Week 2 handed the AP Top 25 a real jolt, and Texas looks positioned to cash in on the chaos.
The Longhorns did the biggest damage of the weekend by knocking off No. 1 Ohio State. The Buckeyes controlled most of the game Saturday night, but Texas seized the lead with 30 seconds left and left enough time on the clock to walk away with the win and send the top of the poll into a spin.
That leaves the obvious question hanging over the rankings: who moves into the No. 1 spot? Notre Dame is at least part of the conversation after a 52-0 win on Saturday night, but that still feels like a long shot.
Georgia also has a case, yet Texas seems to have the strongest path to the top and could wind up as the new No. 1.
The ripple effects should be felt all over the poll, especially for teams that were already wobbling. Oregon is the clearest example.
The Ducks were sitting in the Top 10 after slipping four spots from an underwhelming win over Boise State, and their loss to Oklahoma State should send them tumbling hard. A drop out of the rankings wouldn’t be shocking, though it may be more likely that they simply fall a long way.
Oklahoma is in a similar spot after losing to Michigan, the same Michigan team that lost to Western Michigan in Week 1. That kind of result should push the Sooners down, and it also opens the door for Michigan to enter the AP Top 25. Even so, pollsters may hesitate, especially with Bryce Underwood and company having scored just 30 points in two games.
The rest of the projected Top 25 also reflects a busy weekend. Georgia is expected to slide into the No. 2 spot, with Notre Dame right behind at No.
- Indiana should move up to No.
4, Miami to No. 5, and LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Alabama all remain firmly in the mix near the top half of the poll.
Elsewhere, USC, Texas Tech, BYU, Penn State, SMU, Tennessee, Utah, Iowa, Missouri, Houston, Virginia, Boise State, Louisville, and Oklahoma round out the back end of the projected rankings, with Boise State back in at No. 23 after starting outside the Top 25.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Fans Just Got Their First Real Look At Noah Grubbs
Noah Grubbs had been on Notre Dames radar for months, but Saturdays game against Rice gave fans their first real look at the freshman quarterback in live action after CJ Carr exited. Grubbs arrived on campus early in January, got a full spring to settle in, and had already shown up in practices and the spring game, so the debut did not come out of nowhere - it just carried a different kind of weight once the lights came on.
At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Grubbs brings the kind of frame and arm talent that naturally invites attention in South Bend. Quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli has even pointed to the similarity in Grubbs strong-armed style and Carrs freshman profile, which makes Notre Dames quarterback depth chart all the more interesting as the season unfolds. The bigger question now is how quickly the freshman can turn a first glimpse into something the staff can actually lean on. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Finally Looked Like The Team Fans Were Waiting For
After a season opener that left Notre Dame searching for a cleaner rhythm, the home opener brought the kind of performance fans had been waiting to see. The Irish overwhelmed Rice 52-0 with a fast, efficient start and never let the game drift out of their control, getting big contributions on both sides of the ball as the offense moved with purpose and the defense kept the shutout intact.
CJ Carr settled in immediately and looked comfortable directing the attack, while safety Adon Shuler and wide receiver Jordan Faison added to a night that felt complete from the start. For Notre Dame, it was the sort of lopsided win that does more than pad a scoreline, it offers a clearer sense of what this team can look like when the pieces are working together. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Delivered The Kind Of Blowout Irish Fans Crave
Notre Dame gave its home crowd exactly the kind of afternoon it had been waiting for on Sept. 12 at Notre Dame Stadium, rolling past Rice 52-0 in a game that never felt close. The Irish spread the scoring around, with touchdowns from Boubacar Traore, CJ Carr and Nolan James Jr., plus a field goal from Spencer Porath, while the defense kept Rice off the board all day.
Boubacar Traore helped set the tone early, and Notre Dame kept widening the gap as the game wore on, with Carr directing an offense that stayed aggressive even after the outcome was well in hand. For Irish fans, the shutout mattered as much as the margin because it looked like a clean, complete performance in every phase, the sort of showing that can leave bigger questions waiting for the next week. [Read more 🡒]