Latest AP Poll has Oregon continuing to fall out of College Football Playoff contention despite winning

The newest AP Poll is here, and the Oregon Ducks continue their downward trajectory despite leaving the game with a "W."

The latest AP Poll has Oregon now ranked as the No. 9 team in the country on the heels of their 37-34 win over Boise State in Eugene late on Saturday night.

Is it warranted? I think so. Oregon continues to show that their issues are growing into trends, not just blips on the radar.

The offensive line continues to be a huge struggle, as they allowed Dillon Gabriel to get sacked four times in the first half against Boise State. That brings their total to seven sacks on the season, which is a stark weakness for a team that allowed only five sacks in each of the last two seasons.

Head coach Dan Lanning made sure to point out that it wasn't entirely on the line, though, saying the first sack of the game was on quarterback Dillon Gabriel for holding onto the ball too long. Gabriel's pocket presence hasn't been sharp, and neither has the protection, especially against stunts and varied looks by opposing defenses.

The run game got going, with Jordan James eclipsing 100 rushing yards, and Gabriel was able to connect on a handful of deep passes, but the entire game still looked disjoined. Penalties are a problem, and the offense hasn't been good enough.

Quite frankly, the Ducks were bailed out by special teams, being able to return a kickoff and a punt for two touchdowns in the game. If it wasn't for those special teams plays, Oregon likely would have found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard. As of now, the Ducks still control their own destiny in the Big Ten, but they don't look anywhere close to competing with the elite programs around the country. Lanning and the rest of the coaching staff have plenty of coaching to do to get this team ready for tougher opponents later in the season.

Related: Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning says they will 'evaluate' concerning trend after narrow Week 2 victory

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