College football rankings: Predicting the AP Top 25 poll for Week 2
Predicting the AP Top 25 College Football Rankings for Week 2
College football's first weekend is in the books, so it's time to get a grasp on what the next top 25 rankings will look like —
25. Texas. A good enough debut for Quinn Ewers against UL Monroe might be enough to put the Longhorns in the poll and make next week's game against Alabama between two ranked teams. Until Texas loses, that is.
24. BYU. A solid 50-21 showing against USF after opening a 35 point first half lead to move the Cougars up a spot.
23. Tennessee. The offense that ranked top 10 in college football a year ago looks as good as advertised with Hendon Hooker behind the wheel. The quarterback accounted for 4 TDs in a beatdown of Ball State.
22. Wake Forest. After losing Sam Hartman to a medical condition, the Deacs started the season with a 34-point win over VMI. About what the AP voters would expect.
21. Ole Miss. The Rebs' new look offense was never not in control in a 28-10 win over Troy, but it didn't blow the doors off, either.
20. Kentucky. Will Levis powered through an ugly first half that included a pick near the goal line, but a win is a win, and this offense should look better once Chris Rodriguez returns from suspension.
19. Wisconsin. Smacking around the likes of Illinois State is expected of the Badgers, especially with this ground attack, but this team might drop with other teams making better first impressions.
18. NC State. A missed extra point and missed field goal were all that kept the Pirates from the upset, which included a goal line stand and a Wolfpack fumble near the goal line.
17. Arkansas. KJ Jefferson passed for 223 yards to hand Cincinnati its first regular season loss in two years and cement the Hogs offense as a force with a statement win over a ranked team that was in the College Football Playoff a year ago.
16. Utah. Expect a drop for the Utes. No matter how good Florida looks, and it does look good, top 25 voters will punish this team for losing to an unranked club coming off a losing season with a new coach.
15. Pittsburgh. Kedon Slovis looks prepared to inherit Kenny Pickett's job with the go-ahead TD pass late against West Virginia, while the Panthers pack a punch on the defensive front.
Our look at next week's Top 25 college football rankings
USA Today Images
14. Michigan State. Payton Thorne was good enough for the Spartans, but you felt like this team couldn't quite put Western Michigan away in parts of the second half. A much tougher schedule is coming, though.
13. Florida. Anthony Richardson is a star. The Gators quarterback looked terrific against Utah's excellent front seven, rushing for over 100 yards and finishing with three all-purpose TDs. UF's defense won the game by doing something few teams did last year: intercepting Cam Rising near the goal line.
12. Miami. Putting up 70 points in your first game is a decent first impression for Mario Cristobal, who has a roster that can make a run at Clemson for the ACC title already.
11. Oklahoma State. Mike Gundy may not like hearing about losing Jim Knowles, but his absence was felt as the Pokes' defense allowed 44 points in a game that was a lot closer than it should have been. A win is a win, though.
10. USC. All that preseason hype is about to get even more intense after the Trojans piled on 66 points. Against Rice, to be sure, but things look good for a defense that had three pick-sixes in the opener.
9. Notre Dame. An 11 point loss at Ohio State is nothing to cry about considering how little respect the Irish got from analysts coming in. ND led this thing 10-7 in the third behind a strong defensive showing until late.
8. Baylor. No longer a secret coming out of the Big 12, the Bears are playing like the conference favorites already, slapping 69 points on Albany. That's what the great teams are supposed to do. Up next is a trip to BYU.
7. Oklahoma. OU built up the three TD lead in the first quarter and never looked back, with Dillon Gabriel playing as advertised, throwing for 233 yards and two TDs while Eric Gray surpassed 100 yards rushing.
6. Michigan. We might have a QB controversy brewing between Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy after Jim Harbaugh appeared to depart from his plan and inserted the latter during the season opener. McCarthy brings a dynamism to the position that Michigan has lacked in recent years.
5. Texas A&M. Haynes King could have engineered a more efficient offense on the day (he had 2 turnovers), and this rushing attack needs a jolt. But he found Ainias Smith for 164 yards and 2 scores and this front seven looks mean.
4. Clemson. The ACC favorites opened up with what looked like an easy 41-10 win over Georgia Tech, but there are still some kinks to work out offensively, even with DJ Uiagalelei's second half improvement. This is still a work in progress, but the very early returns are generally positive.
3. Ohio State. A closer than expected game in the 'Shoe for an offense that didn't look its usual self, but was playing a talented Irish defense that was inspired all night. The injury to Jaxon Smith-Njigba is something to watch out for, but there are other pieces to make this offense move, as OSU's late 14-0 scoring stretch to win the game proved.
2. Georgia. Everybody predicted the Bulldogs would beat Oregon, but nobody quite foresaw a 49-3 blitzkrieg. Stetson Bennett led TD drives on his first 7 possessions and Georgia's skill group looks absolutely lethal. This defensive front lost some key pieces, but you could hardly tell watching it suffocate Bo Nix, who must have had some unpleasant flashbacks to when he was at Auburn.
1. Alabama. As expected, the Tide strangled Utah State. A 55-0 beatdown in which Bryce Young rushed for 100 yards and a score and threw for five others while Bama's backs amassed 278 yards on the ground. Texas is next.