College football: Notre Dame moves into top 10 of AP Poll
Week 1 of college football came and went with a lot of blowouts but some surprise upsets as well.
Colorado was the story of the weekend, stunning TCU on the road as a nearly three-touchdown underdog while Duke closed the weekend with a rather dominating showing against previously No. 9 Clemson.
The US LBM Coaches Poll was revealed Tuesday and saw both teams enter while 2-0 Notre Dame checked in at No. 11. Now the AP Poll is out and has Notre Dame even higher.
Below is the AP Top 25 poll. Notre Dame plays four teams that made the updated rankings and three more that showed up in the receiving votes category. See it all below.
Receiving Votes
Iowa (73) 1-0; UCLA (55) 1-0; Arkansas (28) 1-0; TCU (27) 0-1; Kentucky (15) 1-0; Pittsburgh (8) 1-0; Mississippi State (5) 1-0; Miami (FL) (4) 1-0; NC State (4) 1-0; Auburn (3) 1-0; Troy (3) 1-0; Fresno State (3) 1-0; Wyoming (3) 1-0; Minnesota (3) 1-0; Iowa State (2) 1-0; Texas State (2) 1-0; Louisville (1) 1-0; Texas Tech (1) 0-1; Houston (1) 1-0; Washington State (1) 1-0; James Madison (1) 1-0; Illinois (1) 1-0; UCF (1) 1-0;
Our thoughts: Who in their right mind still voted for TCU? To lose as a 20-point favorite at home should automatically disqualify you from consideration of being ranked.
Clemson (0-1)
Our thoughts: How long will it be until beating Clemson is no longer worthy of storming the field? It certainly made sense for Duke Monday night but Clemson has to rebound fast because for the first time in a decade, the outlook for Dabo Swinney and the Tigers appears rather dim.
Tulane (1-0)
Our thoughts: Tulane started by easily handling South Alabama but regardless of opponent, 14-of-15 with four touchdown passes is one heckuva way to start the season for quarterback Michael Pratt.
Texas A&M (1-0)
Our thoughts: It’s one game and was against New Mexico at that, but did Jimbo Fisher change the tide for the Aggies by making his most important coordinator hire this off-season?
Colorado (1-0)
Our thoughts: The game of the weekend wound up being Colorado‘s upset of TCU. Colorado is clearly better than they got hyped for this off-season but was this a product of an extremely motivated team under a new head coach upsetting a significantly overrated foe? Sanders and the Buffs go from hunter to hunted in a hurry as they take on Nebraska this week.
Duke (1-0)
Our thoughts: All of a sudden Duke’s 10-win season last fall doesn’t feel like a fluke. Are the Blue Devils going to be Florida State’s biggest competition in the conference?
Ole Miss
Our thoughts: With significant flaws at LSU, questions at Texas A&M, and quarterback issues at Alabama, is this the year Lane Kiffin can put it all together and keep Ole Miss a threat deep into November?
Wisconsin (1-0)
Our thoughts: Luke Fickell’s debut as Badgers head coach started a bit slow but ultimately it was more than enough to get by Buffalo. With the Big Ten staying with divisions for the time being, who is the biggest threat to the Badgers in the West?
Oklahoma (1-0)
Our thoughts: Oklahoma is looking to get back to being Oklahoma and looked more like their usual selves in blowing out Arkansas State. Can they turn things around quick enough to make one last run at the Big 12 title?
North Carolina (1-0)
Our thoughts: Drake Maye is as good as any quarterback short of Caleb Williams but it was North Carolina‘s defensive line that opened eyes in Saturday’s big win over rival South Carolina. Will that stick around for Mack Brown?
Oregon State (1-0)
Our thoughts: Oregon State won easily at San Jose State and is among the favorites in the Pac-12 this year (as the conference as a whole was unbeaten through Week 1). Can they be a Cinderella type in the conference’s swan song season?
Kansas State (1-0)
Our thoughts: Quarterback Will Howard became just the sixth player in Big 12 history to record a touchdown pass, run, and reception in the same game on Saturday. And that will conclude us analyzing a win over Southeast Missouri.
LSU (0-1)
Our thoughts: A quarterback under Brian Kelly looked like he regressed from the year previous as Florida State tore LSU apart in the second half. I feel like we’ve heard this story a time or two with BK.
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Oregon (1-0)
Our thoughts: Remember when putting up a 50-burger was a big deal? The Ducks hung 81 on Portland State to open the year.
Utah (1-0)
Our thoughts: No Cam Rising at quarterback? No problem for the Utes as their defense was dominant against Florida. Because of their unique physicality based on Pac-12 standards, they remain the favorite to win the conference in 2023.
Texas (1-0)
Our thoughts: It wasn’t the fastest or prettiest of starts for Texas but they ultimately handled business with ease against Rice as a major test awaits Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
Notre Dame (2-0)
Our thoughts: It’s hard to find something to complain about with Notre Dame through two games but the difficulty level is about to be turned up as the Irish head to NC State on Saturday.
Tennessee (1-0)
Our thoughts: The Vols have to replace a ton on offense from a year ago but their defense is starting to compile talent it hasn’t seen in years. Maybe not quite for this year but Georgia needs to be on notice of what’s going on in Knoxville.
Washington (1-0)
Our thoughts: It wasn’t the fastest of starts but it sure piled on fast for Michael Penix and company against Boise State. This should again be among the nation’s top offenses as Penix will make a run at the Heisman Trophy.
Penn State (1-0)
Our thoughts: Drew Allar made is first career start for Penn State and perhaps it was slower than Nittany Lions fans wanted but by the end of the night he helped not just pull out a win but also a cover. Is it Penn State time in the Big Ten East?
USC (2-0)
Our thoughts: The USC offense was again as advertised but their defense seemingly took a step, allowing just 14 points against Nevada. The Trojans now prep for their final-ever conference meeting against Stanford on Saturday.
Ohio State (1-0)
Our thoughts: Ohio State‘s game against Indiana was never in doubt but seeing them win just 23-3 did cause a bit of an eye-raise.
Florida State (1-0)
Our thoughts: Nobody had a more impressive showing in Week 1 than the Seminoles. I wasn’t bought-in during the preseason but I am now. I’ll be shocked if they’re not playing in the College Football Playoff.
Alabama (1-0)
Our thoughts: Alabama enters the year with more questions than we’re used to seeing from them but at the end of the day, which of their conference rivals don’t have them?
Michigan (1-0)
Our thoughts: Michigan looked really good again and should continue to do so until they finally face a couple of tests in November.
Georgia (1-0)
Our thoughts: Georgia has lost getting to play a game due to Covid more recently than they’ve lost a regular season game and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime in the near future.
