(Graphic by the author and Google)
With everyone having at least one game under their belts, we look at some new Power Rankings
1. Indiana (1-0) (Last Week #1) (Ranked #5 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The defending national champions got their season off to a good start, and their new quarterback looked great. TCU transfer Josh Hoover had a good opening game and looked good as far as his play; he looked rough in appearance. Hoover showed his grit when, after a nasty facemask tackle left his face bleeding profusely, he kept on balling. Josh Hoover was 13 of 16 for 231 yards and four touchdowns. The Hoosiers host Howard in Bloomington this week.
2. Ohio State (1-0) (Last Week #2) (Ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Ohio State looked good in their dominating 56-3 victory over Ball State. It was more of the Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith show for the Buckeyes. Sayin threw for 320 yards and racked up four total touchdowns, almost all of it in the first half. Smith had eight catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns, all in the first half. Ohio State is banking on that being enough of a warm-up for their starters as they head into the game of the week at Texas in Austin this Saturday night.
3. Notre Dame (1-0) (Last Week #3) (Ranked #3 and #4 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Notre Dame looked impressive on Sunday night. I know Wisconsin is a huge question mark and that the quality of this win may not age well, but the Irish looked as good as any of the top teams. Carr and Williams looked solid, even without Love and Price. Beating any Power Four team by four touchdowns is a worthwhile victory. Notre Dame has a layup game at home this Saturday against Rice.
4. Oregon (1-0) (Last Week #4) (Ranked #6 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Ducks have some weird voodoo working against them when it comes to Boise State. The Broncos won their first three matchups about 15 years ago, and Oregon only finally got their first win in their 2024 season. The opening win was much like that classic when the Ducks defeated Boise State and Ashton Jeanty. Both were shootouts, both were wins over great Group of Six teams, and both were achieved behind the poise of a great senior quarterback. Dante Moore kept the Ducks from eating an early upset. Oregon has what should be an easy road trip this weekend against Oklahoma State.
5. Texas (1-0) (Last Week #5) (Ranked #4 and #3 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Texas looked as good as they ever have in their win over Texas State. Arch Manning had over 300 yards passing and four touchdown passes. The Texas defense looked very stout. Steve Sarkisian’s team is feeling the pressure to beat the Buckeyes on Saturday. They get Ohio State at home, and they match up better against them this season than they did in the two previous ones. Texas has also been one of the few teams not to get beat by Jeremiah Smith when they played Ohio State. The Longhorns are rightly the favorites at home, but the Buckeyes are still dangerous to them.
6. Georgia (1-0) (Last Week #6) (Ranked #2 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Bulldogs have maintained their dominance of this decade, even though in the last three seasons they’ve fallen short in the postseason. They have another cupcake to gobble up this weekend, this time against Western Kentucky. Georgia is building up their juggernaut of a team once again to be in position to take another crack at a positive postseason.
7. Miami (1-0) (Last Week #7) (Ranked #7 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
I thought a Friday night opener on the West Coast might trip up Miami a little. Not to lose, but maybe give them a game. It was never really close. Thanks to Darian Mensah, who had a sensational debut, and Malachi Toney, who started an early Heisman campaign, the Hurricanes won, 45-6. The U has their home opener on Thursday. It should be a layup game for them against Florida A&M.
8. BYU (1-0) (Last Week #8) (Ranked #15 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Like most teams, BYU opened their season with an easy home win, defeating Utah Tech 63-7. The schedule doesn’t stay easy, though, as Noah Fifita and Arizona are coming to Provo to test BYU’s defense. BYU has a lot of new and young faces, led by some super corners, on that side of the ball. The offense looks familiar behind Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin, but they also have some new playmakers in the receiving game, like Legend Glasker, to improve their aerial attack.
9. Texas Tech (1-0) (Last Week #9) (Ranked #13 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The defending Big 12 champions had a win over an FCS team to open their season. Despite Abilene Christian being in the FCS top-20, the Red Raiders would’ve felt more comfortable with a great margin of victory. Still, it’s hard to look down on a 33-10 victory. Texas Tech will have a stiffer test this week when they head to the West Coast to play the Pac-12’s Oregon State.
10. Texas A&M (1-0) (Last Week #10) (Ranked #10 and #9 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Beating an FBS team 50-0 to start a season is good for anyone. The Aggies’ victory over Conference USA’s Missouri State was a solid start to their season. This week, they face a stiffer test against the Big 12’s Arizona State. A&M’s home-field advantage will make things tough for the Sun Devils and give the Aggies a good shot at a quality win on Saturday.
11. Washington (1-0) (Last Week #11) (Ranked #19 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
One of the few openers of the season that was a bitter rivalry game. Washington and Washington State battled in the Apple Cup. A great, underrated rivalry game that used to be played at the end of November; it was good to see these teams play despite being in different conferences now. Back then, it was sometimes played in the snow; this time, it was played in the heat on Labor Day Weekend. It has to be a great way for Husky fans to open their season by beating their in-state rival, 24-10 at home. Washington hosts a second straight Pac-12 team, this time against Utah State, this week.
12. Ole Miss (1-0) (Last Week #12) (Ranked #9 and #11 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The first-ranked team to defeat another ranked team, Ole Miss had a great opener on offense. They beat Louisville at the gun in a 41-38 shootout. Ole Miss’ defense may be concerning, but having a quarterback like Trinidad Chambliss can give a team time to improve and correct areas of struggle. All that stands between the fans in Oxford and Lane Kiffin’s return are the Charlotte 49ers.
13. USC (2-0) (Last Week #13) (Ranked #14 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
It’s funny that the Trojans got to 2-0 before most teams even played a down this year. USC was much more impressive this week than last. Shutting out Fresno State is what USC should do. The 39-0 win is a step in the right direction, even if they outmatched Fresno State from the beginning. I think USC even had more people at their game this week, too. Way early, but SC is looking okay.
14. Oklahoma (1-0) (Last Week #14) (Ranked #11 and #10 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
UTEP was a layup game, but Oklahoma had a nice slam dunk. Any time you get a victory by more than 50, you’re doing something right. The 51-0 win is just what they need before they head to Ann Arbor and try to beat UM in back-to-back years. Being up against the corrupt Big Ten shouldn’t be enough to stop America’s favorite team (whoever is playing the wolverines) from winning big, even on the road.
15. LSU (1-0) (Last Week #15) (Ranked #8 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Tigers did look really good as they blasted Clemson on Saturday night. There’s no doubt about that. Sam Leavitt looked great at quarterback, especially in the soggy conditions. The big question becomes: how good is this Clemson team they pummeled? Given the decline of that program, it’s tough to gauge LSU’s victory, but it’s still a fantastic way to start the Lane Kiffin Era, and thanks to UM, LSU isn’t the most loathed team in college football now!
16. Penn State (1-0) (Last Week #16) (Ranked #16 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Another team off to as positive a start in a new era as they can be. Matt Campbell and Rocco Becht won a lot of games in the Big 12 at Iowa State, but Penn State is a bit of a different animal. The 45-0 win over Marshall was a good start. This Saturday, they’ll have their first road game against Temple, and it should be another easy win for Penn State. Still, small steps in the right direction like that help a program rebuild.
17. Utah (1-0) (Last Week #17) (Ranked #20 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Morgan Scalley Era got off to a good start for Utah. The Utes offense was running roughshod over Idaho, just like they should. Getting over 600 yards of total offense and scoring nine touchdowns on offense is great for Utah. Quarterbacks Devon Dampier and his backup Byrd Ficklin, and a strong rushing attack, showed why Utah can be a top team in the Big 12 and are a top-20 team.
18. SMU (1-0) (Last Week #18) (Ranked #17 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
It wasn’t pretty, but SMU got it done on Monday night. Star quarterback Kevin Jennings had a huge game against Florida State. Jennings would throw for over 430 yards and three touchdown passes in the 27-24 win. Next week, the Mustangs will host UC Davis as they kick off their season at home.
19. Iowa (1-0) (Last Week #20) (Ranked #21 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Iowa had a decent start by beating a Mountain West opponent by 40. Yes, a Mountain West opponent located to the east of Iowa City in Northern Illinois. They have a tougher test from within their own borders this week in one of the sport’s great early-season rivalries. Iowa-Iowa State, the battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy, will take place in Kinnick Stadium. How balanced is this series? The longest-tenured coach in college football, Kirk Ferentz, has a 14-12 record in this game.
20. Alabama (1-0) (Last Week #21) (Ranked #12 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
A 38-point victory to start a season is always a good thing. Keelon Russell was solid in his debut as Bama’s new quarterback. Russell and the Tide will immediately hit the road for an SEC matchup this week. They’ll head north to play one of the Bear Bryant Bowls when they play the Kentucky Wildcats. Bama should beat Kentucky, but nothing is certain in college football, especially on the road.
21. Arizona (1-0) (Last Week #22) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Wildcats had a solid home opener against FCS’ Northern Arizona, picking up a 35-7 win. In their final season of quarterback Noah Fifita, Arizona has a lot of potential but also immediately has a tough road game this week. They play at BYU, who has beaten them both of the last two seasons. Last year’s double-overtime battle in Tucson was close, and it’s likely the contest in Provo, Utah this weekend will also be.
22. Houston (1-0) (Last Week #23) (Ranked #22 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
UH had a solid game at home against the Pac-12’s Oregon State. This is a win that it will take time to gauge, but Connor Weigman and Willie Fritz got their team to 1-0. Houston will follow up this 33-20 victory with another home game this weekend. They’ll host Southern on Saturday night.
23. UCLA (1-0) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
One of the surprise teams of Week 1, UCLA looked sharp. The Big Ten’s UCLA and the ACC’s Cal decided to keep their old rivalry going despite conference realignment. UCLA ended up crushing Cal in the Bear Bowl. The 45-24 victory is a good way to start the Bob Chesney Era. UCLA hosts another California team on Saturday in San Diego State.
24. Memphis (2-0) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Memphis’ gritty Week 0 win over UNLV was a good one. The Tigers’ running game impressed me in both that win and in their Week 1 win over Arkansas State. This weekend, Memphis plays at Boise State. A win would put Memphis firmly in control and at the head of the pack of Group of Six teams vying for their College Football Playoff berth.
25. North Dakota State (2-0) (Unranked Last Week) (Ranked # in the AP and Coaches Polls)
I’m probably letting my love for the underdog cloud my judgment here, but I don’t care. North Dakota State, known as the best program in FCS history, is off to a great start in the FBS. They won their first two games by a combined score of 71-7. They’ll have a good challenge this Saturday when they play at Air Force.
Teams like Boise State (0-1), Louisville (0-1), Virginia (1-0), Auburn (1-0), Pitt (1-0), and UNLV (1-1) are all teams likely to be in the Power Rankings before the season is over that aren’t at the moment.
Playoff Projection
