College Football Rankings: Projected Week 2 AP Top 25
The first full weekend of college football didn't disappoint in the slightest. We started off with the banger as No. 1 Texas and Arch Manning laid a dud offensively and were bested by previously No. 3-ranked Ohio State. But then the Alabama Crimson Tide shocked the world by laying their own egg against Florida State, which was then followed by the LSU Tigers overcoming Brian Kelly's longstanding Week 1 woes and picking up a signature win over Clemson. And that's just in the Top 10 of the AP Top 25 college football rankings coming into the year — and only on Saturday.
Then came the Sunday night marquee matchup with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish going on the road to face the Miami Hurricanes. The debut of C.J. Carr and Miami debut of Carson Beck delivered plenty of drama, but The U was ultimately the one to get it done and come out on top with a last-minute field goal.
We also got to see Group of 5 favorite Boise State fall on Thursday night, Kansas State nearly start 0-2 after a loss in Ireland by narrowly avoiding an upset against North Dakota, and then plenty of great efforts on the flip side of that, but against inferior competition.
What should we take away, what did we learn, and how will the AP Top 25 college football rankings shake out after a wild Week 1 (that's not even done yet thanks to the special Labor Day weekend games)? Let's dive into the projections!
Dropped out of Top 25 rankings: Kansas State Wildcats (17), Boise State Broncos (25)
No. 25-21
25. Auburn Tigers
If you’d told me that Jackson Arnold would only throw for 108 yards against Baylor coming into Week 1, I’d have told you I didn’t like the Tigers’ chances. That’s exactly what happened, though, and Hugh Freeze’s team still walked out of Waco with a 38-24 victory on Friday night. Arnold rushed for 137 and two touchdowns while the Tigers as a team average 6.0 yards per carry. Meanwhile, the defense was bend-don’t-break personified, and you have to come out of this one really liking Auburn’s chances to make some noise in the SEC this year.
24. Tennessee Volunteers
No Nico, no problem in Knoxville. Of course, Tennessee wasn’t in the friendly Neyland confines for their opener against Syracuse on Saturday, but that didn’t matter. The Vols offense under Joey Aguilar’s (and Josh Heupel’s) guidance was too much for the Orange to handle. ‘Cuse was able to claw back into the game late as Tennessee didn’t let up on the tempo and hit some stumbling blocks on offense. What remains to be seen, however, was how much of this game was about the Vols and how much was about Syracuse.
23. Texas Tech Red Raiders
We would probably be foolish to expect Texas Tech and quarterback Behren Morton to be able to throw it around in the way that they did on Saturday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but we saw what the peak of the Red Raiders offense could look like — and it was kind of special. I don't really care who you are playing, putting up 67 points is nothing to turn your nose up at. The Red Raiders have been a popular sleeper pick throughout the offseason, and there was precisely nothing that we got a glimpse of in Week 1 that should make anyone who thought that way feel otherwise.
22. Ole Miss Rebels
Anyone who was dubious of Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss because they missed their window last year, so to speak, might end up eating their words. New quarterback Austin Simmons most certainly wasn’t perfect on Saturday against Georgia State, but did flash a ton with 341 yards and three touchdowns that were dampened by two picks. Even still, the offense owned the Panthers, but so too did the defense. Don’t be surprised if the Rebels are once again a viable factor near the top of the SEC standings again.
21. Alabama Crimson Tide
What a disaster. There’s no other way to slice what we saw from Kalen DeBoer and Alabama on the road in Tallahassee. The previous No. 8-ranked team in college football got thoroughly beaten by a Florida State team that won two games a year ago. Ty Simpson looks like he might be benched before October and the vaunted defense looked nothing like what was promised from this group. If this is what Alabama is going to be for the rest of the year, we need to start the DeBoer hot seat conversation immediately.
No. 20-16
20. Indiana Hoosiers
The debut of Fernando Mendoza in Bloomington certainly wasn’t what the Hoosiers faithful were hoping for, but Indiana still came out of Week 1 with a victory. In fact, Curt Cignetti and Indiana largely found most of their success on the ground, including Mendoza with 33 yards and a touchdown when tucking it and running. We’ll give some grace with a lot of new pieces on this roster that might need time to gel, but the early returns are enough to make you wonder just how much of a flash in the pan last season was.
19. Texas A&M Aggies
Marcel Reed had perhaps his best career game as a passer against UTSA on Saturday evening, going 22-of-34 for 289 yards with four scores. He also led the team in rushing. At the same time, though, I reserve the right to wonder about Texas A&M. The Roadrunners defense is suspect, but their offense is legit. Yet, you’d hope the Aggies wouldn’t have given up as many chunk plays as they did in the 42-24 win, so we’ll continue to monitor the situation in College Station to check the vibes on this team.
18. Florida State Seminoles
I certainly didn’t expect to be writing about Mike Norvell’s Florida State cracking the AP Top 25 after Week 1, but here we are. In all honesty, there’s nothing to be but impressed with how the Seminoles performed against Alabama. Despite some physical mismatches, they mitigated that, Gus Malzahn delivered a play-calling masterclass, and the defense made the Tide look anemic. Who knows where it goes from here, but it’s a helluva good feeling if you’re an FSU fan after the two-win debacle of last year.
I also initially had Florida State much lower, but I was underestimating that AP voters can be as big of prisoners of the moment as anyone. I think the Noles crack the Top 20 and, more notably, are actually given respect enough to be ahead of the Alabama team they just knocked off.
17. Oklahoma Sooners
John Mateer and Oklahoma may have only put 35 points on the board in a 32-point win over Illinois State, but you have to like what you saw from the Sooners coming off of last season. The offense was humming, particularly through the air, while the defense looked as dominant as you’d hope a Brent Venables group would in a matchup such as this. That’s not to say that there isn’t much more to prove, but things are decisively heading in the right direction in Norman now.
16. Iowa State Cyclones
If you’re Matt Campbell, you have to feel quite good right now about the way things are going to start the season. After getting the big Week 0 win in Farmageddon (Dublin edition) over Kansas State, the Cyclones came back stateside and didn’t show any signs of jetlag as they dominated South Dakota. Obviously, we’re not talking about the highest level of competition here, but Rocco Becht continued to a legitimate stud at quarterback and, in a wide-open Big 12, it seems as if Iowa State has as good of a shot as any other team to take the league.
No. 15-11
15. SMU Mustangs
This was never going to be anything you could remotely construe as a stern test for Rhett Lashlee's Mustangs, but SMU more than took care of business. Kevin Jennings, who I remain a devout believer in, looked the part and the hope is that he's taken a step from even last season. However, my biggest question about the ACC runners-up from a year ago was the changes that the defense underwent, and I'm not going to read too much into shutting down East Texas A&M in Week 1 to make an assessment there. We should have a better idea in a pseudo rivalry against Baylor next week, though.
14. Florida Gators
I’m not even sure that DJ Lagway was forced to break a sweat, which is what you want if you’re a Florida fan watching the Gators take on an inferior opponent like Long Island. He still threw three touchdown passes before his day was done, though, as Billy Napier’s group rolled to a 55-0 victory. Anyone buying the Florida hype will feel validated, but we’ll find out quite a bit more even next week after what we saw South Florida do to Boise State on Thursday night.
13. Michigan Wolverines
The debut of Bryce Underwood wasn’t perfect, especially against a New Mexico team I have plenty of doubts about, but Michigan more than got it done to start the season. The true freshman QB was solid with 251 passing yards and a touchdown, but Justice Haynes was the big star with 159 yards and three scores on just 16 carries. The defense has things to shore up after the Lobos shockingly put up 17 points, but you could see the vision and the upside that Sherrone Moore has with this roster.
12. Clemson Tigers
It would be hard not to be torn if you're a Clemson fan after losing the battle for Death Valley. On one hand, the experienced offense led by Cade Klubnik didn't at all use that to its advantage. Then on the other, the defense held a potent LSU offense to only 10 points in the 17-10 loss. There's still no reason to think that the Tigers can't be the clear class of the SEC this season, but the idea of Clemson being a national championship contender took at least a minor hit on Saturday night in primetime.
11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Despite things looking quite dire for Notre Dame throughout the middle of their Week 1 showdown with Miami, the Fighting Irish deserve a ton of credit for standing strong and fighting back. They were able to tie it up late in the fourth quarter, but couldn't respond after a last-minute field goal. Even still, there was a lot of promise from C.J. Carr, even if he wasn't perfect. And limiting the potentially potent Hurricanes offense to 27 points might not seem like much, but could look even more impressive in hindsight. The one concern, though, is that the Irish couldn't get Jeremiyah Love going, which will be something to watch moving forward.
No. 10-9
10. South Carolina Gamecocks
It might not have been the prettiest of victories for the Gamecocks, something that Shane Beamer seemed immediately ready to say about his team. However, South Carolina took on a Virginia Tech team that delivered a spirited defensive effort and got the job done with a two-score victory. LaNorris Sellers wasn't at his sharpest, but still flashed some of his elite playmaking.
That was true of this team as a whole, too, as they simply looked to be a tick faster than the Hokies in just about every phase. Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism, though, is that Beamer appears to have reloaded the defense to avoid a widely forecasted drop-off on that side of the ball. If that proves to be the case as they go on to tackle an SEC schedule, they could not only be a problem in the conference, but have a viable shot at the College Football Playoff.
9. Illinois Fighting Illini
Not that we expected to learn a ton about Illinois from Bret Bielema’s season debut against FCS Western Illinois, but the Illini more than looked the part from top to bottom in the 52-3 blowout victory. Luke Altmyer was sharp, the defense was suffocating, the run game looked rejuvenated behind Aidan Laughery and Kaden Feagin, and it was just as solid of an effort as you could ask for.
This team figures to be a legitimate factor in the Big Ten, though we will wait and see just how good they can be. We’ll get a better look as they have a fascinating matchup with Duke next week, but it was a good start, and one that should keep renewed faith that Illinois is about to make good on higher-than-normal expectations for this season.
No. 8-7
8. Arizona State Sun Devils
Albeit against a clearly lesser-than Northern Arizona team, Arizona State wasted no time proving that they have staying power at a national level. Even without Cam Skattebo, the Sun Devils are still a show, one that's not in Sam Leavitt's hands. And those hands certainly seem more than capable after a Week 1 rout.
Leavitt did have one turnover, but also threw for 257 yards and two scores while tying for the team lead in rushing at 73 yards with two more scores. The rushing attack had its way and, until garbage time, the defense was lockdown against the Lumberjacks as well. It was just about business as usual for Kenny Dillingham's group.
ASU still gets plenty of time to ramp up in the coming weeks with matchups at Mississippi State and back at home in Tempe against Texas State. But the Sun Devils appear to still be the class of the Big 12 and it would be truly shocking at this point if they weren't at least right back in the mix to return to Arlington to defend their league title and make it back to the playoff.
7. Oregon Ducks
There were a lot of changes over the offseason for Oregon, so it’s probably exactly what head coach Dan Lanning wanted in opening the season against an FCS opponent, even if it’s one of the best in Montana State. The Bobcats were obviously at a big talent disadvantage, but how the Ducks handled business in such a matchup spoke to their ceiling this season.
Even with the usage of newcomer Makhi Hughes leaving quite a few fans perplexed, it was no sweat for Oregon, who avoided any bad omens from Puddles losing his head running onto the field pregame. Dante Moore looked steady as a rock with three touchdown passes and the Ducks moved the ball at will in this game while the defense was stout, especially against the run.
No. 6-5
6. Texas Longhorns
After becoming the first preseason No. 1 in the AP Top 25 to lose since 1990, when Miami fell to BYU, Texas is going to tumble, but only so far after a one-score loss on the road at Ohio State. Having said that, there were some causes for concern when it comes to the Longhorns, which starts with Arch Manning.
Particularly through the first three quarters, the much-ballyhooed quarterback with the last name of legends was straight-up unsightly as a passer with nothing downfield. Part of that was on his receivers, but his throws weren’t sharp either. He did flash later in the game, but it was all but too late at that point.
The upside for Texas isn’t going anywhere. It’s still easy to believe in the Longhorns defense, the run game looks dynamic (especially if Steve Sarkisian designs more for Arch) and the weapons have clear talent. This, however, wasn’t the most awe-inspiring start for the young QB and the preseason No. 1 team.
The real questions for Oregon will start to be answered with a Power Four matchup with Oklahoma State in Eugene next week, but this was as good of a start as Ducks fans could’ve hoped for, and there’s no reason to think anything more negatively about this team after a dominant victory.
5. Miami Hurricanes
I'll be the first to admit that I was a bit skeptical of the Carson Beck era at Miami starting this season. But consider me eating crow after Sunday night. The Hurricanes welcomed Notre Dame to their house and delivered a season-opening statement with an emphatic victory that was secured with a field goal from 47 yards out.
Carson Beck looked the part of his experience at Georgia, even if the box score doesn't fully indicate that. And overall, the Miami offense proved, even against a stout Fighting Irish defense, that it's not going to take much of a step back, if at all, from the Cam Ward-led unit a year ago. What stood out more than that, however, was the effort of the defense.
Miami's defense cost them games throughout last season, ultimately proving to be enough to keep them out of the CFB Playoff. While they did have the luxury of facing Carr in his first college start, the fact that they limited the Notre Dame run game overall and made things difficult is a great sign for the Canes moving forward.
No. 4-3
4. LSU Tigers
For the past two years, whether it was Garrett Nussmeier or Jayden Daniels at quarterback, there have been two common threads for LSU. First, the team came out of the gate raising concerns with early-season losses in big-time games. Second, the defense was lightyears behind the offense in terms of potency. That might all be changing after what we saw in Week 1.
Up against one of the best defenses in the country, Nussmeier and the LSU offense looked poised and did enough to put the Tigers ahead to pick up the 17-10 win over Clemson. But the bigger part of that is the 10 points allowed. Brian Kelly's Tigers limited a talent-laden and experienced offense behind the direction of Blake Baker and appear to have taken a huge step forward.
LSU has always been a real threat to make some noise if they could get the defense right. With an influx of talent via the transfer portal, they might've finally done that. If what we saw in Week 1 is any indication, we need to start taking this team serious as a legit SEC and national title threat.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
Charles Huff’s departure all but gutted the Marshall program, so this was more or less a cakewalk for the Dawgs. At the same time, when breaking in a new quarterback, new skill position players, and some new faces on defense, you had to love what you saw from Kirby Smart’s team if you’re in Athens.
Though the level of competition factors into this, Mike Bobo seems dialed in with Gunner Stockton based on how he looked in the offense, rushing for 73 yards and two scores while throwing for another 190 and two more touchdowns. Zachariah Branch looked like the weapon that was promised and the defense was downright mean as well.
Georgia will get another warm-up next week at home against Austin Peay, but then the real test begins as the Bulldogs get an early start to SEC play against rival Tennessee, who looked formidable in their own opener on Saturday.
No. 2-1
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
I’m not here to tell you that I’m ready to glean all too much from the No. 2 team in the country beating the crap out of Nevada, a team that could be among the worst in the sport this season. However, Penn State more than took care of business in the 45-11 blowout of the Wolf Pack (two words, for reasons).
Being that it was against Nevada, this is all subject to change, but there were indeed positive signs from the decisive victory for the Nittany Lions. Drew Allar pushed the ball downfield and two new receivers, Kyron Hudson and Trebor Pena, looked to be massive upgrades to a position group that was a detriment last year. Furthermore, this team won running way without the star running back duo of Nic Singleton and Kaytron Allen either receiving double-digit carries.
On top of that, the defense was stifling, even when the backups came in, against an inferior matchup. That’s all you could ask for from this type of matchup for this Penn State team, but there’s still a lot more to prove given the level of expectations in Happy Valley this season.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State might’ve only needed one game to both completely halt the Arch Manning hype train and prove that the Buckeyes aren’t due for a national championship hangover. Up against a stout Texas defense, the debut of Julian Sayin certainly wasn’t anything to write home about, but the OSU offense wasn’t asked to carry the world on their shoulders.
That’s because the Ohio State defense was an absolute monster. There was consistent pressure on Manning, but the defensive backs were the real stars, blanketing the Longhorns receivers all the way up until a last-gasp fourth quarter effort from Texas. While new offensive coordinator Brian Hartline still has questions to answer, Matt Patricia breaking in on the defensive side of the ball responded to a ton of offseason doubts.
What’s better for Ryan Day’s team is that this might already be the best team they see on their schedule this season, and they have the win in their back pocket. If Sayin can progress to get Jeremiah Smith more involved in dominant fashion, OSU just affirmed themselves as one of the national championship favorites.