Texas is the new No. 1 in the CBS Sports 138 after a Week 2 that shook up the top of college football and left voters sorting through a messy first real snapshot of the season.
The Longhorns climbed from No. 2 to the top spot after their dramatic home win over Ohio State, while Georgia slid into second. Miami stayed at No.
3, Notre Dame moved up to No. 4 and Ohio State fell to No. 5 after the loss. Indiana, LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M round out a top 10 that now has a very different look than it did a week ago.
Texas was not a unanimous No. 1 pick, but the Longhorns held a clear advantage in the ballot average over Georgia. Behind that, the race tightened fast. Georgia and Miami are sitting just ahead of Notre Dame, and the next group includes Ohio State, Indiana and LSU, with LSU still getting a boost from its opening win over Clemson.
There’s also a noticeable middle tier forming beneath the top few teams. Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and USC all sit close together in ballot average, and they’ve established some separation from Texas Tech, Tennessee and Penn State. That sort of clustering is part of what makes early-season rankings so tricky: the margins are thin, and every result seems to pull a few teams in a new direction.
Michigan made one of the biggest jumps of the week, surging from No. 37 to No. 20 after its win over Oklahoma. The Wolverines were penalized for the messy opener against Western Michigan, but the Oklahoma result helped steady things. Their showing was strong enough, for long enough, to secure one of the better non-conference wins of the season so far.
Oregon was the other major faller near the top. The Ducks dropped from No. 8 to No. 16 after being stunned by Oklahoma State, which had already lost its season opener at Tulsa. Oklahoma also took a hit, falling from No. 9 to No. 26, as voters continue to wrestle with where the Sooners fit after an offense that has struggled to find consistency.
The rest of the top 25 features several teams moving in the right direction. Alabama climbed to No.
8, Ole Miss moved to No. 9, Texas A&M rose to No.
10, BYU jumped to No. 12 and Missouri moved up to No. 18.
Houston also cracked the top 25, landing at No. 24.
The full top 25:
- Texas
- Georgia
- Miami
- Notre Dame
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- LSU
- Alabama
- Ole Miss
- Texas A&M
- USC
- BYU
- Texas Tech
- Tennessee
- Penn State
- Oregon
- SMU
- Missouri
- Utah
- Michigan
- Iowa
- Florida
- Louisville
- Houston
- Virginia
Elsewhere in the rankings, Oklahoma State delivered the biggest leap of the week, jumping 45 spots to No. 38 after knocking off Oregon in Stillwater. North Texas rose 20 spots to No. 58 after its win over UNLV, while UTSA climbed 17 spots to No. 50 after outlasting Texas State on the road.
Illinois was one of the sharper falls, dropping 11 spots to No. 43 after Duke exposed some early tackling issues. Minnesota slid 18 places to No. 56 after Mississippi State scored touchdowns on each of its first four offensive possessions and built a 20-plus-point halftime lead.
In Other News...
Michigan Just Got Another Worry On The Offensive Line
Michigans offensive line had already been a spot to monitor, and the situation around Andrew Babalola only adds to the concern. The former five-star recruit was coming off an ACL tear in 2025 and was supposed to be in the mix for the starting left tackle job in 2026, but head coach Kyle Whittingham said Babalola has now hit another setback that will keep his return on hold for the near future.
There is at least a little more encouraging news on the other side of the line. Guard Evan Link, who missed the recent game because of injury, could be back for the upcoming matchup against UTEP, giving Michigan a chance to stabilize a unit that has been dealing with constant uncertainty. Even so, the bigger-picture worry remains whether Babalola can get back on track in time to matter for the position battle that was supposed to be waiting for him. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Had John Mateer Hearing It From Oklahoma Fans
John Mateer came out of Michigans matchup with Oklahoma carrying more than just the usual frustration of a bad night. The Sooners quarterback finished with 189 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, along with 45 rushing yards, and afterward he acknowledged leaving some throws on the field that he normally makes. For a player expected to steady Oklahoma, it was the kind of performance that quickly turns a postgame conversation into a wider one.
Soon after the loss, some Oklahoma fans even took the ribbing to Facebook Marketplace, where they mocked Mateer in a way that reflected just how quickly sentiment can swing after a rough outing. It was a reminder that in a game like this, the reaction doesnt stop at the final whistle. The on-field numbers told part of the story, but the off-field response showed how closely the performance was being watched. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's Offense Just Found A New Tension Around Bryce Underwood
After a shaky season opener against Western Michigan, Michigan steadied itself in a 17-10 win over No. 11 Oklahoma, and the biggest offensive shift came from a simple adjustment in how Bryce Underwood was used. The defense did plenty of heavy lifting, but the coaching staff also leaned harder into Underwood as a runner, and that added a different layer to an offense that had looked stuck a week earlier.
Underwood responded by leading the team on the ground with 18 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown, a noticeable jump from his previous outing. It gave Michigan a more dynamic look and helped balance a game plan that needed every available spark, even as the questions around how far this approach can go are only beginning to surface. [Read more 🡒]