NCAA Football Rankings 2022: Week 2 Standings for College's Top 25 Teams

Week 1 of the 2022 college football season delivered the type of excitement that fans have come to expect. Several top teams impressed, a few upsets occurred and there were plenty of close finishes that had people on the edge of their seat.

Let's now get ready to do it again in Week 2.

Because there were games on Sunday and Monday, the AP Top 25 poll for this week isn't getting released until Tuesday. The opening week closed with an ACC matchup on Monday night that featured No. 4 Clemson pulling away for a 41-10 victory over Georgia Tech.

How will that game, along with the rest of the Week 1 slate, impact the rankings heading into Week 2? Let's take a look and break down some notable movement that's likely to occur.

Projected AP Top 25 Poll

Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

CHAMPAIGN, IL - AUGUST 27: An overview of footballs as they sit on the field beside the 10 yard line marker before the college football game between the Wyoming Cowboys and the Illinois Fighting Illini on August 27, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

1. Alabama (1-0; beat Utah State 55-0)

2. Georgia (1-0; beat Oregon 49-3)

3. Ohio State (1-0; beat Notre Dame 21-10)

4. Clemson (1-0, beat Georgia Tech 41-10)

5. Texas A&M (1-0; beat Sam Houston State 31-0)

6. Michigan (1-0; beat Colorado State 51-7)

7. Oklahoma (1-0; beat UTEP 45-13)

8. Notre Dame (0-1; lost to Ohio State 21-10)

9. Baylor (1-0; beat Albany 69-10)

10. Oklahoma State (1-0; beat Central Michigan 58-44)

11. Arkansas (1-0; beat Cincinnati 31-24)

12. USC (1-0; beat Rice 66-14)

13. Michigan State (1-0; beat Western Michigan 35-13)

14. Miami (1-0; beat Bethune-Cookman 70-13)

15. Florida (1-0; beat Utah 29-26)

16. Pittsburgh (1-0; beat West Virginia 38-31)

17. Wisconsin (1-0; beat Illinois State 38-0)

18. Utah (0-1; lost to Florida 29-26)

19. Kentucky (1-0; beat Miami (OH) 37-13)

20. Ole Miss (1-0; beat Troy 28-10)

21. NC State (1-0; beat East Carolina 21-20)

22. Wake Forest (1-0; beat VMI 44-10)

23. Houston (1-0; beat UTSA 37-35 in 3OT)

24. BYU (1-0; beat South Florida 50-21)

25. Tennessee (1-0; beat Ball State 59-10)

Alabama Should Remain at No. 1

AP Photo/Vasha Hunt

Alabama wide receiver Traeshon Holden (11) celebrates his touchdown reception during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Utah State, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

Alabama didn't play a challenging non-conference opponent like Ohio State and Georgia did in Week 1, so the Crimson Tide needed to be dominant to keep their No. 1 ranking. And that's exactly what they were as they routed Utah State 55-0.

It's always helpful to have a returning Heisman Trophy winner on your roster, and Alabama quarterback Bryce Young got off to an impressive start to his junior season. He threw for 195 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 100 yards and a score in the victory.

As expected, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban was already looking ahead after the win.

"No disrespect to Utah State—their players played hard, they've got a good little team," he told reporters. "But we’re going to play teams that are much more physical and aggressive and talented than what they are, so we're going to have to do things correctly."

Those will also be opportunities for Alabama to continue to prove it deserves to be the No. 1-ranked team in the country. And it will still be there heading into a Week 2 road matchup against Texas.

Florida, Tennessee Likely to Enter Top 25

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) throws a pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

The AP Top 25 poll featured six SEC teams to open the season, and none of them lost in Week 1, so they'll all remain in the rankings. But it's possible two more teams from the conference will be joining them.

Florida deserves to be among the top 25 after its impressive season-opening win over No. 7 Utah. The Gators trailed 26-22 late in the fourth quarter, but sophomore quarterback Anthony Richardson led them on a 14-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by his third rushing touchdown of the game, lifting the team to victory.

Even though Florida was unranked to start the season, that win should impress the voters enough to move it into the top 25.

If two teams fall out of the top 25 (it would likely be Oregon and Cincinnati, if so), then that could create an opening for Tennessee to move in. The Vols received the most votes of any unranked team in the preseason poll, so they were already on the cusp. Then, they began the season with a dominant 59-10 win over Ball State.

How Far Should Notre Dame Fall?

AP Photo/David Dermer

Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner is sacked by Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

For teams that open their season with an impressive win over a ranked opponent, they can solidify themselves as a national championship contender. The teams that end up on the losing side? They shouldn't be punished too much for putting a challenging foe on their schedule.

Week 1 brought a top-five matchup between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Notre Dame. Not only was that a tough contest for the Fighting Irish, but they also had to go on the road to play the Buckeyes in a hostile environment.

It was a close game that wasn't decided until the fourth quarter when Ohio State pulled away to win 21-10. But it was still a great performance by Notre Dame, despite its defeat.

“We battled for two-and-a-half quarters, but then they scored with 17 seconds left in the third and we didn’t respond,” first-year Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman told reporters.

So even though Notre Dame lost, it shouldn't fall far down the AP poll. Don't expect the Fighting Irish to slide out of the top 10, as a close road loss to Ohio State isn't the worst one to have on its resume.