College Football Rankings 2016: Predicting Week 2 AP and Amway NCAA Polls
Not only is college football back, but the drama in Week 1 has been as good as anyone could have hoped for.
Alabama was already No. 1, but it really locked down the spot after a 52-6 blowout of USC. Meanwhile, two top-five teams were upset, as Oklahoma and LSU failed to start the year as they expected. Then, Notre Dame and Texas came together to provide arguably the best finale of the weekend.
Ole Miss and Florida State don't play until Monday night, and the new rankings won't be released until Tuesday. But here's a prediction for how the polls will look for Week 2.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| 1 | Alabama |
| 2 | Clemson |
| 3 | Florida State |
| 4 | Ohio State |
| 5 | Michigan |
| 6 | Stanford |
| 7 | Houston |
| 8 | Michigan State |
| 9 | Oklahoma |
| 10 | Georgia |
| 11 | Iowa |
| 12 | Washington |
| 13 | Tennessee |
| 14 | TCU |
| 15 | Ole Miss |
| 16 | Louisville |
| 17 | Texas |
| 18 | Wisconsin |
| 19 | Notre Dame |
| 20 | Texas A&M |
| 21 | Oklahoma State |
| 22 | LSU |
| 23 | Baylor |
| 24 | Oregon |
| 25 | North Carolina |
Notable Movers
LSU
It's true LSU was basically playing a road game against a tough Wisconsin team, but this did not look like a team that should have been ranked No. 5 in the country coming into the year.
The offense was simply miserable, overreliant on Leonard Fournette and unable to do much through the air. According to ESPN, quarterback Brandon Harris finished with a QBR of just 6.9 thanks in part to poor accuracy and decision-making throughout the game.
LSU finished with just 14 points, half of which came on a pick-six.
Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee placed the blame squarely on Les Miles:
Wisconsin will certainly move into the Top 25, but LSU will see quite a big drop when the new polls come out. It wouldn't even be surprising if the team was unranked heading into Week 2.
Houston
Unlike the LSU upset, Houston beating Oklahoma was more about the winner than the loser. The Sooners definitely didn't perform to best of their ability, but the Cougars deserve plenty of credit for their performance.
Tom Herman's squad was impressive defensively, holding a talented Oklahoma rushing attack to just 70 rushing yards on 2.7 yards per carry. Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. made plays on the offensive end, passing for 321 yards yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The overall success has led to a major shift in betting futures, per ESPN's Brett McMurphy:
"In January Houston was a 100-1 long shot to win CFBPlayoff title. Cougars are now down to 20-1 to win it via @LVSuperBook
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) September 4, 2016"
Oklahoma is still a talented team that will remain one of the favorites in the Big 12. However, Houston announced itself as a legitimate playoff contender with its 10-point win.
It won't be easy to convince the committee to let in a team from the American Athletic Conference, but this win and a potential victory over Louisville later in the year would be solid fodder for Houston's resume.
Tennessee
In the world of college football, not all wins are created equal. It's not just about the standings, but also impressing voters.
Tennessee didn't impress too many people with its opening game against Appalachian State Thursday night. The preseason top-10 team needed overtime to beat its Sun Belt opponent, only then winning thanks to a recovered fumble in the end zone that became the go-ahead touchdown.
Head coach Butch Jones noted the importance of earning the win after the game, per Mike Griffith of SEC Country:
"I’ll never apologize for a win. I’m proud of our players because they found a way to win the football game. Do we have to get a lot better? Absolutely, we have to get a lot better. It starts with me, it starts with our coaches, it starts with our players, it starts with everyone in the organization.
But, we found a way to win a football game and with everything and anything that could go wrong, we found a way to win. To me, that’s critical.
"
Obviously, things would be much worse with a loss. As it stands, the Volunteers are still undefeated and could potentially contend in the SEC and fight for a playoff berth. However, their perception has taken a major hit over the past week.
Texas
It's important not to overreact after one game, but Texas is a completely different team than what we saw a year ago.
The win over Notre Dame was an impressive one, featuring a strong offense that scored 50 points against a solid Irish defense. True freshman Shane Buechele looked the part as Texas' starting quarterback, making beautiful passes throughout the night, including two touchdowns. He added another score on the ground.
Texas also utilized quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, allowing him to run for 53 yards and three touchdowns, including two in overtime. Add in the hard running of D'Onta Foreman, and this is an offense that suddenly looks difficult to defend.
Although we don't know yet if Texas is "back," the 2016 squad definitely has a lot of talent and the heart necessary to win a lot of games. The Irish are a quality team that isn't going anywhere, they just fell to a better opponent in a tough road game.
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.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
