{"id":434683,"date":"2026-09-13T11:36:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T11:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/434683\/"},"modified":"2026-09-13T11:36:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T11:36:11","slug":"projecting-ap-top-25-after-college-football-week-2-texas-stuns-ohio-state-and-theres-a-new-no-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/434683\/","title":{"rendered":"Projecting AP Top 25 After College Football Week 2: Texas Stuns Ohio State, and There\u2019s a New No. 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

If Week 1 of the college football season was a reminder to take the results with a grain of salt, Week 2 was a call to believe what you\u2019re seeing<\/a>. <\/p>\n

We saw a Michigan team that needed an extra second to defeat Western Michigan follow up the performance by silencing a red-hot Oklahoma offense en route to a stunning upset at the Big House. <\/p>\n

Then, we saw Oklahoma State raise the Wolverines one. The Cowboys, with 92 incoming transfers, looked like a discombobulated operation in a loss to Tulsa. Against No. 6 Oregon? They looked like a well-oiled machine capable of hanging with anyone.<\/p>\n

Oh, and then Texas completed its largest comeback since 2007 to stun No. 1 Ohio State. So there was plenty of carnage to be had among the Top 25 teams in Week 2<\/a>, giving the voters much to think about before the AP Top 25 poll releases at 2 p.m. ET Sunday. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how we believe the rankings should look. <\/p>\n

Projected AP Top 25 Ranking After Week 21. Georgia Bulldogs (2\u20130, 0\u20130 SEC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Western Kentucky, 70\u201320
Week 3: At Arkansas, noon ET Saturday<\/p>\n

One of the biggest questions facing the Bulldogs entering 2026 concerned their offense and how the program would generate explosive plays, of which there were not nearly enough last season. Kirby Smart\u2019s Dawgs have taken a walk down easy street to start the season, playing against Tennessee State and Western Kentucky, unsurprisingly outscoring the two 133\u201323. As such, there hasn\u2019t been much to nitpick, besides the Bulldogs\u2019 pesky penalties. But if you\u2019re looking for a genuine positive, it has to be Georgia\u2019s big-play offense, which averaged 11 yards per play last week and 10.4 yards per pass in the Week 2 win. With Ohio State\u2019s loss, the Bulldogs move into the top spot. <\/p>\n

2. Texas Longhorns (2\u20130, 0\u20130 SEC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat No. 1 Ohio State, 24\u201323
Week 3: vs. UTSA, 8 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

For roughly 45 minutes, the Longhorns were thoroughly outplayed by No. 1 Ohio State. They had no answer for Buckeyes wideout Jeremiah Smith, quarterback Arch Manning received little help from his skill-position players in a turnover-filled start and coach Steve Sarkisian galaxy-brained himself on a fourth-and-1 right before halftime, gifting the Buckeyes seven points. Then, the Will Muschamp defense began playing airtight in the second half. The fourth quarter was a complete turnaround. Manning started to use his legs more, both to escape the Buckeyes\u2019 rush and to extend plays. He began taking what the defense gave him in the short and intermediate areas, rather than looking for something that was never there. Texas pieced together play after play, drive after drive. Twenty-one unanswered points later, Texas had its stunning win, a victory that will have major implications on the College Football Playoff<\/a> down the road. <\/p>\n

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2\u20130)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Rice, 52\u20130
Week 3: vs. Michigan State, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

Marcus Freeman wants the Fighting Irish to \u201cleave no doubt\u201d as it pertains to the program\u2019s CFP case after last year\u2019s snub. But it also couldn\u2019t hurt for Notre Dame to leave no doubt against an opponent it should defeat, which the Fighting Irish took a bit too long to do last week against an unexpectedly resilient Wisconsin squad. Week 2 vs. Rice was a different story. The Owls were poached by the Irish from the jump, as safety Adon Shuler forced a fumble and defensive end Boubacar Traore scooped it and ran 24 yards for the opening touchdown on the second play from scrimmage. Led by a more aggressive CJ Carr, who fired four touchdown passes, the Fighting Irish never looked back en route to the 52\u20130 win. <\/p>\n

4. Indiana Hoosiers (2\u20130, 0\u20130 Big Ten)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Howard, 55\u20130
Week 3: vs. Western Kentucky, 4 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

When Josh Hoover\u2019s former coach at TCU, Sonny Dykes, seemed to take a subtle dig at the turnover-prone quarterback this offseason, Curt Cignetti went full papa bear to defend his new signal-caller. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to clean up some of the turnovers, obviously, which Coach Dykes made light of,\u201d Cignetti said at the time. \u201cBut when Josh got here, he met his two new best friends: great defense and a really good run game, and he was never the same after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indiana\u2019s 55\u20130 Week 2 win over Howard was proof of that. Yes, it was Howard. But the Hoosiers defense racked up five sacks and allowed just 57 total yards. The running game rumbled for 296 yards. And Hoover? All he did was throw for four more touchdown passes\u2014and again, no interceptions\u2014after tossing four scores in his Indiana debut last week. Hoover is somewhere singing like Zach Galifianakis<\/a> about his two best friends, the run game and defense. <\/p>\n

5. Ohio State Buckeyes (1\u20131, 0\u20130 Big Ten)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Lost to No. 4 Texas, 24\u201323
Week 3: vs. Kent State, noon ET Saturday<\/p>\n

\"Ohio<\/p>\n

Ryan Day\u2019s Buckeyes let one slip away at Texas. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

For three quarters, the Buckeyes looked like the best team in the country. Smith looked like the best player in college football. The Ohio State defense suffocated Manning and the Texas offense, creating two early turnovers. It was 2025 all over again. Until it wasn\u2019t. Ohio State had chances to put this one away. Quarterback Julian Sayin missed a touchdown to wideout Devin McCuin in the third quarter, the potential knockout blow. The Buckeyes had to settle for a field goal. Kicker Connor Hawkins missed a 45-yarder that would have made it a two-possession game with under five minutes to go. The stout Ohio State defense allowed the Longhorns to convert not one but two fourth downs in the fourth quarter to extend touchdown drives as Texas scored 21 unanswered points to win the game. The Buckeyes are still one of the best teams in the country, but this one will sting for a while. <\/p>\n

6. Miami Hurricanes (2\u20130, 1\u20130 ACC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Florida A&M, 77\u20137
Week 3: At Wake Forest, 7:30 p.m. ET Friday<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s all you need to know about Miami\u2019s 77\u20137 Week 2 win over Florida A&M\u2014aside from the awkward optics\u2014the Hurricanes amassed 856 yards of offense in a game so lopsided that the coaches agreed to shorten the fourth quarter. If Miami doesn\u2019t start playing competitive games, Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney are going to tank their respective Heisman campaigns with the Hurricanes\u2019 ridiculous efficiency. In all seriousness though, the games will (eventually) get more difficult for Miami, but it has thus far shown nothing to demonstrate that this isn\u2019t one of the better teams in the country once again, even if it hasn\u2019t faced adversity yet. <\/p>\n

7. LSU Tigers (2\u20130, 0\u20130 SEC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Louisiana Tech, 45\u201314
Week 3: At Ole Miss, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

For much of the first half, it looked like LSU and Lane Kiffin were guilty of looking ahead to the Spite Bowl in Week 3 against Ole Miss, as the offense sputtered out of the gates with just 10 points and three turnovers, one of which was returned for a score by the Bulldogs. Fortunately for Kiffin & Co., the defense once again came to play, forcing three turnovers while harassing Louisiana Tech quarterback Blake Baker to the tune of six sacks. We saw LSU win against Clemson when it had its best fastball. It was nice to see it win without the heater, too. Bring on a hostile crowd and the Ole Miss Rebels. <\/p>\n

8. Ole Miss Rebels (2\u20130, 0\u20130 SEC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Charlotte, 41\u20139
Week 3: vs. No. 8 LSU, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

After a back-and-forth affair with Louisville in Week 1 where the Rebels got hit and promptly hit back, they showed they know what to do with a cupcake like the rest of their SEC brethren. Ole Miss raced out of the gate against Charlotte, as talented running back Kewan Lacy quickly proved his health on the opening drive with a plunge into the end zone. The Rebels would go on to cruise to a 27\u20130 lead at the break, with the Pete Golding defense keeping the big plays\u2014and touchdowns\u2014off the board. Ole Miss ran into some turbulence in the third quarter, in which it was outscored 6\u20130 in the first 15 minutes, a fact that was not lost on Golding. Naturally, he\u2019s just making sure the Rebels look their best with their ex Kiffin coming back to town next week. <\/p>\n

9. Texas A&M Aggies (2\u20130, 0\u20130 SEC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Arizona State, 48\u201320
Week 3: vs. Kentucky, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t easy. It certainly wasn\u2019t pretty. The Aggies were outgained by a creative and explosive Arizona State offense 369 to 255. The Texas A&M run game generated just 92 yards on the ground and struggled to move bodies up front. But Mike Elko\u2019s defense tightened up after getting toasted by Sun Devils quarterback Cutter Boley and wideout Reed Harris in the first half, and the Aggies took advantage of Arizona State mistakes throughout the contest. The positive outlook? Good teams make other teams pay for mistakes, and that\u2019s what the Aggies did. The negative outlook? Texas A&M shouldn\u2019t have needed that much help to generate offense, and its lack of sustained drives is concerning. Either way, a win is a win, especially in a week of carnage for teams in the top 15. <\/p>\n

10. Alabama Crimson Tide (2\u20130, 1\u20130 SEC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Kentucky, 45\u201317
Week 3: vs. Florida State, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

It was a tale of two halves for the Crimson Tide, whose offense\u2014particularly the running game\u2014was stuck in the mud as Kentucky harbored hopes of an SEC upset at Kroger Field. Then, the Alabama defense took over the game, wreaking havoc in the backfield and creating short fields to help jump-start the Crimson Tide offense. Alabama needs to develop some more consistency up front on the offensive line, and first-year starter Keelon Russell is undergoing operational growing pains on the job. But a high-ceiling defense will make those growing pains manageable for the Crimson Tide. <\/p>\n

11. USC Trojans (3\u20130, 0\u20130 Big Ten)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Louisiana, 49\u201330
Week 3: At Rutgers, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

12. Oregon Ducks (1\u20131, 0\u20130 Big Ten)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Lost to Oklahoma State, 39\u201331
Week 3: vs. Portland State, 10:30 p.m. ET Friday<\/p>\n

13. BYU Cougars (2\u20130, 1\u20130 Big 12)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Arizona, 28\u201317
Week 3: At Colorado State, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

14. Texas Tech Red Raiders (2\u20130, 0\u20130 Big 12)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Oregon State, 35\u201324
Week 3: vs. Houston, 8 p.m. ET Friday<\/p>\n

15. Penn State Nittany Lions (2\u20130, 0\u20130 Big Ten)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Temple, 27\u20139
Week 3: vs. Buffalo, noon ET Saturday<\/p>\n

16. SMU Mustangs (2\u20130, 1\u20130 ACC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat UC Davis, 56\u201310
Week 3: At Louisville, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

17. Tennessee Volunteers (2\u20130, 0\u20130 SEC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Georgia Tech, 45\u201324
Week 3: vs. Kennesaw State, 7:45 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

18. Oklahoma Sooners (1\u20131, 0\u20130 SEC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Lost to Michigan, 17\u201310
Week 3: vs. New Mexico, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

19. Utah Utes (2\u20130, 0\u20130 Big 12)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Arkansas, 43\u201310
Week 3: vs. Utah State, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

20. Houston Cougars (2\u20130, 0\u20130 Big 12)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Southern, 77\u20136
Week 3: At Texas Tech, 8 p.m. ET Friday<\/p>\n

21. Missouri Tigers (2\u20130, 0\u20130 SEC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Kansas, 38\u201321
Week 3: vs. Troy, 7 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

22. Louisville Cardinals (1\u20131, 0\u20130 ACC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Villanova, 59\u201313
Week 3: vs. SMU, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

23. Virginia Cavaliers (2\u20130, 1\u20130 ACC)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Norfolk State, 59\u20133
Week 3: vs. West Virginia, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

24. Michigan Wolverines (2\u20130, 0\u20130 Big Ten)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat No. 11 Oklahoma, 17\u201310
Week 3: vs. UTEP, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

25. Iowa Hawkeyes (2\u20130, 0\u20130 Big Ten)<\/p>\n

Week 2: Beat Iowa State, 16\u201313
Week 3: vs. Northern Iowa, 4 p.m. ET Saturday<\/p>\n

PODCAST: Listen to Sports Illustrated\u2019s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, hosted by Pat Forde, on Apple<\/a> and Spotify<\/a>. Watch the show on SI\u2019s college YouTube channel<\/a> or on SI TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If Week 1 of the college football season was a reminder to take the results with a grain…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":434684,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27,29,28],"class_list":["post-434683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=434683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/434684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=434683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=434683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=434683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}