Ohio State may have the most support for No. 1 in the new Coaches Poll, but the Week 2 ballot makes one thing clear: the coaches are not lined up behind a single best team in the country.
The biggest shakeup at the top came from Oregon, which dropped four spots after a messy seven-point win over unranked Boise State. That result was enough to knock the preseason No. 2 Ducks out of the top five, a rough start for a Big Ten title hopeful that was expected to bring back plenty of firepower on both sides of the ball.
LSU, meanwhile, was one of the week’s biggest winners, climbing five spots after a dominant opener in which Lane Kiffin made a strong first impression in Baton Rouge. The Tigers’ 51-10 rout of Clemson gave the coaches plenty to reward, and the performance was enough to make LSU look like a team that can credibly hang with the SEC’s best and stay in the national title conversation.
Michigan also moved in the wrong direction, sliding eight spots after surviving Western Michigan in a game that never looked clean. The ending may have been fortunate, but the rest of the performance was shaky enough to leave little confidence ahead of the matchup with Oklahoma.
Virginia was another notable mover, jumping seven places after a commanding win over ACC foe NC State. With quarterback Beau Pribula leading the way, the Cavaliers did enough to earn a spot at the bottom of the new rankings.
Clemson’s fall was the most dramatic of all. The coaches had kept Dabo Swinney’s team in the preseason rankings, but that patience evaporated after the Tigers were crushed 51-10 by LSU. Clemson tumbled out of the Top 25 entirely, dropping 232 of its previous points and landing at just 3.
A long list of teams received votes but not enough to crack the rankings this week: Louisville 125; Illinois 45; Boise State 43; Arizona 42; South Carolina 36; Memphis 24; Auburn 19; Vanderbilt 17; Pittsburgh 14; Virginia Tech 11; Nebraska 11; Arizona State 11; Minnesota 9; Western Michigan 7; New Mexico 7; North Dakota State 6; Kansas State 6; Navy 5; UCLA 4; Duke 4; UNLV 3; Clemson 3; San Diego State 2; North Carolina 2; Colorado 1.
In Other News...
Ohio State Looks Strong But Michigan Already Has A Big Ten Problem
After Week 1, the Big Ten mostly stayed in line with expectations, and Ohio State was right where it wanted to be near the top after a decisive opening win. Indiana joined the Buckeyes in holding onto the conferences upper tier, a sign that the leagues early order is already taking shape even if most teams still have plenty to prove.
Michigan, meanwhile, created the first real headache in the standings, squeezing out a narrow and controversial win that left more questions than answers. Rutgers also took a hit with an upset loss, and with early-season results already nudging the rankings around, the next few weeks should tell us far more about which teams are actually built to stay there. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Is Suddenly In Play For Two Huge 2028 Targets
Ohio States season-opening rout of Ball State did more than get the Buckeyes off to a fast start on the field. It also gave the staff a chance to showcase the program to a sizable group of visitors, and the early returns in the 2028 recruiting cycle are already starting to matter as the class begins to take shape around both sides of the ball.
Among the names worth tracking are five-star wide receiver Braylon Clark and four-star safety Jalen Flowers, both of whom have Ohio State among their top schools. The Buckeyes already have commitments from several offensive and defensive prospects, and the staff is clearly pushing to build on that foundation while the 2028 board is still forming. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Already Has A Problem Ohio State Fans Will Love
The first AP Top 25 poll after Week 1 already delivered an early jolt in the Big Ten race, and it was one Ohio State fans were happy to see. Michigan, which entered the season at No. 16, dropped out of the rankings after a shaky opener while the Buckeyes and Texas both handled their business with dominant wins.
Michigans immediate task is straightforward, even if the pressure around it is not: stack together convincing performances and avoid leaving any doubt for the poll voters. After the opening-week escape against Western Michigan, the Wolverines do not have much margin for error, and they will need a much cleaner run in the weeks ahead to climb back into the Top 25. [Read more 🡒]