Week two of College Football has come and gone, and overall we saw seven upsets on Saturday. We also saw a few weeks of revenge for many teams. All of these happenings made a shift in the AP Top 25.
Others receiving votes: Marshall (2-0), Cincinnati (1-1), Appalachian State (1-1), Kansas State (2-0), North Carolina (3-0), Mississippi State (2-0), Florida State (2-0), Oregon State (2-0), Minnesota (2-0), Washington State (2-0), Notre Dame (0-2), Air Force (2-0), Texas Tech (2-0), Wisconsin (1-1), Auburn (2-0), Iowa State (1-1), Purdue (1-1).
25. Oregon Ducks (1-1)
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Week 2 Result: 70-14 win vs. Eastern Washington
What’s next: vs. BYU (Saturday, 3:30 P.M. ET)
After losing to the College Football champions, the Ducks fell out of the AP Top 25. Now, working their way back in after crushing the Eastern Washington Eagles at home. The win for the Ducks was not only the first this season for Oregon, but the first career win as a head coach for Dan Lanning. Though, they were able to celebrate last night, Oregon will need to quickly shift their focus to a harder opponent in BYU (5-0 against Pac-12 teams last season). Against EWU, the Green and Yellow faithful saw Bo Nix throw for 277 yards and five touchdowns. Nonetheless, the Ducks have some things they need to fix in preparation for BYU, and their Pac-12 schedule.- Dacota Haynes
24. Texas A&M (1-1)
Previous Ranking: 6
Week 2 Result: 17-14 loss to Appalachian State
What’s next: vs. Miami (Saturday, 9 PM ET)
Jimbo Fisher and his Aggies fell to an unranked Appalachian State, in a close low-scoring affair. Quarterback Haynes King struggled against the Mountaineers’ defense, tossing the ball for 97 yards and no touchdowns. They have no time to get down themselves about the loss, as they take on a much tougher opponent in Miami this week. – Dacota Haynes
23. Pittsburgh Panthers (1-1)
Previous Ranking: 17
Week 2 Result: 34-27 loss to No. 24 Tennessee (OT)
What’s next: at Western Michigan (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET)
After an excellent performance in week one Pittsburgh was faced with a serious battle against Tennessee. Going from stopping Tennessee on their first three drives to letting them get three straight TDs to take the lead is a tough pill to swallow. Despite their loss, Pitt deserves a great deal of credit because after Starting QB Kedon Slovis got hurt backup QB Nick Patti did what he could to keep them in the game even when basically immobile with a leg injury. This may have been a different game with Slovis in there the whole day, but nonetheless, Pitt still has some proving to do. It was the right thing for them to drop near the bottom, hopefully, they will be able to bounce back and get their big playmakers healthy for week three. – Zack Cherney
22. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0)
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Week 2 Result: 46-10 win at Ohio
What’s next: at Auburn (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Penn State Nittany Lions are back! A tough old school football team powered by a strong defense and even stronger running game. Nick Singleton deserves to be mentioned as a Heisman hopeful after his week 2 performance. This team is trending upward, and fast. Penn State has an extremely tough schedule ahead and will be tested this week against Auburn. If this offense keeps running for 230+ yards a game, they will probably be okay. Penn State will be talked about a lot this season, get used to it. – Rowan Donaghey
21. Texas Longhorns
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Week 2 Result: 20-19 loss to Alabama
What’s next: vs. UTSA (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET)
Texas is believed to be the first team since 1997 (Missouri) to lose and enter the AP Top 25. The Longhorns played tough and very competitive against No.1 Alabama. If Texas were in the SEC, they’d be in the top half of the standings consistently. However, they will now have a test in their QB room. It’s being reported that Quinn Ewers will be sidelined with an SC sprain over the next 4-6 weeks. – Dacota Haynes
20. Ole Miss Rebels
Previous Ranking: 22
Week 2 Result: 59-3 win over Central Arkansas
What’s next: at Georgia Tech (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Ole Miss stills has a month before it gets to the tough part of their schedule, in which they will face some of the top SEC teams. In the next 4 games, only of one them is to a ranked opponent in Kentucky. The Rebels need to continue to win big over lower teams to be taken seriously this season. Playing in the SEC who is more balanced than ever, this team will get tested the last 6 weeks in a row. Does this Ole Miss team have the magic to make a run this season at an SEC title? An offense averaging 43 points and a defense giving up an average of 6 points a game through the first 2 weeks has this team in contention. Lane Kiffin has this team playing like a top 20 team in the country. They will have multiple opportunities to prove themselves. – Rowan Donaghey
19. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 23
Week 2 Result: 45-25 win vs. Vanderbilt
What’s next: vs. Liberty (Saturday, 5 p.m. ET)
The Demon Deacons were in charge of their battle against Vanderbilt for most of the contest. They take a lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Quarterback Sam Hartman wound up throwing for 300 yards and 4 Touchdowns. Now, WF has just two weeks until they play a top 5 team in Clemson. But, Liberty is not a game that they can look past either. – Dacota Haynes
18. Florida Gators (1-1)
Previous Ranking: 12
Week 2 Result: 26-16 loss vs. Kentucky
What’s next: vs. South Florida (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Florida has not been playing the same brand of Football that we are used to. They barely beat Utah and lost to Kentucky. Xzavier Henderson and Ricky Pearsall appear to be very good playmakers for the Gators, but last week the Gators’ run game was not on point facing the Wildcats. This week, they take on an opponent that can’t be overlooked, but if they get the offense rolling, they should be able to cruise along. – Dacota Haynes
17. Baylor Bears (1-1)
Previous Ranking: 9
Week 2 Result: 26-20 loss vs. No. 21 BYU (2OT)
What’s next: vs. Texas State (Saturday, noon ET)
The Baylor Bears tried to beat BYU with the run game, calling a rush 18/22 plays in the final minutes. They just couldn’t get anything to break through or any gaps to open. Losing in double overtime. This next week they play a much easier matchup against Texas State, before they hit the heart of their schedule. – Dacota Haynes
16. North Carolina State Wolfpack (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 18
Week 2 Result: 55-3 win vs. Charleston Southern
What’s next: vs. Texas Tech (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET)
They played a tough game against East Carolina, but the Wolfpack offense has looked good this season. Devin Leary has accounted for six touchdowns in two weeks. In the rarity that NC State plays a Power 5 team. The Wolfpack is just 1-8 versus those non-conference opponents in the last 18 years. So, the 2-0 Texas Tech will be a test to see how good NC State really is. – Dacota Haynes
15. Tennessee Volunteers (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 24
Week 2 Result: 34-27 win vs. No. 17 Pittsburgh (OT)
What’s next: vs. Akron (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET)
After beating Pitt in week two the Tennessee Volunteers moved up nine spots to reach number 15 in the AP Poll. That’s the highest that have ranked since October of 2020. With Herndon Hooker at quarterback and the Vols much improved defense they are a dangerous team every week. Next week they play Akron which shouldn’t give them any trouble.– Jeff Scoggins
14. Utah Utes (1-1)
Previous Ranking: 13
Week 2 Result: 73-7 win over Southern Utah
What’s next: vs. San Diego State (Saturday, 10 p.m. ET)
Utah absolutely beat up on Southern Utah, putting up 73 points, led by Cameron Rising, who had 254 Yards and 3 TD’s. They did however drop one spot to 14, probably due to the fact that it was a much lesser opponent than some of the other teams. This week they face a group of 5 team in San Diego State, I don’t see them struggling in this one either.- Shane Davis
13. Miami Hurricanes (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 15
Week 2 Result: 30-7 win vs. Southern Mississippi
What’s next: at Texas A&M (Saturday, 9 p.m. ET)
As he did with Oregon, Mario Cristobal has the Hurricanes in a good spot. But can he lead them to the promised land? Miami like many teams in the country still has a lot to work on. They head into a matchup against Texas A&M, which will be a big road game for the U. They have not beaten an SEC team since 2013. Cristobal may or may not get Miami into the CFP this year, but he deserves credit for getting them this high in the AP Top 25 already. – Dacota Haynes
12. BYU Cougars (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 21
Week 2 Result: 26-20 win over No. 9 Baylor (2OT)
What’s next: at Oregon (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Last season, we saw BYU knock off five Pac-12 schools. This year we’ve already seen them knock off Baylor, Chase Roberts has proved to be a key piece to the BYU offense after the gadget play that sealed the victory over BYU, but WR1 Gunner Romney and WR2 Puka Nacua were out due to injury. Though, the Cougars will have their work cut out against the Ducks, who will not be an easy opponent, and are looking to prove that the 49-3 loss to Georgia was a fluke. Autzen Stadium is also not an easy place to play, let alone take a victory from the home team.- Dacota Haynes
11. Michigan State Spartans (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 14
Week 2 Result: 52-0 win over Akron
What’s next: at Washington (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET)
We are going to learn a lot about the Michigan State team over the next 4 weeks as they travel to Washington to face the Huskies on Saturday, followed by Minnesota, then traveling to Maryland, and lastly hosting Ohio State. Head Coach Mel Tucker and the Spartans reloaded this off-season via the transfer portal adding Jalen Berger RB (So.), Jarek Broussard RB (Sr.), and Daniel Barker TE (Sr.) to name a few. With returning starting quarterback Payton Thorne QB (Jr.) look for Michigan State to remain competitive this season and we should continue to learn if this team is legitimate in the coming weeks. – Branden Timm
Top 10
10. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 16
Week 2 Result: 44-30 win vs. South Carolina
What’s next: vs. Missouri State (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET)
This Arkansas team has what it takes to be one of the best teams in all of college football and this game proved that. Taking on a tough South Carolina team they let their big-time offensive stars do all of the heavy lifting. They were very run heavy with Raheim “Rocket” Sanders carrying the ball 24 times for 156 rush yards and two rush touchdowns. When they did pass it starting QB K.J. Jefferson was spot on as he went 18/21 for 162 yards and one TD. Their defense was one of the weak spots giving up 376 pass yards. Overall this team is highly deserving of a top-10 spot as their offense proves highly explosive early in the season. – Zack Cherney
9. Kentucky Wildcats (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 20
Week 2 Result: 26-16 win against Florida
What’s next: vs. Youngstown State (Saturday, noon ET)
The Wildcats made a big jump into the Top 10 after their win over Florida, being bumped upward 11 spots in the AP Top 25. The opponent this next week will be a meaningful game for Mark Stoops (who grew up in Youngstown), his Kentucky squad will be facing off against his hometown college. Dacota Haynes
8. Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 11
Week 2 Result: 34-17 win over Arizona State
What’s next: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET)
Head Coach Mike Gundy and the Cowboys of Oklahoma State so far have been putting points on the board in their first 2 games with the upperclassmen group Spencer Sanders QB (Sr.), Dominic Richardson RB (Jr.) and Braydon Johnson WR (Sr.). In the first 2 games the Cowboys have outscored opponents 92-61, however, points allowed are concerning with them going into Big 12 conference play soon. Oklahoma State should make easy work of their FCS opponent, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, this coming Saturday, but Baylor should pose their offensive attack some problems on October 1 after their bye week. – Branden Timm
7. USC Trojans (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 10
Week 2 Result: 41-28 win vs. Stanford
What’s next: vs. Fresno State (Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET)
USC beat up on unranked Stanford, winning 41-28 in a series that usually plays really tough. It seems like Lincoln Riley has the team back into a truly competitive spot, landing in at number 7 this week. I don’t see them having a hard time putting up numbers against a Fresno State team that played Oregon State tough last week, but USC is much much better than OSU.- Shane Davis
6. Oklahoma Sooners (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 7
Week 2 Result: 33-3 win over Kent State
What’s next: at Nebraska (Saturday, noon ET)
Brent Venables has done two things since becoming the coach of Oklahoma, play fast and score points. The Sooner fanbase has embraced him fully, and through the first two weeks, he has not disappointed. Gavin Hardison has a cannon and understands how to execute this offense at a fast pace and high level. This team is explosive, as the BIG 12 competition tightens up, Oklahoma will be able to shoot it out with whomever. According to their schedule, this team should be able to put together a good case for a playoff spot. Top 5 in the country, and will be all year long, letting it fly! – Rowan Donaghey
5. Clemson Tigers
Previous Ranking: –
Week 2 Result: 35-12 win vs. Furman
What’s next: vs. Louisiana Tech (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET)
The Tigers have one more tuneup before facing their first real test, at Wake Forest. Clemson must figure out a way to get its running game going. It currently ranks 91st in the country. Clemson’s receivers also must step up to help DJ Uiagelelei, if the Tigers are going to make it back to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game. – Lee McManus
4. Michigan Wolverines
Previous Ranking: 4
Week 2 Result: 56-10 win against Hawai’i
What’s next: vs. UConn (Saturday, noon ET)
Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines did not get the finish that they wanted last season, losing to Georgia 34-11 in the CFP semi-final. This year, they appear to be better than last. However, Michigan has not really been tested yet this season playing against Hawai’i and Colorado State. J.J. McCarthy who started last week was near-perfect passing for 229 yards and three touchdowns. He earned himself the start against UConn. – Dacota Haynes
3. Ohio State (2-0)
Previous Ranking: –
Week 2 Result: 45-12 win over Arkansas State
What’s next: vs. Toledo (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET)
Last year, Ohio State fell out of the top 5 after losing to Oregon in week 2. However, this year the Buckeyes appear to be playing a lot better. The defense has come out strong against both Notre Dame and Arkansas State. They have another tune-up game before taking on Wisconsin but probably shouldn’t look past the (2-0) Toledo Rockets either. – Dacota Haynes
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 1
Week 2 Result: 20-19 win over Texas
What’s next: vs. ULA Monroe (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET)
After the Crimson Tide barely beat Texas they lost their No. 1 spot in the AP op 25 to the defending champions. Against Texas, Bryce Young did not appear to be himself, though his passing stats looked decent he only had 213 yards and 1 TD. Alabama had to use a run attack against the Longhorns due to the lack of play out of the Tides wide receivers (Jermaine Burton, Traeshon Holden, and Kobe Prentice). This offense is a long way from where it was a season ago. They have one more week to prepare when they take on the Louisiana-Monroe WarHawks. – Dacota Haynes
1.Georgia Bulldogs (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 2
Week 2 Result: 33-0 win vs. Samford
What’s next: at South Carolina (Saturday, noon ET)
Georgia seems to be looking better this season than at the start of last season. Which could spell trouble for other college teams. Stetson Bennett has been lights out and is being thrown into the Heisman talk already. Their defense hasn’t shown a weakness yet either dominating both opponents so far. Next week South Carolina is the next team to try and figure out how to win against them. Unless the Bulldogs have a complete meltdown, they shouldn’t have much trouble with the Gamecocks. – Jeff Scoggins
TL//DR: These AP Top 25 rankings are based off of the official website. The summaries are brought to you by our staff.
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