Instant Reaction: Week 2 AP Poll Results
By Tucker Harlin
The AP released its Top 25 ahead of Week 2 of the college football season Tuesday.
I’m not very upset by any of these rankings because I feel like the voters made mostly correct decisions.
GEORGIA and OHIO STATE were going to stay atop the poll after what they did last week. Blowout wins of any kind ensure you keep your place at the very least.
TEXAS, ALABAMA, and NOTRE DAME occupy the three, four, and five spots. Both the Longhorns and Crimson Tide blew out their group of five opponents in Week 1.
The Irish moved up two spots because they won on the road against Texas A&M, who dropped out of the poll with a poor showing on offense. However, the Aggies are somehow the most voted for team outside of the Top 25.
The 76 OLE MISS scored on Furman did nothing to move it up in the polls, not something I disagree with.
OREGON took a bit of a hit after a close call with Idaho, falling four spots to #7. I agree with the votes here as we saw teams ranked below the Ducks handle similar competition in a more dominant fashion.
PENN STATE stayed stationary at #8. I find this a little surprising considering it went on the road an won big against a solid West Virginia team but didn’t pass the Oregon team that struggled against an FCS foe at home.
MISSOURI jumped up to #9 while pushing MICHIGAN down to 10. I have a feeling Fresno State is a lot better than Murray State, but I’m not complaining too much because I’ve thought the Wolverines were overrated since the release of the first poll.
UTAH got the slightest of bumps with a blowout win over Southern Utah Thursday, not a surprise at all.
MIAMI and USC are the highest climbers after one week as both beat SEC schools to jump to #12 and #13. They were going to rise in the rankings but this may be a little high too early.
TENNESSEE, OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA STATE, and KANSAS STATE all moved up a spot with dominant wins over inferior opponents. While I can kind of understand why Miami and USC moved ahead of them, I am questioning the decision to both ahead. Florida isn’t ranked for a reason, and LSU is still largely unproven.
Speaking of LSU, the Tigers moved down five spots to #18 in the polls. It’s understandable, and I think the loss to USC was one where they played well but just didn’t come out on top.
KANSAS, ARIZONA, and IOWA were the last three teams to move up in the poll that were in last year. All three won by 20 or more against non power four opponents and were the beneficiary or far falling and dropouts.
LOUISVILLE and GEORGIA TECH were the two new additions to the poll this week. Louisville received the most votes among teams that didn’t get in the first poll and won by 62 against Austin Peay, so I guess it’s fitting it got in.
Georgia Tech is one of a small number of teams that can say it’s 2-0 right now, but Florida State’s recent struggles have me wondering if the Yellowjackets are legitimate.
NC STATE stayed put at 24. The Wolf Pack beat Western Carolina to start its season but not in the prettiest fashion, so I’m a little surprised it was stationary this week.
CLEMSON rounds out this week’s poll at #25, falling 11 spots after its loss to Georgia. We knew Clemson was overrated, but now its one bad loss away from not cracking the poll for several more weeks.
TEXAS A&M and FLORIDA STATE were the two that dropped out this week.
I’m not defending either of them because the Aggies look pretty miserable on offense and the quarterback play and line play on both sides of the ball is why the Seminoles dropped out of the polls all the way from #10.
