1 Word to Describe Every Top 25 Team's September

The opening month of an exciting 2024 college football season went largely to expectations.

As teams work toward earning a place in the expanded College Football Playoff, only a few results were truly shocking. (Looking at you, Notre Dame.) Otherwise, some marquee games included Georgia taking down Clemson, Texas rolling Michigan and Alabama beating UGA.

Just because teams won, however, doesn't mean all of them continually impressed in September's action.

To recap the month—and technically, yes, one August game—we've assigned a single word to describe that opening stretch of the campaign for each ranked team.

The order reflects the latest AP Top 25.

T-25. UNLV Rebels: Chaotic

Would you like to talk about two road victories over power-conference teams? How about the starting quarterback leaving for NIL-related reasons? Or the school being caught in a tug-of-war between the Mountain West and rebuilding Pac-12? What a wild month for 4-0 UNLV.

T-25. Texas A&M Aggies: Lively

Excluding the Week 2 rout of lower-division McNeese, every weekend has been interesting for Texas A&M. The excitement of a clash with Notre Dame ended in disappointment, but the Aggies rode backup quarterback Marcel Reed to a win at Florida, inched past Bowling Green and clipped Arkansas.

24. Illinois Fighting Illini: Respectable

On the heels of a 5-7 season, Illinois needed a bounce-back year. Early victories over Kansas and Nebraska have the Illini on a positive path, even as September ended with an expected loss to Penn State. Two more marquee games loom in October with Michigan and Oregon on the slate, but Illinois seems headed for a solid 8-4 campaign.

23. Indiana Hoosiers: Outstanding

Indiana, meanwhile, is flirting with the best season in program history. Already at 5-0, the Hoosiers could lock in bowl eligibility with a victory over Northwestern. From there, IU has a terrific chance to match or surpass its record of nine wins. The #NineWindiana chase is back!

22. Louisville Cardinals: Predictable

If you told me Louisville would be 3-1 entering October, I would've said the Cardinals lost to Notre Dame. And I am simply one of many who thought the same thing. Louisville is now in a pivotal stretch of the campaign that includes home ACC games against SMU and Miami.

21. Boise State Broncos: Dynamic

UNLV stayed in the Mountain West, but Boise State announced its plans to join the Pac-12 in the near future. On the field, running back Ashton Jeanty has been incredible. He's rushed for 845 yards and 13 touchdowns, helping the Broncos start 3-1 with a competitive loss to Oregon.

20. Kansas State Wildcats: Acceptable

Not what the program wanted, but nowhere close to complaining. Kansas State picked up a road win at Tulane and steamrolled Arizona before an ugly loss at BYU. However, the Wildcats responded with a valuable Big 12 triumph over Oklahoma State to stay solidly in the conference race.

19. Oklahoma Sooners: Puzzling

The good news is OU sports a 4-1 record. The bad news is the Sooners have dealt with serious issues on offense, so much that prized quarterback Jackson Arnold has been benched in favor of Michael Hawkins Jr., a true freshman. The season could take a sharp turn for the worse in October with Texas, South Carolina and Ole Miss on the docket.

18. Utah Utes: Exasperating

Finally, quarterback Cameron Rising was healthy. He looked outstanding in six quarters of action, too. But a finger injury has sent him back to the sideline with no concrete news of a return and a string of game-time decisions that end negatively. Utah is 4-1 but needs Rising to meet its potential.

17. BYU Cougars: Terrific

Elsewhere in the state, BYU is enjoying every bit of a 5-0 start. Most notably—as mentioned above—the Cougars crushed Kansas State to open conference play on a high note. Get ready for a mini-gauntlet, though. BYU hosts Arizona and Oklahoma State and then travels to UCF and Utah. We're about to find out if the Cougs are a real Big 12 contender.

16. Iowa State Cyclones: Steady

The defense has been a lockdown group, and the offense has done enough. It's a familiar story for the Cyclones, who have quietly posted a 4-0 record while yielding a total of 29 points. They're not quite the Big 12 betting favorite but might command that label soon.

15. Clemson Tigers: Surging

Who likes August anyway? Following that disgusting day opposite Georgia, the recent ACC powerhouse is starting to play like one again. Clemson has rolled to three straight routs, including two against conference foes North Carolina State and Stanford. Clemson is trending up—and quickly.

14. Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Tolerable

There's no way an upset loss to Northern Illinois wouldn't leave a bitter feeling around Notre Dame. Nevertheless, the Fighting Irish have notched a pair of quality wins against Texas A&M and Louisville to stay firmly in the College Football Playoff race.

13. LSU Tigers: Adventurous

LSU wasted a great shot to defeat USC in Week 1 but clipped South Carolina despite being outplayed. So, in reality, the Bayou Bengals are exactly where they probably should be. Mix in a couple of slow starts, and LSU certainly hasn't made it easy on the fanbase. But, hey, 4-1 is solid.

12. Ole Miss Rebels: Unsatisfying

Similarly, 4-1 is solid. Recency bias doesn't help Ole Miss, however. The offense wrecked everything in its path until faltering in a surprising-not-shocking home setback to Kentucky. Obviously, the Rebels would feel better about heading into October at 5-0, but especially so because trips to South Carolina and LSU are up next.

11. USC Trojans: Adequate

Losing at Michigan in a game where the Wolverines threw for 32 yards? That result is tough to stomach. Still, the Trojans are 3-1 with a resume-boosting win over LSU. The schedule is rather nice—no Ohio State or Oregon—so USC's best opportunity to solidify itself as a Big Ten contender is at home against Penn State on Oct. 12.

10. Michigan Wolverines: Unspectacular

Nervy win over Fresno State. Lopsided loss to Texas. Unimpressive win against Arkansas State that finally led to a quarterback switch and then a confusingly nice win opposite USC and a minor escape from Minnesota. That's the short version of a 4-1 record that doesn't sit extremely well. The reigning champs are playing with fire.

9. Missouri Tigers: Concerning

Missouri, similarly, has some issues. After back-to-back shutouts to begin the season, the Tigers held off Boston College and needed overtime to survive Vanderbilt—one week after Vandy lost to Georgia State. Missouri is a CFP threat on paper but must be more convincing on the field.

8. Miami Hurricanes: Promising

You may have strong thoughts about the controversial Hail Mary against Virginia Tech. Fair enough. Those arguments are merely a sidebar now, though. Miami still won in a dud performance, a type of escape that hasn't happened in most of the last 20 seasons. I wouldn't crown the 'Canes as a title contender, yet they're definitely a top ACC challenger behind Heisman Trophy candidate Cam Ward.

7. Penn State Nittany Lions: Calm

Bowling Green provided a scare, but Penn State otherwise had a reasonably comfortable month with victories over West Virginia and Illinois. As expected, the Nittany Lions' main variable is the offense. The unit should be tested in a cross-country trip to USC on Oct. 12.

6. Oregon Ducks: Curious

If you, like me, believed Oregon would be a top team in the country, you're likely a bit disappointed with the Ducks. They're just not as dynamic offensively as anticipated. It might change soon! There's a ton of talent and plenty of great coaching at the program. But it also needs to change soon for Oregon to withstand Ohio State in Week 7.

5. Georgia Bulldogs: Irritating

Barely beat Kentucky? Gross. Fall behind Alabama by 28 points, mount a furious comeback and pull in front only to lose? Annoying. Plenty of programs would be content at 3-1, but Georgia has played well below its recent standard so far in 2024.

4. Tennessee Volunteers: Confident

Tennessee, on the other hand, surpassed expectations in the opening month. Behind a powerful offense and feisty defense, the Vols have steadily become a respected CFP threat. Safe to say the nation will be watching closely when UT hosts Alabama on Oct. 19.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes: Straightforward

Few people genuinely expected Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall or Michigan State to compete with Ohio State, and none of them did. But as the calendar flips to October, the Buckeyes' schedule heats up with Iowa and a trek to Oregon in consecutive weeks.

2. Texas Longhorns: Intriguing

The same is true at Texas, which smacked Michigan in what looked like the only challenge of the month. Quinn Ewers' abdomen injury provided an early look at Arch Manning, however. While he didn't create a QB competition, there's no doubt Manning attracted more eyeballs than an excellent Texas roster already would have. After an idle weekend, the Horns take on rival Oklahoma and host Georgia.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide: Exciting

Alabama almost gave it away, but the Nick Saban-less Crimson Tide clipped UGA to make a clear statement: We're not going anywhere. That belief will be challenged with Tennessee and Mizzou on the slate in October, but Bama will be supremely confident with Jalen Milroe leading the way.