College football’s Week 2 reshaped the AP Top 25 in a hurry, and the biggest change was at the top. Texas jumped to No. 1 after its upset of Ohio State, while Oregon and Oklahoma both slid out of the top 20 after losses to unranked Oklahoma State and Michigan. Michigan, meanwhile, landed at No. 19 and is back in the voters’ good graces after last week’s controversial win over Western Michigan.
With Top 25 teams going 22-3 this week, the poll had room for only so much movement. Washington was the team squeezed out after an unconvincing win over Utah State, and that made the Huskies the first name on the list of teams trying to work their way back in.
For Washington, the path is simple enough: the offense has to look alive. Through two weeks, it has been rough going for a unit that was supposed to be one of the country’s most experienced.
The Huskies have dealt with third-down problems, red zone issues, dropped passes and penalties that keep killing drives. The defense has done enough to keep them afloat, though, especially against the run and in creating turnovers.
If the offense shows even a pulse, Washington should be back in the rankings quickly. Eastern Washington, which just gave up 517 yards and 41 points to South Dakota, may be the right matchup to get that done.
Florida has a different problem. The Gators have put points on the board behind quarterback Aaron Philo and wide receiver Vernell Brown III, but the defense has not been nearly as clean.
Florida Atlantic hung 396 yards and 21 points on them, and Campbell opened Week 2 by marching 63 yards in seven plays for a field goal. Florida settled in after that, forcing two turnovers and two sacks while tightening up on third downs.
Still, to convince voters it belongs in the Top 25, Florida will need to slow down a Byrum Brown-led Auburn offense that found its rhythm in Week 2 and piled up 343 rushing yards.
Boise State is in a slightly different spot after its own strong response. The Broncos pushed Oregon in Week 1, then handled fellow Group of 6 power Memphis, 38-20, while averaging 7.6 yards per rush.
That gave them both a near-miss against a Power 4 team and a solid bounce-back against a respected opponent. Now the task is to leave no doubt against South Dakota.
The Coyotes are dangerous offensively, so Boise State will need to clean up the penalties and avoid the slow start it had against Memphis if it wants to make a real impression on the voters.
Oklahoma State’s situation is the most interesting of the bunch. The Cowboys’ win over Oregon was enough to get them 36 votes, even with the memory of a shaky Week 1 loss to Tulsa still hanging around.
Drew Mestemaker showed the kind of mental toughness that mattered most in the biggest moments, but the voters were careful not to go all the way yet. The message was clear: nice win, now do it again.
A convincing showing against Murray State, which is 1-2, could be enough for Oklahoma State to sneak back into next week’s Top 25.
In Other News...
Floridas Blowout Exposed A Few Surprises Fans Need To See
Floridas 52-3 win over Campbell gave the Gators plenty of breathing room, but the Pro Football Focus review afterward did a nice job of showing where the performance really stood out. The grades offered a quick snapshot of who carried the day on offense and defense, along with how the team stacked up nationally through two weeks, which is the kind of context that can be useful early in the season when the sample size is still small.
The PFF breakdown also dug into the details behind the final score, including individual performances, missed tackles and pass breakups, which can reveal more than the scoreboard alone. For Florida, that kind of report matters because a lopsided win can still hide a few surprises, and the grades help point to the players and trends worth watching as the competition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Quietly Found Depth Pieces Fans Should Be Watching Closely
Floridas 52-3 win over Campbell offered the kind of night where the spotlight naturally lands on the obvious stars, but there was also real value in the supporting cast. Dallas Wilson made the most visible case for a bigger role with six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown, while Bailey Stockton added four receptions and did some of the little things that tend to stand out to coaches, including important blocking on punt return touchdowns.
Elsewhere, a few more names surfaced as pieces worth tracking going forward. Roderick Kearney graded as the teams best pass-blocking lineman, JVari Flowers broke up three passes, and Jeramiah McCloud finished with four tackles, half a sack and a pass deflection. In a game Florida was expected to control, those kinds of contributions are the sort that can quietly shape the depth chart as the schedule gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas New Standard Faces A Much Bigger Test Ahead
Jon Sumralls first few weeks at Florida have already made one thing clear: the new standard in Gainesville is going to be demanding, even after a blowout win. Following a victory by more than 40 points, Sumrall and defensive coordinator Brad White both pointed to the defense as an area that still fell short of where they expect it to be, a sign that the margin on the scoreboard was not enough to satisfy the new staff.
For a program trying to build consistency under a new head coach, the bigger challenge is keeping that edge when the games start to look comfortable. Sumrall has stressed the need for the Gators to hold themselves to a high standard and stay locked in mentally, and the next stretch will show whether that message sticks once Florida is asked to carry the same focus into a tougher test. [Read more 🡒]