AP Poll Top 25 College Football Rankings released after Week 1
The AP Poll Top 25 rankings were released following Week 1 of the college fotoball season and changes had to be made.
It was the first poll update since the preseason and some of these teams have two weeks of tape! Nonetheless, it was a wild first weekend of college football.
Let’s dive into the latest AP Poll following Week 1 of the college football season.
1. Georgia
Georgia went out and flatlined Clemson in Week 1. At one point, this game was close as both defenses came to play.
But at that point, Georgia’s offense woke up and the Bulldogs ran by the Tigers 34-3. At that point, they made them look silly and Kirby Smart’s crew is the best in the country.
2. Ohio State
Ohio State rolled Akron over the weekend and it further proved that this team is a wide receiver factory. True freshman Jeremiah Smith showed out with two touchdowns.
Will Howard was stable at QB and the defense was dominant. A good first week for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes as the Big Ten’s top team per this poll.
3. Texas (+1)
The Longhorns came out firing and got both Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning action at quarterback. Nonetheless, Ewers looked great and this team hasn’t missed a beat after last year.
Going into 2024, Texas was considered a contender in the SEC. Well, after one week the Longhorns certainly look like one. So a matchup with Georgia is very enticing, especially for poll purposes!
4. Alabama (+1)
Alabama and Kalen DeBoer were a match made in heaven, at least for the first week. All in all, it was a great debut for the new Crimson Tide head coach.
What will be interesting to watch is how Jalen Milroe continues to develop in this new offense. So far, so good for this College Football Playoff contender and highly ranked team in the poll.
5. Notre Dame (+2)
Notre Dame arguably made the biggest statement of the weekend. It was at least one of them, that’s for sure, beating Texas A&M on the road.
Year 3 could be pivotal for Marcus Freeman and while Notre Dame can’t finish higher than No. 5 in the CFP rankings, the sky’s the limit for this team. The Fighting Irish seem to have great team chemistry, as reflected in this poll.
6. Ole Miss
Ole Miss played one half of football and that was pretty much all you needed to see. Jaxson Dart accounted for six touchdowns in 30 minutes, so the Heisman campaign is officially on!
Tre Harris is a legit wide receiver that could be one of the best in the conference as well. You can’t take too much away from a 76-0 win over Furman, but Ole Miss isn’t playing around.
7. Oregon (-4)
Oregon did not look good, make no mistake about it. But, an average team might’ve lost its way and lost to an upstart Idaho team.
Overall, Dan Lanning, Dillon Gabriel and crew will be fine, as the poll suggests as well. It’s one week. But it was certainly an intriguing result to analyze as the Ducks deal with expectations to potentially win the Big Ten and a national title.
8. Penn State
Penn State heard a lot of noise about rival West Virginia going into the weekend. But hey, the better team won in the end.
That’s not to say WVU won’t be good this season, but the Nittany Lions might’ve figured it out, at least after one week. Drew Allar looked the part, the run game was stout and the defense was suffocating. Perhaps this is the year?
9. Missouri (+2)
The Tigers got off to a great start, especially considering the offseason hype. Brady Cook and Luther Burden could be deadly all season long.
Now the real question is, can Mizzou duplicate that type of performance all season long and replicate last season’s success? The rankings say so early on.
10. Michigan (-1)
Michigan wasn’t its 2023 dominant self, but the Wolverines got the win. Fresno State made it a little close for comfort, but Will Johnson’s pick-six sealed the deal.
Former walk-on Davis Warren started at QB and he could be the answer. But Sherrone Moore and company have to solidify the spot with Texas coming to town.
AP Poll Top 25 after Week 1
11. Utah (+1)
12. Miami (+7)
13. USC (+10)
14. Tennessee (+1)
15. Oklahoma (+1)
16. Oklahoma State (+1)
17. Kansas State (+1)
18. LSU (-5)
19. Kansas (+3)
20. Arizona (+1)
21. Iowa (+4)
22. Louisville
23. Georgia Tech
24. NC State
25. Clemson (-11)
Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 97, Boston College 49, Boise St. 47, Iowa St. 32, Memphis 27, Nebraska 27, SMU 23, Washington 20, Liberty 12, Vanderbilt 8, Wisconsin 8, Auburn 8, Tulane 4, North Carolina 4, UTSA 3, Appalachian St. 3, Kentucky 2, West Virginia 2, Arkansas 2, UNLV 1, Colorado 1.
We’re one, well two weeks, into the college football season. Next week’s AP Poll is surely to have more changes. Can we fast forward to Saturday?