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Well, here we go again, another year of college football and the AP Top 25 poll is just around the corner. The BCS has been replaced by the College Football Playoff, so the debate is still alive.
The college football season is finally here, and there are a hundred websites out there trying to predict the outcome of the season. To some, the AP Top 25 poll represents the pinnacle of college football rankings, but to others, it’s nothing more than a misguided, arbitrary ranking system. But whether you love them or hate them, the AP Top 25 poll certainly causes a stir.
The AP Top 25 college football poll is out, and there’s some movement in the standings following a crazy weekend of games in which three top-12 teams lost. What’s next for each rated team is as follows:
A week after crushing Miami, consistency will be crucial. Of course, Mercer won’t be much of a test, but not looking forward to Florida the next week could be. Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide’s coach, will undoubtedly have something to say about it. He’ll be watching to see how quarterback Bryce Young responds to his first career start, how his rebuilt offensive line develops, and how he replaces outside linebacker Chris Allen, who is out for the season due to a broken foot. He has to see whether Jahleel Billingsley, the preseason All-SEC tight end who was relegated to the second string, can get his act together and contribute like everyone anticipated. Alex Scarborough’s remark
With JT Daniels at quarterback and Todd Monken directing plays for the second season, Bulldogs supporters anticipated for a more powerful offensive. With a number of wide receivers and tight ends out due to injury and other problems, Georgia only managed 256 yards of offense against Clemson and failed to score an offensive touchdown. Daniels was well protected by the offensive line against the Tigers’ feared defensive line, but his receivers battled to generate separation for most of the night. Still, Georgia’s tenacious defense was remarkable, and it should be enough against UAB, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas in the coming weeks. Schlabach, Mark
Previous position: 4 
Cornerbacks Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown are expected to return this week, according to coach Ryan Day. Against Minnesota, the Buckeyes often used their fifth and sixth cornerbacks, which exposed the inexperienced guys at times. Oregon’s passing offense is much more skilled, and the Ducks will target Ohio State’s secondary in a variety of ways. The growth of Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is worth monitoring, but the Buckeyes’ defense has to improve substantially and the team’s top 11 players need to be identified. Adam Rittenberg’s remark
Previous position: 2 
The Sooners have an opportunity to iron out some kinks against Western Carolina, an FCS club that fell to East Carolina on Saturday and finished 1-8 last season after a tougher-than-expected 40-35 Week 1 victory over Tulane. Some of Lincoln Riley’s guys, he acknowledged Saturday night, need a bit more seasoning. In this game, the Sooners should go all out. Dave Wilson is an author.
Previous position: 6
Allow the Aggies some time before comparing them to last year’s team. Haynes King has a lot of promise, but he has to figure out what he’s doing and learn to minimize his errors. The new-look offensive line, which is breaking in four new starters, is in the same boat. With an already strong defense and a powerful rushing game to rely on, the Aggies may be onto something if they find the solutions. Texas A&M has a couple weeks to come together with unranked Colorado and New Mexico left before SEC play starts. Alex Scarborough’s remark
3rd place before.
It’s too early to rule the Tigers out of another College Football Postseason participation, but their prospects of making the playoff for the eighth consecutive season have been harmed by the Georgia defeat. Clemson is the clear favorite to win the ACC once again, but the remainder of its nonconference slate (South Carolina State, UConn, and South Carolina) will not impress the committee. It doesn’t help that the Tigers aren’t scheduled to face North Carolina or Miami during the regular season. The good news is that in the ACC, Clemson will not play a defense as strong as Georgia’s. Schlabach, Mark
Previous position: 8
Luke Fickell’s Bearcats have a preseason game against Murray State on Saturday, before heading to Indiana on Sept. 18 and Notre Dame on Oct. 2. They couldn’t have hoped for a better start to the season than what they got versus Miami (Ohio): Desmond Ridder looked fantastic (20-for-25 for 295 yards and four touchdowns), running back Jerome Ford was explosive, and no one seemed to be severely injured. Bill Connelly’s quote
Previous position: 9
Before facing Toledo on Saturday, the Irish have a lot of work to do on defense, beginning with their run defense. Florida State has struggled to run the ball consistently heading into Sunday’s game, but the Seminoles found a rhythm, rushing for 264 yards and 5.5 yards per carry. On the plus side, Notre Dame starting quarterback Jack Coan answered his detractors by throwing for 366 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception on 26-of-35 passing. He threw several spectacular throws that only his receivers could reach. Andrea Adelson’s remark
Previous position: 7
The season may now begin once the warm-up game is completed. Iowa State welcomes both Iowa and College GameDay to Ames on Saturday after holding as many cards close to the vest as possible in a 16-10 slugfest against Northern Iowa. The Cyclones will have a lot to deal with — they were great against Indiana in the season opener — but they will also likely expose some flaws. One thing is certain: Breece Hall will need some more room. Against UNI, he rushed 23 times for 69 yards. — Connelly, Bill
Previous position: 18
The Cy-Hawk game is usually a huge deal in Iowa, but this year it has national ramifications. Iowa is playing spoiler for the first time, as coach Kirk Ferentz looks to extend his dominance against Matt Campbell’s Cyclones. Ferentz is 5-0 versus Campbell, despite the fact that the last two games in Ames were decided by four points. Against Brock Purdy, Iowa will rely on its playmaking defense, but it will also need more from its own quarterback, Spencer Petras. Adam Rittenberg’s remark
Previous position: 19
The Penn State defense, particularly Jaquan Brisker, came up huge against Wisconsin, picking off Graham Mertz on fourth-and-goal in the fourth quarter to clinch the victory. The Lions were able to hold the Badgers to only 10 points thanks to blocked field goals, a fumble recovery, and an interception. The Penn State attack, on the other hand, ran against a buzz saw in Wisconsin’s defense. Only garnering 50 yards on the ground, the run game still needs improvement. However, this may be due to Wisconsin’s strong defense and the fact that the Badgers were the opponent in Week 1. — VanHaaren, Tom
Previous position: 11
The Ducks shift their focus to the Pac-12’s single most crucial nonconference game after an uninspired victory over visiting Fresno State to start the season. In a manner that no other game this year can, a victory against Ohio State would boost the image of the league and, of course, the Ducks. The most pressing issue after Saturday’s win is whether Ducks standout defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux will be able to play. It’s unknown what happened after he injured his ankle against the Bulldogs. Kyle Bonagura (Kyle Bonagura)
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0:57
Kayvon Thibodeaux is forced to exit the game with a leg injury after being rolled up by a teammate.
Previous position: 13 
This year, the Gators are planning to do things a bit differently. The passing game will take a back seat without Kyle Trask, Kyle Pitts, or Kadarius Toney. Emory Jones demonstrated in his first appearance as a starter that although he is a gifted runner, he is not yet a polished passer. Combining him with a strong group of running backs, such as Malik Davis and Dameon Pierce, may result in a more run-heavy offense, which would help relieve the pressure on a defense that battled for most of last season. Alex Scarborough’s remark
15th place before.
After defeating San Jose State 30-7, the Trojans host Stanford at home. Stanford’s first game ended in a 24-7 loss against Kansas State, and little went right for the Cardinal. Stanford only managed 39 running yards against Kansas State, while USC limited San Jose State to 68 rush yards. If USC hopes to start the season 2-0, it will need wide receiver Drake London to have another huge game and help put points on the board if the defense does its job. — VanHaaren, Tom
Previous position: 21
Despite missing on some of the more explosive play attempts, the Longhorns defeated a very strong Louisiana squad by a score of 20. Steve Sarkisian praised new starting quarterback Hudson Card’s composure as he guided the Longhorns to seven consecutive scoring opportunities following a three-and-out, with Texas committing zero mistakes. The strong showing gives the team confidence as they prepare to face an old foe in Arkansas in a hostile atmosphere. Dave Wilson is an author.
prior position: unranked
The secret has been revealed. The Bruins made tremendous progress last season, even if it wasn’t always reflected in the standings. The shortened season in 2020 was characterized by blown leads and late defeats. However, after Saturday’s convincing victory against LSU, it’s obvious that this squad has turned a corner. The issue for UCLA now may be “How will this team handle success?” rather than “Are the Bruins ready to compete?” UCLA will face Fresno State next, and Oregon learned last week that the Bulldogs are no pushovers. If the Bruins spend too much time celebrating their accomplishment instead of concentrating on Fresno State, the party may come to an end before it really begins. David M. Hale (David M. Hale)
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UCLA defeats No. 16 LSU because to Kyle Philips’ impressive footwork.
22nd in the previous ranking
The Chanticleers continued their winning ways from last season, racing out to a 38-0 lead against The Citadel in the season opener before cruising to a 52-14 victory. Grayson McCall, the quarterback, was as efficient as usual, completing 16 of 19 passes for 262 yards and a touchdown. The rushing game, on the other hand, was very spectacular, with six ball carriers combining for 266 yards and five touchdowns. Kansas is up next on Friday night. Alex Scarborough’s remark
Previous position: 12
After a first-week defeat to Penn State, when their offense was limited to 10 points, the Badgers face Eastern Michigan. The Badgers’ third game, against Notre Dame at Soldier Field on Sept. 25, will hinge on getting quarterback Graham Mertz rolling and clearing up some of the errors he made last week, particularly the quarterback-running back interchange. Against Penn State, the defense appeared in midseason form, but the offense still has to improve. Tom VanHaaren (Tom VanHaaren)
prior position: unranked
Virginia Tech, which went from facing concerns about Justin Fuente’s job security to suddenly being the favorite to win the ACC Coastal, exceeded expectations in Week 1. Fuente spent the summer praising QB Braxton Burmeister’s effect, and the Hokies’ offense definitely looked better in their Week 1 victory against UNC, but it was the defense’s outstanding performance, headlined by edge rusher Amare Barno and a shut-down secondary, that surprised the most. Now, a tough early schedule — UNC, West Virginia, and Notre Dame at home in the first five weeks — seems much more doable, and the Hokies may soon be talking about a potential league championship rather than a possible coaching change. ‘David Hale’
2 Related
prior position: unranked
The first step this week should be to avoid being targeted. During the Rebs’ dominating Week 1 victory against Louisville, it was perhaps the only major problem they faced. The offense was definitely not, and the defense seemed to have improved after surrendering zero points in the first half. While Austin Peay isn’t much of a danger this weekend (the Govs have a 1.5 percent chance of pulling off an upset, according to ESPN’s FPI), this isn’t a game Ole Miss should ignore. Not when you’re still trying to find defensive consistency, and not when you’re a couple weeks away from facing No. 1 Alabama on the road (Oct. 2). Alex Scarborough’s remark
Previous position: 24
Holy War week is here, which means Utah has a chance to extend its winning run against BYU to a school-record ten games. BYU is likely to submit an application to join the Big 12 this week, thus this week’s game will have a new narrative. Despite the fact that the Utes have dominated the series over the last decade, their victories have been mainly close games, and the same may be expected this season. Kyle Bonagura (Kyle Bonagura)
14th place before.
Miami’s first game was a disaster, but the Canes join a long and illustrious line of clubs that have been humiliated by Alabama. The issue now is how Miami will react. The Hurricanes have let a hangover continue far too long in the past, as shown by their stretch run in 2019, and with Appalachian State up next, there’s no time to let the Bama defeat linger. Miami is still a strong team with a potential to have a successful season, but it requires putting Week 1 behind them. David M. Hale (David M. Hale)
Previous position: 25
The Sun Devils face UNLV, a club that fell to Eastern Washington (another FCS school) in their opener after beginning the season with a victory against FCS opponent Southern Utah. UNLV shouldn’t provide much of a challenge, so it’s difficult not to think forward to BYU the next week. QB Jayden Daniels didn’t have to do much against Southern Utah, but this week could be a nice chance for him to get into a groove as ASU prepares for conference action. Kyle Bonagura (Kyle Bonagura)
Previous position: 10
So much for any hopes of making the playoffs. North Carolina’s preseason adoration was maybe misguided, but we’ve seen this before with the Tar Heels. (Do you recall the Florida State game from last year?) On paper, UNC’s roster remains impressive, and Sam Howell hasn’t forgotten how to throw a football. Health (Beau Corrales and Khafre Brown were both missing at receiver) and resilience are the larger issues. Will the first-week balloon burst ruin the whole season? Mack Brown is certain that that won’t happen, and the Tar Heels should have an opportunity to iron out the kinks this week against Georgia State. ‘David Hale’
prior position: unranked
With a 60-10 thrashing of Akron in Week 1 and an impending matchup with Alabama State in Week 2, Auburn has been able to ease into the post-Gus Malzahn era. From there, things will get a lot harder for Bryan Harsin and company, beginning with a trip to State College on Sept. 18 to play the No. 11 Nittany Lions. After a game against Georgia State, the Tigers begin an SEC schedule that includes visits to LSU and Texas A&M, as well as home games against Georgia and Alabama.
LSU (16), Indiana (17), Washington (20), and Louisiana have all dropped out (23)
This week, the Associated Press released its final Top 25 poll for the 2015 college football season. The final rankings for the AP Poll were released on Tuesday, October 11, 2015. The rankings are based on the votes of 65 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coaches and sports information directors at schools that were not selected to play in a postseason bowl game. The final rankings for the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) were released on October 11, 2015. The rankings were based on the votes of 65 FBS head coaches and sports information directors at schools that were not selected to play in a postseason bowl game.. Read more about ap top 25 football 2020 and let us know what you think.
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