There will be some shifts in the AP Top 25 now that all the results of Week 2 are in the books. Here are our latest projections for the poll.
The AP Top 25 is something of a meritocracy, and something of a standard-issue power grab. Once a team snatches a certain spot in the polls, it has traditionally been a matter of climbing when teams ahead lose and falling once a team sustains a defeat.
In the College Football Playoff era, things have changed a bit. The four-team postseason extravaganza has effectively shut down the AP Top 25 (as well as the Coaches Poll) as arbiters of the national championship picture.
But the AP Top 25 still has significance as the oldest major poll system still in existence. Each year, the list sets the tone for where teams will ultimately fall in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s hierarchy. And they have become more proactive about the way teams get ranked, assessing more frequently after each week.
Following Week 1, there were some major shifts as a result of the play on the field. As more data points emerge, we will continue to see some major shifts in the Top 25 lists put out by both the AP and the coaches. Here are the latest projections for how the AP Top 25 will look when the latest rankings are released on Sunday.
Facing Arizona State in #Pac12AfterDark action, No. 15 Michigan State fell against a Power Five opponent out of conference and will fall from their position in the low teens to barely hang on to a spot in the AP Top 25. It was a low-scoring affair in Tempe, as both teams struggled to put points on the scoreboard. Michigan State finally broke the seal with a field goal in the second quarter, and a field goal fiesta ensued in the desert.
Arizona State’s Manny Wilkins had the number of the Michigan State defense. Wilkins finished with 380 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 30-of-48 passing. The ground game sputtered, as Wilkins led the team with 3.1 yards per carry and finished second on the team with 25 total rushing yards. But Brandon Ruiz came through in the clutch, kicking three field goals including the short winner as time expired in Tempe.
Now that Michigan State is no longer undefeated, their margin of error has closed just as it has for state rival Michigan in the Big Ten East race. Next week they head to Bloomington needing a win against Indiana to get back on track in both the conference and national picture. Enough pollsters who went to bed early will have Michigan State on their ballots that the Spartans will remain in the poll this week. But they need to get back to winning ways to stay in the AP Top 25.
Oklahoma State took down South Alabama 55-13 at home on Saturday evening, moving to 2-0 on the season and keeping pace with teams like Oklahoma, West Virginia, and TCU in the race for the Big 12 lead. The Cowboys got the job done through a strong passing performance by Taylor Cornelius and a standup game by the defense against the Jaguars.
Cornelius finished 25-of-40 for 428 yards and a touchdown. He did throw one interception, but the new starter has replaced Mason Rudolph admirably this year. Where the Pokes were let down was by their running game. The Jaguars held Oklahoma State to only 164 rushing yards and 3.7 yards per carry as a team, though Justice Hill did punch in two of Oklahoma State’s four rushing touchdowns.
Mike Gundy‘s team looks likely to climb up into the AP Top 25 this week thanks to a few vacancies that opened up in the poll. As a team hovering on the cusp among the others receiving votes, they look poised to make that leap up into one of the last few spots in the hierarchy.
USC won’t fall all the way out of the AP Top 25 after tumbling on the road at Stanford in a rematch of last year’s Pac-12 title game. The Trojans showed their inexperience against the Cardinal, as JT Daniels went 16-of-33 for only 215 yards and yielded the spot under center for a short period to Matt Fink before the end of the night in Palo Alto.
The backfield continues to miss Ronald Jones II as well. Aca’Cedric Ware finished as the top rusher, racking up 59 yards on 18 carries. Stephen Carr was right there as well, putting up 52 yards on 10 carries. As a group, USC’s backfield finished with only 114 yards and failed to find the endzone. They were largely kept in check for most of the night by the Stanford front seven.
A spot in the College Football Playoff is now a longshot for the Trojans, but they can get right back in the Pac-12 race in two weeks by avenging last year’s loss to Washington State. First, however, the Trojans head to Austin next weekend for a showdown against a struggling Texas side that barely eked by Tulsa in Week 2.
Utah survived their road trip to DeKalb, taking down Northern Illinois 17-6 on Saturday evening to move to 2-0 on the year. The Utes kept pace at the top of the Pac-12 North with the other 2-0 teams in the league, and thanks to their position high among the others receiving votes they should jump up into the AP Top 25 proper this week.
Tyler Huntley had a big game against the Huskies, throwing for 286 yards on 20-of-31 passing. Britain Covey stepped up as Huntley’s most reliable target, catching eight passes for 129 yards. Zack Moss helped balance the offense for the Utes, rushing for 66 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries against the Huskies.
Utah opens up Pac-12 play next weekend with a visit from top-10 Washington. Thanks to a few losses among AP Top 25 teams this week, next week’s showdown in Salt Lake City between the Huskies and the Utes will be a Pac-12 matchup of ranked teams.
Against overmatched in-state FCS opponent Portland State, Oregon did exactly what is expected of a Top 25 team in such contests. The Ducks racked up 562 yards of offense against the Vikings on Saturday afternoon, as they rolled up a 62-14 victory to stay unbeaten in the new campaign.
Justin Herbert completed another efficient game for the Ducks, throwing for 250 yards and four touchdowns on 20-of-26 passing. Two different Oregon running backs, Tony Brooks-James and CJ Verdell, rushed for over 100 yards as the Ducks backfield posted five rushing touchdowns. The Ducks defense did their part as well, holding Portland State to 224 yards of offense and two Jalani Eason passing touchdowns.
Oregon will remain in the low 20s of the newest AP Top 25 after their most recent win. Beating an FCS team won’t move the needle much this week, nor will next week’s contest against San Jose State. But the Ducks could get a big boost in the polls before September is out with a home contest against Stanford on September 22.
Defense dominated the proceedings for Miami as they shut out FCS Savannah State 77-0 at home in Week 2 action. The Hurricanes took out their frustrations from the season-opening loss to LSU with a total shutdown of a different set of Tigers, allowing fewer than 100 total yards of offense against their mismatched opponent.
A rotation of quarterbacks finished 19-of-31 for 255 yards and five touchdowns. N’Kosi Perry threw the only interception among the four players that threw passes for the Hurricanes this weekend. Perry also threw for three touchdown passes and 93 yards while going 9-of-14 on the day. Malik Rosier, the incumbent starter, led the way with 131 yards and two scores with an additional rushing score on 8-of-12 passing.
Mark Richt‘s team heads to the Glass Bowl to face MAC contender Toledo next weekend, then returns home for a showdown against Florida International before resuming ACC play. Even with the shutout, the Canes will probably remain in the low 20s of this week’s AP Top 25.
Michigan obliterated Western Michigan, making up for their opening stumble against Notre Dame with a 49-3 blowout at the Big House. The Wolverines took down the Broncos with a combination of fierce defense and a strong ground game, as Shea Patterson continues to get up to game speed in Ann Arbor after his transfer from Ole Miss as a graduate student.
Patterson finished 12-of-17 with 125 yards and three touchdowns. It was a solid performance punctuated by the trio of scoring strikes, but the offense was driven by the running attack. Karan Higdon led the way with 156 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Chris Evans added 86 yards and two scores on 10 handoffs. The team finished with 306 yards on an average of 8.8 yards per carry.
Michigan will have a hard time recovering completely in the polls from their season-opening loss to Notre Dame. As long as the Fighting Irish keep winning, the Wolverines will remain behind them in the polls. But Michigan could climb a spot or two back into the top 20 of the AP Top 25 this week after such a convincing turnaround.
At the time of publication, Boise State was cruising to a runaway victory over UConn on the Smurf Turf at Albertson’s Stadium. By halftime, the Broncos had already built up a 41-0 lead on the Huskies and looked just as good taking down the American Athletic Conference side as UCF did in Week 1.
Brett Rypien was efficient once again, going 20-of-27 for 288 yards and two scores in the first half. Alexander Mattison busted off 97 rushing yards and two touchdowns on nine first-half carries. John Hightower added a 55-yard touchdown burst to punctuate the big lead. And Boise State’s defense held UConn to just 78 total yards of offense in the first half.
Though Bryan Harsin‘s team will remain behind UCF in the Group of Five race to claim the automatic bid into a New Year’s Six bowl game, the Broncos shored up their top-20 position in the AP Top 25 this week after the big win over their overmatched Group of Five competition.
UCF will hold on to its spot as the top Group of Five team in the AP Top 25 after their 38-0 shutout of FCS South Carolina State in Week 2. The Knights forced three interceptions, as the Bulldogs managed only 80 total passing yards as a group. The running game had a better time for South Carolina State, netting 177 yards, but UCF prevented the visitors from getting on the scoreboard.
It wasn’t a perfect outing for UCF, though, as quarterback McKenzie Milton had an inconsistent day that will have an adverse effect on his Heisman hopes. Milton went 21-of-39 for 243 yards and a touchdown, but he tossed three interceptions and looked less sharp than usual in the backfield for the Knights.
Adrian Killins Jr. stepped up in the run game, notching 89 yards and two scores on eight carries. The team finished with 316 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. UCF will remain in the high teens of the AP Top 25, and they get another Power Five statement opportunity next week at reeling North Carolina.
Despite losing the turnover battle on a weather-delayed night in Dallas, TCU returned to Fort Worth with the Iron Skillet on Friday night after a 42-12 takedown of Metroplex rival SMU. TCU recovered from an early 9-0 deficit in the first quarter, opening a lead with two touchdowns before halftime. The second half marked the tipping point, as the Horned Frogs defense clamped down and shut out the Mustangs after the break.
Shawn Robinson finished 15-of-28 at quarterback for 146 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Robinson added 67 yards and a rushing score on eight carries, contributing to a night where the Horned Frogs finished with 247 rushing yards and three scores as a team. As a result, TCU won a seventh straight against SMU, their longest winning streak in the century-long series.
TCU should remain somewhere in the mid-teens of the newest AP Top 25 after taking down their Group of Five rival. The Horned Frogs remain among the Big 12 contenders in the race for a New Year’s Six berth and a possible College Football Playoff berth.
Mississippi State made a big statement on the road in Manhattan, taking down Kansas State by three touchdowns on Saturday. As a team, the Bulldogs averaged 9.8 yards per carry as they dominated the Wildcats on the ground. Joe Moorhead’s team heads back to Starkville sitting at 2-0 in the standings after a 31-10 victory on the road.
Kylin Hill led the way with 211 rushing yards on 17 carries. Hill punched in two rushing touchdowns, overwhelming Wildcats defenders with regularity. Nick Fitzgerald, starting his first game since his gruesome ankle injury in the Egg Bowl last year, threw for 154 yards and ran for 159 in the victory. He was just 11-of-27 passing, however, and threw an interception along with two touchdown passes.
Mississippi State will probably move up a few spots into the mid-teens in this week’s AP Top 25 as a result of a win over a respectable Big 12 opponent on the road. They get the Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette at home next weekend before opening SEC play at Kentucky.
The Mountaineers kept pace with Oklahoma and TCU in the Big 12 race, remaining unbeaten after the first fortnight of the season with a 52-17 demolition of FCS powerhouse Youngstown State. West Virginia held the Penguins under 300 total yards of offense in the victory while notching more than 600 yards themselves.
Will Grier had another huge day, finishing with 332 passing yards and four touchdowns on 21-of-26 passing. Leddie Brown led the backfield effort with 115 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway both added more than 75 yards apiece, with McKoy contributing a touchdown as well.
Dana Holgorsen’s team looks like a top-12 group, though jumping those two spots in the AP Top 25 will be tough given they played an FCS opponent. Even a team as good as Youngstown State will have a hard time moving the needle for pollsters given the level at which they play.
Virginia Tech followed up their demolition of Florida State with an even bigger margin of victory over hapless FCS opponent William & Mary on Saturday in Blacksburg. The Hokies pressed their case as the favorite in the ACC Coastal after moving to 2-0 on the season, and they will remain on the cusp of the top 10 in this week’s AP Top 25.
Josh Jackson completed 12 of his 16 passing attempts for 217 yards and a touchdown. The Hokies also rushed for 305 yards and seven touchdowns as a team, led by Hendon Hooker’s 69-yard scamper and two rushing scores by Steven Peoples. William & Mary was held to just 34 rushing yards on 29 attempts, a stark juxtaposition highlighting the talent disparity.
The Hokies won’t climb up into single digits in the AP Top 25 this week, but they will be right there to strike. Next week’s game against East Carolina takes on added significance after the Pirates downed North Carolina in Week 2.
LSU toppled FCS Southeast Louisiana on Saturday in Death Valley, shutting out the Lions 31-0 to move to 2-0 on the year. The Tigers won the battle of big cats with a display of dominance at the line of scrimmage and a balanced offensive attack that did more than enough to claim victory at home.
Joe Burrow was mediocre at quarterback, going 10-of-20 for 151 yards and two touchdowns. But LSU has done just fine with caretaker quarterbacks in the past, and Nick Brossette continues to set himself up as the next great LSU tailback. Brossette finished with 137 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
The game against the Lions effectively served as a brief respite between the takedown of Miami in Week 1 and the trip to the Plains next weekend to square off against Auburn in a battle of top-12 teams in the AP Top 25. If they win in the SEC West battle of Tigers, Ed Orgeron’s side will emerge as the frontrunner to challenge Alabama for the division title in 2018.
After a slow start against the Panthers, Penn State took down rival Pittsburgh at Heinz Field in a 51-6 blowout. The Nittany Lions defense came up huge against Pitt, holding the Panthers to 55 passing yards. But there were some question marks raised by the performance, even though James Franklin‘s team won by such a wide margin.
Trace McSorley finished only 14-of-30 for 145 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback added a rushing touchdown, but finished in the red overall running the ball. Miles Sanders picked up the slack in the backfield, carrying 16 times for 118 yards but failing to get in the endzone. Jake Pinegar converted seven extra points, but missed his only field goal attempt.
Now the Nittany Lions look ahead to another non-conference game at home against Kent State before opening conference play at Illinois. They should remain in the low double digits of this week’s AP Top 25, but Penn State is unlikely to move up in the polls after an uneven performance on the road.
Notre Dame survived a rough outing from quarterback Brandon Wimbush to prevail at home against Ball State in the first-ever matchup against a Group of Five opponent less than three hours away. Wimbush threw for 297 yards, but finished with three interceptions on 17-of-31 passing and a net loss of seven yards on 11 carries.
Jafar Armstrong and Tony James Jr. paced the Fighting Irish to victory on Saturday. The backfield duo combined for 127 yards and three scores on 26 carries, each player getting a baker’s dozen. They paced the Irish to victory in the budding intrastate matchup, scoring all three touchdowns to make the difference on the scoreboard.
The Fighting Irish could fall a spot or two after the lackluster performance against the Cardinals at home. They will remain in the top 10 of the AP Top 25, though, and next week’s home game against Vanderbilt offers a statement opportunity against an SEC opponent that has also opened the year 2-0 in the standings.
Washington rebounded from their season-opening loss to Auburn with a 45-3 blowout of FCS North Dakota. The visitors from the Big Sky had no chance on their trip to Seattle, as the Huskies gave up only 101 passing yards on 33 attempts to the Fighting Hawks. North Dakota had better luck on the ground, gaining 161 yards on 33 rushing attempts. But they could not find the end zone, only breaking the shutout with a 20-yard field goal from Brady Long.
The Huskies got an uneven performance at quarterback from Jake Browning. The senior threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns on 23-of-37 passing, but he also tossed two picks. Myles Gaskin rushed for only 53 yards, though he punched in a score on the ground. Washington dominated their FCS opponent, but it might ultimately register less forcefully than some of the other wins among top-10 teams.
Washington’s spot in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 is safe this week, but they need to tighten up things on offense if they hope to remain a contender in the deeper-than-usual Pac-12 North. Chris Petersen’s team opens up conference play next weekend with a trip to Salt Lake City to face Utah.
Stanford kept control of the Pac-12 North with a big win over No. 17 USC at home on Saturday evening. The Pac-12 frontrunner vanquished losses both of last year’s losses to the Trojans with a shutdown performance on defense and a balanced offensive game plan that stymied Clay Helton‘s crew. The result was a 17-3 statement victory for the Cardinal that will propel them into single digits in the AP Top 25 this week.
Bryce Love looked much better after a listless showing in the opener. The Heisman hopeful rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. K.J. Costello outgunned his counterpart at quarterback, throwing for 183 yards and a score on 16-of-17 passing. And the defense put a stranglehold on the Trojans, allowing fewer than 300 yards all night to the USC offense as they managed just one field goal.
The contest puts Stanford squarely in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff if they keep winning. Next week FCS opponent UC Davis — which upset San Jose State in the opener — comes to the Farm to offer fodder before the trip to Eugene to face Oregon in a battle of ranked Pac-12 North rivals.
By halftime against FCS Alabama State, Auburn had already racked up 222 rushing yards on the Hornets and built up a 42-2 lead. The visitors from the lower subdivision managed their only points on a safety after pinning the Tigers near the goal line on a punt. Otherwise, they struggled to gain any purchase as Auburn held the Hornets to four rushing yards in the first half and finished the game with only 47 yards on the ground.
Jarrett Stidham had a mellow outing, throwing for 113 yards and a touchdown on 6-of-11 passing. JaTarvious Whitlow led the way on the ground for the Tigers, rushing for 122 yards on 14 carries. Shaun Shivers also went into triple digits, piling up 117 yards and a score on 13 carries. As a team, the Auburn backfield collectively averaged 7.3 yards per carry as they finished with 429 yards and six touchdowns.
In the end, the Tigers emerged with a 63-9 victory to move to 2-0 on the year. Gus Malzahn’s team burnished their credentials with the blowout, consolidating position in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 as they look to defend last year’s SEC West title. Next up on the docket is a divisional elimination game between ranked teams as Auburn hosts LSU next weekend. That will decide which team is the top challenger to Alabama this year.
Wisconsin started slowly, as New Mexico scored the first points of the game. When the Badgers were held to a field goal on their first drive, they found themselves down 7-3 entering the second quarter. But the Lobos wouldn’t hold on to the upset opportunity for long, as Jonathan Taylor found his stride.
The sophomore running back is a Heisman frontrunner this season, and Taylor showed exactly why on Saturday against a Mountain West defense. Taylor finished with 33 carries for a career-high 253 yards and three rushing scores. He dominated the offense, as quarterback Alex Hornibrook finished 8-of-11 for 148 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Receiver A.J. Taylor led the way with five catches for 134 yards and Hornibrook’s passing score.
Wisconsin fell from No. 4 in the preseason AP Top 25 to No. 5 last week. They could fall again, through no fault of their own, after Oklahoma put up another big game against UCLA and opened the eyes of pollsters around the country even further. Next week BYU comes to Camp Randall Stadium, offering another low-risk, low-reward opportunity to tread water in the polls.
Oklahoma cruised against UCLA, rolling to a 49-21 victory in Norman in early action on Saturday. The Sooners survived the loss of starting tailback Rodney Anderson to a knee injury to rack up 179 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. With the 28-point win, they could be in for another bump up the AP Top 25 into a top-five position.
A big part of the rushing attack on Saturday was generated by the same guy leading the aerial assault on the Bruins. Kyler Murray has looked great as the successor to Baker Mayfield so far, as he led the Sooners to a second straight win. Oklahoma’s quarterback threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns, led the team in rushing with 69 yards and a score on 10 carries, and kept things rolling after Anderson went down in the first half.
The Sooners will travel away from Norman for the first time this season in Week 3. Lincoln Riley’s squad finally leaves the comforts of home when they take on Iowa State in Ames next weekend.
The Buckeyes missed out on a third straight shutout of the Scarlet Knights, as Justin Davidovicz connected on a 41-yard field goal for Rutgers. But the end result was the same, as Ohio State scored more than 50 points against their divisional opponent for the fourth time in five years since Rutgers moved from the Big East. With Urban Meyer still suspended, the Buckeyes went to 2-0 on the season in the 52-3 victory.
Dwayne Haskins has made the Ohio State offense his own, helping people quickly forget about longtime starter J.T. Barrett. Haskins threw for four touchdowns and 233 yards on 20-of-23 passing, before ceding the spot under center to Tate Martell. Martell went a perfect 10-of-10 for 121 yards and another touchdown through the air.
J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber were bottled up on the ground, but it didn’t matter. Martell led the way with 95 rushing yards and a score carrying the ball to go with his perfect passing day. Ohio State next looks to their matchup against TCU in a showdown of unbeaten and ranked Power Five squads.
Clemson survived a major challenge on the road against Texas A&M. Dabo Swinney‘s Tigers leave College Station after the Saturday-night showdown with a 28-26 win that kept them undefeated. The Aggies gave Clemson a scare as they threatened to come back for an upset in the final minute, but ultimately the visitors held on to claim victory in the ACC-SEC matchup in regulation after preventing the two-point conversion attempt by intercepting Kellen Mond.
Kelly Bryant led the way at quarterback, taking the majority of snaps ahead of Trevor Lawrence. Bryant finished with 205 yards and a touchdown on 12-of-17 passing, and added 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The defense gave up more than 500 yards against the Aggies, but Texas A&M came up short on their final drive.
The narrow victory in the Week 2 showcase game won’t be enough to keep Clemson at No. 2 in the AP Top 25, as Georgia will close the 117-point gap that existed between the two teams entering the weekend. Georgia Southern comes to Clemson next weekend as the Tigers look to complete their September non-conference schedule undefeated.
For a while it looked like No. 24 South Carolina might actually hang with visiting Georgia. But the No. 3 team in the country is at least as strong this year as last season’s SEC champions, and it showed as Kirby Smart‘s squad rolled up a 41-17 victory on the road in Columbia on Saturday afternoon.
Jake Fromm ended the day throwing for 194 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 15-of-18 passing. No single runner stepped up and dominated the ground game. Instead, the committee backfield effort netted 271 yards and three scores on the ground while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. And the defense held the Gamecocks to just 54 rushing yards as they rendered South Carolina one-dimensional.
Georgia will remain perched comfortably among the top four of the AP Top 25 this week, as they consolidate their position among the College Football Playoff contenders and likely vault above Clemson. Smart’s Bulldogs return home to take on Middle Tennessee between the hedges next week. After that they conclude September with a road game at Missouri and a home showdown with Tennessee.
It comes as little surprise that Alabama will remain at the head of the class in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll after another dominant performance against an overmatched opponent. Arkansas State came to Tuscaloosa for Alabama’s home opener, and they left Bryant-Denny Stadium vanquished in a 57-7 blowout on Saturday.
Tua Tagovailoa had limited reps but an outsized impact. Though he attempted just 19 passes all day, Tagovailoa completed 13 of them for 228 yards and four touchdowns. The sophomore quarterback added another eight rushing yards on three carries. Backup Jalen Hurts, who will redshirt this year, came in for one of his four allowed appearances and added 93 yards and two scores on 7-of-9 passing while running for 32 yards on five carries.
Until somebody takes them down, most pollsters will continue to put Alabama at the top of their ballots. Look for at least 50 ballots to have the Crimson Tide at the top this week as Nick Saban’s squad consolidates its hold on the top of the AP Top 25.