Projecting some of the changes in the AP Top 25 college football rankings after Week 1 scores
By Chip Patterson
• 5 min read
Week 1 of college football is almost in the books, but we still have to wait a few days before a new updated version of the AP Top 25. Still, the slates from Thursday, Friday and Saturday are filled with results that voters will use to inform their reworked ballots.
In a normal college football week, we will use this space to project, specifically, what the updated AP Top 25 will look like when the rankings refresh on Sunday. But with three ranked teams left to play this weekend and three more days until a new AP poll, we will instead focus on the teams that delivered rankings-shifting results.
There were not many games between ranked teams in Week 1, but No. 1 Georgia's season-opening trouncing of No. 14 Clemson will likely transfer a few first-place votes the Bulldogs' way — making Kirby Smart's team even closer to a unanimous No. 1. There will also be a significant impact on the losing end with a reranking of Dabo Swinney's Tigers. Saturday's night cap between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 20 will also spark some ballot changes as Marcus Freeman's group picked up the biggest win of the day by beating a ranked team on the road in thrilling fashion.
But with so few games between ranked teams, we are expecting there will be some movement based on the quality of performance and the quality of victory for ranked teams in action. That's where teams like Penn State or Miami could see a boost even after wins against unranked teams, as both did so by large margins in road environments.
Let's take a look at some of the teams that will be on the move when the rankings update after Week 1. And be sure to join us on Monday night for the official Tomorrow's Top 25 Today as we sort out the new AP Top 25 projections after Week 1. For now, here are a few teams that changed their ranking outlook on Saturday.
Miami (Fla.) | |
| I'm expecting that voters will have No. 19 Miami as many as six spots higher in the reworked rankings, jumping ahead of other 1-0 teams based on having a more impressive win. Even if Florida fielded a squad well short of their preseason rating — which had the Gators as a narrow home underdog in the game — Miami's 41-17 victory in The Swamp showcased a Hurricanes team that is already playing closer its peak than many thought we'd see at this point in the season. While other teams with transfer portal additions and new starting quarterbacks were working out the kinks, Cam Ward was throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns in one of the program's largest wins ever against the Gators. | |
Clemson | |
| In most cases a loss to the No. 1 team in the country does not warrant a notable reaction from the AP voters, but that is not going to be the case for No. 14 Clemson. Fair or not, the Tigers are going to receive criticism for things beyond the four quarters of action. AP voters are like many around college football who have taken note of the Tigers' recent stumbles when compared to their recent program standard. Being ranked in the top 25 is, partially, projecting a return to that standard — or at least a step in the right direction. Clemson will likely fall off the ballot entirely for many voters while remaining somewhere in the 20s for others. Whether that will be enough to remain inside the top 25 will depend on how many teams get consensus support there in the final five spots of the top 25. | |
Notre Dame | |
| There isn't a ton of room to move up from No. 7, but there will be enough voters on the low end of Notre Dame's preseason balloting to give the Fighting Irish a bump ahead of Ole Miss for No. 6. While the Rebels put a huge number on the board against Furman, that's not going to carry the kind of weight as what QB Riley Leonard and a stellar defense were able to pull off in one of the most hostile environments in college football. Notre Dame had a new offensive line, a new offensive coordinator and a new quarterback, and it showed with a barrage of penalties that stunted offensive drives. Still, the defense held strong and Leonard helped guide a pair of second-half touchdown drives to deliver a win in one of the biggest games of the day. | |
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| It seems unlikely that No. 20 Texas A&M will fall all the way out of the top 25 following a close loss to a top-10 team, but there may be voters who drop the Aggies from their ballot after an offensive performance that left a lot to be desired. Texas A&M has a strong defensive front and put itself in position to win against Notre Dame, but when really pressed to deliver a touchdown drive, things did not look easy for QB Conner Weigman and the rest of the Aggies offense. It's a similar debate as the one Clemson faces, with voters picking their preference between offensively challenged teams who lost to top-10 opponents. One team (Texas A&M) played a closer and more competitive game, while the other (Clemson) lost to a team that's ranked higher in the poll. Either way, both teams are battling for those spots on the cut line around No. 25. | |
Penn State | |
| While No. 8 Penn State does not have a lot of room for upward movement, the Nittany Lions put together a performance that should change the minds of those voters on the lower end of their ranking range. Other teams in the top 10 won handily against lesser competition, but Penn State traveled to West Virginia, endured a weather delay and never trailed in a 34-12 win against the Mountaineers. Penn State was expected to win in the eyes of the oddsmakers, but not in such a lopsided manner. The defense was dominant and QB Drew Allar totaled three touchdowns in the debut for a reworked offense. Penn State might not be able to crack the top five, but that conversation will begin after this win. | |
Oregon | |
| Every other team in the top six of the AP Top 25 poll dominated their opponent, but No. 3 Oregon found itself in a tight game late against FCS Idaho. There is no expectation that the Ducks fall much farther than No. 5 or No. 6, but a rocky start for QB Dillon Gabriel and an offense that was expected to be among the best in the country is going to get the voters' attention. Sensible reactions as to whether or not Oregon's performance is indicative of a group that has taken a step back will come when we see more games against different competition, but for voters looking to shake things up on their ballot Saturday's result stands out in comparison to the other top-ranked teams in the poll. | |
CBS Sports will release a complete projected AP Top 25 on Monday night following the conclusion of Week 1 play.
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