The first full week of college football didn’t give the AP Top 25 much reason to go wild, and that’s good news for Oregon.
After surviving an early scare against Boise State for the second time in three seasons, the No. 2 Ducks are projected to hold their place near the top of the poll when the first in-season rankings come out. Oregon may slip a little, but a drop outside the top five looks unlikely after Week 1.
Boise State made the Ducks work despite entering the matchup as 24.5-point underdogs, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The Broncos also entered the season with the third-most votes among teams outside the preseason top 25, so they were not exactly a throwaway opponent. Even so, they are still unlikely to crack the rankings as an 0-1 team, though they could be in the AP Poll conversation later in the season.
The bigger picture still favors Oregon. There just weren’t enough ranked matchups in Week 1 for another team to build a stronger case to jump the Ducks. For now, the No. 2 spot appears safe.
The timing of the poll adds another wrinkle. With college football using the full Labor Day Weekend and the NFL season not yet underway, a pair of Sunday games could still influence the first AP release.
No. 4 Notre Dame is set to play Wisconsin at 4:30 p.m.
PT, while No. 9 Ole Miss and No.
24 Louisville are scheduled to meet at the same time.
That means the Week 1 AP Top 25 Poll will not arrive at its usual Sunday slot. Instead, it is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 11 a.m. PT.
There was movement worth watching elsewhere, though maybe not enough to shake the top of the board. No.
16 Michigan edged Western Michigan in controversial fashion, with a replay review adding one second to the clock and prompting the Big Ten to issue a statement on the officiating decision. The Wolverines began the season at No. 16 in the preseason AP Poll, and voters could choose to punish them for barely escaping the upset.
LSU also made a strong opening statement. The No. 11 Tigers rolled past Clemson, and that kind of performance could push them ahead of several teams when the updated rankings are released.
Ole Miss and Louisville could provide the most immediate movement, depending on how their ranked matchup plays out. But even with those games still ahead, the early read on the AP Poll is clear: Oregon should stay high, and the real shakeups may have to wait until bigger games arrive in Week 2 - like No.
1 Ohio State vs. No.
5 Texas and Michigan vs. No.
10 Oklahoma - or until conference play begins.
The preseason AP Top 25 listed Ohio State at No. 1, Oregon at No. 2 and Georgia at No. 3, followed by Notre Dame, Texas, Indiana, Miami, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Alabama, USC, BYU, Washington, Penn State, SMU, Michigan, Tennessee, Utah, Iowa, Houston, Missouri and Florida.
A later projection had Ohio State first, Oregon second and Georgia third, with Notre Dame fourth, Texas fifth, Indiana sixth, Miami seventh, Texas A&M eighth, Ole Miss ninth, Oklahoma 10th, LSU 11th, Texas Tech 12th, Alabama 13th, BYU and USC tied at 14th, Michigan 16th, Washington 17th, Penn State 18th, SMU 19th, Tennessee 20th, Utah 21st, Iowa 22nd, Houston 23rd, Louisville 24th and Missouri 25th.
In Other News...
Michigan May Have Found The Edge Threat Fans Have Been Waiting For
Michigans narrow 13-12 win over Western Michigan did not offer much room for comfort, but it did give the defense a fresh name to watch. Dominic Nichols flashed in a way that stood out even in a game defined by tight margins, piling up nine tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while emerging as the highest graded defender on the team, according to Pro Football Focus.
For a unit still trying to sort out where its edge pressure is going to come from, that kind of performance matters. Head coach Kyle Whittingham had positive remarks about Nichols, and the bigger question now is whether this was a one-game spike or the start of a real breakout in Michigans defensive lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Win Sparks An Officiating Debate Fans Wont Ignore
The finish to Michigans 13-12 escape over Western Michigan left plenty of people talking about the play on the field, but the bigger issue may have been what happened in the final moments around the clock. A controversial officiating sequence at the end of the game centered on a disputed second that helped decide the outcome, and a source familiar with replay protocols pointed to multiple deviations from NCAA rules, along with a noticeable gap between the official game clock and the broadcast clock.
For Michigan fans, it was the kind of ending that turns a routine nonconference game into a wider argument about how college football is governed and who gets the benefit of the doubt when the stakes get messy. The dispute also feeds into the sports larger fairness conversation, especially with resource gaps across the game and the College Football Playoff controlled by the Big Ten and SEC, two conferences already at the center of so many decisions shaping the sports future. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Made Its Season Opener Count With Priority Recruits
Michigans season opener at The Big House was about more than the game on the field. The Wolverines used the night as a major recruiting stop, bringing in several priority prospects who had a close look at the program from the stands and on the visit trail, including top linebacker targets Camden Noe and Jay Schell, along with Cyrus Zuah, Kinnard Mahomes, Wyatt VanBoening, Pierre Johnson and Marquis Ray.
The early returns were encouraging for Michigan, with some recruits leaving with offers in hand and others talking up the atmosphere, the coaching staff and the facilities. For a program that has made game-day visits part of its recruiting pitch, the opener gave the Wolverines a chance to sell the full experience, and it sounds like the staff made the kind of impression that can matter as these decisions start to narrow. [Read more 🡒]