CBS Sports updates Top 25 rankings ahead of Week 2 of college football
After a couple weeks of real football action, there’s not yet a clear picture of who the very best teams in the country are. But CBS Sports took a stab at ranking the current top 25 teams anyway.
College football writer Chip Patterson revisited the CBS top 25 for college football now that every school has played at least one game. And while there weren’t a ton of major changes, a few ACC schools who picked up big wins made moves up the list while a couple major contenders plummeted down the standings.
To see where your favorite team — or any team — stands in the new CBS top 25, go ahead and look below:
1. Georgia
After two straight national championships, the Dawgs rightfully opened the season at No. 1 on virtually every list of rankings, including these from CBS. Following a ho-hum 48-7 win over UT-Martin, that standing has not changed and CBS still has Kirby Smart’s group as the top dog in college football.
In that win, new QB Carson Beck showed why he has the talent to propel Georgia to a third title, even if he lacks the experience and veteran presence that Stetson Bennett possessed. In game No. 1, Beck passed for 294 yards and a touchdown on 21 completions in 31 tries.
2. Michigan
JJ McCarthy and Blake Corum return to lead a veteran and extremely talented offense that ought to be the most dangerous of the Jim Harbaugh era. However, on Saturday, they only scored 30 points, leaving their defense to dominant the day as they held East Carolina to three points.
With the bodies they have up front, plus the elite skill talent and dynamic quarterback that are finally in place, Michigan may have the most complete roster in football. They’re sitting No. 2 behind the Bulldogs and waiting to pounce.
3. Alabama
Alabama’s quarterback conundrum seem to get a clear answer after Jalen Milroe played well enough to earn SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Saturday. Against Middle Tennessee State, he threw 18 passes and completed 13 for 194 yards and three touchdowns while also running for 48 more yards and two touchdowns.
The five total touchdowns and two-way flashes from Milroe were enough for CBS to remain faithful in a ‘Bama as one of the sport’s top dogs. Heading into this weekend, though, it’s time to see what this Crimson Tide group is really made of as they welcome a heralded Texas team to Bryant-Denny.
4. Florida State
Whoever won the Sunday night battle between Florida State and LSU was going to be thrust towards the very top of these rankings — and that held true for Florida State. Thanks to a breakout performance from Keon Coleman out wide and another leap from QB Jordan Travis in year six, the Seminoles looked as dangerous as anyone in Week 1.
With Clemson faltering in fantastic fashion while the Seminoles absolutely whupped the No. 5 team in the country on a neutral field, FSU just became the clear and obvious favorite to win the ACC — something the ‘Noles haven’t accomplished since they three-peated from 2012 to 2014.
5. Ohio State
The first game of the Kyle McCord era wasn’t the overwhelming success most Buckeye fans hoped as OSU put away Indiana in a 23-3 slugfest. But hey, a 20-point power conference road victory is a stronger result than almost any other school achieved over the weekend, so it does have some merit.
The Buckeyes shouldn’t have any problem advancing past Youngstown State and Western Kentucky the next two weeks, but a huge test awaits in Week 4 against Notre Dame and Sam Hartman. Fans will know a lot more about McCord after that contest.
6. Washington
Boise State came out hot in the season-opener against Washington, but Michael Penix and crew quickly showed why the Huskies’ firepower is too much to handle. Penix went for 450 yards and five touchdowns while his top three targets went for a combined 328 yards and the team as a whole scored 56.
What was particularly impressive about the win over the Broncos is that Boise is a strong defensive program the last couple years under head coach Andy Avalos. They finished top-15 in points allowed in both 2021 and 2022, giving up just under 20 per contest. 56 nearly triples that number, in case you needed more context on how great the Huskies played offensively.
7. Penn State
One game into the Drew Allar era and the hype train has left the station. Penn State already returned a loaded roster, especially with the weapons and big bodies up front on the offensive side of the ball. The only question was whether Allar could step in and be the guy. After one performance, Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt is all in on the new pSU QB.
“I have zero hesitation after that first start. I’m like ‘okay, yep, that’s what I expected to see.’ I like Drew Allar a lot. I think he’s going to continue to get better and he’s already really good. He was terrific,” said Klatt of his debut start. Allar went 21/29 on his passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns in his debut.
8. USC
Caleb Williams and this incredibly potent Trojan offense put up 56 points in their Week 0 season-opener vs. San Jose State, then followed that up with 66 against Nevada in Week 1 to advance to 2-0. As part of those victories, Williams put up just under 600 yards and scored nine touchdowns.
There was never a debate about the offense. It’s as good as it gets. But defensively, USC may not have made much progress since last season, as they allowed six touchdowns through two contests against a pair of Mountain West teams that finished 72nd (SJSU) and 120th (Nevada) nationally last year in points per game.
9. Texas
The highest-rated Big 12 team slides in at ninth as Texas has gotten plenty of love all summer and looked alright in their 37-10 win over Rice to open the year. Now, obviously, a tougher task awaits as the Longhorns venture into the elephant’s den to face Alabama.
The advantage for Texas? Hopefully, it’s the quarterback. Crimson Tide QB Jalen Milroe looked crisp against cupcake competition, but Quinn Ewers has the experience over him and showcased that he can hang with the Tide before he got injured in last year’s game. This could be his chance to grab the nation’s attention.
10. Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish have made a statement in their two performances to start the year. ND outscored Tennessee State and Navy by a 98-6 score, showcasing dominance in every phase of the ball game.
The path takes a turn uphill for the Irish going forward, though. First, they get NC State this week, then another non-power conference opponent, before the following consecutive games: Ohio State at home, Duke and Louisville on the road, then USC at home. Get those easier wins in now because they’ll be much tougher to earn for Notre Dame as the season draws on.
CBS rankings 11-25
11. Tennessee
12. Utah
13. Oregon
14. LSU
15. Oregon State
16. Kansas State
17. Oklahoma
18. North Carolina
19. Ole Miss
20. Texas A&M
21. Wisconsin
22. Duke
23. Tulane
24. Colorado
25. Clemson
There you have it. As mentioned, some very positive developments for the ACC, who saw Florida Sate, North Carolina and Duke all get a boost. The Tar Heels and Seminoles both trumped their SEC foes — LSU and South Carolina, respectively — while Duke made every other club in the conference happy by decimating Clemson in a standalone game with a national TV audience on tap. What a week for that league.