Clemson Falls, Oklahoma Rises in B/R's Top 25 Rankings After Week 2
In a weekend filled with lopsided scores, there was still no shortage of surprising upsets across the college football landscape.
Arizona State (at Mississippi State), Florida (vs. South Florida) and SMU (vs. Baylor) all lost to unranked opponents, while Oklahoma beat a higher-ranked Michigan team at home for an early signature win.
Now it's time for Bleacher Report's updated top 25 ranking after Week 2 action, with the college football writing staff of David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Joel Reuter and Brad Shepard making up our voting panel.
Let the debate begin!
Nos. 25-21
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25. Missouri (2-0, Previous Rank: NR)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Kansas (42-31)
Next Week: vs. Louisiana
After a 61-6 blowout win over Central Arkansas in Week 1, the Tigers picked up a quality victory over 2-0 Kansas to jump into the B/R Top 25 rankings. Penn State transfer Beau Pribula completed 30-of-39 pass attempts for 334 yards and three touchdowns, and the Tigers overcame a 31-28 deficit with 8:45 to play in the fourth quarter.
24. Michigan (1-1, Previous Rank: 17)
Week 2 Result: LOSS at Oklahoma (13-24)
Next Week: vs. Central Michigan
There is still a ton of talent on the Wolverines roster, but they did not look like a team ready to make a serious push on a national level against Oklahoma on Saturday night. Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood was just 9-of-24 passing for 142 yards, and the defense allowed 408 total yards. Despite the loss, Michigan might be favored in every game the rest of the way until they meet Ohio State on Nov. 29.
23. Louisville (2-0, Previous Rank: 19)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. James Madison (28-14)
Next Week: BYE
After trailing 7-6 at halftime, Louisville took its first lead of the game with 8:37 remaining in the third quarter, then scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to come away with a victory over James Madison. Running back Isaac Brown had 104 rushing yards and a touchdown, while the Louisville defense racked up six sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.
22. Indiana (2-0, Previous Rank: 22)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Kennesaw State (56-9)
Next Week: vs. Indiana State
After a forgettable Indiana debut last weekend in a 13-point win over Old Dominion, touted transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza showed out against an overmatched Kennesaw State defense in Week 2, connecting on four touchdown passes before heading to the bench early in the fourth quarter. The Hoosiers defense limited the Owls to 2-of-13 on third-down conversions.
21. Texas Tech (2-0, Previous Rank: 25)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Kent State (62-14)
Next Week: vs. Oregon State
The Red Raiders have outscored their first two opponents by a 129-21 margin, and they should be heavily favored again next week against an Oregon State team that is off to an 0-2 start. The offense has racked up at least 300 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in both of their lopsided victories, while the defense has come up with three takeaways.
Nos. 20-16
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20. South Florida (2-0, Previous Rank: NR)
Week 2 Result: WIN at Florida (18-16)
Next Week: at Miami
With upset wins over Boise State and Florida to open the season, South Florida has immediately moved into the driver's seat to claim the Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoff field. After racking up 3,292 passing yards, 809 rushing yards and 37 total touchdowns as a sophomore, dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown battled through an injury-plagued 2024 campaign, but he is back healthy and steering the ship for the nation's biggest upstart.
19. Ole Miss (2-0, Previous Rank: 20)
Week 2 Result: WIN at Kentucky (30-23)
Next Week: vs. Arkansas
Despite a pair of early interceptions from quarterback Austin Simmons that helped Kentucky build a 10-0 lead, the Rebels managed to avenge last year's loss to the Wildcats and escape with an early SEC road victory. The running game shouldered the load for the Ole Miss offense, finishing with 220 yards and three touchdowns.
18. Utah (2-0, Previous Rank: NR)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Cal Poly (63-9)
Next Week: at Wyoming
The Utes lost seven straight last season after they were picked to win the Big 12 in the preseason poll and climbed as high as No. 10 in the AP poll during a 4-0 start. A 33-point road win over UCLA in Week 1 stands out more than their shellacking of Cal Poly on Saturday, and Devon Dampier looks like a difference-maker under center so far.
17. Clemson (1-1, Previous Rank: 7)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Troy (27-16)
Next Week: at Georgia Tech
Trailing 16-0 to open the game and only winning by 11 points when you were 30.5-point favorites is not exactly the message Clemson wanted to send on the heels of its Week 1 loss to LSU. The Tigers (316 total yards) were nearly outgained by the Trojans (301 total yards), they turned the ball over twice and they lost the time of possession battle. A similar performance on the road against a good Georgia Tech team next weekend won't cut it.
16. Alabama (1-1, Previous Rank: 21)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Louisiana-Monroe (73-0)
Next Week: vs. Wisconsin
The Crimson Tide took out their frustration over last week's loss to Florida State on a thoroughly outgunned Louisiana-Monroe squad, racking up 583 total yards while scoring on each of their 11 possessions with 10 touchdowns and one field goal. Quarterback Ty Simpson set a school record with 17 straight completions, and six different receivers caught a touchdown pass.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Texas A&M (2-0, Previous Rank: 23)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Utah State (44-22)
Next Week: at Notre Dame
The Aggies appear to have dodged a bullet after quarterback Marcel Reed and left tackle Trey Zuhn III both left Saturday's game with injuries and did not return, with head coach Mike Elko telling reporters he expects both players to be a go for the Notre Dame game next weekend. Utah State covered a 31.5-point spread, but Texas A&M was in complete control, building a 30-6 halftime lead.
14. Tennessee (2-0, Previous Rank: 16)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. East Tennessee State (72-17)
Next Week: vs. Georgia
The Volunteers piled up 717 total yards of offense en route to a modern school record 72 points against FCS opponent East Tennessee State. Joey Aguilar had 288 passing yards and two touchdowns before heading to the bench after halftime, while Star Thomas anchored the rushing attack with three scores on the ground.
13. Illinois (2-0, Previous Rank: 13)
Week 2 Result: WIN at Duke (45-19)
Next Week: vs. Western Michigan
A lopsided 52-3 win over Western Illinois didn't prove much, but the Fighting Illini showed the preseason hype is justified on Saturday with a convincing road win over a quality opponent. Luke Altmyer threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns, the defense had five takeaways and the Illini seized control in the second half, outscoring the Blue Devils by a 31-6 margin after halftime.
12. Oklahoma (2-0, Previous Rank: 24)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Michigan (24-13)
Next Week: at Temple
Quarterback John Mateer scored his first signature win in an Oklahoma uniform, tallying 270 passing yards, 74 rushing yards and three total touchdowns to lead the Sooners to a win that will vault them into the early College Football Playoff conversation. The Michigan offense was limited to 288 total yards and 3-of-14 on third-down conversions.
11. Iowa State (3-0, Previous Rank: 14)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Iowa (16-13)
Next Week: at Arkansas State
Cyclones kicker Kyle Konrardy hit a 54-yard field goal with 1:52 left to play, capping off a 13-play, 55-yard drive that spanned six minutes and 29 seconds of game time and gave the Cyclones a 16-13 lead. Tamatoa McDonough then sacked Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski twice on the Hawkeyes final drive to seal the victory.
Nos. 10-6
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10. South Carolina (2-0, Previous Rank: 10)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. South Carolina State (38-10)
Next Week: vs. Vanderbilt
After lightning delayed kickoff by nearly two and a half hours, the Gamecocks started Saturday's game with three straight punts and a missed field goal while falling behind 3-0. However, Vicari Swain swung the momentum with two punt return touchdowns in the second quarter, and South Carolina put things away with a 21-point third quarter.
9. Notre Dame (0-1, Previous Rank: 12)
Week 2 Result: BYE
Next Week: vs. Texas A&M
Coming off a 27-24 loss to Miami in Week 1, the Fighting Irish have a chance to reset with an early bye before welcoming Texas A&M to South Bend next Saturday. Getting Jeremiyah Love going on the ground will be one of the keys to victory after the star running back was limited to 33 yards on 10 carries against the Hurricanes.
8. Florida State (2-0, Previous Rank: 11)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. East Texas A&M (77-3)
Next Week: BYE
Nothing like an upset victory over No. 8 Alabama to wash the taste of a 2-10 season out of your mouth, and for an encore, the Seminoles put up their largest point total under head coach Mike Norvell on Saturday afternoon. With 729 total yards and 10 straight scoring drives to open the game from Florida State, this one was as lopsided as it gets from start to finish.
7. Miami (1-0, Previous Rank: 9)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Bethune-Cookman (45-3)
Next Week: vs. South Florida
Carson Beck threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns, Mark Fletcher had 86 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns and the Hurricanes defense held FCS opponent Bethune-Cookman to 1-of-11 on third-down conversions while keeping them out of the end zone. Suddenly, next weekend's matchup with South Florida stands as one of the bigger games of the season after the Bulls upset Boise State and Florida in back-to-back weeks.
6. Texas (1-1, Previous Rank: 6)
Week 2 Result: WIN vs. San Jose State (38-7)
Next Week: vs. UTEP
Arch Manning took a nice step toward erasing his middling performance against Ohio State by throwing for 295 yards and four touchdown passes while also adding a 20-yard rushing touchdown for good measure. However, the Longhorns still turned the ball over twice while also committing 12 penalties for 115 yards. Games against UTEP and Sam Houston the next two weekends should give them a chance to clean things up before they begin SEC play.
5. Oregon Ducks (2-0, Previous Rank: 5)
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Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Oklahoma State (69-3)
Next Week: at Northwestern
While many of the nation's other top teams were running up the score against FCS opponents, the Oregon Ducks were doing it against a Big 12 foe, albeit one they were 28.5-point favorites against.
Quarterback Dante Moore is off to a terrific start to the season, completing 34-of-44 passes for 479 yards with six touchdowns and zero interceptions through his first two starts at Oregon.
The Ducks defense surrendered just 211 total yards and picked off Cowboys quarterback Zane Flores twice, and all 69 of the team's points came in the first three quarters.
4. LSU Tigers (2-0, Previous Rank: 4)
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Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Louisiana Tech (23-7)
Next Week: vs. Florida
The LSU Tigers offense had a turnover, three punts and four field goal attempts, so it was not the overwhelming offensive performance many of the nation's top teams turned in on Saturday.
However, the defense again looked vastly improved relative to the past few seasons, holding Louisiana Tech to 154 total yards, 2.1 yards per carry and 3.7 yards per pass.
They square off against a Florida team coming off a surprise loss to South Florida and hungry to avoid falling out of the national picture with a second loss next weekend in Baton Rouge.
3. Georgia Bulldogs (2-0, Previous Rank: 3)
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Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Austin Peay (28-6)
Next Week: at Tennessee
The Georgia Bulldogs had to navigate bad weather that initially led to the opening kickoff being moved up an hour, and then resulted in a delay of nearly two hours coming out of halftime.
The result was a less-than-dominant performance, but a victory nonetheless, with the running game grinding out 190 yards and four touchdowns, while Austin Peay managed just 45 yards on 28 carries.
A lopsided win would have been nice from a momentum standpoint heading into next weekend's road game against Tennessee, but it was a strong showing from the defense and a turnover-free game from Gunner Stockton under center.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0, Previous Rank: 2)
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Week 2 Result: WIN vs. FIU (34-0)
Next Week: vs. Villanova
On a wet, sloppy day at Beaver Stadium, Penn State managed to pitch its first shutout of the season, capping things off with a pair of touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.
It was a 10-0 game at halftime after the Nittany Lions had three turnovers on downs and a punt among their first six possessions, but they opened the second half with a 12-play, 60-yard drive that ended in a field goal, followed by a touchdown drive to effectively put things out of reach.
Drew Allar threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns, while Kaytron Allen (16 carries, 144 yards, TD) and Nicholas Singleton (13 carries, 76 yards, TD) anchored the running game.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0, Previous Rank: 1)
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Week 2 Result: WIN vs. Grambling State (70-0)
Next Week: vs. Ohio
After grinding out a 14-7 victory over No. 1 Texas in Week 1, the Ohio State Buckeyes had a chance to exhale a bit while cruising to a shutout victory over Grambling State.
Quarterback Julian Sayin set an Ohio State record by completing his first 16 pass attempts, and he finished 18-of-19 for 306 yards and four touchdowns while helping the Buckeyes outgained the Tigers by a 651-166 margin in total yardage.
The Buckeyes entered the week No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time since 2015, and should be perched in the top spot once again heading into Week 3.
B/R Top 25 Ranking After Week 2
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B/R Top 25
1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Georgia
4. LSU
5. Oregon
6. Texas
7. Miami
8. Florida State
9. Notre Dame
10. South Carolina
11. Iowa State
12. Oklahoma
13. Illinois
14. Tennessee
15. Texas A&M
16. Alabama
17. Clemson
18. Utah
19. Ole Miss
20. South Florida
21. Texas Tech
22. Indiana
23. Louisville
24. Michigan
25. Missouri
Others Receiving Votes: Auburn, Georgia Tech
What's Next
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Who's ready for an early shakeup to the SEC landscape?
Georgia at Tennessee and Florida at LSU are the two marquee matchups on the Week 3 slate, while Texas A&M also squares off against a ranked opponent in Notre Dame, who is fresh off an early bye week and looking to avenge a Week 1 loss to Miami.
The Fighting Irish are not the only high-profile team looking to avoid an early second loss, as Clemson hits the road to face dual-threat quarterback Haynes King and a very good Georgia Tech team.
Keep an eye on USF at Miami as a game that could have playoff implications after the Bulls scored back-to-back upset wins over Boise State and Florida to open their season, while South Carolina (vs. Vanderbilt), Alabama (vs. Wisconsin) and Ole Miss (vs. Arkansas) also face a quality opponent at home.
Meanwhile, Iowa State (at Arkansas State), Oklahoma (at Temple) and Utah (at Wyoming) all have non-conference road games against opponents they should beat, but don't be surprised if at least one of those games is tight.
See you back here next Saturday for another exciting weekend of college football action!
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