Power Rankings: Injuries, upsets and more from a drama-filled Week 2
After a drama-filled Week 2, it’s easy to say that a few of these top-25 teams are happy to put this weekend behind them. Michigan, the reigning national champion, suffered an embarrassing loss at home to a Texas team that looks ready to make a run at its own title, Utah QB Cam Rising missed the entire second half against Baylor because of a hand injury, and Notre Dame was dealt the biggest upset of the season so far with Northern Illinois handing the Irish a 16-14 loss.
What does Michigan need to focus on after this upset? If Rising is out for some time, what does this mean for Utah after a scoreless second half? And how does Notre Dame’s loss effect its College Football Playoff hopes?
Our college football experts give insight on each team based off Week 2 performances.
Previous ranking: 1
Through two weeks, Georgia has been nothing short of dominant. The Bulldogs took down nationally ranked Clemson 34-3 on Aug. 31 in Atlanta and then cruised past FCS foe Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles on Saturday with a 48-3 beatdown at home. The Bulldogs (2-0) have yet to give up a touchdown on defense, and the only points they surrendered Saturday came on a field goal to end the game. For two weeks in a row, quarterback Carson Beck has been in total control. He completed his first 11 passes and tossed five touchdowns to five different players Saturday before calling it a day early in the third quarter.
Running back Trevor Etienne made his Georgia debut after being suspended for the opener and finished with 78 rushing yards on five carries and caught two passes. Coach Kirby Smart is enough of a perfectionist that he will find plenty of things he didn’t like in these first two games. Even so, the Bulldogs look as strong as ever. They face their first road test Saturday against Kentucky Wildcats, and after an open date, travel to Alabama in one of the most anticipated games of the season. Georgia has now won 41 straight regular-season games. — Chris Low
Previous ranking: 3
For the second straight year, Quinn Ewers led Texas to a big win in a nonconference road game, snapping Michigan’s 16-game winning streak (and 32 games in the regular season), a season after beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Ewers completed 24 of 36 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns, including seven passes to tight end Gunnar Helm, who had 98 yards receiving.
The Longhorns dominated the Wolverines from the get-go, leading 24-3 at halftime and allowing just one touchdown with under two minutes left in the game. The Texas defense was as good as the offense and stuffed the Wolverines, who had just 80 rushing yards, while also intercepting two Davis Warren passes. As statements go, this was a very loud one. — Dave Wilson
Previous ranking: 2
The Buckeyes came out clicking offensively in Week 2, following a sluggish start in the season-opening win over Akron. Ohio State scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, highlighted by Jeremiah Smith‘s electric 70-yard touchdown reception. The freshman phenom receiver finished with 119 yards receiving, as the Buckeyes coasted past Western Michigan 56-0.
The running game looked much sharper, as well. Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson combined to rush for four touchdowns while averaging a whopping 9.2 yards per carry. All told, Ohio State churned out 683 yards of offense. The Buckeyes are still figuring things out under new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. But they clearly have the talent to boast the top offense in college football. — Jake Trotter
Previous ranking: 7
Ole Miss has performed exactly as expected — explosive on offense, smothering on defense and unbeaten. Oh yeah, and untested, too. The Rebels steamrollered to their second straight blowout victory Saturday at home over an outmanned opponent, this one a 52-3 rout of Middle Tennessee. Ole Miss has rolled up 1,437 total yards and scored 128 points in its first two games.
Jaxson Dart completed his first 24 passes before throwing his only two incompletions of the game in the fourth quarter, and Miami transfer Henry Parrish Jr. rushed for 165 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries. The true tests are yet to come for Ole Miss, which faces its first Power 4 opponent Saturday at Wake Forest. The Rebels have been favored in their first six games, but the trip to LSU on Oct. 2 will be their seventh game in seven weeks. — Low
Previous ranking: 12
It was close, then it wasn’t. With under four minutes remaining in the first half of the Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte, the Volunteers led NC State 10-3, and the Wolfpack were driving. But Tennessee defensive back Will Brooks‘ 85-yard pick-six opened the flood gates. The Volunteers cruised to a 51-10 blowout win as quarterback Nico Iamaleava threw for 211 yards and two scores and rushed for 65 yards and another touchdown. He threw two interceptions, but they were just about the only stops the NC State defense made all evening.
The Wolfpack offense, meanwhile, gained just 143 yards, 27 in the second half. Tennessee had more tackles for loss (13) than it allowed first downs (10). Few teams have looked the part of an elite team in both Weeks 1 and 2, but the Vols have been one of them. And it started with Brooks’ big play. — Bill Connelly
Previous ranking: 9
The Hurricanes did what they were supposed to do in a 56-9 win over Florida A&M. In its first two games, Miami has beaten its opponents by a combined score of 97-26. Quarterback Cam Ward became the first Miami player with 300 yards passing, three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in a game since Malik Rosier against Toledo in 2017.
Meanwhile, Xavier Restrepo became the first Miami player to start a season with consecutive 100-yard receiving games and a touchdown catch since Magic Benton in 1996. Miami will once again be heavily favored in its Week 3 matchup against Ball State and has to guard against complacency in a second straight game it’s expected to dominate. — Andrea Adelson
Previous ranking: 4
On a night the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium was renamed in longtime coach Nick Saban’s honor, it was anything but smooth sailing for the Crimson Tide. They were clinging to a 21-16 lead over South Florida with just under seven minutes to play in what was a penalty fest on both sides (24 penalties between the teams) but were able to break the game open thanks to three explosive scoring plays in the final six minutes. The final score of 42-16 was deceiving.
Alabama had to reshuffle its offensive line with starting left tackle Kadyn Proctor sitting out because of a shoulder injury and struggled to generate a consistent run game. There was also a litany of holding calls on the offense, one nullifying a 74-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jalen Milroe in the first quarter. Milroe accounted for four touchdowns (two passing and two running), and Jam Miller had 140 rushing yards with 81 of those coming from two plays in the fourth quarter. With a road trip to Wisconsin looming next week and then Georgia coming to town Sept. 28, the challenge for Alabama will be cleaning up its offense. The Tide also need to get Proctor back at tackle. — Low
Previous ranking: 13
If the Trojans’ win over LSU in Las Vegas last week made a grand, season-opening statement in a post-Caleb Williams world, then what transpired Saturday when USC hosted Utah State in its home opener was a subtler declaration that was just as important. In the past, USC has frequently played down to its opponents, but it did the opposite by trouncing the Aggies 48-0. The sheer dominance of the score alone doesn’t properly contextualize how easy USC made this win look. It established the run early and totaled 249 yards on the ground.
Miller Moss yet again looked the part of an elite Lincoln Riley-coached quarterback, and the defense — yes, that defense — lived up to its billing once again under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. The unit held Utah State to 190 total yards of offense, which helped produce the first shutout a USC defense has had since it held UCLA scoreless in 2011. Thirteen years ago. It’s still early but so far, USC looks more than just capable of being one of the top 10 teams in the country — it looks comfortable in its new position. — Paolo Uggetti
Previous ranking: 6
The Nittany Lions suffered an apparent Week 2 hangover following their impressive season-opening victory at West Virginia. With four minutes remaining in the game, Penn State led Bowling Green by just a field goal. Nicholas Singleton reeled off a 41-yard touchdown to finally give the Nittany Lions a cushion on the way to a 34-27 victory that was a sigh of relief.
Penn State’s vaunted defense was surprisingly porous early, as Bowling Green scored on its first three possessions to build a 17-7 lead. But the defense woke up after halftime. Penn State forced three punts, then picked off two passes to spearhead the comeback. The Nittany Lions obviously will have to play better in conference play. But at least they avoided the MAC-attack fate that torpedoed Notre Dame later in the day. — Trotter
Previous ranking: 11
With so much unexpected drama unfolding throughout the country, Missouri calmly took care of business, easing to a 38-0 win over Buffalo. The Tigers gained 518 total yards and allowed just 169. They haven’t allowed a point all season and haven’t allowed a touchdown in their past 185 minutes of action.
Quarterback Brady Cook hasn’t found much downfield success so far in 2024, but he took what he was given against the Bulls, completing 28 of 36 passes for 228 yards and rushing five times for 62 yards and two touchdowns. While Buffalo keyed on star receiver Luther Burden III, battery mate Theo Wease Jr. caught 13 passes for 149 yards. But the story for now is the Mizzou defense, which has allowed just 254 combined yards in two games despite heavy rotations in blowouts. The Tigers will face more difficult tests starting with next week’s visit from Boston College. — Connelly
Previous ranking: 8
The Ducks did it again. Facing off against a tough, but much less talented team, Oregon eked out a win in the final seconds of a close game thanks to a walk-off field goal. The Ducks’ offense didn’t do itself any favors. The unit had its fair share of big plays, but by and large, couldn’t get anything going. The Ducks were stumped by their own penalties and turned the ball over twice.
A relatively strong defensive performance from Oregon’s defense kept Boise State from getting a bigger lead (the Broncos were up by a touchdown in the fourth), but the Ducks’ special teams unit, which featured a kickoff return for a touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown, saved the day. As quarterback Dillon Gabriel explained after, this is a team full of new players who are figuring out how to collectively develop and foster an identity that will translate to the field. But the clock is ticking, the opponents are getting tougher, and the Ducks will need to improve quickly if they want to continue to win. — Uggetti
Previous ranking: 14
For the second season in a row, the Utes beat Baylor in what will now be a potential Big 12 matchup. Last year, Utah was able to outlast Baylor in Waco without quarterback Cam Rising, who was out all season while recovering from knee surgery. This year, coach Kyle Whittingham’s team nearly had to do it again as Rising exited the game in the second quarter because of a hand injury but not before throwing two touchdowns in a 17-point first quarter for the Utes as part of a dominant 23-point first half.
Rising, whose injury Whittingham described as “not real serious,” did not return after halftime and was replaced by freshman Isaac Wilson. Wilson was not asked to do much (4-for-9, 30 passing yards), as the Utes’ defense was able to hold the Bears to only nine points in the second half. Utah’s offense without Rising scored zero points in the second half and punted the ball three times, further highlighting the importance of Rising being under center. If he is forced to miss any significant time, the Utes — who are considered one of the favorites to win the Big 12 this year — could be in trouble. — Uggetti
Previous ranking: 16
After falling behind 14-0 and trailing 21-7 at halftime, Oklahoma State is fortunate to have escaped with a 39-31 double-overtime win against Arkansas. The defense allowed 648 yards of total offense, and All-American running back Ollie Gordon II was limited to just 49 yards rushing (34 in regulation). Given that combination, it was an improbable win for the Cowboys.
For as poorly as the defense played for long stretches, it kept Arkansas off the scoreboard in overtime to help deliver the win. Quarterback Alan Bowman completed 27 of 48 passes for 326 yards with a score. OSU will shift its attention to a trip to Tulsa next week. — Kyle Bonagura
Previous ranking: 17
Credit Jon Sumrall and the way he has Tulane playing just two games into his tenure — Kansas State needed a fourth-quarter scoop-and-score and a generous offensive pass interference call to negate a potential tying Green Wave touchdown to escape New Orleans with a 34-27 victory. The Wildcats went 2-for-10 on third down and played conservatively through the air as Avery Johnson finished with 181 yards and two touchdown throws on 15-of-23 passing (7.8 yards per attempt).
Meanwhile, Tulane’s Darian Mensah torched the K-State secondary for 342 yards, while Makhi Hughes gashed the Wildcats for 128 rushing yards on 21 carries. Kansas State left Tulane 2-0, still firmly entrenched as a Big 12 title and playoff contender, but Week 2 should be a wake-up call in Manhattan before Arizona visits Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Friday night. — Eli Lederman
Previous ranking: 10
Texas clobbered the Wolverines in the Big House on the way to a resounding 31-12 victory. The loaded Longhorns are on the short list of legitimate national championship contenders. But Michigan wasn’t competitive in a barometer game that showed how far it has slipped from last season’s national title. Most disappointing was that the defense couldn’t slow Texas down. The Wolverines still have experience and talent on that side of the ball, led by tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson. Yet the Longhorns moved the ball at will from the opening drive.
Michigan should — and likely will — be better defensively. But offensively, the Wolverines have problems. The offensive line is getting beat at the line of scrimmage, leaving the running game without much consistency. That is putting too much pressure on quarterback Davis Warren, who, outside of All-American tight end Colston Loveland, has no reliable receiving option to put fear in opposing defenses. These Wolverines just aren’t equipped to win high-scoring affairs. That means the defense is going to have to bounce back in a big way for Michigan to reemerge as a playoff contender. — Trotter
Previous ranking: 15
The Sooners escaped with a 16-12 win against Houston in a game that Brent Venables said they deserved to lose thanks to an inconsistent offense that could never find a rhythm. A week after Houston lost 24-7 to UNLV at home, the Sooners couldn’t put the Cougars away, with OU finishing with its fewest points and total yards (249) against an unranked nonconference team since a 17-10 loss to TCU in 2005.
Jackson Arnold finished 19-of-32 for 174 yards and 2 TDs to 1 interception and OU averaged just 4.1 yards per play and 2.6 yards per carry (Jovantae Barnes was the leading rusher with 12 carries for 40 yards). The star of the night was punter Luke Elzinga, who averaged 44 yards per kick on eight attempts and placed five kicks inside the 20-yard-line, including one at the 5-yard line with 1:46 left that led to a safety on the next play and essentially sealed the win. — Wilson
Previous ranking: 20
Last week, the Wildcats struggled on defense against New Mexico. This week, it was the offense’s turn to be frustrated by lesser opposition in a 22-10 win against FCS Northern Arizona. After winning several national player of the week awards by catching 10 passes for 304 yards in the opener, receiver Tetairoa McMillan was held to just two catches for 11 yards. It was a discouraging performance ahead of next week’s showdown with Kansas State. Following Michigan’s loss to Texas, the Wildcats now have the longest winning streak in college football (nine games), which stands as an incredible achievement for a team that had a 20-game losing streak from 2019 to 2021. — Bonagura
No. 18 Louisville Cardinals
Previous ranking: N/R
Another week, another easy win for the Cardinals. Austin Peay and Jacksonville State certainly didn’t expect to challenge Louisville much, but while other powers around the country have looked rusty against lesser competition, the Cardinals have made it all look easy, including Saturday’s 49-14 win over the Gamecocks. Through two games, QB Tyler Shough has thrown for 581 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. — David Hale
Previous ranking: 24
What a difference a week makes. Or, perhaps, what a difference not playing Georgia makes. All those concerns about Clemson’s offense might have been well founded, but for at least a week, there was little cause for continued concern. Quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for five touchdowns and ran for two more, all before halftime in a 66-20 win over Appalachian State. So, which is the real Clemson — the one that was shut down by the best team in the country or the one that dominated a good Group of 5 squad? The answer is probably somewhere in between, but a showdown with NC State in two weeks should be telling. — Hale
Previous ranking: 18
Fans in Baton Rouge might not forget Collin Guggenheim‘s name for a bit: The Nicholls senior running back charged for 145 rushing yards against the Tigers on Saturday evening, and his second score, from 67 yards out, cut LSU’s lead to just 23-21 early in the second half. But the Tigers’ offense was never going to let the Colonels stay close.
Garrett Nussmeier threw for 302 yards and six touchdowns, and Kyren Lacy scored on three of his five catches as LSU eventually pulled away for a 44-21 win. It wasn’t pretty, and a banged-up running backs corps didn’t really impress (Tiger running backs rushed 17 times for 47 yards), but it was a palate cleanser after Sunday night’s loss to USC. — Connelly
Previous ranking: 5
So much for building off a huge season-opening win over Texas A&M. The Irish lost 16-14 to Northern Illinois at home in the most shocking upset of the weekend, an ugly performance in which the Notre Dame offense couldn’t gain any rhythm or consistency. Even still, Notre Dame led midway through the fourth quarter until Riley Leonard threw an ill-advised interception. Northern Illinois kicked the winning field goal, and now the Irish are left to pick up the pieces.
The loss was their first as a top-five team against an unranked opponent since 2002. But perhaps worse is how damaging the loss could be for their playoff hopes. Notre Dame, playing as an independent, has little margin for error moving forward. Its schedule currently features two ranked teams. Next up is a game at Purdue. — Adelson
Previous ranking: N/R
The best thing for a talented freshman quarterback, such as Dylan Raiola, is having a defense so strong that it buys time for development. Raiola has been solid in his first two games, passing for 423 yards on a 73.7% completion rate, with three touchdowns and, most importantly, zero interceptions.
The Huskers’ improvement will be driven by a defense that smothered Colorado on Saturday night, generating six sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hurries and a pick-six by Tommi Hill. Veteran lineman Ty Robinson also blocked a field goal attempt. Six different Huskers had sacks, and MJ Sherman and Jimari Butler combined for five quarterback hurries. The Blackshirts effectively knocked out the Buffaloes in the first half. Nebraska’s second half wasn’t sharp and didn’t need to be, but it will need to play complete games when Big Ten play gets under way. — Adam Rittenberg
Previous ranking: N/R
The Cy-Hawk clash often brings out the worst in coach Matt Campbell’s Cyclones, who entered Saturday’s game 1-6 against Iowa in his tenure. Another loss seemed inevitable after a mistake-marred first half that included no points or third-down conversions and only 101 total yards. But ISU’s signature defense did enough to keep Iowa out of the end zone and then flipped the game with the first of cornerback Darien Porter‘s two interceptions.
The offense came alive behind quarterback Rocco Becht and wide receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, and kicker Kyle Konrardy‘s first two field goals in college, including a 54-yarder with six seconds to play, lifted ISU to an improbable victory at Kinnick Stadium. The win could be a catalyst for a talented and gritty Cyclones team in a wide-open Big 12. — Rittenberg
Previous ranking: N/R
The Tigers’ quest for the coveted Group of 5 playoff spot is going well after stress-free wins over North Alabama and Troy, although there was some bad news after Saturday’s game. Coach Ryan Silverfield announced that running back/returner Sutton Smith will miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury suffered in the opener. Smith had 509 kickoff return yards in 2023 and was set to lead the rushing attack alongside South Carolina transfer Mario Anderson, who had 125 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only 17 carries against Troy.
Thanks to Anderson and UMass transfer Greg Desrosiers Jr., Memphis rushed for 211 yards and four touchdowns against Troy, offsetting a quiet day from quarterback Seth Henigan. The Tigers next week face a Florida State team that has allowed 453 rushing yards and 5.1 yards per carry through two games. A win in Tallahassee won’t resonate like Memphis hoped it would before the season, but it would still boost the team’s CFP profile. — Rittenberg
Previous ranking: N/R
Sound the siren as coach Bret Bielema’s Illini are back in power rankings after an energizing home upset of Kansas, their first home win against a ranked opponent since 2019. Illinois’ defense might be recapturing its 2022 form after picking off Jalon Daniels three times and holding Daniels, Devin Neal and the talented Kansas offense to 141 passing yards and no points in the final 19 minutes, 57 seconds.
Safeties Xavier Scott and Miles Scott led what looks like a much-improved secondary. Xavier had two interceptions, including a pick-six, and a forced fumble, and Miles Scott recorded an interception for the third straight game. The offense did just enough, as wide receivers Zakhari Franklin and Pat Bryant combined for 169 receiving yards. Illinois will try to keep rolling this week against Central Michigan before opening Big Ten play with tough road trips to Nebraska and Penn State. — Rittenberg
