Kirk Herbstreit ranks his top 4 teams in college football after Week 2
Following an exciting Week 2 of college football, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit has released his top four teams. Georgia remains at No. 1 on the list while Michigan is still No. 2 as those two teams rolled through some lower-level opponents in the opening two weeks, but there was some movement below them.
Texas moved into the No. 3 spot following a 34-24 victory against Alabama in Tuscaloosa this weekend. Florida State claimed the fourth and final spot after a pair of dominant wins to open the season, including winning 45-24 against LSU in Week 1.
Herbstreit also listed his next two teams, with Ohio State and USC coming in right outside the College Football Playoff field if the season were to end today. There’s still many months to go until then, however, and these rankings are likely to see plenty of change as the season moves on. See below for a recap of what each team in Herbstreit’s top four has done to this point thus far.
1. Georgia Bulldogs
The two-time defending national champion Bulldogs breezed past UT-Martin and Ball State to win by an average of 41.5 points in the first two weeks. Quarterback Carson Beck has looked solid as the starter to throw for 577 yards, three touchdowns and an interception while the defense has been dominant as usual.
Georgia has been without receiver Ladd McConkey and running back Daijun Edwards in the first two weeks, and one would think it can be even better once they return. The Bulldogs will face stiffer competition this week as they open up SEC play against South Carolina.
2. Michigan Wolverines
Michigan has claimed back-to-back Big Ten titles and looks poised to compete for another based on the first two weeks of action. The Wolverines have still yet to play a Power 5 foe, but look to be one of the best teams in the country both offensively and defensively.
Quarterback JJ McCarthy has had unprecedented accuracy to complete 87.3% of his passes for 558 yards and five touchdowns. With the running back tandem of Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards also behind him, Michigan stands a chance to challenge Georgia for a title as coach Jim Harbaugh nears his return from suspension in Week 4.
3. Texas Longhorns
Don’t look now, but Texas might finally be back. The Longhorns sent a message to the rest of the college football world by walking in to Tuscaloosa and handing No. 3 Alabama a loss, taking the Crimson Tide’s place as an early College Football Playoff candidate.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers looked like a star in the win as he threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Texas’ defense also came up big to record five sacks and force a pair of interceptions from Jalen Milroe. Time will tell whether the Longhorns can keep that going, but it looks promising right now.
4. Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles’ path to an ACC Championship and Playoff appearance looks wide open after Clemson suffered an opening week loss to Duke. Florida State lived up to its preseason hype in Week 1 with a dominant 45-24 victory against LSU to kick things off and followed with up in Week 2 to win 66-13 against Southern Miss.
Jordan Travis has looked the part of a Heisman candidate so far with 517 yards passing, six touchdowns and an interception. He has no shortage of weapons at receiver and the Seminoles also boast one of the top defensive fronts in the nation led by Jared Verse.
Next Two: USC Trojans
USC finds itself on the outside looking in of Herbstreit’s top four and will hope one of the teams above it slips up to give it a shot at the College Football Playoff. Led by reigning Heisman quarterback Caleb Williams, the Trojans have scored an average of 59.3 points as they are 3-0 to begin the season.
The defense started to look better in last week’s 56-10 win against Stanford, as it forced three turnovers and did not allow a touchdown until the fourth quarter. Still, it won’t face its first true test until it plays Colorado and Shedeur Sanders in Week 5.
Next Two: Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State began the season right behind Michigan at No. 3 in the AP poll but has since fallen all the way down to No. 6. The Buckeyes offense took a while to get going in their season opener against Indiana before going on to win 23-3.
They then beat Youngstown State by a score of 35-7 in Week 2, but it seems many would have liked to see a more dominant win. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka still combine to form one of the top receiver tandems in the country, but there are still questions surrounding quarterback Kyle McCord in his first year as starter.