College Football Rankings: Colorado advances after big win; Georgia remains in first place

RG Young

Fox Sports National College Football Analyst

Many will tell you that they always thought Coach Prime could be great in Colorado. But show me who ranked them in the pre-season poll. I dare say you can’t.

I guess not everyone cared about the way Prime had been building its roster and staff since December of last year – the same month I made Cheddar Sanders my number one contender for the Heisman position.

Not everyone interviewed him — as I did on FOX Sports’ “Number One College Football Show” — when he was in the midst of a 27-6 run at HBCU Jackson State. And not everyone rang the bell when Florida State’s Travis Hunter turned down to become the first five-star player to sign with the FCS program. I did.

So now they’re here for the second week — among the top 25 teams in the country — and if AP voters are being honest, they’ll also be ranked there for the first time since December 2020.

For now, consider me credible and consider this column enlightening and credible, even though there are many who would tell you otherwise. And when do they? Ask them if they chose Colorado to beat Texas Christian.

[Related: Compare to RJ Young’s Preseason Top 25]

I went 6-0 in college football picks this week – and I’m undefeated, just like Prime.

Ask them: do you believe?

1. Georgia (1-0)

Defeated Utah Martin, 48-7

UGA quarterback Carson Beck completed 21 of 31 passes for 294 yards with a TD in his 2023 debut. The Dawg defense did not give up a point to an FCS opponent until there was 6:57 left to play in the game.

2. Michigan (1-0)

Defeated East Carolina, 30-3

Without coach Jim Harbaugh or offensive coordinator Sherwin Moore, the Wolverines did relatively light work for their American Athletic Conference opponent. Quarterback JJ McCarthy completed 26 of 30 passes with three TDs in the win.

3. Ohio State (1-0)

Defeated Indiana, 23-3

The Buckeye defense held Indiana scoreless in the second half and did not allow a TD. While the offense looked tough against the Hoosiers, Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles’ sharp appearance in defense is one reason the Buckeyes are positive.

Breaking the big wins for Michigan is Ohio State

4. University of Southern California (2-0)

Defeated nv, 66-14

Caleb Williams continues to play at Heisman level. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 319 yards with five TD passes to move the Trojans through the Wolfpack.

5. Pennsylvania state (1-0)

Defeated West Virginia, 38-15

After heading into the locker room leading just 14-7 at halftime, the Nittany Lions scored 24 points in the second half behind the accuracy of quarterback Drew Allar. Allar completed 21 of 29 passes for 325 yards with three TD passes in the win.

6. Alabama (1-0)

Defeated Middle Tennessee, 56-7

Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Melro validated coach Nick Saban’s decision to start him by leading Alabama in both passing (194 yards) and rushing (48 yards) with five total TDs as the Tide rolls toward a top-25 showdown with Texans of the week the second.

7. Tennessee (1-0)

Defeated Virginia, 49-13

Quarterback Joe Melton completed 70% of his passes for 201 yards. Running back Jaylen Wright added 115 yards on just 12 rushes.

8. Florida (1-0)

defeated LSU, 45-24

Keon Coleman has done more for basketball players who think they can play football than any man alive. He would get some power in the forwards who were passed out because they saw Coleman beat Jim Jones.

9. Utah (1-0)

Defeated fl, 24-11

Without star quarterback Cam Rising in the lineup, the Utes played supplemental football to avenge last year’s loss to the Gators and pull off a comfortable win over an SEC foe. Money Parks caught the only TD passes of the game for the Utes – a 70-yard throw from quarterback Bryson Barnes, who finished 12-of-18-for-159 with a TD and an INT.

10. Washington (1-0)

Defeated Boise State, 56-19

Quarterback Michael Bennix Jr. remains one of the most prolific passers in the sport. He completed 29 of 40 passes for 450 yards with five TD passes in the win over BSU.

11. Texas (1-0)

Defeated rice, 37-10

The Texas defense only allowed 176 total yards against the Rice bowling team last year. The Longhorns will feel confident about their chances of defeating Alabama this weekend after pinning Rice to just 27 yards and forcing three turnovers to win.

HIGHLIGHTS: Check out the biggest plays from Texas’ win over Rice

12. Oregon (1-0)

Defeated Portland State, 81-7

Eight Ducks scored at least one TD and five of them scored at least two touchdowns in a game that had the most points by one team all weekend.

13. LSU (0-1)

Lost to Florida State 45-24

Jaden Daniels and LSU’s seven linebackers are the powerhouse of the defending SEC West champions. But without a big help in the secondary and at least one other playmaker in the backfield, LSU may have a tough time getting back into the SEC title game.

14. Notre Dame (2-0)

Defeated Tennessee, 56-3

The Fighting Irish have allowed just five points over two games and are averaging 49 points in their first game against Power 5 opponent (North Carolina State) on Saturday.

15. University of California (1-0)

Defeated Coastal Carolina, 27-13

True freshman quarterback Dante Moore came off the bench completing seven of 12 passes for 143 yards and two TDs to lead the Bruins through Chants.

16. Kansas State (1-0)

Defeated Southeast Missouri State, 45-0

The Wildcats unleashed quarterback Will Howard, who completed 18 of 25 passes for 297 yards with a TD and an INT. But K-State would feel better being one of only two rated programs to offer closing shows in the first week.

17. Wisconsin (1-0)

Defeated buffalo, 38-17

The debut of “Dairy Raid” led to more of the same in Wisconsin. Fullbacks Chez Mellosi and Braelon Allen combined for 298 yards on 30 rushes with four TDs.

18. Colorado (1-0)

defeated TCU, 45-42

The Buffaloes won their first true road opener since 1995 behind a school record 510-yard rush from Shedeur Sanders and the first INT 100-yard performance of the century from Travis Hunter.

The Buffaloes became the first program to beat a ranked opponent in 2023.

Deion Sanders, Colorado makes a huge statement!

19. Oklahoma (1-0)

Defeated Arkansas State, 73-0

The Sooners averaged 30 points per game last season. Keeping a proud program like the Red Wolves down to zero could be a harbinger of the kind of closed defense associated with coach Brent Venables in the past.

20. North Carolina (1-0)

Defeated South Carolina, 31-17

Quarterback Drake May completed 24 of 32 passes for 269 yards with two TDs and two INTs to help Coach Mack Brown become the first coach in sports history to win 100 games at two different schools.

21. Oregon (1-0)

Defeated San Jose State, 42-17

The arrival of DJ Uiagalelei was just what Beaver fans were hoping for. He completed 20 of 25 passes for 239 yards and accounted for five TDs.

22. Duke (1-0)

clemson defeated, 28-7

Riley Leonard passed for 175 yards and rushed for 98 more, including a scoring 44-yard dash. But it was the Blue Devils’ defense that forced three turnoversswhich stole the show.

23. TCU (0-1)

Lost to Colorado 45-42

Quarterback Chandler Morris completed 24 of 42 passes for 279 yards with two TDs and two INTs, while running back Emani Bailey rushed for 164 yards on only 14 rushes in the loss.

What does a Buffaloes win mean for Colorado and TCU?

24. Clemson (0-1)

lost to duke28-7

The Tigers did not score on runs… 11 plays, 49 yards. Eight plays 71 yards. Seven plays 62 yards. 11 plays, 48 ​​yards.

they an act They scored on an 18-yard five-play run – their only points of the game.

Cade Klubnik played his worst game as a college player to date.

25. yeah (1-0)

Defeated Utah, 24-14

The Hawkeyes scored a TD on their first offensive possession of the season – the first time it had happened since 1991. Quarterback Cade McNamara completed 17 of 30 passes for 191 yards with two TDs.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and host of the podcast “The number one college football show.Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young And Subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube.

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