College Football Power Rankings (Post-Week One Edition)
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| Jameis Winston |
2. Oregon (1-0) - Led by Marcus Mariota, the Ducks had no issues with South Dakota but now comes the real test? A date with Michigan State, who presents a dominant defense and an improving offense. A victory puts them in real Playoff talks, while a loss really hurts, even earlier in the year.
3. Oklahoma (1-0) - The Sooners got off to an early lead against Louisiana Tech and never looked back, winning by nearly five touchdowns. The offense looked strong, especially Trevor Knight, who made some big throws.
4. Alabama (1-0) - There is definitely worry in Tuscaloosca following the Tide's narrow victory over West Virginia. The defense, a strength for years under Nick Saban, looked overmatched (especially the secondary) while Blake Sims was inconsistent. A game against Florida Atlantic gives them an opportunity to smooth over those issues.
5. Auburn (1-0) - Even without Heisman candidate Nick Marshall, the Tigers had no troubles with Arkansas, who was looking to get a huge SEC victory. RB Cameron Artis-Payne had a great game and Auburn fans will soon forget the name of Tre Mason.
6. Michigan State (1-0) - Jacksonville State isn't exactly great competition but the Spartans looked great in their opener. The defense was it's usual stingy self, while the offense showed some signs of explosiveness, especially wide receiver Tony Lippett.
7. Georgia (1-0) - Other than perhaps Texas A&M no team made a bigger statement in Week One than the Bulldogs. After a slow start, Georgia pounded the youthful Clemson Tigers, 45-21. Todd Gurley firmly entrenched himself in the Heisman chase, rushing for nearly 200 yards along with four total touchdowns.
8. Ohio State (1-0) - The Buckeyes needed a great second half to beat Navy, who ran all over OSU's defense. Redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett was decent in his first ever start, but the defense is a real cause for concern. If Virginia Tech can run the ball and not turn it over, they have a shot at taking down Ohio State.
9. UCLA (1-0) - If not for three defensive scores, the Bruins would have lost a stunner to Virginia in Charlottesville. The real issue was offensively, where Heisman candidate Brett Hundley could get nothing going. He isn't going to have much success this year unless the O-Line improves and a reliable back steps up to take the spotlight off of him.
10. Baylor (1-0) - To nobody's surprise, Baylor absolutely ran all over SMU, coming away with a 45-0 victory. Bryce Petty looked awfully impressive, even with a back injury holding him back. The only concerning part of the win was kicking, where Baylor's Chris Callahan went 1 for 4, missing two from ranges of 30 to 39.
11. Stanford (1-0) - Its hard to take too much away from Stanford's opener, considering they played lowly UC Davis. Even so, posting a shutout is something to feel good about, and quarterback Kevin Hogan looked improved, completing 75 percent of his throws and picking up three touchdowns.
12. LSU (1-0) - The Tigers needed a second half surge to escape past Wisconsin, a nice win to add to their resume. The offense struggled through much of the game, as sophomore QB Anthony Jennings struggled to find his groove. Seeing senior Kenny Hilliard carry the load was fun to watch, and Leonard Fournette will only improve.
13. USC (1-0) - After a weird week full of Josh Shaw rumors and racist accusations, Steve Sarkisian was happy to be back on the field coaching again. His Trojans looked awfully good against Fresno, especially quickly improving QB Cody Kessler (394 yards) and freshman receiver JuJu Smith (123 yards).
14. Texas A&M (1-0) - Johnny Manziel who? Sophomore Kenny Hill unleashed a 511 yard, four touchdown performance on the road against South Carolina, leading to very early Heisman talk. Not only was he great, the defense looked improved and the offensive line was great.
15. Notre Dame (1-0) - In his first game back since suspension, Everett Golson looked great, leading the Fighting Irish to a blowout win over Rice. The quarterback threw for two scores and ran for another, and looked very poised and calm. The defense made some mistakes, but looked solid overall.
16. Ole Miss (1-0) - The Rebels struggled early against Boise State but turned on the jets in the second half to come away with a big victory over the Broncos. While Bo Wallace made some dumb mistakes he also had some great throws, while the athleticism and speed of the defense was so impressive; Boise couldn't do anything against it.
17. Kansas State (1-0) - Jake Waters did it all for the Wildcats in their opener, passing for 223 yards and two scores and also rushing for 55 yards and two more scores. And, while the defense wasn't great, it looked decent in the blowout victory over Stephen F. Austin.
18. Arizona State (1-0) - It wasn't very surprising to see the Sun Devils come away with a blowout victory either, considering they were playing FCS foe Weber State. Taylor Kelly continues to lead one of the nation's most explosive offenses, while the inexperienced defense showed signs of being pretty strong.
19. South Carolina (0-1) - The Gamecocks just didn't play well against Texas A&M, but there is a silver lining. The loss is early in the year, giving them time to rebuild their resume, plus they get a bye week before a huge battle with Georgia. Running back Mike Davis didn't see much action against the Aggies because of his ribs, they need him healthy and fresh if they want to win the SEC East.
20. Nebraska (1-0) - It might have been against Florida Atlantic, but setting a Big Ten record for yardage in a game was still awfully exciting for the Huskers. Ameer Abdullah threw himself into the Heisman discussion with a 232-yard performance, while quarterback Tommy Armstrong looked improved.
21. Wisconsin (0-1) - Head coach Gary Andersen made a bold move, choosing to go with unproven but talented Tanner McEvoy at QB over incumbent starter Joel Stave. It proved to be a wrong move, as McEvoy was 8 for 24 and threw for just 50 yards, greatly limiting the Badger offense. While the defense looked good for much of the game, it definitely has room for improvement.
22. Missouri (1-0) - The inexperienced Tiger defense faced a sneaky challenge against Zach Zenner and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits but they played very well and held them in check. Workhorse back Russell Hansbrough lead the offense to a great day, posting 38 points and not making many mistakes.
23. Clemson (0-1) - Clemson's offense looked pretty good in the first half of their meeting with Georgia, before it completely unraveled in the second half. The ground game couldn't generate big plays and neither Cole Stoudt nor Deshaun Watson could take advantage of the porous Georgia secondary.
24. UNC (1-0) - Although they got off to a slow start, the Tar Heels didn't have much trouble taking care of business and beating Liberty. Quarterback Marquise Williams was fantastic, while Ryan Switzer showed that he has more than just a special teams demon, he caught eight passes. If the Heels can find a running game (true freshman Elijan Hood?) they are very dangerous.
25. Penn State (1-0) - This offense has the chance to be extremely high-scoring and explosive, something you don't associate Penn State with. Sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg threw for 454 yards against an experienced UCF defense, while Geno Lewis and DaeSean Hamilton provided a scary 1-2 punch at receiver. The defense is still searching for difference makers but it did play well against the young Knights' offense.
Others Receiving Votes
Washington
Florida
Iowa
Texas
Arizona
Mississippi State
Duke
UCF
Miami
BYU
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