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We’ve got college football games in the books, and it’s time for some overreactions.
Let’s start off the Week 2 edition of The Athletic 136 with some reminders. This list will be volatile early in the season, with big risers and fallers as data starts to come in. These rankings are my best attempt to rank a combination of resume and performance. Teams that beat what I think is a good team will see a big jump; teams that lose to a team I don’t think is good will drop significantly.
For teams that just beat up on an inferior Group of 5 or Football Championship Subdivision opponent in Week 1, this ranking does not matter. Your team might “fall” despite winning, but that’s only because it got jumped by someone who actually played an opponent of note. It will take a few weeks for everyone to play a quality opponent. This is your disclaimer to not get mad about that.
The good news is Week 1 was loaded. We got a real look at so many teams, especially near the very top.
Welcome to the No. 1 spot, LSU, after a 17-10 win at Clemson. I originally had Ohio State here when the Buckeyes beat Texas 14-7 in Columbus. I flipped to LSU on Saturday night because the (LSU) Tigers dominated the second half and the box score to beat a veteran team on the road, while Ohio State beat a younger team at home. I also had Clemson ranked ahead of Texas to start the year.
Does this mean I think LSU is the best team in the country? I do know LSU has the most impressive win right now, and these rankings are about rewarding wins and close losses. It’s going to look funky early in the season. It will adjust as the weeks go on.
That is your warning. Now let’s get into this week’s Athletic 136.
In most weeks, Florida State would have its own case for No. 1 after its 31-17 win against Alabama. The Seminoles will have to settle for a jump from No. 49 to No. 3. Is it possible Alabama is just not very good? Yes. And if the season plays out that way, this win will carry less value when evaluating the Noles. Miami’s 27-24 win against Notre Dame slides the Hurricanes up to No. 4.
Texas, Clemson and Notre Dame don’t fall far, landing at Nos. 5-7 because they all lost to fellow top-10 teams and had the ball with a chance to tie at the end. Two of those losses also came on the road. I’m not going to penalize them very much for what were otherwise solid performances. Is playing Ohio State within one score on the road more impressive than beating up a weaker Group of 5 team? I think so.
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