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Matt Leinart fires back at AP top 25 Week 2 college football rankings

After the opening weekend, Matt Leinart took issue with the Week 2 AP Top 25.
Patrick Previty|
FOX Sports analyst Matt Leinart
FOX Sports analyst Matt Leinart | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

After a chaos-filled opening weekend, Matt Leinart took issue with the Week 2 Associated Press Top 25 as the voters soft-pedaled some of the loudest results. Specifically, Leinart pointed to the rankings of Florida State, Auburn and Utah.

Leinart posted on X, "Florida State should be higher. Auburn not in the top 25 after beating Baylor. Utah way too low !!" The Week 2 AP Poll has FSU at No. 14, Utah at No. 25 and Auburn just outside with 94 votes (BYU 102, Georgia Tech 67, USC 64, etc.).

No. 14 Florida State

The Seminoles didn’t just spring a one-score upset; they handled No. 8 Alabama 31–17, ending the Tide’s 23-game streak in season openers and hammering out 230 rushing yards behind transfer QB Tommy Castellanos (78 rush, 152 pass). Alabama, meanwhile, slid to No. 21 — its lowest rank since 2008 — but the gap between the two suggests voters still gave Bama a post-Saban benefit of the doubt that the field didn’t.

No. 25 Utah

Utah didn’t just win on the road; it bludgeoned a Big Ten foe at the Rose Bowl, 43–10. New QB Devon Dampier went 21-of-25 for 206 yards and 2 TDs while adding 87 rushing yards. The Utes outgained UCLA 492–220, dominated on the ground (286–84 rushing), owned 30–14 first downs, and held the ball about 15 minutes longer. That’s top-15 form, not the back of the poll. ESPN’s SP+ pegs Utah No. 19 after Week 1 — six spots better than the AP.

Auburn (received votes)

Beating a Power-4 opponent on the road in your opener matters. Auburn controlled Baylor 38–24 in Waco behind OU transfer Jackson Arnold ( 137 rushing yards, 2 TD; 11-for-17 passing) and a 98-yard Rayshawn Pleasant kickoff return. The Tigers piled up 307 rushing yards, converted key fourth downs (including Arnold’s 27-yard TD on 4th-and-1 late), and answered Baylor’s passing surge with explosive plays and special teams. Baylor, incidentally, had won six straight to end last regular season, so this wasn’t empty-calorie opposition. Auburn shows up No. 23 in SP+, which is comfortably inside Top-25 territory.

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Patrick Previty
PATRICK PREVITY

In addition to writing for On SI, Patrick is also a site expert for Canes Warning and has previously written for outlets such as Betsided, Orlando Magic Daily and Southbound and Down. He serves as a sideline reporter for ESPN+, covering UCF athletics and the Big 12 Conference. In 2024, he hosted a live, on-site UCF football pregame show that aired on ESPN+. Patrick has interviewed numerous figures in the college sports world, ranging from players to UCF’s athletic director. Recently, he traveled to Mobile, Ala., to cover the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he spoke with multiple NFL Draft prospects. Patrick also hosts coverage of the Orlando Magic for Digest Media on YouTube and has become one of the leading voices on the team in the region. Patrick also helps run the social media department for The Voice of College Football Network, focusing on breaking news and digital storytelling. Patrick previously spent time at CNN in the sports department, where he assisted with CNN’s World Sport show and Bleacher Report updates for morning programming. Hailing from the Tampa Bay Area, Patrick is a lifelong fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, Orlando Magic and UCF Knights.

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