Which teams will be ranked after the first weekend of the college football season? Here are the AP Top 25 projections after Week 1 action.
The big story that transpired on Saturday of Week 1 was not a team that vaulted up into the AP Top 25 but a team that plummeted out of the rankings. Texas, before even playing its first game under new head coach Tom Herman, was elevated up to No. 23 in the preseason. Then Maryland came to Austin, and the Longhorns were taken down after allowing 51 points to the Terrapins on early Saturday afternoon.
Given that they received no preseason votes in the AP poll, it is unlikely that Maryland will vault up into the Top 25 after winning on the road and ruining Herman’s home debut. But the Texas tumble opens the door for at least one new team to climb up into the rankings. The head-to-head showdown on Sunday night between Virginia Tech and West Virginia opened another spot as the loser is projected to tumble out from the Top 25.
So who will rise up into the Top 25 after the first full week of games is now in the rearview mirror of the 2017 season? Now that the week has concluded with Tennessee’s double-overtime victory against Georgia Tech, click ahead to see Week 1 projections for the AP Top 25.
Utah looked completely different on offense from last year’s team. New offensive coordinator Troy Taylor implemented a pass-happy system after running back Joe Williams graduated. The result was a slow start, as FCS North Dakota took a first-quarter lead by a field goal. Once the offense warmed up, though, it overwhelmed the Fighting Hawks at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Tyler Huntley threw for 227 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 70 yards and two more scores. Zach Moss carried 22 times for 128 yards and a rushing touchdown. Darren Carrington II, a summer transfer from Oregon, led Utes receivers with 10 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. It was a balanced offensive effort that looked natural, as though the group had been together for years rather than cobbled together in the offseason.
As a result, Utah should leap from those also receiving votes into the AP Top 25 this week. They take on BYU next weekend in Provo in the Holy War, then finish the non-conference schedule in Salt Lake City against San Jose State in two weeks.
Entering the 2017 season, Notre Dame was ranked No. 28 in the AP Top 25, slotted toward the top of those also receiving votes. They will probably leapfrog Utah and TCU into the Top 25 proper this week after taking down defending American Athletic Conference champion Temple by 33 in their home opener.
Brian Kelly’s team got the hot start it absolutely needed, as they held Tempe to 85 rushing yards in the 49-16 win. Logan Marchi was able to throw for 245 yards and two scores against the Fighting Irish secondary, though, which could be a concern with tougher opponents looming on the schedule.
Even then, Notre Dame is one of those national brands that is always prone to getting the bump. Considering the fact that other teams played FCS opponents, the win over a Group of Five league champ should give pollsters the justification to boost the Irish just a bit ahead of a couple of former BCS Busters.
Tennessee found itself down 14-7 on the road at halftime to Georgia Tech. The Volunteers fell further as Georgia Tech scored on its first offensive drive of the second half to go up 21-7. But after a stalled drive, Tennessee forced the Yellow Jackets to walk away without points after a long drive, and momentum began to turn.
New starting quarterback Quinten Dormady had a shaky start to his career as a Vols starter. A junior with limited action in 10 games over his first two seasons in Knoxville, Dormady was cold in the first half but heated up in the second half. He finished with 221 yards and twou touchdowns as Tennessee engineered the last comeback of a wild weekend of games.
The catalyst for the win, though, was running back John Kelly. Kelly had a 30-yard burst that fueled the comeback in the third quarter, putting Tennessee in position to pull within one touchdown. The Vols defense clamped down from there, and the junior back scored late in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Kelly finished with 128 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Vols to a tough opening road win to cap Week 1. They now head home to Knoxville to take on FCS Indiana State ahead of their trip to face Florida.
Washington State comfortably opened its season with a 31-0 win against FCS Montana State. The Cougars kicked off against their Big Sky opponents in Pullman at 7:30 p.m. PT, one of the last games of Saturday action. Those that stayed up for the showdown were treated to a clinic by Luke Falk, who completed all 20 of his first-half passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns. The veteran quarterback finished with 311 yards and three touchdowns on the night before taking a seat.
The No. 24 Cougars looked strong on defense against a good Bobcats running game. Montana State managed just 115 yards on the ground after averaging nearly twice that production in 2016. Not much of a passing team as it is, the Bobcats were held to 5-of-12 in the air for 28 yards and an interception.
Things get tougher as Washington State welcomes Boise State to Pullman next weekend. The Cougars will be looking for revenge, after falling 31-28 on the road to the Broncos last season for their first-ever loss in the series. A win would solidify Washington State’s place in the AP Top 25, while a loss would probably have them flipping places with their Group of Five rival.
Florida will probably fall between four and six spots after their 33-17 loss to Michigan down in Texas on Saturday. The Gators opened the game well, returning two Wilton Speight interceptions for touchdowns to go up 17-10. At the intermission, Jim McElwain’s crew was still leading 17-13, but momentum was slowly beginning to shift.
By the time the second half began, the momentum had irrevocably been lost. The Gators fumbled five times over the course of the game, losing three of their gaffes to the Wolverines. Florida’s defense kept Michigan relatively in check, but an offense that couldn’t decide on a quarterback betrayed the Gators in this one.
All that is left now is to look ahead to the upcoming showdown against FCS Northern Colorado in the home opener. The staff better hope that a return to the Swamp settles the Gators offense, especially with Tennessee visiting in two weeks. Another year of lackluster offensive production could doom McElwain in Gainesville.
In its home opener on Saturday, Kansas State found itself in a bit of a pickle against an opponent from the FCS. For the first quarter and a half, Central Arkansas held serve against the Wildcats. After one quarter the game was tied 10-10 on the scoreboard. When K-State marched downfield on the opening drive of the second quarter to make it 17-10, the Bears turned around and scored their own touchdown.
But a missed extra point seemed to kill the magic in the upset bid, and Central Arkansas only got one more field goal for the rest of the game. Kansas State’s defense gave up over 400 yards to the Bears, though, a disconcerting reality for Bill Snyder’s defensive staff. They will need to shore up their deficiencies over the next few weeks against Charlotte and Vanderbilt ahead of Big 12 play.
They aren’t going to climb any in this week’s AP Top 25, but Kansas State should hold firm on their position at No. 20. A fluctuation of one or two spots up or down (most likely down) is also possible, though less likely.
No. 21 Virginia Tech met No. 22 West Virginia in a Sunday night showdown between AP Top 25 teams at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. It was a tight battle that remained tied for much of the game, as the Hokies and Mountaineers traded scores back and forth. Justin Fuente‘s crew ultimately prevailed in a 31-24 victory thanks to 336 total yards from quarterback Josh Jackson.
Jackson threw for 235 yards and a score while adding another 101 yards and a rushing touchdown. The Hokies were gashed through the air by Will Grier and the West Virginia passing attack, and ultimately gave up nearly 600 total yards of offense in the win. While it was hardly a dominant display, the statement win will result in a bump a few spots up the Top 25 this week.
Virginia Tech probably won’t be tested again until ACC play begins on the final weekend of September. Non-conference games against FCS Delaware, East Carolina, and Old Dominion precede a showdown with top-five Clemson at the end of the month.
Malik Rosier looked comfortable immediately as the new starting quarterback for the Hurricanes, throwing for 218 yards and three touchdowns in the big win over Bethune-Cookman on Saturday. No. 18 Miami also had two 100-yard rushers, as both Mark Walton and Travis Homer broke the triple-digit barrier on the ground. It was a balanced and confident offensive effort by the Hurricanes.
There was some slight concern when Walton went to locker room early before halftime. But he returned to the field in the second half for a few cursory carries and 24 more yards to test everything out before taking a rest for the remainder of the contest. Otherwise, it was a relatively unremarkable victory for the Hurricanes over an overmatched MEAC program.
It was a win that probably did enough to keep the Hurricanes right where they were in the preseason polls, holding firm at No. 18. Now Miami will turn its attention toward road games at Arkansas State and at Florida State.
South Florida has two wins under its belt already this year. The Bulls started the new season a week early in Week 0, winning 42-22 on the road at San Jose State. Quinton Flowers threw for 212 yards and ran for another 70 yards while racking up three total touchdowns. D’Ernest Johnson also piled up 99 yards rushing and two scores on the ground. Darius Tice added another 94 yards and a touchdown of his own.
It was a balanced offensive effort that made the Week 1 clash with FCS Stony Brook that much more surprising. The Bulls were behind 10-7 at halftime against the Seawolves, but came through with a second-half surge to win by two touchdowns. The offense looked less lively with such a compacted schedule at the front of the season.
The calendar, though, could leave South Florida with space on the back end when the College Football Playoff takes over production of the most significant Top 25 poll. They open AAC play next week at Connecticut, the first of three games in 12 days. By the end of September, the Bulls will already have half of their regular-season games out of the way. If they keep winning, they’re in position to capitalize on others’ losses later.
Georgia lost starting quarterback Jacob Eason early in the game, suffering a knee injury on a late hit. Jake Fromm stepped in and made everyone understand immediately why there was a question about who would start over the summer. Fromm threw for 145 efficient yards and a touchdown, balancing out a strong running game.
With both Sony Michel and Nick Chubb back for the Bulldogs, they will focus their offensive efforts on the ground. Both back ran for over 85 yards and at least one score. Look for Georgia to put even more focus on their rushing attack if Eason misses any significant amount of time. They also demonstrated a strong front seven that was able to clamp down on Appalachian State’s own prolific rushing attack.
Once Kirby Smart and his staff get full word on Eason’s status, we will know better. The Bulldogs might drop back a spot just as a result of the uncertainty around the offense. A trip to South Bend to face newly-ranked Notre Dame will offer a big test for Fromm if he gets his first career start in Week 2.
Lamar Jackson certainly made a strong first case for why he could become the second-ever repeat winner of the Heisman Trophy. Jackson threw for 378 yards, ran for another 107 yards and finished the day as one of the top offensive producers in the FBS after Week 1. He was responsible for just two touchdowns against the Boilermakers, though, and also coughed up a fumble.
Purdue stayed with the Cardinals for far longer than expected. But with the question marks surrounding Georgia’s quarterback status, the Bulldogs will likely swap spots with Louisville in this week’s AP Top 25. Against the Boilermakers, the Cardinals did a great job keeping the Purdue passing offense in check. And with Florida State’s Deondre Francois now injured for the year, it looks like Louisville is now alongside Clemson as the ACC Atlantic favorite.
The conference slate begins early for Bobby Petrino’s squad, as the Cardinals take on North Carolina next Saturday in Chapel Hill. The home showdown with top-five Clemson in two weeks could determine the division championship — and a possible College Football Playoff position.
Stanford opened its season a week earlier than most contenders in the AP Top 25, playing Rice all the way across the Pacific at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, Australia. The Cardinal began life after Christian McCaffrey with a bang, scoring over 60 points for the first time since 2013. It was a dominant offensive performance that will put all other PAC-12 contenders on notice.
Bryce Love rushed for 180 yards on just 13 carries and scored a touchdown. Spelling Love was Cameron Scarlett, who had a 56-yard catch and added 59 yards and three touchdowns on eight rushes. The tandem accounted for nearly 300 yards, and the trio of quarterbacks threw for 369 yards and three more scores.
It was a blowout in every respect. The Owls were held under 100 passing yards, and rushed for under 150 yards. Stanford’s defense generated two turnovers in addition to preventing positive plays. Next week the level of competition increases in a conference showdown against top-five USC.
Auburn put in a good but not great performance against Georgia Southern. Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham played decently in his first game as a Tiger, completing 14-of-24 for 185 yards and had three total scores. Stidham also threw an interception and lost a fumble. In general, though, the transfer provided a little balance for what is primarily a Gus Malzahn rushing attack.
Malzahn got great showings from both main running backs. Kam Martin and Kerryon Johnson finished with identical 136-yard, one-touchdown stat lines in the backfield. As a team, Auburn ran for over 350 yards on the ground. And the Tigers defense held Georgia Southern under 100 total yards of offense.
Basically, take your pick. The Tigers are projected to shift down a spot despite the win, mainly because of the way pollsters will perceive Auburn’s win when compared to an SEC West rival. Next week will offer a chance at separation, as Auburn heads to Clemson to face the top-five defending national champions in a clash of Tigers.
LSU could jump a spot in the AP Top 25 this week if enough pollsters perceive the Tigers’ win against BYU as a stronger victory than Auburn’s win over Georgia Southern. Both SEC West schools won in their home state (the Tigers’ opener against BYU was moved due to Hurricane Harvey), but LSU pitched a shutout against a Cougars team that had already won in Week 0 to start its season.
The Bayou Bengals got 122 yards and two touchdowns on the ground from running back Derrius Guice. LSU’s defense was especially formidable, holding Tanner Mangum to 102 passing yards and an interception in the air. Squally Canada had just eight yards on the ground, leading a BYU team that finished with negative rushing yardage on the day.
It was a quality win against a strong independent to start the year for Ed Orgeron’s team. FCS Chattanooga will offer a chance to open up the offense a bit more, and it is possible that the defense could notch a second straight shutout ahead of the start of SEC play.
Oklahoma State could fall a spot despite taking down Tulsa by five touchdowns. The Golden Hurricane racked up over 400 yards of offense, though they were held to just 24 points. Both teams lost two fumbles, and it really came down to simply having more weapons than their smaller state rivals.
Mason Rudolph finished an efficient 20-of-24 for 303 yards and three touchdowns. Justice Hill added 132 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, while both J.D. King and La’Darren Brown came close to breaking triple digits as well. It was a well-rounded offensive effort that posted nearly 200 more yards than Tulsa.
Where Oklahoma State ends up in this week’s AP Top 25 depends on how much other results impact the hierarchy. A trip to South Alabama will be interesting next weekend, and then Pitt comes to Stillwater in a fortnight. They certainly kept pace with their Bedlam rivals in the Big 12 race, though other contenders are beginning to emerge in the league as well.
Alex Hornibrook looked like the answer that Wisconsin has longed for him to be at quarterback since last year. The redshirt sophomore completed 15 of his 23 attempts against Utah State in the home opener at Camp Randall Stadium, throwing for 244 yards and three touchdowns. It balanced a committee effort from the backfield that produced 234 rushing yards and four scores on the ground.
Kent Myers completed plenty of passes against the Badgers secondary, which could be cause for concern. But he also threw three interceptions and no touchdown passes, as Wisconsin’s defense demonstrated a bend-but-don’t-break dominance under promoted coordinator Jim Leonhard. The Badgers also recovered a Gerold Bright fumble to win the turnover battle decisively.
They could lose position to an interdivisional Big Ten foe, but the Badgers are still top-10 quality. Next week they welcome Lane Kiffin and Florida Atlantic to Madison for what should be another relatively straightforward victory. Look for Paul Chryst and offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph to continue evolving their platoon running game.
Michigan will make one of the biggest leaps in the AP Top 25 this week, climbing over several teams into a single-digit spot. They will get a two to four spot boost after taking down Florida by 16 points at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. As such, this was a true neutral-site game for both teams.
The Wolverines came out victors, putting up solid if unassuming offensive numbers in a tale of two halves. The first half saw Florida take a 17-13 lead into the locker room at halftime, as the lead changed hands three times. Michigan won the second half 20-0 to snatch a decisive 33-17 win.
As a unit, the backfield gained 215 rushing yards. Ty Isaac led the way with 114 yards on 11 carries, while Chris Evans chipped in another 78 yards. Wilton Speight still looks somewhat shaky at quarterback, completing just 11 of his 25 attempts for 181 yards with a touchdown and two picks. He’ll get a chance to rebound at home over the next two weeks against decent Group of Five competition in Cincinnati and Air Force.
To be honest, this game really does not mean much in the grand scheme of things. A loss to No. 1 Alabama is probably going to knock Florida State three to five spots down the AP Top 25 this week. Pollsters will almost certainly be lenient on the Seminoles, who made their own mistakes against a team known for feasting on slip-ups by their opponents.
But then there is the big story that transpired in the opener. The loss of Deondre Francois for the season is about the only meaningful long-term impact of Florida State’s showdown in Atlanta, and it could cause them to fall a few spots further than they otherwise might have fallen for losing against the No. 1 team in the nation.
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Jimbo Fisher and his crew cannot take much solace from the numbers they put up against Alabama. Jalen Hurts was held to just 10-of-18 passing for 96 yards, though the sophomore is never going to be called upon to be much more than a caretaker for the offense. The Crimson Tide were held to 4.1 yards per carry, but they also racked up 173 yards and controlled the time of possession.
The Seminoles will get a chance to rebound right away when they play Louisiana-Monroe next week. Look for a solid performance that gets the running game going again.
Jake Browning was good but not great in Washington’s 30-14 win at Rutgers on Thursday night. The quarterback completed less than 60 percent of his passes against the Scarlet Knights secondary, finishing 17-of-30 for 284 yards and two touchdowns. The offense also gained just 84 rushing yards in Piscataway.
Instead, the defending PAC-12 champs survived their cross-country road trip thanks to a 61-yard Dante Pettis punt return touchdown and three field goals by senior placekicker Tristan Vizcaino. Special teams could ultimately be what carries the Huskies through the 2017 season, especially if they hope to remain undefeated against a deceptively trap-filled schedule.
A home opener against FCS Montana offers a chance for Chris Petersen’s crew to get some more confident reps into new players’ systems. After the Grizzlies, the degree of difficulty increases with each week. An improved Fresno State team visits Seattle in Week 3 and could post a tricky test for the Huskies ahead of the PAC-12 season.
After winning by seven touchdowns over UTEP, Oklahoma could climb a spot in this week’s AP Top 25 due to other results around the country. Baker Mayfield put on a clinic against the Miners, completing 19 of his 20 passes for 329 yards and three scores. The Sooners were up 35-7 by halftime, and Mayfield got plenty of rest after a half-day’s work.
Kyler Murray picked up right where Mayfield left off, completing 10-of-11 for 149 yards and another score. He exited for third-stringer Tanner Schafer, who went 3-of-5 for 18 at the tail end of the blowout. Oklahoma’s defense held UTEP to just 167 total yards of offense. 78 of those yards came on the Miners’ opening drive of the game as they tied the score at 7-7 early in the first quarter.
Now the Sooners head to Columbus next week for a College GameDay showdown against No. 2 Ohio State. It will be a stern test for the defending Big 12 champions, and a road win next week will vault the Sooners into the top five.
Penn State will boost up a spot into the top five of the AP Top 25 after No. 3 Florida State’s loss to No. 1 Alabama. The No. 6 Nittany Lions pitched a shutout on the opening weekend of a season for the first time in a decade, taking down Akron 52-0 at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. It could have been an even bigger scoreline if offensive coordinator had leaned more on his Heisman favorite in the backfield.
Saquon Barkley paced the blowout win, gaining 246 total yards and two touchdowns for the Nittany Lions. Barkley finished with 172 yards on 14 carries, three receptions for 44 yards and a 20-yard kickoff return. It was an all-around effort packed within the span of just over two quarters’ work, given how little he was utilized in the first quarter.
Penn State’s defense looked especially strong in the win. The group gave up just 159 total yards and prevented Akron from crossing the goal line or even getting a field goal. A second straight shutout is probably less likely in next week’s rivalry game against Pitt, though Penn State is catching the Panthers after their close call in overtime against FCS Youngstown State.
The Trojans sweated out their home opener against defending MAC and Group of Five champion Western Michigan. Last year’s Cotton Bowl participants came to Los Angeles and gave USC a fight well into the fourth quarter. The 18-point margin of victory belies just how tough this contest was for Clay Helton‘s crew.
Heisman hopeful and 2018 NFL Draft favorite Sam Darnold threw two interceptions and zero touchdown passes. He did run for a touchdown, but it was an otherwise unimpressive outing from the redshirt sophomore. Instead, running back Ronald Jones II stepped up with 159 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Even then, Western Michigan led for long stretches at the Coliseum before USC pulled away for the win. There is plenty that the Trojans need to work on ahead of next week’s visit by top-15 Stanford. Darnold needs to progress rather than regress, and the defense has a lot of areas where they must improve, especially in the front seven.
Defending College Football Playoff national champion Clemson looked like they will be just fine after losing multi-year starting quarterback Deshaun Watson from last year’s squad. Kelly Bryant went 16-of-22 in his first start for the No. 5 Tigers against Kent State, throwing for 236 yards and a score. He did toss a pick, but Bryant also added another 77 yards on seven carries as well as a rushing touchdown.
The Tigers rushed for 353 yards as a team even though no running back reached 10 carries. Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott cycled through their backfield talent to get everyone reps, and it paid off with an 8.2-yard average per carry over the course of the game.
Clemson, though, will win or die in 2017 by its defense. Against the Golden Flashes, the Tigers held firm on Saturday. Kent State gained just 120 yards of offense, all but one of those yards coming on the ground. Not every opponent will be as elementary as the hapless MAC visitors, and we will know more about Clemson after showdowns against ranked Auburn and Louisville teams in the next two weeks.
The No. 2 team in the preseason AP Top 25 survived a shaky start on the road to comfortably knock off Indiana 49-21 on Thursday night. J.K. Dobbins racked up 205 yards of offense, rushing for 181 yards and catching two passes for 24 more yards. Dobbins did not find the endzone, however, despite six touchdowns by the Buckeyes.
Ohio State’s Heisman hopeful J.T. Barrett completed 20 of 35 passing attempts for 304 yards and three scores. Barrett added another 61 yards and a touchdown rushing the ball. It was a solid effort as the Buckeyes held on to their position in the Top 25 for another week.
The Buckeyes secondary is the biggest question, as Richard Lagow threw for 410 yards and three touchdowns. But Lagow also tossed two interceptions, one returned 40 yards by Jordan Fuller from the goal line to set up an Ohio State field goal early in the contest. Urban Meyer and his staff will certainly have plenty to work on heading into next week’s home opener against Oklahoma.
Alabama knocked off No. 3 Florida State on Saturday night in another neutral-site opener. It wasn’t the prettiest of performances by an offense that seemed to miss, in some little way, the magic that offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin brought to the group. A more workmanlike effort was paced by a collective rushing effort and just 96 passing yards from Jalen Hurts.
The Tide defense stepped up in its usual big way, though. Florida State was held to just 40 rushing yards on 27 attempts, averaging less than a yard an a half per carry. The defense also baited Deondre Francois into two interceptions. In total, the Seminoles finished with just 250 yards of total offense. On special teams, Alabama blocked a punt and a field goal and recovered Keith Gavin‘s fumble on a kickoff return.
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Fresno State and Colorado State visit Tuscaloosa over the next two weeks, allowing Nick Saban and his staff plenty of opportunities to correct what few mistakes the team made in Atlanta. For now, though, they are No. 1 until further notice after scoring the biggest win vis-à-vis the preseason AP Top 25 over the course of Week 1.