UCLA voted out of Associated Press and USA Today polls

UCLA linebacker Myles Jack brings down Oregon tight end Pharaoh Brown after a reception on Oct. 11. Brown would be penalized for shoving Jack after the play ended.

Oct. 12, 2014 12:30 PM PT

Late in the evening on Oct. 4, UCLA was oh-so-close to making a monumental leap in the Associated Press media and USA Today coaches polls.

The Bruins needed only to hold on for victory against Utah and they could ascend, as four of the top six teams lost. UCLA, then ranked eighth, could have been fifth nationally, at the very least, and maybe could have climbed as high as third.

Eight days later, the Bruins are out of the polls completely.

First came the 30-28 loss to Utah, where the Bruins surrendered a late field goal and then missed a 50-yard field-goal attempt that would have won the game on the last play.

UCLA was dropped to 17th in the USA Today poll and 18th in the AP poll. The follow-up was Oregon’s 42-30 thumping, where UCLA’s silver lining was winning the fourth quarter, 20-7.

The Bruins were sent packing by voters. It ended a 24-week run during which UCLA was ranked.

Mississippi State leaped Florida State to No. 1 in both polls.

Oregon is the Pac-12’s highest-ranked team, checking in at No. 9 in both polls.