AP Poll Top 25 released after Week 2 of college football

The AP Poll Top 25 rankings were due for another shakeup after Week 2 of the college football season. And thanks to Texas’ upset of Alabama, we got one.

Steve Sarkisian and Quinn Ewers proved this team is for real by beating Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. Does this mean national title or at least playoff? Maybe, but for now the Longhorns can rest easy in the top 10. But the target on their backs only gets bigger.

Let’s dive into the latest top 25 rankings via the Associated Press’ weekly college football poll.

1. Georgia

Georgia quickly took care of business against Ball State to improve to 2-0 on the season. Carson Beck went 23-of-30 passing for 283 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

SEC play against South Carolina is next for the Bulldogs. That’ll be the true measuring stick for the quarterback Beck and the national title potential for Georgia. We think they can do it, but we want to be sure.

2. Michigan

JJ McCarthy was nearly flawless again, going 22-of-25 passing for 278 yards and two touchdowns. Donovan Edwards has yet to get going in the backfield, but Blake Corum made light work of the Rebels with 15 carries for 80 yards and three touchdowns. Shoutout to the defense for nearly pitching a shutout.

So when does Jim Harbaugh come back? So far, it doesn’t matter and it likely won’t next week against Bowling Green. Once the Wolverines host Rutgers in Week 4, then all eyes will be on Ann Arbor. Until then, they’ll keep cruising.

3. Florida State (+1)

Florida State continues to rise by virtue of winning, plus some other things happening. This could’ve been a let down performance, but the Seminoles roasted Southern Miss 66-13 and went home early.

The dominant win over LSU was no fluke and it’s not like Southern Miss is a playoff contender, no offense. But the Seminoles seem to be on a different planet compared to almost all of the teams in college football right now. That’ll likely continue moving forward.

4. Texas (+7)

This is what happens when Quinn Ewers is in the lineup for the whole game we guess. He was great, going 24-of-38 passing for 349 yards and three touchdowns. The Crimson Tide defense had no answer and the offense couldn’t do enough to keep up. Hats off to a potential playoff team now.

Can Texas sustain this success now? It’s only been two games, but the Longhorns erased any worries after an up and down performance against Rice. You’re clearly the best team in the Big 12, so keep it up.

5. USC (+1)

Set them up and knock them down, that’s the motto for USC so far this season, going 3-0 with dominant victories all around. Did the Pac-12 opener change anything? Nope.

Caleb Williams is still Caleb Williams. Now, if he keeps this pace up, will he still come back to USC? We’ll lean towards the NFL right now. But man, this team looks unstoppable offensively with him at the controls of Lincoln Riley’s system.

6. Ohio State (-1)

This is the performance fans wanted to see out of Kyle McCord throwing the football for the Buckeyes. He threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Marvin Harrison Jr. So yes, Ohio State’s playmakers got it going in a 35-7 win over Youngstown State.

We know, it wasn’t a Big Ten opponent and last week still looks pretty average. But maybe the Buckeyes just needed to get over a slow start to get moving. This is still one of the best teams in the country.

7. Penn State

Penn State cruised against Delaware Saturday, but it seems like the Nittany Lions are the quietest top 10 team at the moment. There’s no reason to deny this team’s skill. We’ll just have to wait until they play Michigan and Ohio State this season.

James Franklin and company have yet to be tested yet and it might be a little bit before that happens. Penn State will be a road favorite next weekend going to Illinois, but now that it’s conference play, you can’t rule anything out.

8. Washington

Washington won big once again with a victory over Tulsa, 43-10. The Huskies are one of the best teams in the country and you can’t deny it anymore. The Pac-12 is wild in its final season.

The Huskies scored three touchdowns on the ground, including one from wide receiver Rome Odunze, but the leading rusher was Will Nixon with 30 yards, that has to be fixed. Michael Penix Jr. was solid, throwing for 409 yards, three touchdowns and one pick. Just another day at the office.

9. Notre Dame (+1)

In a weather delayed game, Notre Dame came out swinging before and after. The Fighting Irish scored 21 points in a 45-24 win over NC State and Sam Hartman continued his early season Heisman Trophy campaign.

Hartman tossed another four touchdowns, Audric Estime was dominant on the ground and if Notre Dame keeps this up, the Fighting Irish will be in the College Football Playoff conversation towards the end of the season. Circle that USC game on the calendar because that could  be a huge clash.

10. Alabama (-7)

Despite a home loss, the Crimson Tide remained in the top 10. There were moments where some thought, ‘oh, this is where Alabama comes back and beats Texas.’ However, it just didn’t happen for Nick Saban and his crew.

Jalen Milroe threw two costly interceptions and the run game didn’t get off the ground, no pun intended. The defense had its moments as well, but couldn’t contain the outside threats of the Texas wide receiving corps. Just like the loss to LSU last year, is this just a blip on the radar or the start of something bigger brewing in Alabama?

Rest of AP Poll Top 25 after Week 2

11. Tennessee (-2)
12. Utah
13. Oregon
14. LSU
15. Kansas State
16. Oregon State
17. Ole Miss (+3)
18. Colorado (+4)
19. Oklahoma (-1)
20. North Carolina (-3)
21. Duke
22. Miami
23. Washington State
24. UCLA
25. Iowa

Well that was fun, shall we do it again next week? Sounds good to us. Week 3 brings more conference matchups to the table as we get near the end of non-conference play. Now, the fun can truly begin this fall.

Others receiving votes: Clemson 86, Arkansas 33, TCU 19, Kansas 19, Tulane 17, Wisconsin 10, Kentucky 5, Mississippi St. 5, Minnesota 3, Cincinnati 3, Fresno St. 2, Wyoming 1, Oklahoma St. 1, Maryland 1, James Madison 1.