ESPN's Dan Mullen ranks Top 25 teams after Week 1 of college football

After a riveting weekend of college football action, the analysts have taken a step back to evaluate all that happened. And ESPN’s Dan Mullen is back with his Top 25 as Week 2 gets set to crank up.

His No. 1 team might surprise some folks, with Mullen putting Ohio State ahead of Georgia to lead his rankings off.

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That’s at least mildly eye-catching, as Ohio State rang up a convincing 52-6 win over Akron but Georgia pounded a ranked Clemson team to the tune of 34-3. In any case, let’s dive into Dan Mullen’s rankings below.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)

Ohio State got off to an encouraging start, thrashing Akron and showing off the numerous new playmakers we’d heard all offseason about. Quarterback Will Howard threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns and utilized his targets nicely.

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Receiver Jeremiah Smith posted six catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns to star in the receiving corps. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes rang up 170 yards rushing in a well-balanced attack.

2. Georgia Bulldogs (1-0)

If there were any question about whether Georgia is here to compete for a national title yet again, they were answered in short order against Clemson. The offense looked every bit the part of a dynamic unit that can score on anyone, even after retooling the skill positions through the transfer portal.

Freshman running back Nate Frazier was the star of the show, rushing for 83 yards and a touchdown and adding a 24-yard catch. But the sheer depth the Bulldogs displayed in the opener proved Georgia is a team built for the long haul.

3. Texas Longhorns (1-0)

Texas got off to a balanced start in a 52-0 win over a mid-level Group of Five program in Colorado State. It was a game in which the Longhorns spread the ball to plenty of people and even backup quarterback Arch Manning got some meaningful run.

Manning threw for a touchdown and ran for another, while Texas balanced the load in the backfield and in the receiving corps. It was a thoroughly convincing season opener from a team that has playoff aspirations.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0)

How’s a smooth five-touchdown performance from Jalen Milroe for getting feet wet in the new offense under coach Kalen DeBoer? Alabama showed no signs of trouble in a 63-0 romp over Western Kentucky.

Milroe threw for 200 yards and ran for 79, tossing three touchdown passes and rushing for two more. Justice Haynes ran for 102 yards and a touchdown and Alabama got just about everyone involved in the win, leading to a lofty ranking in Dan Mullen’s Top 25.

5. Penn State Nittany Lions (1-0)

Ball security was an early issue for both teams in the Penn State vs. West Virginia contest, but once things settled down the Nittany Lions really imposed their will. Quarterback Drew Allar was sharp enough, going 11-of-17 passing for 216 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Running back Nick Singleton also helped pace things on the ground with 114 yards and a a touchdown. Finally, Harrison Wallace III had a big day receiving, catching five passes for 117 yards and two scores. It was a nice debut for the Andy Kotelnicki offense.

6. Miami Hurricanes (1-0)

It’s hard to have a much more impressive debut than the one Miami and quarterback Cam Ward had in stomping rival Florida in the Swamp. It was clear early on that Ward was going to be the most important player in the matchup.

All Ward did was throw for 385 yards and three scores, while also rushing for an additional 33 yards at key moments in the game. Xavier Restrepo was his favorite target, snagging seven passes for 112 yards and a score. And the ‘Canes are cooking heading into a very manageable schedule.

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0)

Notre Dame had one of the trickier tasks of opening weekend, heading on the road to take on Texas A&M in a thoroughly hostile environment. Led by Duke quarterback transfer Riley Leonard, the Fighting Irish were up to the challenge.

After working at it on the ground all game, Notre Dame finally broke through courtesy of a Jeremiyah Love rushing touchdown late. That was all she wrote for the Aggies, with the Fighting Irish chalking up an excellent quality win.

8. Oregon Ducks (1-0)

Oregon had one of the more sluggish debuts from a team inside Dan Mullen’s top 10, outlasting Idaho 24-14 in the season opener. The game was never truly in doubt, despite pulling to within 17-14 at one point.

The good news is Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel made the play he needed to when he hit Tez Johnson for the score that extended the game back to double-digits. And Oregon closed it from there, albeit with plenty it can now work on.

9. Ole Miss Rebels (1-0)

The Rebels were yet another team that took a prime early spot in Dan Mullen’s Top 25 with a dominant opening win, this time 76-0 over FCS Furman. While it’s hard to take too much away from games like this, the offense looked crisp.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart threw for 418 yards and five touchdowns without an interception, while Tre Harris caught eight passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns. He could fight for the national lead in receiving this year.

10. USC Trojans (1-0)

Just about every box that was there to be checked off was in USC’s thrilling debut win over LSU on Sunday night. Quarterback Miller Moss was every bit as good as advertised as he picked his spots and delivered time and time again.

Perhaps more importantly, a USC defense that was bad enough to get the coordinator fired a year ago was wholly different. The unit made stops when it needed to and showed a new edge; one that could have USC in playoff contention this fall.

Dan Mullen Top 25: 11-25

11. Michigan Wolverines (1-0)
12. Missouri Tigers (1-0)
13. Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-0)
14. Tennessee Volunteers (1-0)
15. Utah Utes (1-0)
16. Oklahoma Sooners (1-0)
17. Iowa Hawkeyes (1-0)
18. NC State Wolfpack (1-0)
19. Kansas State Wildcats (1-0)
20. Memphis Tigers (1-0)
21. Boise State Broncos (1-0)
22. LSU Tigers (0-1)
23. Arizona Wildcats (1-0)
24. Tulane Green Wave (1-0)
25. Kansas Jayhawks (1-0)

Dan Mullen’s rounding out of the Top 25 includes only one team that picked up a loss on opening weekend: LSU. And it was a reasonably competitive game against USC, one that will leave coach Brian Kelly and the Tigers kicking themselves over missed opportunities. As for the rest, few played marquee games where we would have learned much from them. That will happen in the coming weeks, so buckle up.