College Football Polls

Following the release of the latest AP Top 25 this week, the projected bracket for the College Football Playoff is dominated by the SEC.

Led by No. 1 Georgia, the SEC would have six out of the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff if the season ended today:

Using the AP Top 25 to set a projected 12-team bracket, half of the College Football Playoff field would be SEC teams, including two-thirds of the top nine seeds.

More from @ralphDrussoAP: https://t.co/GFj5ICtDoi pic.twitter.com/z9Ihe7mOt9

— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) September 9, 2024

Luckily for the SEC, there is no cap on how many teams a single conference can send to the College Football Playoff. The CFP selection committee will start unveiling its rankings in November.

Tennessee was one of two newcomers to the projected CFP bracket alongside Northern Illinois following its 51-10 blowout win in a ranked matchup against NC State. The victory propelled the Vols seven spots up the Top 25 to No. 7. The Huskies made their debut in the AP Poll at No. 25 after their shocking 16-14 upset win over Notre Dame, which joined Boise State in falling out of the projected CFP bracket.

Texas, which is ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 behind Georgia, is coming off a dominant 31-12 road win over defending national champion Michigan. The Longhorns garnered four first-place votes in the AP Poll and are the highest-ranked non-conference champion in the projected CFP bracket.

In addition to Georgia (SEC), the other projected conference champions are Ohio State (Big Ten), Miami (ACC) and Utah (Big 12). The top four seeds will go to the highest-ranked conference champions regardless of their overall ranking, and those teams will have first-round byes in the College Football Playoff. Miami jumped Utah for the No. 3 seed in the projected bracket after cruising to a 56-9 win over Florida A&M.

With another exciting slate of games on deck for Week 3, there will certainly be more shakeups in the projected CFP bracket sooner rather than later.

Goodbye, preseason rankings based on projections and previous performances.

Hello, rankings based on one full weekend of games, many of which were blowouts against overmatched foes.

The latest edition of the Coaches Poll Top 25 was released Tuesday, and there was no surprise at the top. Georgia once again checks in at No. 1 following a blowout win over Clemson in one of the most impactful games of the season's opening weekend.

Here is a look at the rest of the rankings:

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. Ole Miss
6. Oregon
7. Notre Dame
8. Penn State
9. Michigan
10. Missouri
11. Utah
12. Tennessee
13. Oklahoma
14. USC
15. Miami (FL)
16. Kansas State
17. Oklahoma State
18. Arizona
19. LSU
20. Kansas
21. Iowa
22. Clemson
23. NC State
24. Louisville
25. Washington

Much of the Week 1 slate included highly ranked teams such as Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, and others steamrolling lower competition as something of a warm-up to the start of the campaign, but there were a few results that figure to factor into future College Football Playoff discussions.

Georgia's show of dominance in a 34-3 victory over Clemson headlines that list, as the Bulldogs sent a statement to the rest of the country that they are the team to beat. Dabo Swinney's program may have taken a step back in recent years, but the Tigers are still a formidable ACC team that looked like they had no chance against Georgia's stout defense throughout the contest.

Clemson looked awful in defeat, but managed to remain in the Top 25, dropping from 14th to 22nd.

Elsewhere, Notre Dame picked up a hard-fought road victory over Texas A&M thanks to Jeremiyah Love's go-ahead touchdown run in the final two minutes. The Fighting Irish may not face many challenges from a soft schedule and could already have an inside track on one of the 12 CFP spots.

They weren't the only road team to impress against a name-brand opponent, as Penn State and Miami went into West Virginia and Florida, respectively, and exited with decisive victories.

The Nittany Lions and Hurricanes are often overshadowed by other teams in their respective conferences, but they each looked capable of contending for one of the expanded 12 playoff spots this season.

So did USC in its first game as a member of the Big Ten.

The Trojans went into Las Vegas for a neutral-site game against LSU and emerged with a 27-20 win. Running back Woody Marks scored two touchdowns, including the winning one in the final 10 seconds, while quarterback Miller Moss threw for 378 yards and a score in an impressive showing.

Week 2 will have a similar feel with a handful of games standing out while most of the top teams face opponents they should handle with ease.

No game stands out more than the showdown between Texas and Michigan. The reigning national champions looked sluggish for most of their opening contest before pulling away from Fresno State late in the fourth quarter, and the Longhorns will be a far more daunting opponent.

Quinn Ewers could launch his Heisman campaign in full force if he picks up a road win over the Wolverines, and conference bragging rights will also be on the line in a matchup between top SEC and Big Ten contenders.

Games between Tennessee and NC State, Colorado and Nebraska, and Boise State and Oregon are also intriguing and could impact the early rankings, but it is the one between Texas and Michigan that may come to define the Week 3 rankings.

Saturday didn't really change anything.

While there was no shortage of entertaining games, all of the top College Football Playoff contenders came away with victories. Most notably, Georgia handled Ole Miss with ease and Michigan went into Penn State and came away with its most impressive win of the season.

The Associated Press poll looks different than the CFP one with the two-time reigning national champion Bulldogs on top instead of Ohio State, but the tenor of the championship race looks the same.

Here is a look at the new AP Top 25, which was released Sunday:

1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
4. Florida State
5. Washington
6. Oregon
7. Texas
8. Alabama
9. Louisville
10. Oregon State
11. Missouri
12. Penn State
13. Ole Miss
14. Oklahoma
15. LSU
16. Utah
17. Tulane
18. James Madison
19. Arizona
20. Notre Dame
21. Tennessee
22. North Carolina
23. Kansas State
24. Oklahoma State
25. Liberty

Georgia made a statement with its 52-17 blowout win, but it wasn't that easy for everyone else.

Both Washington and Florida State escaped conference matchups against Utah and Miami, respectively, with seven-point wins. Utah blocked a late field goal and had an opportunity to perhaps force overtime against the Huskies, but the Washington defense held strong. The Seminoles did the same on the Hurricanes' final drive.

Elsewhere, Oregon gave USC its fourth loss of the season in a 36-27 win that wasn't as close as the final score indicated thanks to two late touchdowns from the Trojans.

The biggest scare came for Texas, which seemed to be on cruise control against TCU with a 26-6 halftime lead before the Horned Frogs made things interesting down the stretch. TCU scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and closed the deficit to three before Adonai Mitchell made a game-saving catch on a third-and-12 to clinch the win for the Longhorns.

WHAT A PLAY BY ADONAI MITCHELL‼️ pic.twitter.com/8bWVchfSft

— ESPN (@espn) November 12, 2023

Saturday wasn't a sweat for Ohio State during a win over Michigan State and Alabama during a victory over Kentucky, but the biggest result probably belonged to Michigan.

The Wolverines went into one of the most difficult places to play in all of college football without suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh and were in control for the majority of a 24-15 win over Penn State.

In fact, they threw the ball just eight times and used a strong defense and running back Blake Corum to demoralize the Nittany Lions and knock James Franklin's squad out of the CFP race with a second loss.

There figures to be plenty of fireworks to end the college football season, but next Saturday is lining up to be the calm before the storm. Of the serious championship contenders, only Washington faces what looks to be a serious challenge with a road game at Oregon State.

Ohio State hosts Minnesota, Michigan faces Maryland, Florida State plays North Alabama, Oregon goes against Arizona State, Alabama matches up with Chattanooga and Texas is at Iowa State. Perhaps Tennessee can challenge Georgia, but the Bulldogs seem to be hitting their stride and should roll.

That means there likely won't be many changes in next week's rankings either.

Texas is back.

And it might be for real this time.

While the two-time reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs still sit atop the Associated Press Top 25 poll, no team in college football had a bigger win than the Longhorns on Saturday. They went into Alabama and left with a convincing 34-24 victory over Nick Saban's powerhouse program.

It was the type of statement that will resonate into the College Football Playoff discussions later in the season.

It also moved Texas up to No. 4 in the newly released AP Poll:

1. Georgia

2. Michigan

3. Florida State

4. Texas

5. USC

6. Ohio State

7. Penn State

8. Washington

9. Notre Dame

10. Alabama

11. Tennessee

12. Utah

13. Oregon

14. LSU

15. Kansas State

16. Oregon State

17. Ole Miss

18. Colorado

19. Oklahoma

20. North Carolina

21. Duke

22. Miami

23. Washington State

24. UCLA

25. Iowa

Texas lost by a single point in dramatic fashion in last year's matchup against the Crimson Tide, so it was surely thinking about the chance at revenge throughout the offseason.

And it delivered.

Quinn Ewers threw for 349 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, while the Longhorns defense intercepted Jalen Milroe twice. Milroe struggled at times to live up to the sky-high expectations in place as Bryce Young's successor, which is a credit to the defense he faced.

Alabama's loss was part of another tough day for the SEC against Power Five competition.

After Florida lost to Utah, LSU lost to Florida State and South Carolina lost to North Carolina in Week 1 of the season, Texas A&M lost to Miami and the Crimson Tide fell in two of Saturday's marquee games. Vanderbilt also lost to Wake Forest.

Tennessee looked pedestrian against Austin Peay, Mississippi State needed overtime to defeat Arizona, Missouri beat Middle Tennessee by four points and Kentucky struggled against Eastern Kentucky.

Ole Miss, which won at Tulane, was the only SEC team with a truly impressive performance against quality competition, although Auburn did escape a road game against California with a 14-10 victory.

It leaves one wondering if anyone will be able to challenge Georgia in the league, as the Bulldogs cruised past Ball State and likely won't be challenged until November games against Ole Miss and Tennessee.

Elsewhere, Notre Dame handled NC State on the road in a 21-point win, Oregon barely got past Texas Tech on the road and Washington State knocked the Wisconsin Badgers from the Top 25 with a win.

The Deion Sanders show also continued to roll, as Colorado overcame a slow offensive start and defeated Nebraska with ease.

But the Buffaloes and everyone else are still looking up at the champions.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

While much of the college football offseason has been dominated by drastic conference realignment, many of the same powerhouses are right on top of the new Associated Press Top 25 with the start of the 2023 campaign approaching.

Two-time reigning national champion Georgia tops the list, while the usual suspects of Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State and LSU, among others, look the part of College Football Playoff participants near the top of the poll.

Here is a look at the Top 25, which was released Monday:

1. Georgia

2. Michigan

3. Ohio State

4. Alabama

5. LSU

6. USC

7. Penn State

8. Florida State

9. Clemson

10. Washington

11. Texas

12. Tennessee

13. Notre Dame

14. Utah

15. Oregon

16. Kansas State

17. TCU

18. Oregon State

19. Wisconsin

20. Oklahoma

21. North Carolina

22. Ole Miss

23. Texas A&M

24. Tulane

25. Iowa

One look at the rankings underscores how college football is trending toward two superconferences.

Georgia, Alabama and LSU are all in the Top 10 from the SEC, while Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State are in the Top 10 from the Big Ten. USC, which is ranked No. 6, will be joining the Big Ten in 2024, further driving the point home.

Yet all of those teams are trying to catch the Bulldogs atop of the college football world.

Georgia's only loss since Nov. 7, 2020, came against Alabama in the 2021 SEC Championship Game, and it still managed to bounce back from that and defeat the Crimson Tide in the ensuing national title game.

Ohio State came within a missed field goal and a controversial overturned targeting call that injured star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. from defeating the Bulldogs in the CFP last season, but the SEC powerhouse proceeded to steamroll TCU by 58 points in the title game to win its second straight national championship.

Georgia has to replace quarterback Stetson Bennett, so perhaps turnover at the most important position will open the door for another team to take home the trophy.

Whoever emerges from the SEC West race between Alabama and LSU, as well as the eventual Big Ten champion from a group that includes the Buckeyes, Wolverines and Nittany Lions, figures to be a top challenger.

USC may make a run in its final season in the Pac-12 as well. Or perhaps there is a surprise contender in store before the entire college football landscape changes in 2024 with conference realignment and playoff expansion.

But for now, college football is Georgia's world. Everyone else is just living in it.