For the first time in school history, the Oregon football team is ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Head coach Chip Kelly and the Ducks heard the news when the polls were released Sunday morning, although for his part Kelly was nonplussed.
“Awesome,” Kelly said to the Register-Guard when told of Oregon’s ranking. “I’m fired up.”
It may not mean much to Kelly, but the ranking is still quite an accomplishment for the University. Oregon is the 43rd team in NCAA history to earn the top spot in the Associated Press media poll. The Ducks are the third team in as many weeks to hold the No. 1 ranking, succeeding Ohio State and Alabama.
In total, the team garnered 39 first place votes and a total of 1,471 points. Boise State (6-0, 2-0) ranks second, and Oklahoma (6-0, 2-0) follows in third.
Other Pacific-10 Conference teams ranked in the top 25 are No. 12 Stanford and No. 15 Arizona.
The Ducks also rank No. 1 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and the Harris Poll.
In the first BCS Poll released late Sunday evening, Oregon came in at second, behind top-ranked Oklahoma (No. 4 Harris, No. 3 Coaches) and ahead of third-ranked Boise State.
For Kelly, none of the polls matter until the end of the season.
“On December 5th, if you’re one or two, then it’s really relevant,” Kelly said to the Register-Guard. “Today, obviously it’s an honor for these guys. But 49 days from today, we’ll be jumping up and down, jumping around, doing all the stuff.”
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