The No. 2 team in the Associated Press Top 25 has lost for three consecutive weeks, as college football continues to deliver one of the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory. Ohio State became the latest victim Saturday night, falling 30-18 to USC after previously ranked No. 2 teams Notre Dame and BYU also suffered defeats.

The unusual streak began October 17, when No. 2 Notre Dame traveled to Provo, Utah, and lost 28-24 to No. 8 BYU. The Fighting Irish entered the matchup undefeated, but the Cougars handed them their first loss of the season in a major upset.

One week later, BYU found itself in the same position Notre Dame had occupied. Ranked No. 2 after its victory over the Irish, the Cougars traveled to Orlando to face an unranked Central Florida team. UCF stunned BYU 39-31 in double overtime, delivering one of the season's biggest surprises and knocking the Cougars out of the top five.

Ohio State then moved into the No. 2 position in the AP poll, only to suffer the same fate Saturday. The Buckeyes traveled to Los Angeles and were defeated 30-18 by USC, giving Ohio State its second loss of the season and raising serious questions about its College Football Playoff outlook.

The pattern is part of a much larger wave of upsets that has repeatedly reshaped the national rankings. On October 17, five of the AP Top 7 teams lost on the same day for the first time in the poll's history during a regular season. Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Alabama and Texas all suffered defeats, leaving the rankings in disarray.

The following weekend brought another round of surprises. Seven ranked teams lost, including BYU, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Iowa and USC. Cincinnati defeated then-No. 8 Texas Tech 37-24, South Carolina edged then-No. 11 Tennessee 27-24, and Minnesota knocked off then-No. 15 Iowa 13-10. Wisconsin also delivered a 24-7 upset over USC.

Saturday's results continued the turmoil, with seven ranked teams falling during Week 9. Along with Ohio State's loss, SMU, Northwestern, Arizona, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin all suffered defeats. No. 4 Indiana narrowly avoided joining the list, surviving Minnesota 23-16 in overtime. No. 1 Miami also escaped with a 38-35 victory over North Carolina, while No. 3 Georgia defeated Florida 27-8.

The numbers illustrate just how difficult it has become for highly ranked teams to maintain their positions. Before this weekend, the 10 losses by top-10 teams over the previous three weeks had already tied the records for the most in a three-week span in AP poll history, matching totals from 1959 and 2007.

The number of undefeated teams has also dwindled dramatically. As of last weekend, Miami, UCLA and Utah were the only remaining unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, marking the fewest at that point in a season since 1977.

With November approaching and the College Football Playoff selection process drawing closer, the constant upheaval is creating opportunities for programs that might otherwise have struggled to enter the national championship conversation. At the same time, established contenders are finding that their rankings and reputations offer little protection from an upset.

Ohio State's defeat adds another major question to an already unpredictable playoff race. The Buckeyes must now regroup without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season, while trying to navigate a difficult schedule with two losses already on their record.

For the third consecutive week, the team ranked No. 2 has gone down. With several major games still remaining, college football's postseason picture remains far from settled.