College Football Rankings 2021: Projected AP Top 25 for Week 2
By Zach Bigalke
won 41-14 v. FCS Southern Utah. Sun Devils . Arizona State Sun Devils (1-0). 25. player. 854.
It was only FCS competition, but Arizona State looked solid in their opener against Southern Utah. The defense snatched three Justin Miller interceptions and held the Thunderbirds to 224 yards of offense. In a short day of work, Jayden Daniels went 10-of-12 for 132 yards and ran for another 40 yards. The stars of the offense were Rachaad White and DeaMonte Trayanum, who each ran for a pair of touchdowns. The competition increases incrementally with UNLV in Week 2.
Tigers . LSU Tigers (0-1). 24. player. 817. . lost 38-27 at UCLA
Since winning the College Football Playoff national championship two years ago, LSU has played sub-.500 football. Their trip to the Rose Bowl in Week 1 proved a comprehensive victory for UCLA as the Pac-12 got a statement win against SEC competition. Ed Orgeron’s crew averaged fewer than two yards per carry while the Tigers defense gave up more than 200 yards on the ground. With FCS McNeese State heading to Baton Rouge in Week 2, the Tigers will barely cling to a Top 25 spot this week.
838. . lost 17-10 at Virginia Tech. Tar Heels . North Carolina Tar Heels (0-1). 23. player
The question of whether North Carolina should drop from the top 10 completely out of the AP Top 25 is a valid one, but enough pollsters will likely keep the Tar Heels on their ballots that they squeeze into one of the final few spots. Three Sam Howell interceptions, two deep in Virginia Tech territory, doomed Mack Brown’s team to defeat in Blacksburg. North Carolina doesn’t have to leave Chapel Hill for the rest of the month, with Georgia State the first visitor in Week 2.
22. player. 813. . lost 34-6 at No. 18 Iowa. Hoosiers . Indiana Hoosiers (0-1)
After a 2020 season where Indiana threatened to snatch away the Big Ten East from Ohio State, there was high hope heading into 2021. That all evaporated in a road trip to Iowa City, as the Hoosiers collapsed in a comprehensive 34-6 defeat to Iowa. With both teams ranked, the Hoosiers won’t fall completely out of the Top 25 this week. But there is no more margin for error for Tom Allen’s team, which faces Idaho next week before a big showdown against Cincinnati in Week 3.
player. 841. . won 43-24 v. Louisville (in Atlanta). Rebels . Ole Miss Rebels (1-0). 21
On Labor Day, concluding the long weekend, Ole Miss played their way into the AP Top 25 as they dominated ACC foe Louisville at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in a 43-24 victory. Matt Corral finished 22-of-32 for 382 yards and a touchdown through the air and added another score on the ground. Even with Lane Kiffin sidelined by COVID-19, the team came out and showed why they belong in the rankings. They will get the chance to work out any kinks in their Week 2 home opener against FCS Austin Peay.