Lovelace said. “I think everybody wanted to practice at Alaska Airlines Arena. … If we wanted to have an earlier practice, we could have looked elsewhere for gym time, too.”

Washington provided laundry service for Wisconsin on the Badgers’ first night in Seattle. The courtesy is not something to be taken for granted either after what nearly happened when the Badgers traveled to San Diego.

“I was looking at all the laundromats,” Wilke said, following the suggestion of the tournament organizers.

That’s when Nick Boyd – UW’s team leader in points and assists – delivered a big off-the-court assist after playing with his connections at San Diego State, where he played in 2024-25 before transferring to the Badgers.

“Nick connected with one of his old managers, who connected with the current manager at San Diego State and helped connect us with their equipment person who was willing to help us out,” Wilke said. “We got lucky with Nick there.”

The extended trips often come with a larger travel party and the added responsibility of managing logistics for non-basketball excursions. The activities help “keep guys fresh and keep loose,” Wilke said.

The San Diego trip earlier in the season involved a visit at the zoo. The year before, Wisconsin went to an NBA game while in Los Angeles for the USC and UCLA games. This time, UW toured a joint military base in the Seattle-Tacoma region on Feb. 27.

This is Lovelace and Wilke’s first season spearheading Wisconsin’s men’s basketball operations together. VandeWettering was the team’s director of basketball operations for eight seasons before being promoted to a new general manager role in the summer.

UW then promoted Wilke to operations coordinator, all while he continues to finish his master’s degree in sports leadership. He has yet to miss an assignment although he does “cut it very close.” When Wisconsin played Iowa on Feb. 22, he had an assignment due that day.

“I was writing my paper as our guys were doing pregame warmup shots,” Wilke said. “One of the event staff was just laughing behind me because they saw me. I’m just typing away.”

Coordinating operations specifically at a place like Wisconsin “makes my life easier,” Wilke said.

“I don’t really have to worry about guys forgetting things because they’re pretty on top of it,” Wilke said. “I think that’s kind of how the culture of the program’s been over the last few years.”

Even when life is not so easy – an already-loaded bus uncharacteristically breaking down might be one of the top examples – UW’s operations duo has earned rave reviews.

“There’s a lot of moving parts, and there’s going to be hiccups,” VandeWettering said. “And I think you just got to understand that there are going to be things beyond your control, and you just got to be able to roll with it. I think they’ve both done a really good job of continuing to do that to the best of their ability.”

Source link