College Football Top 25: Week 2

Week 1 gave us great football with a few upsets during Labor Day Weekend. As expected, some teams have already fallen off the top 25. With big games this week including Alabama-Texas and Baylor-BYU, let’s take a look at the top 25 teams heading into Week 2.

  1. Alabama (1-0) (PREV: 1)

Alabama crushed Utah State, which was exactly what they were supposed to do. Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young led the Crimson Tide in both passing and rushing, a strong start as he looks for a second consecutive Heisman Trophy season. Will Anderson Jr. said he is excited to face Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers in Austin. Texas should be much more of a challenge than Utah State, as Alabama becomes the third #1 team to play at Texas.

  1. Ohio State (1-0) (PREV: 2)

Ohio State’s offense wasn’t as strong as I expected, but I’ll give credit to Notre Dame’s defense. Ohio State’s defense has been their “Achilles heel” in past years, but they looked solid despite poor play calling from Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. C.J. Stroud looked like a Heisman candidate, passing to different targets throughout the game. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was sidelined for the majority of the game, which let Emeka Egbuka and Xavier Johnson have bigger roles in the highly anticipated game. They’ll get an easier matchup as they host Arkansas State on Saturday.

  1. Georgia (1-0) (PREV: 3)

Georgia looked the most dominant out of the teams that played ranked opponents, dominating Oregon to begin their road to defending their national championship. Stetson Bennett (367 yards, 3 total touchdowns) shined, boosting his Heisman Trophy odds. The Bulldogs were so dominant, that some argued to put them #1 in the rankings. Not me, however. They have an easy win against Samford on Saturday in Athens.

  1. Michigan (1-0) (PREV: 5)

Michigan is still figuring out their quarterback situation, with both Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy playing in Week 1’s blowout win over Colorado State. The Wolverines don’t have a challenge until Big Ten play begins, as they face Hawaii and UConn in the next two weeks. Junior Colson recorded 10 total tackles in their first game.

  1. Texas A&M (1-0) (PREV: 4)

Texas A&M looked strong despite a long delay in their blowout victory over Sam Houston State. Haynes King shined in the season opener, passing for 364 yards and three touchdowns. However, he had two interceptions to add to his stat line. Ainias Smith caught two of the three touchdowns for 164 yards on six receptions. The matchups get tougher now, with Appalachian State (who just barely lost a shootout against North Carolina) and Miami (FL) coming up in the next two weeks.

  1. Clemson (1-0) (PREV: 6)

Clemson’s offense looked horrific in the first half but evened the game out with a strong offensive second half. Georgia Tech is nowhere even close to as good as Clemson is. To summarize the Yellow Jackets, the first play was underthrown deep for an interception. Clemson’s defense was unsurprisingly strong, with 10 total tackles for loss. The Tigers need to prove themselves as a strong offensive team, otherwise, I am worried. Cade Klubnik made his college debut late in the game but looked promising. In-state foe Furman is up next for the Tigers, which should be an easy win for them.

  1. Baylor (1-0) (PREV: 8)

Baylor’s offense destroyed Albany, especially on the ground. Baylor had 7 combined rushing touchdowns, which I have never heard of before. Albany isn’t even an FBS team, so this was not competitive from the beginning. As I said a lot early on last season, I’m not sold on these teams as they face inferior opponents. However, there’s a great late-night matchup on Saturday as the Bears travel to face BYU. 

  1. USC (1-0) (PREV: 10)

USC is the Pac-12’s best chance of making the College Football Playoff, with Oregon and Utah suffering a costly loss on Saturday. Heisman hopeful Caleb Williams shined in his USC debut, passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns, with Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison catching both touchdowns. It was a pick-six city in Los Angeles, as the Trojans had three of them. They had four interceptions in total. Yes, Rice is one of the worst teams in FBS, but it’s impressive how dominant USC was nonetheless. It’s a great start to the Lincoln Riley era, which gets its first test on Saturday against Stanford.

  1. Oklahoma (1-0) (PREV: 11)

Oklahoma began the season with a blowout win against UTEP. It was Brent Venables’s head coaching debut, and it did not disappoint Oklahoma fans. UCF transfer and starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel was responsible for three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Brayden Willis caught both of Gabriel’s touchdown passes. Reggie Grimes led the Sooners’ defense, recording 2.5 sacks against the Miners. Up next is Kent State for Oklahoma, which should be another easy win in Norman.

  1. Notre Dame (0-1) (PREV: 7)

The good news for the Fighting Irish is that their defense was quite impressive against Ohio State’s loaded offense. The bad news is they lost, and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is making the Notre Dame fan base displeased. The Marcus Freeman era has not started the way Notre Dame wants it to, as they have lost in both the Fiesta Bowl last season and against Ohio State this past weekend. Quarterback Tyler Buchner was nothing special, as he was responsible for none of Notre Dame’s touchdowns. They open up their home schedule against Marshall on Saturday. To summarize, I’m not impressed by Notre Dame so far.

  1. Arkansas (1-0) (PREV: 21)

Cincinnati gave the Razorbacks a fight, but Arkansas prevailed, 31-24. KJ Jefferson had four total touchdowns, proving that he is indeed one of the SEC’s best quarterbacks. Tight end Trey Knox caught two of the three passing touchdowns from Jefferson, racking up 75 yards on six receptions. Arkansas needs to clean up the turnovers, as they fumbled the ball three times against the Bearcats. The defense looked strong, with Bumper Pool and Jalen Catalon leading the team in total and solo tackles respectively. Arkansas has another challenge on Saturday, as they welcome Spencer Rattler and the South Carolina Gamecocks.

  1. Michigan State (1-0) (PREV: 14)

Michigan State began the season with an easy win against Western Michigan. Quarterback Payton Thorne looked promising, as he passed for 233 yards and four touchdowns. However, he did throw an interception. The defense held the Broncos to one touchdown and two field goals. Running back Jalen Berger ran for 120 yards and a touchdown to add more to the Spartans’ score. The defense impressed, recovering two fumbles and four defensive players had over ten total tackles. There is a lot to like about Michigan State this year despite losing Kenneth Walker III to the NFL. They’ll face one of the worst teams in FBS on Saturday, facing Akron.

  1. Pittsburgh (1-0) (PREV: 20)

Pittsburgh renewed the Backyard Brawl with a thrilling win over West Virginia on Thursday night. USC transfer quarterback Kedon Slovis passed for over 300 yards, but only recorded one touchdown. Running back Rodney Hammond Jr. surprised me with a strong performance, rushing for 74 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. M.J. Devonshire gave the Panthers the lead with an incredible pick-six late in the game. Pitt faces another challenge, hosting Tennessee on Saturday.

  1. Florida (1-0) (PREV: N/A)

Welcome to the top 25, Florida! The Gators earned it after a huge win over Utah in Gainesville. Amari Burney sealed the top-10 victory with an interception with 17 seconds remaining. Quarterback Anthony Richardson is officially on my Heisman watch. Richardson did not do too much for the passing game but rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns. That includes a two-yard run with 85 seconds left in the game. I do want to see him get more involved with the Gators’ passing game, as he can’t just run the entire game. The Gators have momentum heading into a big matchup against Kentucky on Saturday night.

  1. Utah (0-1) (PREV: 9)

Utah falls out of the top 10 after losing on the road to Florida. Cameron Rising played well, but that interception late in the game will haunt him. Rising scrambled for 91 yards, while putting up 216 yards and a touchdown when passing. Running back Tavion Thomas was terrific, rushing for 115 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Brant Kuithe was the best target for the Utes, recording 105 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions. Despite the loss, I do like the direction Utah is heading in right now. I’m sure they will get out of Week 2 at 1-1 with an easy matchup like Southern Utah.

  1. Miami (FL) (1-0) (PREV: 16)

Miami moves up a spot after putting up 70 points against Bethune-Cookman on Saturday. That isn’t super impressive, because it is Bethune-Cookman. Tyler Van Dyke only had three incompletions, passing for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Henry Parrish Jr. was the star of the Hurricanes’ offense in that game, rushing for 108 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. To add on top to his stellar performance, Thaddius Franklin Jr. rushed for 78 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries. Miami’s rushing game included seven total touchdowns. Van Dyke’s top target was Xavier Restrepo, who had 100 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. Gilbert Frierson had a pick-six in the blowout victory. Miami has another easy matchup this weekend with them hosting Southern Miss.

  1. Tennessee (1-0) (PREV: 17)

Tennessee entered the AP Poll (finally) after a blowout win over Ball State. I don’t know why they didn’t have the Vols ranked, to begin with. They have a lot of potential, but Ball State is no challenge for them. Quarterback Hendon Hooker shined, passing for 221 yards and recording four total touchdowns (two passing, two rushing). Backup quarterback Joe Milton III looked great on low volume, passing for 113 yards and a touchdown on only 8/9 passing. Tennessee’s rushing game was also terrific, as they combined for five touchdowns. The Vols do need to clean up the fumbles, as they fumbled the ball four times on Thursday night. Their defense included two interceptions, two tackles for loss, and five pass deflections. Tennessee faces the first big test as they visit Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon.

  1. Texas (1-0) (PREV: 18)

Texas quickly got to work on Saturday night, as they blew out UL Monroe, 52-10. Ohio State transfer quarterback Quinn Ewers had a strong debut in the burnt orange uniform, passing for 225 yards and two touchdowns. However, he did throw an interception in the game. Bijan Robinson had 71 yards and a touchdown on ten carries. Expect this offense to be more aggressive in a big Week 2 game. Ja’Tavion Sanders was Ewers’s top target, with 85 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. The Longhorns’ defense was no joke to UL Monroe, with eight tackles for loss, three sacks, and a pick-six. Keilan Robinson returned a punt for a touchdown. No one will say if Texas is back or not yet. Their biggest test this season comes on Saturday, as they host #1 Alabama.

  1. Oklahoma State (1-0) (PREV: 12)

Was it harsh to drop Oklahoma State eight spots after a win? Yes. However, they deserved it after a horrific defensive performance. The Cowboys gave up 44 points to Central Michigan. For college football fans that remember, Central Michigan upset Oklahoma State years ago. Quarterback Spencer Sanders was terrific in the season opener, passing for 406 yards and four touchdowns. On top of that, he had two rushing touchdowns. Braydon Johnson was Sanders’s best target, as he recorded 133 yards and one touchdown on six receptions. The defense did have a bright spot, however. They had two sacks, 13 combined tackles for loss, and one interception. Oklahoma State’s defense has to get better, otherwise, they will be in trouble this season. They will host Arizona State on Saturday night.

  1. Wake Forest (1-0) (PREV: N/A)

Sam Hartman is back this weekend, which means I have to bring the Demon Deacons back in my top 25. They had a blowout win over VMI on Thursday night, led by Christian Turner rushing for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Taylor Morin was the top receiver, with 74 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. Despite no interceptions, Wake Forest’s defense looked good compared to last season’s defense. They had three sacks, nine tackles for loss, and five pass deflections. They face Vanderbilt this week, with Hartman snapping the ball.

  1. NC State (1-0) (PREV: 13)

NC State should have lost. I think everyone agrees with me on that. They were gifted by a missed field goal and an extra point by Owen Daffer. I wasn’t super impressed with Devin Leary, who passed for 211 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The Wolfpack had two interceptions against East Carolina and had a punt returned for a touchdown by Sean Brown. NC State did not impress despite all the hype around their team. They will look more impressive on Saturday, as they host Charleston Southern.

  1. BYU (1-0) (PREV: 22)

BYU went to Tampa to face South Florida and took care of business, winning 50-21. There was a delay in the game, but the Cougars routed the Bulls. Jaren Hall passed for 261 yards and two touchdowns but had one interception. Running back Christopher Brooks looked more impressive as he had 135 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Puka Nacua had three rushing attempts, with 76 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Max Tooley had a pick-six to headline the Cougars’ defense. They have their toughest matchup yet as they host Baylor late Saturday night.

  1. Wisconsin (1-0) (PREV: 19)

Wisconsin didn’t drop in my rankings, teams just got ahead of them. The Badgers shut out Illinois State, winning 38-0. Graham Mertz was solid, passing for 219 yards and a touchdown with only two incompletions. Braelon Allen, who is supposed to be one of the best running backs in college football, shined in the season opener, with 148 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Chimere Dike had 106 yards and a touchdown on just three receptions. The Badgers’ defense included Nick Herbig responsible for two of the four Wisconsin sacks. They had eight tackles for loss in total. John Torchio had an interception and ran back 100 yards for a touchdown. Illinois State had no chance of beating Wisconsin. Washington State will be more of a challenge on Saturday.

  1. Kentucky (10-3) (PREV: 24)

Will Levis had a strong performance to open the season, passing for 303 yards and three touchdowns in the 37-13 win over Miami (OH). He did have an interception, which brought down his QBR. Tayvion Robinson shined as the top offensive weapon for Levis, with 136 yards on six receptions. Keidron Smith recovered two of the RedHawks’ fumbles. The Wildcats’ defense was solid, with three sacks, four tackles for loss, and four pass deflections. Barion Brown had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on special teams. Kentucky played a much inferior opponent but still proved that they deserve a spot in my ranking. It will be a big test for Mark Stoops’s squad as they head to Gainesville to face Florida.

  1. Penn State (1-0) (PREV: N/A)

Sean Clifford must have looked at Twitter mid-game, because that final drive was perfectly executed to get a huge road win over Purdue on Thursday night. Clifford had five total touchdowns that night, passing for 282 yards. He did have an interception, however. That was returned for a Purdue touchdown. Clifford’s top target was Mitchell Tinsley, who had 84 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. The Nittany Lions’ defense had eight pass deflections, along with two sacks and three tackles for loss. Penn State needed this win to stay in contention with a loaded Big Ten East division. The Nittany Lions open their home schedule up with Ohio on Saturday.

Leave a comment