After a wild weekend of college football games, the AP Top 25 college poll has been released. There's some movement in the rankings after that. We'll be covering each ranked team's next steps.
Previous ranking: 1
After dominating Miami, consistency will be key. Mercer will not be a major challenge, but Florida next week might be. Nick Saban, Crimson Tide coach, will have his thoughts on that. He will need to see how quarterback Bryce Young continues his career, how his offensive line is reorganized, and how he can replace Chris Allen, an outside linebacker who was injured for the season. He must see if Jahleel Bilingsley, the preseason All SEC tight end, can pull it off and be the contributing player we all expected. -- Alex Scarborough
Previous ranking: 5
Bulldogs fans wanted a stronger offense with JT Danis at center and Todd Monken calling plays for the second season. Georgia only managed 256 yards of offense, and Clemson scored no offensive touchdowns. Although the O-line was able to protect Daniels from the Tigers' renowned defensive line, his receivers were unable to separate for most of the game. Georgia's unwavering defense was still impressive and should be enough for the upcoming games against UAB and South Carolina Vanderbilt. -- Mark Schlabach
Previous ranking: 4
Ryan Day hopes that Cameron Brown and Sevyn Brown, the cornerbacks, will return to the field this week. The Buckeyes had six and five cornerbacks against Minnesota, which often exposed the young players. Oregon boasts a more skilled passing offense and the Ducks will target Ohio State's secondary in a variety of ways. Quarterback C.J. Quarterback C.J. -- Adam Rittenberg
Previous ranking: 2
After a tougher-than-expected 40-35 Week 1 win over Tulane, the Sooners get a chance to work out some kinks against Western Carolina, an FCS team that lost to East Carolina on Saturday and went 1-8 last season. Lincoln Riley stated Saturday night that some players needed more time. This one is for the Sooners. Dave Wilson
Previous ranking: 6
Give the Aggies time to improve on last season's performance. Haynes King is a young quarterback with a lot of potential. However, he needs to learn how to manage his mistakes and figure out what to do next. Four new starters are being brought in to the new offensive line. This team has a strong defense and a running game that can be relied on. If the Aggies have the answers, they could be on to something. Texas A&M still has time to get together with New Mexico and Colorado remaining unranked before the start of SEC play. Alex Scarborough
Previous ranking: 3
Although it's too soon to rule out the Tigers from another College Football Playoff appearance for the seventh consecutive season, the Georgia loss definitely puts a damper on their chances of making the playoff. Clemson remains the overwhelming favorite to win again the ACC, but its nonconference schedule (South Carolina State University, UConn, and South Carolina) will not impress the committee. The fact that Clemson will not play North Carolina and Miami in the regular season is a problem. Clemson will not face a Georgia defense in the ACC, which is the good news. -- Mark Schlabach
Previous ranking: 8
Luke Fickell's Bearcats play Murray State on Saturday. The season then begins with trips to Indiana and Notre Dame on Sept. 18. Their season opener against Miami (Ohio), was everything they could have hoped for: Quarterback Desmond Ridder was outstanding (20-for-25 for 295 yard and four touchdowns), running back Jerome Ford was explosive, and there are early indications that no one was seriously injured. -- Bill Connelly
Previous ranking: 9
Before playing Toledo on Saturday, the Irish still have a lot of work to do in defense. Florida State had been struggling to run the ball consistently heading into Sunday's game. However, the Seminoles were able to find a rhythm and rush for 264 yards and just 5.5 yards per carry. The bright side is that Jack Coan, Notre Dame's starting quarterback, was 26-of-35 for 366 yard, four touchdowns, and one interception. His passes were beautiful and he reached places that only his receivers could reach. -- Andrea Adelson
Previous ranking: 7
The season can now begin after the warm-up game. Iowa State will be welcoming both College GameDay and Iowa to Ames this Saturday, after keeping the cards close to the vest in a 16-10 win against Northern Iowa. Although the Cyclones will have much to deal with, Iowa was great in their season opener against Indiana -- they will also likely have some wrinkles. Breece Hall will require more space. He was able to carry 23 times for a mere 69 yard against UNI. -- Bill Connelly
Previous ranking: 18
Although the Cy-Hawk is a big game in Iowa, it has a national significance that is unprecedented. Iowa finds itself in the uncharted role of spoiler as Kirk Ferentz, coach of Matt Campbell's Cyclones, aims to keep his dominance. Ferentz is currently 5-0 against Campbell. However, the last two games in Ames were decided by four points. Iowa will rely on its playmaking defense against Brock Purdy, but it likely requires more from Spencer Petras its quarterback. -- Adam Rittenberg
Previous ranking: 19
The defense of the Nittany Lions was strong against Wisconsin, particularly Jaquan Brisker who picked off Graham Mertz on fourth and goal in the fourth quarter to secure the win for Penn State. The Lions held the Badgers to 10 points with a block field goal, fumble recovery, and an interception. On the other end, Penn State's offense was unable to overcome the Wisconsin D. They gained only 50 yards on the ground. This could again be due to Wisconsin's strong defense and the Badgers facing them in Week 1. -- Tom VanHaaren
Previous ranking: 11
The Ducks' focus now shifts to the Pac-12's most important nonconference match, after an inexplicable win against Fresno State. A win at Ohio State will boost the perception of the conference, and the Ducks, in a way that no other matchup could this year. The most important question following Saturday's win is: Will Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux still be able play? After sustaining an ankle injury against the Bulldogs, it's not clear. Kyle Bonagura
Play 0:57 Thibodeaux is forced to quit the game because he injures his lower leg. Kayvon Thibodeaux is rolled up by a friend and left the game with a leg injury.
Previous ranking: 13
This year, the Gators will do things differently. The passing game will be somewhat in the back seat without Kyle Trask or Kyle Pitts and KadariusToney. Emory Jones demonstrated in his first start as starter that he is not a great running quarterback but a skilled passer. A combination of Emory Jones and a strong back group, including Malik Davis, could result in a run-heavy offense. This should ease the pressure on a defense that struggled much of last year. Alex Scarborough
Previous ranking: 15
After beating San Jose State by 30-7, the Trojans now have Stanford at home. Stanford lost 24-7 against Kansas State in its opening game. Not much went right for Cardinal. USC held San Jose State down to 68 rush yards and Stanford had only 39 against Kansas State. USC will need Drake London, a wide receiver, to play another big game and put points on board if the defense does its job. -- Tom VanHaaren
Previous ranking: 21
Despite missing some of the most explosive plays, the Longhorns defeated a formidable Louisiana team to win by 20. Steve Sarkisian was pleased with the calm displayed by Hudson Card, the Longhorns' new starting quarterback. He led them to seven consecutive scoring chances after a three-and-out. Texas had zero turnovers. This solid performance gives you confidence going into an unfamiliar environment against Arkansas. Dave Wilson
Previous ranking: unranked
The secret is out. The secret is out. In 2020, the season was cut short by late losses and blown leads. This team is now on the right track after Saturday's win over LSU. The question now for UCLA is "Are they ready to compete?" Now the question for UCLA might be "Are the Bruins ready to compete?" and "How will this team manage success?" UCLA is next to Fresno State, and Oregon discovered last week that the Bulldogs don't take no prisoners. The party could end before it really gets started if the Bruins focus too much on Fresno State's success than they do Fresno State. -- David M. Hale
Play 0:34 Kyle Philips jukes to TD in 4th for UCLA Kyle Philips impresses by his footwork as UCLA beats No. 16 LSU.
Previous ranking: 22
After going 11-1 last year, the Chanticleers are back where they were. They took a 38-0 lead over The Citadel in the season opener and then ran away to win 52-14. Grayson McCall, the Quarterback, was at his best. He completed 16 of 19 passes for 262 yard and a touchdown. The running game was perhaps the most impressive. Six ball carriers combined for 266 yard and five touchdowns. Next up: Kansas on Friday evening. -- Alex Scarborough
Previous ranking: 12
After a loss to Penn State in their first week, the Badgers will face Eastern Michigan. Their offense was held to just 10 points by Penn State. This week's challenge for the Badgers will be to get quarterback Graham Mertz up and to fix some of their mistakes, including the quarterback-running back swap. The Badgers then travel to Chicago to face Notre Dame at Soldier Field on Sept. 25. While the defense performed admirably against Penn State, the offense still needs to improve. -- Tom VanHaaren
Previous ranking: unranked
Virginia Tech was the team that outperformed all expectations in Week 1. It went from being a question about Justin Fuente’s job security to suddenly becoming the favorite to win ACC Coastal. Fuente spent the offseason praising QB Braxton Burmeister's impact on the Hokies' offense. But the biggest surprise was the defense, which was led by Amare Barno, an edge rusher, and a completely shut-down secondary. The Hokies now have a much more manageable schedule than they did before -- UNC at West Virginia and Notre Dame home in the first five week -- and may soon be thinking more about a conference title rather than a coaching change. -- David Hale
Previous ranking: unranked
This week's first step should be to not target. This was the most significant problem the Rebs faced in their win over Louisville in Week 1. After allowing zero points in the first half, the offense was not hampered and the defense appeared to have improved. Although Austin Peay isn’t a significant threat this weekend, ESPN’s FPI gives them a 1.5% chance to win the upset -- this game isn’t one Ole Miss should ignore. This is not the time to ignore a team that's still trying to improve its defense and this isn't the time to do so when you are a team just weeks away from reaching No. 1 Alabama (Oct. 2). Alex Scarborough
Previous ranking: 24
Holy War week is here, which means that Utah has the chance to extend its winning streak against BYU to a record ten games. The storyline for this week's game is new. BYU will submit an application to the Big 12 this week. Although the Utes have won the series 10 times, it has been a very competitive series and it is reasonable to expect them to do the same again this week. Kyle Bonagura
Previous ranking: 14
Although the opener was bad for Miami, it just adds to a long list of distinguished teams that have been embarrassed by Alabama. Now, the question is what Miami will do. The Hurricanes have let a hangover last too long in years past. With Appalachian State next, it's not a good idea to allow the Bama loss to linger. Miami is still a strong team with a chance of a solid season. But that means we need to put Week 1 behind us. -- David M. Hale
Previous ranking: 25
The Sun Devils open the season by beating FCS foe Southern Utah. They then face UNLV, a team which lost to Eastern Washington (another FCS side) in its opener. UNLV shouldn’t be too difficult, so it is hard to not look forward to the BYU trip the next week. Although Jayden Daniels was not required to play against Southern Utah, this week will be an opportunity to get Jayden into a rhythm as ASU moves toward conference play with high expectations. Kyle Bonagura
Previous ranking: 10
So much for your playoff hopes. Although the Tar Heels may have been a little too enthusiastic about North Carolina in the offseason, it was not surprising. Remember the Florida State game last season? On paper, UNC's roster is exceptional. Sam Howell did not suddenly forget how to throw the football. Health (Beau Corrales was missing at receiver) as well as resilience are the bigger concerns. The whole season could be ruined by the balloon burst in Week 1. Mack Brown insists that it won't. The Tar Heels should be able to iron out any kinks with Georgia State this week. -- David Hale
Previous ranking: unranked
Auburn has managed to transition into the post-Gus Malzahn era with a 60-10 win over Akron in Week 1, and an upcoming match with Alabama State in week 2. Bryan Harsin and Co. will have to make tough decisions from here, with a trip down to State College to take on the No. On Sept. 18, the 11 Nittany Lions will face Bryan Harsin and Co. After a game against Georgia State, the Tigers start their unforgiving SEC schedule, which includes trips to Texas A&M and LSU, as well as home dates with Georgia, and Alabama.
Dropped out: LSU (16), Indiana (17), Washington (20), Louisiana (23)
