Week 2 NCAA Rankings
Rather than doing an entire top 25, LUCK NUNU will be ranking the top 5: the 4 playoff teams and 1 "at-large" that hopes to swoop in for some of that sweet playoff misery. These rankings are fluid and are not based upon the previous week's ranking, but a ranking of which teams are the best at that time.
Week 1 is in the books with some big games by top teams and some big upsets by the top teams in FCS. Those top FCS teams are better than most G5 teams!
#1 Clemson - They picked up where they left off, with Georgia Tech wondering what they had done to deserve such a beating. The game was never close, but an interception thrown by Trevor Lawrence almost let Georgia Tech feel good about themselves when they were only down 21-0 in the 2nd quarter. They returned the ball to the 2 yard line, where they were stuck and ultimately turned the ball over on downs, netting a total of 0 points. Georgia Tech didn't score until it was 35-0. Next up: Texas A&M at home. Clemson is a 17.5-point favorite, but A&M is a good team and Jimbo knows the Tigers. Don't be surprised to see the Tigers come tumbling down.
#2 Alabama - After a slow start, Alabama rolled Duke like everyone expected. Duke put up a solid first half, holding 'Bama to 14 points, but something clearly sparked the Tide at halftime as they came out and put 21 up on Duke in the 3rd quarter en route to a 42-3 win. Next up: Bye New Mexico State. Alabama is a 55.5-point favorite. There will be no upset here.
#3 Ohio State - They had a relatively weak opponent to start, but still hit on all cylinders. Ohio State had a 28-point 1st quarter to set the tone in this game and never looked back. Next up: Cincinnati. This matchup is more interesting, as they face former Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell and the Cincinnati Bearcats. This may be a one-and-done for Ohio State.
#4 Oklahoma - Defense has been their weak spot, and while it looks to have improved a bit this year, it's still questionable after giving up 31 to Houston. Sure, Houston has a high-powered offense, but they're also adjusting to their new coach Dana Holgorsen and they are lucky to have 3-star recruits. OU has Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts looking like a star at QB, but I am not confident that they will hold up to a great defense. Next up: South Dakota. An FCS opponent who is not likely to make a scratch. I would expect at least 70 points scored by Oklahoma and a ton of time for backups to get some playing time.
Always the bridesmaid...
#5 Georgia - Georgia looked ok against Vandy. They won the game handily against a somewhat stingy defense. Georgia is the type of team who won't really wow you in any phase of the game, although their defense is the brightest spot on the team. Next up: Murray State. Another FCS team against a top-ranked FBS school. This game will be over before it starts.
Other teams under consideration after Week 1
Auburn had an impressive win over Oregon after mounting a big comeback in the 4th quarter. Their defense played well, but their offense really needs to take a big step forward if they want to remain relevant. Wisconsin embarrassed South Florida and proved that coach Charlie Strong is a much better coordinator than he is a head coach. Keep an eye on the Badgers as the season progresses. LSU flexed their muscles on an overmatched Georgia Southern team who, although not a great G5 team, is not a complete pushover (as my Gators proved a few years back).