UPROXX Sports College Football Power Rankings, Week 2: The Big Ten Locks Up The Top

Week 2 was our friendly reminders that the early season of stretch of the season is like MTV’s Diary. You think you know, but you have no idea whether teams or good or not. We can guess based on past performances. We can project using recruiting rankings and coaching changes. We can speculate when it comes to schedule. But we’re all just throwing darts at the board.

The best part of all of this is, for as much as we learned on the second weekend, we still don’t know anything. There’s a comfort to that, to letting the wave of uncertainty wash us out with no compass or bearing. We’re going to see some amazing things, and as long as we open our eyes when they happen, we’re in for a treat.

We’ll still do our best to rank teams as they go because this is a fun endeavor, even if it is pointless. Plus, it’s a way to track just how wrong we were all along.

1. Ohio State  (2-0)

Last week: 1
Last game: Beat Hawaii, 38-0
Next up: Saturday vs. Northern Illinois

Urban Meyer wasn’t happy with some of the things that happened offensively for the Buckeys, but the defense did its job, and it’s not as though this game was the end-all, be-all judge of how we should gauge Ohio State, especially when so many other teams weren’t exactly awe-inspiring on Saturday. Struggle against Northern Illinois, and maybe there’s some doubt, but until there’s a reason not to put them here, Ohio State is the top team. Plus, I mean, the ushers can do this:

2. Michigan State  (2-0)

Last week: 3
Last game: Beat Oregon, 31-28
Next up: Saturday vs. Air Force

Looking for a quality win? You got one. Saturday’s game against the Ducks was as good as advertised, with both teams looking evenly matched and Sparty showing some good things on both sides of the ball. There’s a clear cut “Ohio State, Michigan State, and everybody else” level to the Big Ten right now. As long as Connor Cook can stay within himself, this offense will score points, and there are so many playmakers on this defense to make them a must-watch each and every Saturday.

3. Alabama  (2-0)

Last week: 2
Last game: Beat Middle Tennessee State, 37-10
Next up: Saturday vs. Ole Miss

Bama drops a spot more because of Michigan State’s big win. If you want to stir up controversy, though, you can just pretend it’s because I hate the Tide and I’m biased toward the Big Ten or something. (This game coming up against Ole Miss is huge.)

4. UCLA (2-0)

Last week: 4
Last game: Beat UNLV, 37-3
Next up: Saturday vs. BYU

Not that you can learn much about a game against a team that was 2-11 last year and has a new head coach, but the Bruins got another huge rushing performance from Paul Perkins, a defensive touchdown, and a decent-but-not-worth-over-analyzing game from quarterback Josh Rosen. UCLA can take another step toward being considered a legitimate Championship contender if it can knock off BYU, Tanner Mangum and the Hail Mary Squadron this weekend.

5. TCU  (2-0)

Last week: 5
Last game: Beat Stephen F Austin, 70-7
Next up: Saturday vs. SMU

Nothing like a tune-up game against Stephen F. Austin to knock the rust off a lukewarm performance in Week 1, and proclaim all the problems fixed heading into another easily winnable game against SMU. Great job, Frogs.

6. Baylor  (2-0)

Last week: 6
Last game: Beat Lamar, 66-31
Next up: Sept. 26 vs. Rice

The defense is a bit of a concern. Seth Russell turning it over is a bit of a concern. But we won’t know much about Baylor until they start playing the meat of the Bears’ schedule, which comes… I guess, in October? Please hold.

7. Georgia  (2-0)

Last week: 7
Last game: Beat Vanderbilt, 31-14
Next up: Saturday vs. South Carolina

The best thing to come out of Georgia’s game on Saturday was this tweet from former Bulldog (and Star Wars aficionado) Chris Conley:

https://twitter.com/_flight17_/status/642819177707794432

You said it, pal.

8. Georgia Tech  (2-0)

Last week: 9
Last game: Beat Tulane, 65-10
Next up: Saturday at Notre Dame

I’m going to go ahead and steal this stat from the fine folks at Football Study Hall (and Chip Patterson for pointing it out):

If the Jackets look good against Notre Dame, nobody should be keeping them out of the Top 10.

9. Oregon (1-1)

Last week: 12
Last game: Lost to Michigan State, 31-28
Next up: Saturday vs. Georgia State

Yes, I’m aware I moved up a team who lost on Saturday. But I’m not going to penalize a team for going on the road to play a Top 5 team (and coming just short of grabbing a win) while other teams looked like trash in wins over bad teams. That’s just not who I am. And I’m resolved to be more true to myself this season. So, yell at me if you want, but all I have to say to that is:

10. Notre Dame  (2-0)

Last week: 8
Last game: Beat Virginia, 34-27
Next up: Saturday vs. Georgia Tech

If the Fighting Irish still had Malik Zaire, they wouldn’t have dropped. But this is a serious concern, and the more injuries Notre Dame faces, the harder it will be for the team to keep weathering the storm. This is a very, very good team the Fighting Irish are playing on Saturday, even in South Bend, and a loss could snowball into more to come.

11. USC  (2-0)

Last week: 13
Last game: Beat Idaho, 59-9
Next up: Saturday vs. Stanford

I’m still cautiously optimistic about the Trojans after being burned by them in the past. Cody Kessler is tremendous, and the team as a whole has a lot of really terrific players. A convincing win over a Stanford team still reeling from the loss to Northwestern might help to change my mind. Or USC baking me cupcakes. Whichever comes first.

12. Clemson  (2-0)

Last week: 15
Last game: Beat Appalachian State, 41-10
Next up: Thursday at Louisville

I know Deshaun Watson is good. I know that Brent Venables can coach defense. I know this offense will score points. But outside of that, I still don’t know much about Clemson in 2015. There’s still so much left to learn. Thursday will tell us something, but right now No. 12 feels good. It’s a nice, solid, #elite number.

13. Ole Miss  (2-0)

Last week: 14
Last game: Beat Fresno State, 73-21
Next up: Saturday at Alabama

Last year SMU scored 133 points. In two games in 2015, the Rebels have scored 149 points.

14. Oklahoma  (2-0)

Last week: 18
Last game: Beat Tennessee, 31-24 (2OT)
Next up: Saturday vs. Tulsa

I’m as impressed as anyone at the way the Sooners bounced back after falling behind and failing to get anything going through a majority of the game against the Volunteers. Baker Mayfield showed some heart, and Sterling Shepard made plays when the Pokes needed it most. This was a big, big road win, and the Sooners get the bump in the rankings they deserve.

15. Florida State  (2-0)

Last week: 11
Last game: Beat USF, 34-14
Next up: Friday at Boston College

The Eagles have tripped up Florida State in the past. And for some reason the ‘Noles are playing some weirdly timed games this year already (especially after last week’s 11:30 a.m. game). Who knows if they’ll be fully prepared or not, but there are some troubling signs between Everett Golson’s shaky play against South Florida and Florida State’s punting problems. Hey, at least the defense should be good all year.

16. Texas A&M  (2-0)

Last week: 19
Last game: Beat Ball State, 56-23
Next up: Saturday vs. Tulsa

This game was 49-3 at the half. Do not let the final score fool you. The Aggies did what they needed to do while a few other SEC teams disappointed in Week 2. Kudos to them.

17. Utah  (2-0)

Last week: 20
Last game: Beat Utah State, 24-14
Next up: Saturday at Fresno State

Utah is a completely fine football team. The Utes are skim milk, and skim milk is great. It’s healthy. You can use it to cook with, or put on your cereal, or in your coffee. Utah is a staple in the refrigerator that is the Top 25, and you’ll be sad if the Utes end up expired or if they’re suddenly not there.

18. LSU  (1-0)

Last week: 22
Last game: Beat Mississippi State, 21-19
Next up: Saturday vs. Auburn

I like to reward teams that get big conference wins on the road early in the year. And LSU doing so (even if it wasn’t pretty) after not having played a game due to Week 1’s game being canceled is a nice statement. I’m a bit worried we’re overreacting collectively about Auburn right now, and the Tigers may sneak up on the Tigers in a TigerWar for the ages on Saturday. But as of now, LSU deserves the jump.

19. Auburn  (2-0)

Last week: 10
Last game: Beat Jacksonville State, 27-20 (OT)
Next up: Saturday at LSU

I already said what I needed to say about Auburn’s game on Saturday:

https://twitter.com/martinrickman/status/642785863106215936

20. BYU  (2-0)

Last week: 23
Last game: Beat Boise State, 42-24
Next up: Saturday at UCLA

I don’t know if this is a special season for the Cougars or not. I guess we’ll find out on Saturday when they roll into UCLA. Through two weeks, though, it sure has been fun. You know, aside from the punches to the nether regions. We could do without that.

21. Missouri (2-0)

Last week: 23
Last game: Beat Arkansas State, 27-20
Next up: Saturday vs. Connecticut

I told y’all I was keeping Missouri at 21 last week. They’re staying here until they lose or have a legitimate reason to be moved up. I like them here.

22. West Virginia  (2-0)

Last week: 24
Last game: Beat Liberty, 41-17
Next up: Sept. 26 vs. Maryland

Something just feels right about this Mountaineers team. Something aside from the whole stabbing incident. That doesn’t feel right at all.

23. Temple  (2-0)

Last week: 23
Last game: Beat Cincinnati, 34-26
Next up: Saturday at UMass

They said I was crazy for ranking Temple last week. Well who’s crazy now? (Okay, still me.)

24. Arizona (2-0)

Last week: NR
Last game: Beat Nevada, 44-20
Next up: Saturday vs. Northern Arizona

I know that NAU means Northern Arizona, but I’d be lying if I didn’t for a hot second when I saw their logo and their letters think that Arizona was playing Nassau in football on Saturday and wonder, wow, why hasn’t anyone made more of this unlikely pairing?

25. Northwestern  (2-0)

Last week: NR
Last game: Beat Eastern Illinois, 41-0
Next up: Saturday at Duke

Okay, I just wanted to hype up this huge game against Duke more and get a ranked team in there. You caught me.

Next Five: Toledo, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Houston, Ja Rule’s character in The Fast & The Furious