Week 2 College Football Rankings: Evaluating Top 25 Teams After Week 1
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Week 1 of the 2026 college football season didn’t deliver too many surprises, with many of the top-ranked teams facing bottom-tier teams they paid to open the season against. However, between Saturday’s clashes between Western Michigan vs Michigan, LSU vs Clemson and Boise State vs Oregon, we got a bit of movement in the top 25 rankings.
Of note, there are still a few ranked teams who haven’t taken the field yet. Notre Dame, Louisville, Ole Miss and Washington play on Sunday with SMU suiting up on Sunday. We’ll provide update to our rankings following those contests.
Related: Winners, Losers from College Football Week 1
Let’s dive into our Week 2 college football rankings.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (Previous: 1)
All things considered, Ryan Day should be relatively happy regarding how the Ohio State Buckeyes looked in the regular-season opener. There were explosive plays on the ground from Ja’Kobi Jackson and Bo Jackson, which the coaching staff certainly wanted to see. Freshman offensive weapon Legend Bey showcased his electric playmaking with the football in his hands as a runner, receiver and returner. Meanwhile, the Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith connection looked in midseason form and Ohio State’s defense did its thing against Ball State. It was the kind of tune-up performance you want to see before heading to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 @ Texas Longhorns (7:30 PM ET on ABC)
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Previous: 2)
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish open the season on Sunday night at Lambeau Field versus the Wisconsin Badgers on NBC. It’s a great opportunity for quarterback C.J. Carr to kickstart his Heisman Trophy campaign, but we’ll be keeping an even closer eye on the new-look run game with Aneyas Williams and Nolan James Jr. What gives us so much confidence in the Fighting Irish as one of the best college football teams right now? Great coaching, an All-American caliber quarterback with one of the best defenses and offensive lines in the nation.
- Next Opponent: Sunday vs Wisconsin Badgers
3. Indiana Hoosiers (Previously: 4)
Fernando Mendoza is gone and it didn’t look like this Indiana Hoosiers offense missed a beat. Transfer quarterback Josh Hoover hit transfer receiver Nick Marsh for the game’s opening touchdown, but the real chemistry on display came with his connection to Charlie Becker. Hoosiers offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan even has to feel good about what running back Turbo Richard (96 scrimmage yards and 2 touchdowns on 18 touches) showed in this one. We’re also sure that head coach Curt Cignetti will see more than enough issues with how this defense performed to correct in practice in the next few weeks. Fortunately for Indiana, it doesn’t face a real test until Oct. 17.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 vs Howard (12 PM ET on Big Ten Network)
4. Texas Longhorns (Previously: 5)
The good news for the Texas Longhorns offense is that transfer additions Hollywood Smothers and Cam Coleman made their presence felt in their debut in orange. The running back and wide receiver, poised to be centerpieces in Steve Sarkisian’s game plan, each eclipsed 70 scrimmage yards and a score, with Coleman finding the end zone twice. Arch Manning still has some things to work on but Texas won it comfortably. With that said, as of now, the Longhorns look like a program that is just a tier below Ohio State. We’ll see if that’s true on Saturday night.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 vs Ohio State Buckeyes (7:30 PM ET on ABC)
5. Oregon Ducks (Previously: 3)
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks experienced a scare in their home opener versus Boise State. Lanning’s defense surrendered 24 points in the first three quarters, although 10 of those points came on drives that started in Oregon territory. This is why it’s so nice to have one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Dante Moore (28-of-37, 378 yards and 3 touchdowns) sparked the Ducks offense after a slow start and running back Jordon Davison (90 yards and 1 touchdown) helped seal the door. Oregon starts 1-0 and Lanning can feel good about how his defense turn things around in the fourth quarter.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 @ Oklahoma State (12 PM ET on ESPN)
6. Georgia Bulldogs (Previously: 6)
Tennessee State had the misfortune of being the first program to face an extremely motivated Georgia Bulldogs team. Kirby Smart has seemingly felt a slight bit of disrespect nationally coming into the season, and whatever message he sent to the Bulldogs locker room before Week 1, it worked. Thanks largely to Gunner Stockton and Nate Frazier, the Bulldogs offense put up 28 points and 228 total yards on 17 plays in its first four drivers in the first quarter. That set the tone for that Saturday afternoon at Sanford Stadium.
7. Miami Hurricanes (Previously: 8)
Did no one tell Stanford that the Miami Hurricanes have one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the nation? The Cardinal defense certainly had no answers for what quarterback Darian Mensah (27-of-30, 401 passing yards and 5 touchdowns) threw at them. Malachi Toney was, of course, the real standout but that’s going to happen when you already look like you belong in the NFL at 18 years old.
- Next Opponent: Thursday vs Florida A&M (8:00 PM ET on ACC Network)
8. Oklahoma Sooners (Previously: 7)
Obviously, not too much stock can be put into a 51-0 victory in Week 1 over UTEP. With that said, it’s nice to see running backs Lloyd Avant (79 yards and 1 touchdown on 15 carries) and Ben McCreary (40 yards on 6 carries) impress after this Oklahoma Sooners‘ ground game struggled so much in 2025. The true litmus test, of course, comes next Saturday on the road at Michigan. Given that the Sooners have one of the best defenses in the nation and hold the quarterback advantage, we tend to believe Oklahoma gets the win in The Big House.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 @ Michigan Wolverines (12 PM ET on FOX)
9. Texas A&M Aggies (Previously: 9)
Do we feel more confident in quarterback Marcel Reed’s ability to perform at a high level consistently after Week 1? It’s certainly not any different from our sentiment on the dual-threat quarterback at the end of last year. With that said, Mike Elko’s defense is as advertised and it ensured that Missouri State never had a chance even with the Texas A&M Aggies offense being a bit sluggish out of the gate. Of course, we can’t truly assess this team until they travel to Death Valley to face LSU on Sept. 26.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 vs Arizona State (12 PM ET on ABC)
10. LSU Tigers (Previously: 11)
Maybe the two-hour delay and a bit of nerves from making his first start in Death Valley led to the early interception for Sam Leavitt. From then on, the LSU Tigers looked like a program that was embracing its villain role and demonstrating why so much money has been poured into this program. Clemson truly didn’t look like it belonged on the same field as LSU, even on a night when Leavitt didn’t perform like the superstar we saw at Arizona State. If this is how things are going to look when the Tigers offense isn’t firing on all cylinders, we can’t wait to witness what Lane Kiffin’s team is capable of in the weeks to come.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 vs Louisiana Tech (7:30 PM ET on SEC Network+)
11. BYU Cougars (Previously: 10)
There’s a bear causing havoc in Utah. BYU Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier did the heavy lifting for the offense on Saturday night, putting on a passing clinic in the season opener. It’s a reminder that this team doesn’t need running back LJ Martin to shoulder the load anymore and BYU’s defense has a wider margin for error. Bachmeier is showing so much of the same ability we saw a year ago and his development is one of the reasons why BYU is one of the best college football teams in 2026.
12. Texas Tech Red Raiders (Previously: 12)
We’d like to think billionaire booster Cody Campbell won’t go around boasting about the Texas Tech Raiders’ victory in Week 1, given it came against Abilene Christian, but that would probably be asking too much from him. We remain very high on the Red Raiders defense, but there’s just no way we can trust the quarterback situation enough right now to put them in the top 10 of our college football rankings. Beat Houston in Week 3, then we’ll revisit this.
13. USC Trojans (Previously: 14)
So far, so good for Lincoln Riley and the 2-0 USC Trojans. In victories over San Jose State and Fresno State, the Trojans offense is averaging 528.5 total yards and 28 first downs per game. What’s particularly impressive are the early contributions from freshman wide receivers Trent Mosley (11-222-2) and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (10-138-1), showing early playmaking ability and chemistry with Jayden Maiava. It will be 3-0 next weekend at the Coliseum with Louisiana coming to town.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 vs Louisiana (11 PM ET on Big Ten Network)
14. Ole Miss Rebels (Previously: 13)
While many of the best college football teams get to treat Week 1 as tune-up games, the Ole Miss Rebels take on a ranked opponent Sunday night against Louisville. It should be a competitive battle in Nashville, but Mississippi obviously holds the advantage in the trenches defensively and Louisville likely won’t have any answers for Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy.
- Next Opponent: Sunday vs Louisville (7:30 PM ET on ABC)
15. Alabama Crimson Tide (Previously: 15)
Keelon Russell wasn’t flawless in his first collegiate start, but the box score for the Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback also would’ve looked better if not for some drops by Ryan Coleman-Williams. What matters is that Russell showcased his athleticism at the right times while also making some gorgeous throws to all areas of the field and into small windows. We are a bit concerned by RCW’s continued issues with drops and some of the big throws the Alabama secondary allowed, but the latter is a minor issue that can be corrected with time and regular-season reps.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 @ Kentucky (3:30 PM ET on ABC)
16. Penn State Nittany Lions (Previously: 16)
The wins and touchdowns keep coming for quarterback Rocco Becht and head coach Matt Campbell, only this season with the Penn State Nittany Lions. It’s a bit unnerving that Penn State couldn’t do much on the ground (4.0 yards per carry on 32 attempts) versus Marshall, but Becht (271 pass yards, 4 touchdowns and 15.1 ypa) made that easy to put in the rearview mirror. The Nittany Lions have almost a month to work things out with their rushing attack before facing a ranked team. For now, at least fans can celebrate being right about what happens when Koby Howard (6-161-1) is unleashed.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sep.t 12 @ Temple (12 P ET on ESPN2)
17. Utah Utes (Previously: 17)
The Utah Utes with a legitimate offense? What a sight to behold. In the first game under play-caller Kevin McGiven, quarterback Devon Dampier was extremely efficient (13 of 18, 176 yards and 3 touchdowns) and Utah put up 364 rushing yards while averaging over 7 yards per carry. It coming against Utah certainly means the offensive output (66 points and 633 total yards) won’t generate any national buzz, but that should change next Saturday against Arkansas.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 vs Arkansas (10:15 PM ET on ESPN)
18. Washington Huskies (Previously: 20)
The Apple Cup opens the season for the Washington Huskies, a rivalry game that should be pretty one-sided on Sunday afternoon. After a tumultuous offseason, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. gets to put it all behind him and hopefully have the home crowd let bygones be bygones. What we’re interested to see is who steps up at running back and wide receiver following the departures of Jonah Coleman and Denzel Boston.
- Next Opponent: Sunday vs Washington State (4:00 PM ET on NBC)
19. Tennessee Volunteers (Previously: 21)
It wasn’t the cleanest start for the Tennessee Volunteers early and the play-calling was very conservative, but true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon made a strong impression in his first collegiate start. Tennessee jumped out to a 42-0 lead after its second drive in the third quarter, led by 5 total touchdowns from Brandon with 226 passing yards and 68 rushing yards on the team’s first eight drives. Josh Heupel also has to come away feeling a bit better about this Volunteers’ pass rush under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. A more difficult challenge awaits both Brandon and this Tennessee defense in Week 2 versus the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7:00 PM ET on ESPN)
20. Louisville Cardinals (Previously: 22)
It’s an opening-season challenge for the Louisville Cardinals program with a road trip to Nashville to take on Ole Miss. Given how the Cardinals defense fared against top offenses, we’re not exactly optimistic about how this unit will contain Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy. On the bright side, Jeff Brohm will create some fireworks and running back Isaac Brown has a great chance to prove on a national stage that he can rip off big runs against an SEC defense. Even if the Cardinals lose, this will be by far their toughest opponent of the season so a Week 1 loss isn’t a death blow by any means.
- Next Opponent: Sunday vs Ole Miss (7:30 PM ET on ABC)
21. Iowa Hawkeyes (Previously: 19)
A quarterback rotation doesn’t really matter when you have Kamari Moulton in the backfield. The Iowa Hawkeyes running back put the offense on his shoulders in the first half in the regular-season opener against Northern Illinois, turning his first 10 carries into 175 rushing yards and two scores. The rotation between quarterbacks Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski was fine, but that’s not saying much given the competition. As much as we like the Hawkeyes defense and run game, there are always going to be trust issues with a team this unsettled under center and that’s an even bigger issue in the Big Ten Conference.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 vs Iowa State Cyclones (7:30 PM ET on NBC)
22. SMU Mustangs (Previously: 23)
The SMU Mustangs can’t let this one slip away. Even at home for Florida State, the Seminoles are very beatable and it’s not like the Mustangs haven’t demonstrated they can win on the national stage. We are a bit wary of quarterback Kevin Jennings, largely due to his issues protecting the football. With that said, the Mustangs roster is better coached and more battle-tested than Florida State. It would be a real disappointment and a massive blow to the program’s College Football Playoff hopes if the Mustangs drop this Monday night contest.
- Next Opponent: Monday vs Florida State (7:30 PM ET on ESPN)
24. Michigan Wolverines (Previously: 16)
That Hail Mary miracle should not have counted. There was not 1 second left on the clock when Bryce Underwood’s throw went out of bounds and made contact with a player. It’s inexplicable how the second was created out of the thin air and it’s even more absurd that Michigan fans thought beating Western Michigan after getting bailed out was worth storming the field over. Even if you want to count that one throw, quarterback Bryce Underwood and this Wolverines offense didn’t look like a top-25 team.
- Next Opponent: Friday, Sept. 11 @ Kansas (8:00 PM ET on FOX)
23. Western Michigan Broncos (Previously: Unranked)
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 vs Oklahoma (12 PM ET on FOX)
25. Boise State Broncos (Previously: Unranked)
Inclement weather resulted in the Boise State Broncos arriving very late in Eugene, needing a 120-mile bus ride just to make it to Saturday’s game. That’s on top of playing in one of the loudest atmospheres in college football. Through all of that adversity, Boise State had it tied at 27-27 midway through the fourth quarter. While the Broncos ultimately lost, this is the kind of performance we’d only expect to see from one of the 25 best teams in college football.
- Next Opponent: Saturday, Sept. 12 vs Memphis (6 PM ET on USA Network)
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