The first regular-season college football polls brought a little movement, a few jolts and one constant: Ohio State is still sitting at No. 1 in both the AP and coaches rankings.
Alabama moved in opposite directions depending on the poll. The Crimson Tide climbed one spot to No. 12 in the Associated Press poll after beating East Carolina 48-10, but slipped one place to No. 12 in the coaches poll. Alabama entered the AP preseason poll at No. 13, then jumped Texas Tech after opening 1-0.
LSU was one of the biggest movers in both sets of rankings after its 51-10 rout of Clemson. The Tigers rose three spots to No. 8 in the AP poll and surged five spots in the coaches poll, also landing at No.
- Clemson, meanwhile, took a major hit after the loss.
In the AP poll, the Tigers dropped from No. 16 in the preseason all the way out of the top 25 and into the also-receiving-votes group. In the coaches poll, they fell from No. 23 in the preseason and ended up at the bottom of the also-receiving-votes list.
Michigan also had a rough opening week in the rankings after its 14-13 controversial win over Western Michigan. The Wolverines fell out of the AP top 25 entirely, going from No. 16 in the preseason to receiving votes only.
In the coaches poll, they slid eight spots but stayed in the top 25 at No. 24.
Near the top of the coaches poll, Oregon suffered the biggest drop. The Ducks entered the season at No. 2 but are now No. 6 after a 34-27 win over visiting Boise State that was much tighter than expected. Boise State also picked up 43 votes in the coaches poll and 86 in the AP rankings.
Auburn also cracked the coaches poll conversation after edging Baylor 17-16. The Tigers received 19 votes and landed at No. 33.
In the AP poll, Ohio State held the top spot with 46 first-place votes, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas, Indiana, Oregon, Miami, LSU, Mississippi, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas Tech, USC, BYU, Penn State, SMU, Tennessee, Washington, Utah, Iowa, Houston, Missouri, Louisville and Virginia.
In the coaches poll, Ohio State again finished first with 50 first-place votes. Georgia was second, followed by Texas, Notre Dame, Indiana, Oregon, Miami, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas Tech, USC, BYU, Penn State, SMU, Tennessee, Washington, Utah, Iowa, Houston, Missouri, Michigan and Florida.
In Other News...
LSUs SEC Fight Could Shift The Balance Alabama Lives With
The SECs legal fight with LSU has taken another turn, and it is the kind of conference business that rarely stays contained to one school. The league has amended its federal court lawsuit and is preparing to meet about possible punishment tied to LSUs institutional control and the football program, a dispute that puts the conferences authority and its willingness to enforce it back in the spotlight.
For Alabama, any league-wide shakeup involving LSU matters because it can alter the balance of a conference the Crimson Tide lives in every week. The SEC has also alleged that LSUs executive officers do not have meaningful control over coach Lane Kiffin and the football program, and the most extreme option on the table would require a two-thirds vote to terminate LSUs membership. Whether it gets anywhere near that point is still the unresolved part, but the fact it is being discussed says plenty about how serious the conflict has become. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces An Early SEC Test It Can't Afford To Sleepwalk Through
Alabama got through its Week 1 tune-up against East Carolina, but the rhythm of the season changes fast now that SEC play arrives. The Crimson Tides first conference test comes against Kentucky, a team that brings a different look than the usual early-September opponent and one that has already spent the offseason reshaping itself on the sideline and at quarterback.
Will Stein is in place as the Wildcats new head coach, and Kentucky also added a transfer quarterback who was impressive in the opener. That combination is enough to make this more than a routine league game for Alabama, which cannot afford to treat it like a soft landing after the nonconference schedule. The Tide will need to be sharp from the start if they want to avoid turning an early SEC roadblock into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Is In ESPNs Playoff Picture But The Early Message Is Clear
Following Week 1 of the college football season, ESPNs 11-person panel updated its College Football Playoff predictions, and Alabama remained in the mix. LSU, Georgia and Texas drew unanimous support, but the Crimson Tide were among the other teams to pick up votes as the first national snapshot of the race started to take shape.
The early message, though, is that Alabama has some work to do to separate itself from the pack. Along with Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, the Tide were part of a crowded second tier in the panels projection list, which showed how little margin there is at the moment between being viewed as a contender and simply being in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]