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Mike's NCAA college football power rankings for the top 25 NCAA college football teams before Week 2 of the 2024 season. Which teams are the best contenders for the expanded playoff?
We finally had our first full week of college football. However, there were still a lot of teams that feasted (or attempted to) on FCS schools. You won't find those in my rankings. I go by what happens on the field, and that's it. Beating any FBS team is more impressive than a win over an FCS school with a few exceptions.
These rankings will vary greatly from the AP ones early in the season because I don't go off speculation. They will stabilize as the season goes on, but it might take a bit to get there.
I understand that teams can only beat who is scheduled. These are going to look a little strange through September, but I hope it serves to highlight wins that others may not have noticed. For example, Oregon has been dropped from the rankings completely for conduct unbecoming of a top-5 team.
(25) Iowa (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 40-0 vs. Illinois State
The Redbirds are also a ranked FCS team. Iowa scored 40 points in a game for the first time in nearly three years. It just happened to be the same game in which Kirk Ferentz was serving a suspension. Coincidence?
(24) Nebraska (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 40-7 vs. UTEP
UTEP isn't a very good team, but Nebraska's offense was the story here. It has been almost as bad as Iowa for the last couple of years. There was balance in this game fueled by a stable of backs and true freshman phenom Dylan Raiola.
(23) Boise State (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 56-45 at Georgia Southern
Two words ... Ashton Freaking Jeanty.
Ashton Jeanty (@AshtonJeanty2) put up video game production in Week 1 for @BroncosSportsFB.
-6 touchdowns
-5 rushes of 15 yards or more
-7 first downs
-13.4 YPC on 20 attemptsPlay below (video) highlights how unique his contact balance and big play ability is for a 215 pound… https://t.co/z7kX1pdmYt pic.twitter.com/KVanxV3HNf
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) September 3, 2024
(22) Arizona State (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 48-7 vs. Wyoming
I'm not going to pretend like Wyoming is good, but I remember how bad this Arizona State defense was last season. There was a massive improvement on both sides of the ball. The Fun Devils are fun again!
(21) Tennessee (1-0) ⇓1
Last week: W 69-3 vs. Tennessee-Chattanooga
Reggie White U. is ranked in FCS. This is what Tennessee's offense is capable of when it gets moving.
(20) Mississippi (1-0) ⇓8
Last week: W 76-0 vs. Furman
Furman is ranked 15th in the FCS polls and made the playoffs last year. Ole Miss laid the biggest defeat of the week on it.
(19) Ohio State (1-0) ⇓13
Last week: W 52-6 vs. Akron
The Zips led early in this game. Does that count as a moral victory?
(18) Texas (1-0) ⇓13
Last week: W 52-0 vs. Colorado State
We've reached the point of the rankings where we celebrate teams who laid waste to lesser teams as they were supposed to do. Texas tops this list. In other news, Arch Manning finally found the end zone!
ARCH MANNING WITH HIS FIRST COLLEGIATE TD PASS ? pic.twitter.com/nAcXUbyreI
— ESPN (@espn) August 31, 2024
(17) Colorado (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 31-26 vs. North Dakota State
The defense is still a sore spot, but the Colorado offense looked good in this one. The Bison are ranked second in the FCS polls. Love or hate Colorado, this is a quality win.
THIS IS COACHING: Colorado HC Deion Sanders shows NDSU's all-11 pursuit of the ball to CU players, saying it’s the standard there
“This is why this school has won so many darn championships… it’s hereditary, they pass it down, they pass it down….”
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 2, 2024
(16) Syracuse (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 38-22 vs. Ohio
Ohio was a 10-win team last year. Of course, it lost QB Kurtis Rourke and RB Sieh Bangura to the portal. They aren't the same team this year, but there is a lot to be excited about for the Orange this year. Fran Brown's debut went great for the offense, but the defense giving up well over 200 yards rushing is a problem.
(15) Alabama (1-0) ⇓6
Last week: W 63-0 vs. Western Kentucky
Jalen Milroe barely had a chance to break a sweat in this one. Alabama creamed a bowl-winning team from last year. That should count for something.
(14) Michigan (1-0) ⇑10
Last week: W 30-10 vs. Fresno State
I wasn't that impressed with the Michigan offense, but the defense shut down a pretty good Fresno team. Its ranking will be short-lived if it gets mauled by Texas at home.
(13) Northwestern (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 13-6 vs. Miami (OH)
Don't laugh. The Redhawks went 11-2 last year and won the MAC. They return their quarterback, a co-starter at RB, a couple of receivers, and their tight end. This is still going to be a good Miami team.
We can argue the merits of this, but I view it as a quality win for Northwestern. And yes ... I made fun of their small field, but it was incredibly beautiful. I want to go to a game there!
Northwestern’s temporary stadium on Lake Michigan turned out 100x cooler than a half-empty Soldier Field pic.twitter.com/RkVSNsYR5I
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) August 31, 2024
(12) Oklahoma State (1-0) ⇑5
Last week: W 44-20 vs. South Dakota State
I had a hard time deciding what to do with teams that beat FCS opponents. The Jackrabbits finished 15-0 and won the FCS National Championship last season. They returned most of that team. The Cowboys handled them anyway. That's more impressive than a blowout win over Akron or Temple.
We are doing a 2025 RB thread and to zero surprise, I am true to my word and Ollie Gordon II is the first player I am watching. Explosive vertical jump cut while dealing with contact at the ankles and having the vision to see the outside cutback lane for a TD. pic.twitter.com/BbAcjO9AVJ
— Nick Martin (@themicknartin) April 30, 2024
(11) Georgia Tech (2-0) ⇓10
Last week: W 35-12 vs. Georgia State
Not many teams beat power conference teams. Tech did and backed it up with a win over a school less than five miles away. I'm still good with it being ranked for another week.
(10) UNLV (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 27-7 at Houston
UNLV smashes Houston and no one makes a peep? This offense returns a lot from last year and the UNLV defense completely shut them down in Houston. I didn't expect a whole lot out of Houston anyway, but maybe UNLV is better than we think.
(9) Boston College (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 28-13 at Florida State
Florida State is not who ESPN thought it was. Wins over Florida State are what got Boston College and Tech into the top 10. BC gets the leg up since it won in Tallahassee.
Historic. ? pic.twitter.com/STSw2jomyZ
— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) September 3, 2024
(8) North Carolina (1-0) ⇑17
Last week: W 19-17 at Minnesota
A road win against a major conference team counts in Week 1 no matter how bad you looked doing it. Omarion Hampton looked good. The Tar Heels struggled with Max Johnson before he got hurt, then put little on the shoulders of Conner Harrell. This is Harrell's team now. We'll see what he's made of. A back like Hampton will allow Carolina to ease him into the fire.
(7) TCU (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 34-27 at Stanford
I'm not sure how good Stanford is, but a win against a Power Four team on the road will move you up the list in Week 1. Josh Hoover looks like the real thing for TCU.
(6) Vanderbilt (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 34-27 (OT) vs. (19) Virginia Tech
This wasn't just some game that Vanderbilt lucked into winning. The Commodores dominated the first half and held off a Virginia Tech flurry in the second half. The loss of Kyron Drones on the last drive hurt the Hokies, but the reality is they never should have been in that situation in the first place.
Diego Pavia said he was fueled today vs. Virginia Tech: “Some people from over there called me a poor man’s Trace McSorley. When you stop me, then you can talk.” pic.twitter.com/InWHxo0xCw
— Billy Derrick (@billyderrick10) August 31, 2024
Vanderbilt could be onto something with Diego Pavia. I thought he was about the same as Mike Wright, who mostly floundered in this system. Instead, he was the model of efficiency as a passer and led the team in rushing.
He's got some swagger on him, too. This is the same guy who urinated on New Mexico's midfield logo before their rivalry game last year when he was with New Mexico State. Savage!
(5) Penn State (1-0) ⇑10
Last week: W 34-12 at West Virginia
A dominant win over a West Virginia team on the road -- the same West Virginia team that was considered to be a sleeper team in the Big 12 (14) -- lands Penn State in the top five. That defense was nasty and Drew Allar did what he always does. He took care of the ball.
(4) Miami (FL) (1-0) ⇑14
Last week: W 41-17 at Florida
How good is the Florida team that Miami kicked the hell out of? I don't know, but when you smoke a rival on their home field in Week 1 (not to mention tie a record for the most points scored on them in series history), something can be said for that. Considering most teams didn't play a Power Four school in the first week, there are several reasons that Miami earned this spot.
(3) USC (1-0) ⇑19
Last week: W 27-20 vs. LSU
Miller Moss picked the LSU secondary apart. Garrett Nussmeier had a nice game as well, but we saw something in this game that we haven't seen from USC in the last couple of years: they came up with stops on defense when they needed to. We also might have had the catch of the year in Week 1.
? ABC
? https://t.co/M1RwFNxzJl https://t.co/5ySYK8Zr6b pic.twitter.com/nizA58GypA— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 2, 2024
(2) Notre Dame (1-0) (NR)
Last week: W 23-13 at Texas A&M
I think some of us (including yours truly) forgot just how good a healthy Riley Leonard is. The Irish land here because this was a true road win. Notre Dame can now coast to the playoffs. This was its one regular-season playoff game.
I've always thought that Marcus Freeman was the right guy for this job. His willingness to go for it on fourth down twice on that drive early in the third quarter without hesitation resonated with the team. He sent the message that they were there to win. I do have questions about how far the Irish can go if Leonard is going to be their leading rusher.
(1) Georgia (1-0) ⇑3
Last week: 34-3 vs. Clemson
Lmao last 3 Georgia P5 season openers
3 points scored a piece
‘21 Clemson, ‘22 Oregon and ‘24 Clemson pic.twitter.com/onaiLjN36n
— Thumser (@JeffreyThumser) September 1, 2024
It took the Bulldogs a little bit to pull away, but they did on the strength of their defense. Carson Beck is what Clemson hoped Cade Klubnik (and D.J. Uiagalelei before him) would be. It's just not happening.
Others Receiving Votes
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Indiana
- Louisville
- James Madison
- SMU
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