With Texas ascending to the top spot in the poll this week, the SEC has taken control of the board already. Six of the top seven teams in the poll are from the conference, with only the Big Ten’s Ohio State able to crack the top seven. The Big Ten also has Oregon and Penn State in the top 10, with the lone Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) representative, Miami, checking in at No. 8.
Here’s how the poll looks now with what’s coming as games start to get a little more serious for some of the powerhouse programs.
The Longhorns are not one of the programs with a more legitimate test this coming weekend—at least on paper. Texas will host Louisiana-Monroe. The question here is if Texas now has a quarterback competition on its hands with Manning’s fabulous performance in relief last weekend.
The Bulldogs escaped with a 13–12 win against Kentucky, a win that was close enough that it cost them the top spot in the poll. Georgia is off this week before one of the early Game of the Year candidates: They’re at Alabama on Sept. 28.
The Buckeyes have outscored their two opponents—Akron and Western Michigan—by a combined 108–6. They get Marshall at home this weekend before traveling to Michigan State to begin their Big Ten schedule. This is a really good, deep Ohio State squad.
Alabama takes this weekend off before hosting the Bulldogs. The Crimson Tide went into Madison and thumped Wisconsin 42–10. Two weeks off to get healthy and prepare for both teams should make for a great game on the 28th.
The Rebels haven’t allowed more than six points in a game yet—they’ve allowed only nine total in three weeks—and host Georgia Southern this weekend. Ole Miss is in position to make a run for a playoff berth if they can continue lighting up the scoreboard and playing dominant defense.
The first stiff test to impact the top of the poll comes this weekend with two traditional powers facing off for the first time as conference foes. Tennessee will travel to Oklahoma and play in prime time on Saturday night. A win there could propel the Vols into the top five.
The Tigers escaped a tough battle with Boston College this past weekend and now host Vanderbilt with hopes of staying undefeated. Missouri is one of seven teams in the SEC to start the season 3–0.
“The U” was not tested by Ball State, rolling to a 62–0 win. But this weekend at South Florida is another story. The Hurricanes’ fans will tell you they’re all the way back, and right now they’re clearly the class of the ACC.
Another one that feels strange when you list their new conference, Oregon takes this weekend off before facing a familiar rival, UCLA, as Big Ten rivals for the first time. They crushed in-state rival Oregon State 49–14 this past weekend.
The third Big Ten team to find itself in the top 10 this week, the Nittany Lions are coming off a surprisingly close 34–27 win over Bowling Green. Penn State has a date with Kent State this weekend and will look to improve their result.
Another new conference rivalry will play out on Saturday when the Trojans visit Ann Arbor for a date with the 18th-ranked University of Michigan. Two programs we’ve seen play in the Rose Bowl over the decades representing the Big Ten and Pac-12 will now battle as regular opponents.
Utah enters the week as the top-ranked team in the Big 12 conference but will need a win to stay there. The Utes will travel for a huge game at Oklahoma State on Saturday. The winner might be in the drivers’ seat for a berth in the conference championship game.
After a big 31–7 win against a ranked Arizona team, Kansas State will travel for a tough night game at BYU. While a lot of eyes will be on the teams ranked on either side of them this week, Kansas State is off to a terrific start.
In the next two weeks, the Cowboys could decide the top spot in the Big 12. After hosting Utah this weekend, Oklahoma State travels to Manhattan for a date with Kansas State next weekend. They passed a tough test in Week 2 with a 39–31 win over Arkansas. And you know their fans love that they’re in front of their in-state rivals in the poll this week.
Welcome to the SEC! After easily blowing through the first three weeks against Temple, Houston, and Tulane, the Sooners now face their start in the new conference with Tennessee in Norman this weekend, a trip to Auburn and then their annual showdown with the Texas Longhorns.
The highest-ranked team with a loss on their ledger, the Tigers left South Carolina with a hard-fought win. They host UCLA this weekend in what is now an SEC-Big Ten matchup.
Poor Purdue! After the Irish were upset by Northern Illinois, they took out all of their frustration on the Boilermakers to the tune of a 66–7 blowout. Notre Dame will host Miami (Ohio) this weekend and look to stay back on track to fight for a playoff berth, even with the one loss.
After getting beat up by Texas at home, the Wolverines now have a full-blown quarterback controversy. And they'll have to figure it out quickly with USC coming to town on Saturday.
After two dominant wins, the Cardinals host a sneaky Georgia Tech team this weekend. This sets up as a potential trap game with a trip to South Bend next week on the calendar. Beware the upset here!
Coming off a stunning one-point win against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Cyclones are sitting back while the top of the Big 12 will beat each other up in the coming weeks. Arkansas State visits Iowa State this weekend.
After getting destroyed by Georgia in Week 1, Clemson is looking to get back on track in the ACC. North Carolina State visits this weekend as its first test in the conference.
If you haven’t heard, Dylan Raiola is the real deal. And the Cornhuskers will get a visit from a ranked (and undefeated) Illinois squad on Friday night to start the college football weekend. Raiola is starting to make noise in the Heisman Trophy race with his strong play early this season.
The undefeated Huskies had a bye week following arguably the greatest win in program history at Notre Dame. They'll put their ranked status on the line with a visit from Buffalo this weekend. Could they sneak their way into an at-large playoff berth with an undefeated season? They have to win the next game to stay perfect.
Starting the season 3–0 is great, but the Illini now face back-to-back road trips to Nebraska and Penn State as thing get hot quickly. A win in either/both of those games could solidify their spot in the rankings. Two losses would knock them out of the Big Ten race.
Coming off a strong win at Florida, the Aggies host Bowling Green this weekend. A Week 1 loss to Notre Dame put them behind the ball but they’ve bounced back with two good wins.
