College Football Rankings 2017: Week 2 AP and Amway Standings Revealed
It was a wild start to the 2017 college football season, and the updated top 25 rankings ahead of Week 2 certainly reflect that.
From UCLA overcoming a 34-point deficit to come back and beat Texas A&M to Georgia Tech losing 42-41 to Tennessee in two overtimes despite notching 535 rushing yards to, sadly, Florida State plummeting in the rankings after losing quarterback Deondre Francois for the season, it was a weekend to write home about in college football, to say the least.
Both the preseason Amway Coaches Poll and the presason AP poll have certainly been shaken up following the results of those matchups.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
We'll take a look at how both the AP Poll and the Amway Coaches Poll affected the top 25 heading into Week 2.
1. Alabama (1-0)
2. Ohio State (1-0)
3. Clemson (1-0)
4. Penn State (1-0)
5. Oklahoma (1-0)
6. USC (1-0)
7. Washington (1-0)
8. Michigan (1-0)
9. Wisconsin (1-0)
10. Florida State (0-1)
11. Oklahoma State (1-0)
12. LSU (1-0)
13. Auburn (1-0)
14. Stanford (1-0)
15. Georgia (1-0)
16. Miami (1-0)
17. Louisville (1-0)
18. Virginia Tech (1-0)
19. Kansas State (1-0)
20. Washington State (1-0)
21. South Florida (2-0)
22. Florida (0-1)
23. TCU (1-0)
24. Notre Dame (1-0)
25. Tennessee (1-0)
1. Alabama (1-0)
2. Ohio State (1-0)
3. Clemson (1-0)
4. Penn State (1-0)
5. USC (1-0)
6. Oklahoma (1-0)
7. Washington (1-0)
8. Michigan (1-0)
9. Florida State (0-1)
10. Oklahoma State (1-0)
11. Wisconsin (1-0)
12. LSU (1-0)
13. Auburn (1-0)
14. Stanford (1-0)
15. Georgia (1-0)
16. Louisville (1-0)
17. Miami (1-0)
18. Virginia Tech (1-0)
19. Kansas State (1-0)
20. South Florida (2-0)
21. Tennessee (1-0)
22. Washington State (1-0)
23. Utah (1-0)
24. Florida (0-1)
25. Notre Dame (1-0)
Alabama (No. 1)
Refusing to cede its position atop the preseason polls, Alabama continues to be ranked No. 1 after one week of CFB play.
The Crimson Tide had a legitimate test in Week 1, too, against Florida State, which ranked No. 3 in the preseason. Alabama's defense and special teams were the keys to its win, holding the Seminoles to a touchdown in the 24-7 victory.
However, if there's one area that could hurt (pun intended) Alabama's status atop the rankings, it's the play of quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts was underwhelming in the win against Florida State, finishing 10-of-18 with 96 yards and a touchdown. He also ran 15 times for 55 yards.
Sure, 53 yards of those 96 came on a beautiful touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley, but it's going to take more than one showy downfield play to keep Alabama's offense running smoothly.
"I'm not here to protect the player. I think (Hurts) would tell you that there's things that he can do better," Alabama coach Nick Saban said after the game, per 247Sports' Charlie Potter. Saban cited plays breaking down too quickly, often as a result of Hurts taking off.
Still, with the defensive and special teams prowess the Crimson Tide displayed in Week 1, as long as Hurts doesn't regress, Alabama will be tough to move from the top spot this season.
Florida State
There aren't many teams who could make it into the top 25 with a 0-1 record after one week of play.
Add the fact that Florida State lost its starting quarterback for the season, and well, it's nothing short of a testament to the strength of the rest of that team that the Seminoles still come in at No. 10 in the AP poll and No. 9 in the Coaches Poll.
The Seminoles were a team many were projecting to make it all the way to the College Football Playoff. Now, if anyone is going to lead them there, it's going to have to be defenders Josh Sweat and Derwin James and freshman running back Cam Aker.
That last point is particularly important, as FSU struggled to run the ball against Alabama.
Florida State gets something of a pass for falling to top-ranked team Alabama, but the game wasn't particularly close; the Crimson Tide won 24-7.
Now FSU will have to see if it can hang on to its position inside the top 10 with true freshman quarterback James Blackman moving forward.
Ohio State
The Buckeyes earned the No. 2 spot in both the AP and Amway polls thanks to their 49-21 trouncing of Big Ten rival Indiana in Week 1. Though the two teams were within one point at the half, Ohio State outscored Indiana 36-7 in the second half.
However, Ohio State is going to have to show up against some tougher competition to continue getting votes week after week.
Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett looked poised against the Hoosiers, going 20-of-35 for 304 yards and three touchdowns—and, crucially, no interceptions.
But the performance of the Buckeyes defense, especially the pass defense, came as something of a surprise to fans who have been used to the talent of corners such as Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley, both of whom departed for the NFL.
The Hoosiers were able to pass for 420 yards on the Buckeyes, which is obviously something that will have to be curtailed in future weeks.
But there were high notes, too, such as Denzel Ward's five passes defended and interception.
Quick Hits
Florida
The Gators join fellow Floridians, Florida State, as the only other team with a losing record to make it into the top 25 after Week 1. Florida dropped eight spots in the Coaches Poll after losing 33-17 to Michigan.
Penn State
The Nittany Lions rose to No. 4 from No. 6 in the AP poll thanks to their 52-0 shutout of the Akron Zips. Naturally, voters will look for Penn State to defeat more impressive competition in the coming weeks.
UCLA
There were questions about how the voters in both polls would treat UCLA after it allowed itself to fall into a 44-10 hole and yet marched back to defeat Texas A&M 45-44. The short answer is that the Bruins still haven't cracked the top 25.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
