Now four weeks into the season we’re beginning to see some clear leaders emerge in college football. There have been plenty of upsets in the AP Top 25 over the last few weeks.
That said, Saturday was a quieter bit of action in terms of the top 25. Outside of ranked matchups between Illinois and Indiana , Texas Tech and Utah , and Auburn and Oklahoma there wasn’t a ton of red meat on the bone this week.
Still, there was a lot to digest. Today, On3 stops to break down some of the changes anticipated in this week’s AP Top 25. Let’s dig into our projections for the new edition of the top college football poll below.
Ohio State was on a bye week after cruising against non-conference opponents in back-to-back weeks. Of course, those two patsies came after a season opener against Texas, one in which Ohio State came out on top.
The schedule remains quite navigable for the Buckeyes going forward. A road trip to Washington next week should provide a stiffer test, as should a trip to Illinois two weeks later. But it might not be until November, when Penn State comes to town, that Ohio State is really pushed to the limits.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. (Credit: Frank Hyatt | Blue White Illustrated)
Penn State was also on a bye this week, and in a very similar setup as Ohio State in that it came after a handful of cupcakes. Penn State hasn’t been tested at all this season, with three non-conference games against hapless opponents.
That changes in a hurry next week, with Oregon headed to Happy Valley for a huge showdown. The winner of that will establish themselves at the top of the Big Ten pecking order early in the season, though there will still be plenty of football left to be played.
RESULT: 56-10 win vs. Southeastern Louisiana
After knocking off Florida last week, LSU got a bit of a breather with a game against in-state foe Southeastern Louisiana. It was never expected to be much of a contest, and the Tigers took care of business.
There remain some minor concerns about the offensive line, but LSU kicked things into gear on Saturday. Up next is a big test, on the road at a top 25 Ole Miss team.
RESULT: 26-7 win vs. Florida
Miami looked like it was going to roll over Florida after the first quarter, but the Gators hung tough defensively for most of the game. Carson Beck wasn’t his sharpest, turning it over at a really inopportune time in the second half.
But Miami’s depth simply wore Florida down and the ‘Canes cruised to a lopsided win. Now Miami gets a bye week to prepare for a showdown with unbeaten Florida State. It should be a good one.
