College football rankings 2022: Projected Week 2 AP Top 25 after Ohio State outlasts Notre Dame, Georgia dismantles Oregon

Projected AP Top 25 college football rankings after Week 1: No. 6-5

6. Michigan Wolverines

There was never any doubt that Michigan was going to open their season with a win against a Colorado State team that is going to be figuring things out early in the year. The Wolverines defense was suffocating from the opening kickoff and there was little pressure on the offense. But as that was the case, we did find out a simple truth about Michigan: Cade McNamara should not be the starting quarterback.

While the starter from last year’s run to the Playoff was not bad by any means, it was dramatic how different the offense looked once J.J. McCarthy came in during the second half. Things were far more explosive, far more dynamic, and just better when you talk about the eye test.

Michigan proved last season it can win without a wholly explosive offense, but with some new parts, particularly on defense, the move to McCarthy might be necessary for the Wolverines to repeat the success of 2021.

5. Texas A&M Aggies

So let’s be real, you would’ve liked Jimbo Fisher to have his Texas A&M Aggies open up the season with a little more of a dominant performance against a team like Sam Houston State.

Haynes King, who was named the starter over Max Johnson, came out a bit flat but did ultimately notch some big plays with a pair of 60-plus yard touchdown throws and another for 43 yards, two of those to star wideout Ainias Smith. And the defense was as dominant as you’d want them to be as the Aggies blanked SHSU.

Even in the 31-0 victory, though, it’s hard not to think that the prideful group in College Station will want more. There have long been cries for this offense to be opened up with the playmakers that are in the building and we need to see that more than sporadically to believe that Texas A&M has taken a step forward.