Week 2 brought a lot of hype heading into last weekend – with big-time match-ups such as Oklahoma-Florida State, Penn State-Alabama, Miami-Ohio State and Notre Dame-Michigan. That most certainly means a major shift in the latest College Football Power Rankings.
While the weekend ended up being mostly a dud as far as close games between the elite teams, there were still plenty of interesting stories – headlined by Virginia Tech, who was shocked by James Madison.
So, where would you rank the teams in college football heading into Week 3?
For one, the Va. Tech loss affects Boise State – who now has a win that doesn’t seem as high-quality as it did just a week ago.
They have the AP Poll… I’ve got “The KP Poll” – and here are my College Football power rankings heading into Week 3:
College Football Power Rankings – After Week 2)
1. ALABAMA (2-0)
Who needs Mark Ingram? Trent Richardson (144 yards on 22 carries versus Penn State) is an absolute beast.
2. OHIO STATE (2-0)
Who needs Mark Ingram when Trent Richardson is bowling over defenders in Tuscaloosa?
The Bucks were impressive against Miami – but I still don’t get the hype on Pryor. Sure, he’s big and athletic, but that 55.8% completion percentage is not Heisman worthy.
3. OREGON (2-0)
It’s hard to ignore that the Ducks have scored 120 points in the first two weeks – including outscoring opponents 48-0 in the second half.
4. TEXAS (2-0)
The Longhorns haven’t exactly manhandled its first two opponents – and that could be a bit concerning considering they faced Rice and Wyoming.
5. BOISE STATE (1-0)
With the Hokies losing to James Madison over the weekend, that Week 1 neutral field victory isn’t looking so fantastic anymore.
6. TCU (2-0)
The Horned Frogs handled Oregon State in Week 1, and the next test likely won’t be until October 16th against BYU.
7. OKLAHOMA (2-0)
The Sooners’ struggles in Week 1 are all but forgotten after Saturday’s dominant 47-17 win against Florida State.
8. IOWA (2-0)
The Hawkeyes have held opponents to 7 points in each of its first two games, but will face ranked teams over four of the next five weeks.
9. NEBRASKA (2-0)
The Huskers have been impressive in its opening two games, but we’ll see what they are really made of next week on the road against Washington and Jake Locker.
10. FLORIDA (2-0)
The Gators have been sloppy in the opening weeks – and will need to improve soon, especially with LSU and Alabama on the schedule in early October.
11. WISCONSIN (2-0)
If you want to discuss Heisman contenders in the Big Ten, you should start with John Clay
The most legitimate Heisman contender in the Big Ten is not Denard Robinson or Terrelle Pryor, but Badgers RB John Clay.
12. LSU (2-0)
The Tigers have to still be considered a question mark after allowing such a shorthanded team like North Carolina to almost upset them in Week 1.
13. UTAH (2-0)
Say what you want, they knocked out Pitt in Week 1, and continued with a solid performance in Week 2. November 6th vs. TCU should be a wild one.
14. SOUTH CAROLINA (2-0)
After a likely big win against Furman next weekend, the Gamecocks get Auburn on the road, followed by Alabama at home.
15. STANFORD (2-0)
The 35-0 road win against UCLA is a nice building block – and while Luck has been solid, the running game remains a question mark with Gerhart gone to the NFL.
16. ARKANSAS (2-0)
As they say, “a win is a win”, but a 7-0 halftime lead over Louisiana-Monroe isn’t exactly something to write home to Mom about.
17. ARIZONA (2-0)
The Wildcats are pounding the competition that they should be beating handily – and Saturday they host Iowa in a late night game, which should be a good one.
18. AUBURN (2-0)
The Tigers – coming off a 3-point win over Mississippi State – will have to play better the next two weeks, when they take on Clemson and South Carolina at home.
19. CALIFORNIA (2-0)
Cal’s offense has been clicking so far this year, proving that the Bears don’t miss Jahvid Best as much as most people thought they would.
20. WEST VIRGINIA (2-0)
Friday’s overtime win over Marshall wasn’t all that impressive, but there are a lot of teams squeaking out wins like that so far this season.
21. PENN STATE (1-1)
The Nittany Lions shot themselves in the foot against ‘Bama, turning the ball over multiple times in the red zone. Overall, the O-line must improve for PSU to succeed.
22. CLEMSON (2-0)
With the Hurrcanes and Hokers faltering, Clemson could be the team that emerges as the ACC frontrunner.
23. MIAMI, FL (1-1)
Jacory Harris throws 4 picks against the Bucks, but Va. Tech loses to James Madison. Who the heck is going to win the ACC?
24. MICHIGAN (2-0)
Denard Robinson is everyone’s new crush – but let’s not get ahead of ourselves on him, or the Wolverines just yet, ok?
25. GEORGIA (1-1)
The “Ol’ Ball Coach” took care of Georgia, but next up is Arkansas and a chance to jump back up in the polls. The Razorbacks are vulnerable.
Hey GIL–
Thanks for stopping by and being passionate with the discussion.
I never said that the UM-ND wasn’t a classic. I saw a good chunk of the game, albeit admitting that I was somewhat jetlagged… but what I saw, it was a great game. Both teams are improving and put on a good show.
I’m simply saying that we need to cool our jets on the “Robinson for Heisman” chatter. There’s too much of it for this early in the season. I have no bitterness in any way and have an appreciation for what both Notre Dame and Michigan do for college football, as well as how passionate their fans are.
It’s simply my opinion on the matter – and certainly, I’m more than willing to eat crow if I’m wrong a few months down the road.
Stop by and talk sports any time… take care – KP
REV–
Thanks for the link. I’m with you… right now it’s ‘Bama and OSU but that could change down the road. However, I don’t even think Boise winning by 21 per game will get them into the big dance. That James Madison win over VT killed them from an SOS standpoint.
Later – KP
Kevin,
While it’s accurate to say people shouldn’t get so excited about Michigan, you miss the boat completely in two respects: Denard Robinson, and the ND v. UM game.
Either you didn’t watch the game, or as a Penn State fan, still harbor bitterness towards Michigan with thier domination over the Nittany Lions since joining the
Big Ten. As objective observor with no dog in the race, I was with the rest of the country on the edge of my seat watching the final minutes of the Fighting Irish/Wolverine instant classic.
When you put into perspective that coach Rodriguez has more players in postion than he’s had since he took over in Ann Arbor, it’s a no-brainer to see why they are performing better: a quarterback who can throw as well as he can run; remember, as a prepster Robinson threw for three times the yards than he ran, and about twice as many touchdowns through the air than on the ground. The kid can flat-out acheive, and given time to acclimate to the speed and complexity of the college game, I suspect we’ve just seen the beginning of what Denard Robinson is capable of.
As a team, Michigan is still several players short of making it through the Big Ten unscathed. However, other than Ohio State and possibly Iowa and Wisconsin, there are enough players who have stepped up their game on defense -Jonas Moutan, James Rogers to name a few – to beat the remaining conference foes. Further, issues that plagued Michigan’s team last year, namely too many turnovers and not enough take-aways, have seemingly been remedied. Conversely, special teams play will hurt the Wolverines chances the most if they don’t improve over the next couple of weeks.
While I’ve enjoyed reading much of what you’ve written in the past, lately your analysis is lacking depth and indeed is akin to reading a “TMZ” version of college football: lot’s of flashy, controversial comments and insufficient depth in substance which renders your analysis ineffectual. Hopefully your wife will let you take the time needed to research so your output improves to previous levels.
Here’s my take on the season so far, KP.
http://sportschump.net/2010/09/13/chumping-to-conclusions-about-alabama-boise-state-terrelle-pryor-ucla-tennessee-steve-spurrier-donovan-mcnabb-calvin-johnson-and-when-a-completion-is-not-a-completion/4445/
I really think there’s Bama, Ohio State, then everyone else. Let’s hope those two make it through the season unblemished and have a shot to play one another.
Sorry, Boise, but you might want to bring it up with James Madison. They’ll have to beat everyone else on their schedule by 21 to even be noticed.