π College football Power Rankings: Who's No. 1? β SkimNews
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- Ohio State debuted at No. 1 after a 56-3 win over Ball State, with Jeremiah Smith catching eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns in the first half before true freshman running back Legend Bey sparked the second half with a weaving, untouched touchdown off a swing pass.
- LSU surged from No. 10 in the preseason to No. 7 in Lane Kiffin's debut, crushing Clemson 51-10 with massive edges in total yards (644-145), rushing yards (309-40) and first downs (38-8) β what the article calls Dabo Swinney's worst loss as a head coach.
- Indiana moved up to No. 6 (from preseason 8) behind transfer QB Josh Hoover, who completed his first six attempts including two TDs and finished with more touchdown passes (4) than incompletions (3) against North Texas.
- Alabama jumped five spots to No. 10 (from preseason 16) as freshman QB Keelon Russell threw for 249 yards β the most for an Alabama QB in a first career start since Bryce Young's 343 against Miami in 2021 β and led the team with 86 rushing yards in a 48-10 win.
- Oregon tumbled four spots to No. 8 (from preseason 4) after nearly losing to Boise State, committing 10 penalties for 90 yards and a muffed-punt turnover before escaping 34-27.
- Texas landed at No. 3 (from preseason 5) thanks to transfers Cam Coleman (three third-down catches for 70 yards and two TDs) and Rasheem Biles (forced fumble returned 59 yards for a TD plus an interception) in a 59-7 win over Texas State, with Ohio State visiting Austin next week.
- Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel β mentioned in the intro but not in the top 10 β set an ACC single-game record with seven touchdown passes and 453 yards against Miami (Ohio).
Why it matters: These rankings make Ohio StateβTexas a Week 2 statement game with College Football Playoff seeding implications, while Alabama's freshman-driven offensive reset and LSU's emphatic response to Kiffin's offseason controversy reset the SEC title race before conference play begins. Indiana and Miami both validated transfer-heavy roster overhauls in the top 10, suggesting the expanded CFP could feature more newcomers than past seasons.
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