The first AP Top 25 update of the season could bring a little movement at the top, but the real drama might be happening a few spots down. With Labor Day Weekend opening the college football slate and several ranked teams still to play Sunday, the poll will be refreshed Tuesday at 11 a.m. PT after Week 1 settles in.
USC is one of the teams worth watching. The No.
14 Trojans backed up their preseason billing with a shutout of Fresno State, and that kind of clean, convincing win gives voters a reason to keep them steady or even nudge them up. They were already sitting at No. 14 before the season, and the question now is whether their two decisive victories are enough to separate them from BYU, which handled Utah Tech 63-7 on Saturday.
The Trojans have already started answering some of the questions that followed them into the season. Defensive coordinator Gary Patterson has made an immediate impact through two games, and the freshman class - led by the No. 1 recruiting haul - has already chipped in, especially at wide receiver.
With Michigan stumbling, USC also has a chance to claim the spot as the top Big Ten team outside the sport’s “big three” of Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana. That matters because the Trojans are set to face all three during the regular season, giving Lincoln Riley’s team a direct path to prove itself later on.
Michigan is the team drawing the loudest reaction after a messy finish against Western Michigan. The Wolverines escaped with the win, but the late sequence involving quarterback Bryce Underwood and receiver JJ Buchanan has turned into the kind of controversy that tends to catch voters’ attention.
The source of the debate is whether there was still time left for a Hail Mary, and the fact that the conference issued a statement on the review and clock decision only adds to the scrutiny. Michigan entered the preseason poll at No. 16, and a drop closer to No. 20 is in play.
Oregon, meanwhile, survived one of the tightest calls of the weekend. Boise State pushed the Ducks hard in Eugene before Oregon pulled out a 34-27 victory. Even so, the Ducks are not expected to take much of a hit, especially with Boise State having drawn the third-most votes among teams left out of the preseason AP Top 25.
The updated prediction has Ohio State staying at No. 1, followed by Oregon and Georgia. Notre Dame sits at No. 4, with Texas, Indiana, Miami, Texas A&M and Ole Miss filling out the next stretch. Oklahoma, LSU, Texas Tech, Alabama, BYU, USC and Michigan make up the next cluster of teams most likely to see movement once the new poll drops.
A projected top 25: 1.
Ohio State
2.
Oregon
3.
Georgia
4.
Notre Dame
5.
Texas
6.
Indiana
7.
Miami
8.
Texas A&M
9.
Ole Miss
10.
Oklahoma
11.
LSU
12.
Texas Tech
13.
Alabama
14.
BYU
14.
USC
16.
Michigan
17.
Washington
18.
Penn State
19.
SMU
20.
Tennessee
21.
Utah
22.
Iowa
23.
Houston
24.
Louisville
25.
Missouri
In Other News...
Big Ten Felt Forced To Address Michigan Ending Everyone Noticed
The late-game ending in Michigans win over Western Michigan drew enough attention that the Big Ten felt compelled to explain it. Replay officials added one second back to the clock after determining a Western Michigan player who had stepped out of bounds touched the ball with time still left, a ruling that changed the final sequence and left plenty of people looking for answers after the whistle.
To its credit, the conference did not leave the decision hanging. It released a statement and video footage from the replay officials discussion, laying out the reasoning behind the clock adjustment and showing how the call was reached. In a game that already had the feel of a routine nonconference result, the ending became the kind of small but notable detail that can linger long after the score is final. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Have Every Right To Worry About This Offense
Michigans defense did its part against Western Michigan, holding the Broncos to 95 total yards and forcing a turnover on downs, but the first-half conversation still belonged to an offense that never settled in after the opening drive. After that early touchdown march, the Wolverines managed only 41 yards before halftime, a stretch that featured shaky pass protection, limited push in the run game and an attack that kept leaving too much for the quarterback to sort out on his own.
Bryce Underwood showed some early rhythm by completing a handful of throws, but the pressure around him grew as the half went on and the mistakes followed, including an interception. For a Michigan team that expected cleaner execution and more balance, the concerns are obvious because the defense may be good enough to keep games manageable, but it cannot keep bailing out an offense that is still searching for consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Offense Has A Real Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Michigan opened with exactly the kind of sequence that can lull a crowd into thinking the offense has found its footing, as Bryce Underwood helped engineer a touchdown on the first drive. From there, though, the early momentum faded fast. The passing game never fully settled in, and the run game had a hard time getting going, leaving the Wolverines to grind through a first half that looked a lot less comfortable than the opening possession suggested.
The numbers told the story of the frustration, with Michigan managing just 46 rushing yards and averaging only 2.5 yards per carry before halftime. Underwood showed flashes, but the mistakes came too, including errant throws that turned into interceptions and helped leave Michigan clinging to a 7-6 lead at the break. For a team that wants to lean on balance and control, the offense already had a problem it could not hide. [Read more 🡒]