Week 2 of college football had some crazy upsets and convincing wins. Here are my national power rankings heading into Week 3.
I will do a top-25 college football power rankings every Tuesday for the regular season. These power rankings will be based on where every team stands at the current moment, not a prediction of where these teams will be at the end of the season. The team’s ranking from the week prior will be in parenthesis next to their current ranking.
#1- Georgia (1)
The Bulldogs will remain the #1 team in the country until somebody knocks them off. It was an easy win against Tennessee Tech in Week 2, but next up, Georgia takes on Kentucky to begin its SEC schedule.
#2- Texas (4)
Texas had the most impressive win of the weekend as it took down Michigan in Ann Arbor. Quinn Ewers is now the betting favorite to win the Heisman and Texas has everything in front of them. The Longhorns’ next three games are all very winnable, so Texas shouldn’t be going anywhere for at least another month.
#3- Ohio State (2)
Ohio State dropped down one spot but that was a credit to Texas, not taking away from Ohio State. Frankly, the Buckeyes haven’t had to play a competitive team yet, but they did look great on Saturday against Western Michigan. The Buckeyes have another easy game against Marshall on Saturday and then they will get into Big Ten play, where we will learn a lot more about them.
#4- Tennessee (10)
Tennessee took a big jump this week. Playing against NC State at a neutral site was potentially a really tricky spot for the Volunteers, and they just dominated the Wolfpack. Like many other teams, Tennessee has one more easy game before taking on Oklahoma in two weeks to begin SEC play. Nico Iamaleava is emerging as a star in college football already, but the grind of the SEC schedule will be a much bigger test.
#5- Ole Miss (6)
Ole Miss has played two very inferior opponents so far but it has decimated them by a combined 128-3. Jaxson Dart and this offense are a force and they look to be improved defensively, although they need to play a high-level opponent before we can know for sure. The Rebels play their first Power Four opponent of the season this weekend against Wake Forest. They are still big favorites in this game, but it will be a much better measuring stick than their first two games.
#6- Alabama (5)
I swapped Alabama and Ole Miss after Week 2. Both teams won, but Alabama looked shaky against South Florida. The final score compliments the Crimson Tide but this was a very close game in the second half. South Florida also missed a lot of opportunities to hit explosive plays that better opponents would likely take advantage of. Alabama’s schedule immediately gets harder with a trip to Wisconsin this weekend and then its first SEC game against Georgia following that.
#7- Penn State (8)
Penn State played Bowling Green close this week but it didn’t worry me too much. Penn State had a really impressive Week 1 win and was in coast mode this week. Bowling Green is also arguably the best team in the MAC and could give a lot of Power Four teams problems if it played them. The important part is that Penn State survived as they head into a bye week this weekend.
#8- Oregon (3)
Oregon dropped down pretty significantly in my rankings this week. Dillon Gabriel has not been able to recreate the explosive plays that Bo Nix hit in this offense last year. The defense also really struggled against Boise State on Saturday. Boise State is one of the best Group of Five teams in the country but still, Oregon let it move the ball at will. The Ducks face their rivals, Oregon State, this weekend where they need to be sharp to avoid an upset.
#9- Miami (9)
Miami remains put after a dominant win over Florida A&M. This team proved what they are capable of after beating Florida in Week 1. The Hurricanes have a couple more winnable games ahead before they enter ACC play, so they should hold this spot or even move up over the next two weeks.
#10- USC (11)
USC was dominant in its win over Utah State and moved into the top 10. The Trojans have a bye week this week before a massive game against Michigan the following week. Another win there could see USC jump up even higher in the rankings.
#11- Missouri (14)
Missouri is yet to face a competitive opponent, but it has taken care of business so far. The Tigers face a top-25 test against Boston College this week, which will tell us a lot more about where Missouri should really stand in the national picture.
#12- Utah (12)
Utah stayed put after another solid win against Baylor. This Utah team isn’t flashy, but they are solid top to bottom. The Utes face Utah State as big favorites this weekend before their schedule gets tough in Week 4 and beyond.
#13- Oklahoma State (18)
The Cowboys pulled off one of the crazier wins of the season so far against Arkansas on Saturday. They came from way behind to win in double overtime against the Razorbacks. The game did show some warning signs about this team, but if they just keep winning, they’ll keep moving up the rankings. Their biggest test of the season will be against Utah in two weeks.
#14- Iowa State (25)
Iowa State ground out a huge win over Iowa on the road. Iowa is one of the hardest places to play in the country, especially in a rivalry game. The Cyclones were the much better team in the second half and picked up a win that proved they can compete in the Big 12 this season.
#15- Kansas State (17)
Kansas State barely survived a tough road test against Tulane. Things don’t get any easier for the Wildcats as they take on Arizona and its explosive offense to open Big 12 conference play on Friday night. Young quarterback Avery Johnson will need to step up if Kansas State wants to win this one.
#16- Arizona (20)
Make that five Big 12 teams in a row. The top five teams in this conference being ranked 12-16 tells you all you need to know about the Big 12. They don’t have a single elite team but they have a few really good teams that should give us great matchups this season. That starts this weekend with Kansas State vs. Arizona, where Arizona QB Noah Fifita hopes to put on a show.
#17- Clemson (21)
Clemson lost its opening game to Georgia but bounced back really well with a dominant win over Appalachian State in Week 2. It is hard to punish Clemson too heavily when it lost to the best team in the country. The Tigers’ schedule is pretty manageable the next few weeks, so they could start crawling back up these rankings if they keep playing well.
#18- Louisville (NR)
Louisville has turned out two really good performances so far this season, although against really inferior opponents. It has a bye this week, so the Cardinals should stay put, but they have their toughest test yet when they come back from the bye against Georgia Tech.
#19- Nebraska (24)
I was tentatively sold on the Nebraska hype going into the season, but that was a really convincing performance against Colorado. The Cornhuskers don’t get into the really tough part of their schedule for a while, so this team could continue to improve and pick up wins over the next few weeks.
#20- LSU (16)
LSU didn’t look particularly convincing against Nicholls in a game that should have been a no-doubter. The defense appears to have the same issues as last season and it will get tested again this weekend. LSU takes on South Carolina in Columbia to kick off SEC play on Saturday.
#21- Boise State (NR)
Boise State is the best Group of Five team in the country and Ashton Jeanty is the best running back in all of college football. Boise State took Oregon to the brink and deserves to be ranked in the top 25. It plays Portland State this weekend and has a chance to flex its muscles in the favorite role.
#22- Northern Illinois (NR)
Northern Illinois pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory by beating Notre Dame, earning a top-25 spot. Notre Dame was seventh in my rankings last week, so if you beat the Irish, you have to move into the rankings. The Huskies start MAC play against Buffalo this week and then face NC State the following week. They probably won’t stay in these rankings all season but for now, they deserve their shine.
#23- Oklahoma (15)
Oklahoma survived a close game against Houston in Week 2. The Sooners’ offense has looked really shaky through the first two games of the season and they have another tough test this weekend against Tulane. Oklahoma needs to get the offense going if it doesn’t want to have a disastrous first season in the SEC.
#24- Michigan (13)
Michigan is another team that looks really bad on offense. Just like with Clemson, it is hard to punish a team too much for losing to a top-5 opponent, but Michigan has a lot of issues. The Wolverines’ defense should still carry them against a lot of teams, but they need to find some offensive spark if they want to make the College Football Playoff.
#25- Boston College (NR)
After beating Florida State in Week 1, Boston College impressively had no post-upset hangover against Duquesne in Week 2. The Eagles have a chance to pull off another massive upset as they take on Missouri this weekend. If the Eagles manage that win, they will skyrocket up these power rankings.
Teams that dropped out from Week 2: Notre Dame (7), Iowa (19), Kansas (22), Texas A&M (23)
Place your College Football bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is blakekrass) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
