Inside The Knights Week Two College Football Poll

After the first full weekend of college football, here’s the Inside The Knights week two college football poll.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Sep 7, 2021 5:12 AM EDT

There were some surprises, as usual, around college football. The big, bad, wolf stayed at the top, however, and that would be Alabama. There are some interesting matchups coming up next weekend that could shake up the polls more than this week, but there was movement within the poll after a few upsets like UCLA over LSU and Virginia Tech over North Carolina.

Note: (last ranking)

Alabama (1) Defeated Miami 44 - 13
Georgia (5) Defeated Clemson 10 - 3
Ohio State (3) Defeated Minnesota 45 - 31
Texas A&M (4) Defeated Kent State 41 -10
Cincinnati (9) Defeated Miami of Ohio 49 - 14
Ole Miss (10) Defeated Louisville 43 - 24
Oklahoma (6) Defeated Tulane 40 - 35
Southern California (12) Defeated San Jose State 30 - 7
Florida (13) Defeated Florida Atlantic 35 - 14
Clemson (2) Lost to Georgia 3 - 10
Notre Dame (9) Defeated Florida State 41 - 38 (OT)
Iowa (21) Defeated Indiana 34 - 6
UCLA (NR) Defeated LSU 38 - 27
Texas (24) Defeated Louisiana 38 - 18
Virginia Tech (NR) Defeated North Carolina 17 - 10
Oregon (17) Defeated Fresno State 31 - 24
North Carolina State (20) Defeated USF 45 - 0
Iowa State (15) Defeated Northern Iowa 16 - 10
UCF (19) Defeated Boise State 36 - 31
North Carolina (8) Lost to Virginia Tech 10 - 17
Auburn (25) Defeated Akron 60 - 10
Penn State (NR) Defeated Wisconsin 16 - 12
Coastal Carolina (23) Defeated The Citadel 52 - 14
Arizona State (23) Defeated Southern Utah 41 - 14
Michigan State (NR) Defeated Northwestern 38 - 21

Week One Surprises

Running back Zach Charbonnet helped UCLA dismantle LSU.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Hats off to UCLA. They drubbed LSU 38 to 27 and controlled the football game from the third quarter onward. Iowa did not just defeat Indiana, it annihilated Indiana 34 to 6. The Hawkeyes and their stout defense are a team to watch.

Biggest Disappointments

LSU's defense stunk. The Tigers' defense allowed 210 rushing yards and 260 passing yards, the latter from only nine completions. Indiana did not play much better. The Hoosiers scored a mere six points and Iowa just played keep away with the football.

Then there’s North Carolina, a team with a top 10 ranking fell on its face with just 10 points. Miami was whipped by Alabama. The Hurricanes looked uncomfortable along the offensive line, yet again, as the offensive line struggles each year. Washington absolutely collapsed against Montana, allowing the Grizzlies to win 13 to 7.

Near Misses

Florida State charged back against Notre Dame from down 38 to 20 to send the game into overtime, but eventually lost 41 to 38. Oklahoma held on to defeat Tulane, but the Sooners only scored three points in the second half and just barely won. Oregon’s 31 to 24 win against Fresno State was too close for comfort. The Ducks need to get it in high gear as they head to Columbus, Ohio to face the Buckeyes next.

Who’s Looking Good?

Alabama is the clear cut No. 1 team in the land. After that, several teams are in the mix for the No. 2 spot. Based on Georgia beating Clemson, the Bulldogs received the nod. Watch out for Iowa as the Hawkeyes have some defense and a legitimate go-to running back in Tyler Goodson. There's a quarterback that's apparently turned the corner, too.

Tyler Goodson provides the Hawkeyes with a dynamic running back.
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen

Down on the Plains at Auburn, quarterback Bo Nix completed 20 of 22 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, while averaging 12.5 yards per attempt. Those are elite numbers.

The Georgia defense is lights out, holding Clemson to a paltry two rushing yards and 178 passing yards. Clemson’s defense is great as well, but their offensive line is such a mess that it probably cost the Tigers the game against the Bulldogs.

Offensive Player of the Week

In the Big 10, Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker ran 23 times for 264 yards and four touchdowns against Northwestern. That's a fantastic performance from the Michigan State junior running back.

Defensive Player of the Week

Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton was a preseason All-American for a reason. He registered two interceptions and six total tackles against Florida State. His open-field speed, for a 6’4” player, proved to be elite. He intercepted one pass on the sideline after running across the field from the far hash. That’s covering some serious ground.

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