The first full Saturday of the college football season is in the books, and despite very few marquee matchups, there was still just enough chaos to remind everyone that college football is absolutely the best. The weekend saw the No. 2 team in the AP Top 25 preseason rankings almost lose to a G6 team. It also saw Michigan get an extra second put on the clock, and then barely beat Western Michigan with a Hail Mary.
The AP Top 25 after Week 1 likely won’t have a ton of big movers and shakers, but there will be some shuffling here and there. There will probably also be only one team dropped entirely after Louisville got handed a Sunday night loss where it couldn’t play any defense.
Predicting the AP Top 25 rankings after wild Week 1
- Falling out: No. 23 Louisville
- New entry: No. 24 Florida
25. Michigan (1-0)
- Last Week: 16
- Result: def. Western Michigan 13-12
How much do the AP voters punish Michigan for its last-second, Hail Mary “win” over Western Michigan? That’s likely the biggest mystery of Week 1. We can predict that the Wolverines will either drop from 16th to entirely out of the poll or to the bottom. It may not matter all that much, as they’re about to drop out next week when they lose badly to Oklahoma this Saturday.
24. Florida (1-0)
- Last Week: NR
- Result: def. FAU, 66-21
The inaugural game under new Florida head coach Jon Sumrall went about as well as anyone could have expected. FAU isn’t a particularly tough opponent, but they’re also not an FCS squad or unable to tie their own shoes. Because of that, and Louisville dropping out after losing to Ole Miss, the Gators get in.
23. Missouri (1-0)
- Last Rank: 25
- Result: def. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 54-14
Even with Ahmad Hardy still unable to get on the field for Missouri, the Tigers did what they needed to do to move up a little as the AP Top 25 shifts ever so slightly.
22. Houston (1-0)
- Last Rank: 23
- Result: def. Oregon State 33-20
Houston simply didn’t look particularly good at any point in their game against Oregon State. Still, the Cougars did post one of the only wins against a team that doesn’t really count as a “cupcake” in the Top 25. That allows them to stay in the rankings, if only by their fingernails.
21. Utah (1-0)
- Last Rank: 21
- Result: def. Idaho, 66-14
The first game for Utah without longtime head coach Kyle Whittingham went quite a bit better than Michigan’s first game with Whittingham. Certainly, the Utes weren’t expecting to be tested by Idaho, but they also scored 21 points in the fourth quarter despite most of their backups playing, so they get to stick here.
20. Tennessee (1-0)
- Last Rank: 20
- Result: def. Idaho, 66-14
New Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon was efficient, completing 13 of 17 passes for 226 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Volunteers’ defense was also locked in on passing defense. They allowed 43 yards through the air on 22 attempts. That was all against Furman, so they likely won’t move up, but they opened the season very solidly.
19. Washington (1-0)
- Last Rank: 17
- Result: def. Washington State, 66-14
Huskies quarterback Demond Williams’ final stats looked quite a bit better than he looked on the field. This was an ugly, boring game, which is especially an issue for Washington since they’ve been billed as having an explosive offense that could take them to the College Football Playoff. They drop a bit because of how much of a rock fight this game was.
18. SMU (0-0)
- Last Rank: 19
- Result: vs Florida State on Monday night
SMU takes on Florida State in the final game of Week 1. This will be updated when that game is over.
17. Iowa (1-0)
- Last Rank: 22
- Result: def. Northern Illinois 40-0
Running back Kamari Boulton had 148 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 6 carries at one point in this game. He finished with 183 yards on 11 carries. The Hawkeyes' quarterbacks looked like a group that hasn't had anyone step up and take the job, but the defense was immaculate. Northern Illinois had just 120 total yards of offense. That's not a typo.
16. Penn State (1-0)
- Last Rank: 18
- Result: def. Marshall 45-0
The first game under new head coach Matt Campbell went pretty much exactly like it should have. The Nittany Lions' offense wasn't very flashy, though it scored a bunch. Defensively, they held the Thundering Herd to 147 total yards.
15. USC (2-0)
- Last Rank: T14
- Result: def. Fresno State, 39-0
USC went out of its way to have a cupcake non-conference schedule, and that's paid off with two big wins to open the season. Because they're cupcakes, it seems unlikely the Trojans will move up at all and could even drop a spot.
14. BYU (1-0)
- Last Rank: T14
- Result: def. Utah Tech, 63-7
BYU started the year tied with USC at No. 14 and griping about not having the resources of other big schools. They shelved those complaints in Week 1 with a massive win over an FCS school. That lets them move up a bit since USC's Week 0 win wasn't that impressive.
13. Texas Tech (1-0)
- Last Rank: 12
- Result: def. Abilene Christian, 33-10
The final score against an FCS opponent raises some questions about just how good the Red Raiders will be once they take on FBS opponents. Tech also has a cupcake non-conference schedule, and that could bite them if they don't blow them all out.
12. Alabama (1-0)
- Last Rank: 13
- Result: def. East Carolina, 48-10
Alabama struggled a bit out of the gate, but it didn't take them long to dominate this game. The Crimson Tide actually looked quite a bit better than the final score. Ryan Coleman-Williams not withstanding, who continues to drop passes left and right.
11. Oklahoma (1-0)
- Last Rank: 10
- Result: def. UTEP, 51-0
Oklahoma did what they were supposed to do against UTEP, but it's not like the Miners were a remotely difficult opponent. The Sooners should get bumped down more because LSU is moving up than for any other reason.
10. Ole Miss (1-0)
- Last Rank: 9
- Result: def. Louisville 41-38
Trinidad Chambliss heated up after a slow start, but Ole Miss' defense offered up a ton of question marks in this shootout. Yes, this was one of the only games where Top 25 teams faced off, but the Rebels needed to beat the Cardinals by more than 3 if they didn't want to move down in the AP Top 25 rankings.
9. LSU (1-0)
- Last Rank: 11
- Result: def. Clemson, 51-10
The Lane Kiffin era started with a massive win over Clemson. That win would have been more impressive in almost any other year under Dabo Swinney. Still, the Bayou Bengals dominated from start to finish and will probably get inside the Top 10 after starting the season just out of it.
8. Texas A&M (1-0)
- Last Rank: 8
- Result: def. Missouri State, 50-0
Texas A&M's defense held the Bears to a minuscule 67 yards of total offense in the win. That's an absolute destruction of a team that made a bowl game a year ago. Still, when talking about a Top 10 team, it takes more than a blowout over a G6 team to move up.
7. Miami (1-0)
- Last Rank: 7
- Result: def. Stanford, 45-6
Miami showed off its new offensive weapon in Darian Mensah and its old weapon in Malachi Toney, who had more than 200 yards. The only reason I don't see the 'Canes moving up is that Stanford might be really bad.
6. Indiana (1-0)
- Last Rank: 6
- Result: def. North Texas, 52-16
Indiana got off to a rough start to the game but eventually showed they're the defending national champions. Still, they likely stay put in the polls after the win over the Mean Green.
5. Texas (1-0)
- Last Rank: 5
- Result: def. Texas State, 59-7
The Longhorns stayed the course and treaded water against a G6 opponent but it doesn't really matter as how they play against Ohio State this week will determine just how good they are.
4. Notre Dame (1-0)
- Last Rank: 4
- Result: def. Wisconsin, 41-13
The first half of the game against Wisconsin is why Notre Dame doesn't jump over Oregon. They were outhustled and outplayed by the Badgers. It's safe to say that head coach Marcus Freeman did some yellin' and it worked as they outscored Luke Fickell's squad 28-3 in the second half, allowing them to stay in the Top 5.
3. Oregon (1-0)
- Last Rank: 2
- Result: def. Boise State, 34-27
I don't think Oregon gets punished too badly for their close win over Boise State as it's likely that the Broncos are the best team anyone in the Top 8 played. Boise is also well know for getting up against Power 4 opponents. Still, the Ducks should get punished a little for a game where they were in trouble pretty much until the final gun.
2. Georgia (1-0)
- Last Rank: 3
- Result: def. Tennessee State, 63-3
Nate Frazier, the lead back for the Georgia Bulldogs, had four carries on the day. Those four rushes went for 72 yards and three touchdowns. Georgia doesn't move up because they blew out an FCS school. They move up because Oregon gets punished a bit. But also, the Bulldogs looked really good.
1. Ohio State (1-0)
- Last Rank: 1
- Result: def. Ball State 56-3
The only real question for AP Top 25 rankings voters was whether Ohio State would show enough rust that they should be bumped from the top spot. They did not and will hold onto No. 1 ranking going into a Top 5 showdown with Texas this weekend.
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