ESPN releases SP+ Top 25 college football rankings after crazy Week 1

After a crazy Week 1 saw plenty upsets and big performances from a variety of teams across college football, ESPN has updated the SP+ rankings to reflect the first real set of data available. As fans turn their attention toward another interesting lineup in Week 2, the rankings promise to continue shifting over the coming days and weeks ahead of the postseason.

ESPN’s Week 1 SP+ rankings are based off of a few factors, and they are notably tempo-based and opponent adjusted. The tool considers returning production, recruiting, and recent history.

Given the nature of the rankings, some big moves were made by several surprise teams which showed off their new-look units on both sides of the ball in Week 1. On the other hand, many of the teams which disappointed now find themselves further down the list than they imagined after seeing the final preseason list.

The SEC already led the way in preseason representation with nine teams but added one more after Florida’s impressive Week 1 win. Now with 10 teams in total, no other conference comes close to the Top 25 firepower at this time, with the Big Ten and Big 12 each placing five teams in.

ESPN’s Week 1 SP+ Top 25 rankings

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

2. Georgia Bulldogs

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

4. Michigan Wolverines

5. Texas A&M Aggies

6. Oklahoma Sooners

7. Clemson Tigers

8. Tennessee Volunteers

9. Wisconsin Badgers

10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

11. Arkansas Razorbacks

12. Mississippi State Bulldogs

13. Baylor Bears

14. Miami Hurricanes

15. Kentucky Wildcats

16. Ole Miss Rebels

17. BYU Cougars

18. Texas Longhorns

19. Florida Gators

20. Michigan State Spartans

21. Penn State Nittany Lions

22. Auburn Tigers

23. Kansas State Wildcats

24. Utah Utes

25. Oklahoma State Cowboys

New teams

The new teams in the ESPN Week 1 SP+ rankings include Baylor, Miami, Florida and Kansas State. The four teams each picked up a win over the first week of the season, with Florida picking up the biggest over Utah in a 29-26 thriller.

Teams out

With four teams in, four more teams fell out of the rankings after just one week of action. While two of the teams lost, the other two picked up wins but still dropped out of the Top 25. Cincinnati and Oregon both lost against Top 25 teams in Arkansas and Georgia, respectively, while NC State picked up a win over East Carolina after a back-and-forth game which featured a missed kick in the clutch moments. Pittsburgh can count themselves as unlucky after beating West Virginia in the backyard brawl rivalry before dropping below teams which got results against bigger opponents.