After an opening weekend that saw most top teams take care of business, multiple teams ranked in the AP Top 25 poll took losses in Week 2, and that should produce some notable changes in the college football rankings.
Clearly, the most notable change will be at the top, where Texas stormed back with 21 fourth-quarter points to take down No. 1 Ohio State. The dramatic conclusion to this top-five tilt made the showdown an instant classic on a day full of twists and turns, but it also reopens the debate for the top team in the country. We are projecting Texas takes over that No. 1 spot on the back of the win, just like a boxer who has claimed the belt by beating the champ. The fall for Ohio State won’t likely be too dramatic, but the same cannot be said for the likes of Oregon, Oklahoma and more who suffered setbacks in Week 2.
In fact, this post-Week 2 might be one of the hardest weeks for voters as they try to figure out what to value with teams who have delivered inconsistent results through the opening weeks of the season.
How, for example, does an AP voter consider the case of Michigan? The Wolverines looked dreadful in the opener and got dropped from the top 25 entirely, only to roar back and take out an Oklahoma team ranked 11th in the country. Voters thought Kyle Whittingham’s group was a top-20 team in the preseason, bailed on that notion entirely after Week 1, and now have to figure out what the Wolverines’ 17-10 win means for both teams.
And what will the voters do with Oregon? More than a dozen voters entered the season considering the Ducks as the No. 1 team in the country, ahead of all of the other worthy contenders. Now Oregon is 1-1 after getting stunned by Oklahoma State in Stillwater, and those same voters are going to be the ones asking if the Ducks are worthy of another mulligan. Oregon has been inside the top eight of the AP poll since Oct. 2023, and while that streak will break after the loss, it speaks to the consistency of voters’ support for the Ducks over the last couple of years.
Whether it’s inconsistencies in the performance between the first two games or ways the teams have or have not lined up with voters’ preseason expectations, there’s a lot for voters to consider with these early season rankings. Voters are tasked with rewarding performance over reputation on their ballots, but typically there is a little bit more forgiveness for top teams to shake off an early season speed bump. It usually only lasts a week, though, and is immediately challenged in their next game against a quality opponent.
So how will voters balance what they have seen, and what might be excused as normal early season missteps?
Here’s how we think the new AP Top 25 poll will look after the scores and results of Week 2 in college football:
1. Texas (Last week — 4): It’s the stuff of legends for Texas to come storming back against this Ohio State program that has bounced them in the College Football Playoff semifinals two years ago and downed them 14-7 in Columbus a year ago. Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning both experiencing a breakthrough with that kind of drama is great for storytelling, and the AP voters love a good story.
2. Georgia (2): The Bulldogs absolutely obliterated Western Kentucky, scoring 70 points one week after putting up 63 in the season opener. It’s likely voters are going to wait for a power conference opponent before really pushing Georgia into the No. 1 discussion, but the combined 133-23 margin of its first two wins gives it more of a “looks the part” advantage than a lot of ranked teams through two weeks.
3. Notre Dame (3): If the Fighting Irish continue to stack up lopsided wins, the push for Marcus Freeman’s team as the No. 1 team in the country will grow stronger. Throttling Rice doesn’t change the No. 1 conversation in the wake of the result in Austin, but this team had six touchdowns and just one punt on its first seven drives. The strength of the argument for Texas will be hard to beat for a few weeks, or until they lose, but the Fighting Irish have put voters on notice in these first two weeks.
4. Indiana (5): Another week, another absolute dismantling by Indiana’s offense. The Hoosiers scored touchdowns on five of their six first-half possessions and cruised to a 55-point win. Like Georgia, it’s not going to be the result that greatly alters their standing but certainly one that satisfies the expectations of a top-five team.
5. Miami (7): We are projecting a slight move up for the Hurricanes in the wake of Oregon’s struggles and one of the most dominant statistical performances in school history. Miami had the most first downs (42) in a game in ACC history and the most total yards of offense (856) in school history, while Darian Mensah added to his Heisman Trophy stat profile with 252 yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-15 passing.
6. LSU (8): The Tigers didn’t look great early, but Lane Kiffin’s crew shook off the rust and eventually cruised to a 45-14 win against Louisiana Tech.
7. Ohio State (1): In last week’s voting, the difference between No. 4 Texas and No. 8 LSU in voting points (147) was smaller than the gap between the Tigers and the team right after them, Ole Miss at No. 9. That’s why we’ve targeted this as the landing spot for Ohio State, a team that will be penalized the least for its first loss of the season given the opponent and the setting.
8. Ole Miss (9): In a sandwich spot on short rest between the Sunday opener against Louisville and next week’s reunion with Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss handled its business against Charlotte. Kewan Lacy was running hard early, and the Rebels built enough of a first-half lead to cruise to an easy win.
9. Texas A&M (10): Things weren’t perfect for the Aggies, but a +3 advantage in the turnover margin and two pick-sixes helped power a 48-20 win against Arizona State at home. This is a situation where voters could excuse the aesthetics as early season hiccups, and simply check the box for a top-10 team holding serve in a non-conference spot against a Big 12 foe.
10. Alabama (12): What looked like it was going to be an upset scare turned into a second-half rout as Alabama outscored Kentucky 32-0 after halftime in a 45-17 road win to kick off SEC play. Keelon Russell‘s playmaking and a stout Crimson Tide defense headlined the day for a performance that might have showcased how quickly Alabama can take hold of a game with its high-end talent.
11. USC (14): The Trojans rolled up another impressive offensive performance as Lincoln Riley’s group improved to 3-0 with a win against Louisiana.
12. Texas Tech (13): A good run from Oregon State made Texas Tech sweat a little bit on Saturday night in Corvallis, but the Red Raiders avoided an upset to hold on to their spot in the top 15.
13. BYU (15): There is an argument that BYU had one of the best wins of the weekend with how it held off a strong charge from a good Arizona team to kick off its Big 12 conference schedule. The Cougars are in a fight to make it to Dallas and contend for the conference title again, and this might be one of the tougher games on the conference schedule. Now it’s in the books as a win, and voters have a chance to reward BYU for the quality victory in the updated rankings.
14. Penn State (16): The Nittany Lions shook off a slow start to pull away from Temple in a 27-9 win that might reverse some of the upward momentum Matt Campbell‘s crew picked up in the opener. Shutting out Marshall 45-0 saw Penn State move up two spots, so now we’re projecting something closer to the status quo in the wake of this Week 2 win against the Owls.
15. SMU (17): There’s no reason to think SMU makes any big moves after a 56-10 win against UC Davis. The Mustangs were solidly in a pack below Penn State but above Utah in last week’s rankings and should remain in that range again.
16. Tennessee (18): Faizon Brandon‘s first road start was bumpy at times, completing less than 50 percent of his passes and totaling just 148 passing yards, but DeSean Bishop‘s explosiveness on the ground led the way as he racked up 190 rushing yards and two scores in the 21-point road win at Georgia Tech.
17. Michigan (NR): We project that Michigan will return somewhat close to its preseason ranking in a strong return to the poll after beating Oklahoma. The Wolverines’ result against Western Michigan may be contested in this kind of subjective process, but not Saturday’s win against No. 11 Oklahoma. In a high-stakes game with College Football Playoff implications, it was Michigan that delivered the game-winning plays down the stretch to seal the win. That should and will be rewarded in the rankings, setting up a smooth return to the top 25.
18. Utah (20): The Utes absolutely smashed Arkansas late on Saturday night in Salt Lake City, providing an encouraging result for Utah’s stock as a top 25 team and a contender in the Big 12.
19. Missouri (23): As things shuffle around near the bottom of the top 25, voters will find it comfortable moving up Missouri thanks to an emphatic 38-21 win in the Border War rivalry against Kansas on Friday night. After both sides exchanged haymakers, the Tigers hit an extra gear and ran away with the win in an impressive showing for Missouri as a whole, but especially quarterback Austin Simmons.
20. Iowa (21): The Hawkeyes survived a scary test from rival Iowa State, presenting voters with another troubling result that challenges their preseason expectations. The Hawkeyes hadn’t beaten Iowa State at home since 2018, so the fans relished a win all the same, but voters might have been looking for a bit more before making a big move up their ballots.
21. Oregon (6): Any list of the “best” college football teams should probably include Oregon, which is undeniably one of the most talented in the country and takes the field most Saturdays with more players who will be playing on Sundays. But its argument as a contender is falling apart here in the first month of the 2026 season. With its loss at Oklahoma State, the Ducks are left as a 1-1 team with a seven-point home win over an unranked team. Some voters could end up dropping the Ducks entirely, but we’re projecting enough will keep them in the 20s to remain inside the top 25.
22. Houston (22): We’re projecting not much movement for Houston, who put 70 points on the scoreboard against Southern before the end of the third quarter. The stats and notable performances are many for the Coogs, but voters will wait for next week’s battle with Texas Tech before making big adjustments.
23. Louisville (24): Lincoln Kienholz starred on Saturday night in Cardinals stadium, leading Louisville with 332 passing yards and four total touchdowns in the win against Villanova. An FCS win, even an impressive one, isn’t going to help the Cardinals win tiebreakers as voters sort out the final spots on their ballot, but it was the kind of win that satisfied the expectations that Louisville is one of the 25 best teams in the country.
24. Virginia (25): Things are going to get very dicey around the edge of the top 25, but Virginia’s opening statement with two dominant wins (NC State and Norfolk State) could help the Wahoos hang on. After spending much of 2025 ranked, voters are getting more used to seeing Virginia as a familiar pick on their ballots.
25. Boise State (NR): Saturday’s showdown between Boise State and Memphis could prove to be very significant for the College Football Playoff race, but in the immediate future it could be the result that propels the Broncos into the top 25. Boise State was 26th in voting points after the loss at Oregon in Week 1, and just bowled over Memphis in the second half of a 38-20 win.
Projected to drop out: No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 19 Washington
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