π College football Power Rankings: Who's No. 1? β SkimNews
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- Ohio State debuted at No. 1 in ESPN's first in-season Power Rankings after a 56-3 rout of Ball State, with Jeremiah Smith catching 8 passes for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns and true freshman running back Legend Bey adding a dazzling untouched touchdown run.
- LSU jumped to No. 7 β up from a No. 10 preseason ranking β after demolishing Clemson 51-10 in Lane Kiffin's Baton Rouge debut, handing Dabo Swinney his worst loss as head coach and dominating in total yards (644-145) and first downs (38-8).
- Oregon fell from No. 4 preseason to No. 8 after a sloppy 34-27 escape of Boise State, committing 10 penalties for 90 yards, falling behind 17-7 at one point, and muffing a punt that gave the Broncos momentum.
- Alabama climbed six spots from No. 16 to No. 10 after first-year starter Keelon Russell threw for 249 yards and led the team with 86 rushing yards in a 48-10 win over East Carolina, with Alabama finishing with 227 yards rushing.
- Notre Dame held at No. 2 after outlasting Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, with Colorado transfer cornerback D.J. McKinney's pick-six stretching the lead in the second half and quarterback CJ Carr establishing rhythm after an erratic first half.
- Miami rose to No. 5 behind what ESPN called the nation's "most frightening QB-WR duo" β Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney, who set a Hurricanes single-game receiving record with 234 yards against Stanford.
- Indiana debuted at No. 6 with transfer quarterback Josh Hoover completing his first six passes (including a one-handed 15-yard touchdown catch by Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh) and finishing with more touchdowns (four) than incompletions (three) against North Texas.
Why it matters: These Week 1 rankings establish the early hierarchy for the College Football Playoff race and shape the national narrative around each contender's remaining schedule. Ohio State and Notre Dame holding the top two spots reinforces the Buckeyes' title-favorite status, while LSU's six-spot leap past Oregon and Texas Tech β built on a 51-10 beatdown of a power-conference opponent β repositions the Tigers as a legitimate SEC threat before conference play even begins.
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