Julio Cortez/Linked Press
As the college football season rolls into Week 2 and the ACC, SEC and Gargantuan 12 join the enjoyable, the Top 25 remains unchanged after Week 1.
While the season officially kicked off over Labor Day weekend, there were no ranked teams in action. Navy bought six votes in the preseason poll and assuredly has lost them after a 52-3 smackdown by the palms of BYU. On the other hand, no longer adequate has long gone down that the Linked Press came out with a brand new poll for Week 2.
That absolutely gained’t be the case after the drawing near near gameweek. With the three Vitality 5 conferences that notion on taking part in games this drop field to bewitch to the discipline, there will likely be six ranked teams in action, with every having the change to make the cases they must be ranked better.
With all of the teams sitting at 0-0 and hopeful they would possibly be able to whisk the table in a most phenomenal season, here’s what the poll appears to be like to be like take care of, the following sport for every physique of workers and a preview of the ideal matchups in Week 2.
AP Top 25
1. Clemson (0-0, 9/12 at Wake Woodland, 7: 30 p.m. ET)
2. Ohio Relate*
3. Alabama (0-0, 9/26 at Missouri)
4. Georgia (0-0, 9/26 at Arkansas)
5. Oklahoma (0-0, 9/12 vs. Missouri Relate, 7 p.m. ET)
6. LSU (0-0, 9/26 vs. Mississippi Relate)
7. Penn Relate*
8. Florida (0-0, 9/26 at Mississippi)
9. Oregon*
10. Notre Dame (0-0, 9/12 vs. Duke, 2: 30 p.m. ET)
11. Auburn (0-0, 9/26 vs. Kentucky)
12. Wisconsin*
13. Texas A&M (0-0, 9/26 vs. Vanderbilt)
14. Texas (0-0, 9/12 vs. UTEP, 8 p.m. ET)
15. Oklahoma Relate (0-0, 9/19 vs. Tulsa)
16. Michigan*
17. USC*
18. North Carolina (0-0, 9/12 vs. Syracuse, noon ET)
19. Minnesota*
20. Cincinnati (0-0, 9/19 vs Austin Peay)
21. UCF (0-0, 9/19 at Georgia Tech)
22. Utah*
23. Iowa Relate (0-0, 9/12 vs. Louisiana, noon ET)
24. Iowa*
25. Tennessee (0-0, 9/26 at South Carolina)
*No longer taking part in a drop season, barring a alternate.
UAB at Miami
Keith Srakocic/Linked Press
There will now not be a ton of energetic alternate options within the Top 25 this week. Many of the ranked teams are quiet ready one extra week for his or her season openers, and the matchups we’re getting stare lopsided on paper.
Appropriate delivery air the Top 25 is a Community of 5 vs. Vitality 5 conference sport that would possibly maybe maybe maybe maybe shape the bottom of the following poll. Miami used to be 30th with 42 votes in the initial poll, and the Blazers made an appearance in the “others receiving votes” category with one vote.
The stress is on for Manny Diaz after his first season at the helm in South Florida ended poorly. The Hurricanes executed the season on a 3-sport dropping skid, along with losses to Florida Global and Lousiana Tech in the Independence Bowl.
That brings us to the Canes’ season opener towards a UAB physique of workers coming off a 45-35 get grasp of over Central Arkansas. That fetch does now not uncover the complete story, because the Blazers grew to was over the ball three times and gave up two gradual touchdowns to make a blowout a powerful nearer sport on paper.
Miami has a necessary reason in the assist of optimism in D’Eriq King. The aged Houston quarterback enters this plan as one of primarily the most carried out transfers in the nation and would possibly maybe maybe maybe maybe just ship the consistent quarterback play this plan has been missing.
On defense, the Canes will miss stud defensive end Gregory Rousseau, although they would possibly be able to change some of his manufacturing with Temple switch Quincy Roche. He used to be the American Athletic Convention Defensive Participant of the Year final year.
Defensive line play will likely be necessary. Miami had one of primarily the most stingy whisk defenses in the nation final season (3.17 yards allowed per raise). UAB wishes to whisk the ball. Spencer Brown build up his 14th occupation 100-yard rushing sport towards Central Arkansas and would possibly maybe maybe maybe maybe just be key if the Blazers must duvet the 14.5-level spread on DraftKings.
Duke at No. 10 Notre Dame
Phelan M. Ebenhack/Linked Press
It be a stamp of the times that Notre Dame will likely be in the working for a conference championship in football this season. Thanks to the unique plot back of attempting a season in the time of COVID-19, the Combating Irish are field to play a fat ACC schedule.
That campaign to united states of americaa. Clemson at the head of the conference starts with a home sport towards Duke on Saturday afternoon.
Notre Dame comes in with a high-10 ranking and is favored by 20.5 functions in its home opener. There are lofty expectations in field and appropriate reasons for them. The Irish bring support quite so a lot of the skills that went 11-2 final year, along with a Tenting World Bowl get grasp of over Iowa Relate.
Amongst the returnees is quarterback Ian E-book. The signal-caller racked up over 3,000 yards passing with 34 touchdowns to apt six interceptions. He’s dropping his high two receivers in Inch Claypool and tight end Cole Kmet, but there would possibly maybe be optimism that Northwestern switch Ben Skowronek will likely be ready to assist beget that void.
The most modern member of the Irish receiving corps had 90 catches for 1,206 yards and eight touchdowns in his 2017 and 2018 campaigns with the Wildcats. He’ll be a player to gaze as Notre Dame makes an are trying to state the passing sport gained’t bewitch a step support.
For Duke, Inch Brice’s emergence is the storyline to withhold an ogle on. The longtime Clemson backup has transferred to the Blue Devils to play for David Cutcliffe. Brice used to be once the 17th-ranked pro-vogue quarterback in his class, so the skills is there for him to maintain a breakout season.
Syracuse at No. 18 North Carolina
North Carolina is a 22.5-level current here, so this one is no longer expected to be shut. On the other hand, it’s expected that both offenses can maintain success. The over/under is with out doubt one of many very ideal in the college football slate this week at 65.5, and the orderly money will likely be on the over.
While the Tar Heels are expected to attain third in the ACC, both teams maintain high-powered offenses that would possibly maybe maybe maybe build up functions.
For Syracuse, it comes all of the vogue down to protecting Tommy DeVito. The quarterback is in a position to finishing the lengthy ball and stretch defenses vertically, but they maintain to withhold him real. The Orange gave up 50 sacks final season, yet DeVito quiet threw for 19 touchdowns to five interceptions.
The Heels can maintain Sam Howell returning at quarterback after one of many finest freshman seasons at quarterback.
He threw for 38 touchdowns to seven interceptions whereas finishing 61 p.c of his passes.
The Orange secondary used to be apt middle-of-the-motorway final season, giving up a 125.8 ranking to opposing passers. They’ll must be powerful better towards Howell and the Tar Heels in the event that they must withhold this sport within the spread. Even head coach Dino Babers used to be blunt about that heading into the matchup.
“You’d like to rating a technique to stop North Carolina,” Babers acknowledged of Mack Brown‘s offense, per Jacob Payne of Sports Illustrated. “They’ve both of those alternate options. So obviously, it would possibly maybe maybe maybe maybe maybe be essential to determine on what’s the ideal thing to stop that affords your physique of workers the finest probability to preserve within the 21-level spread.”
With Clemson looking ready to make an announcement towards Wake Woodland, it would possibly maybe maybe maybe maybe maybe be on the Tar Heels and Irish to reward there will likely be competitors in the conference this season. Gargantuan performances Saturday would possibly maybe maybe maybe maybe field that tone.
