What happened in this Sports story?

ESPN released its first in-season College Football Power Rankings after Week 1, installing Ohio State at No. 1 following a 56-3 rout of Ball State highlighted by Jeremiah Smith and freshman running back Legend Bey.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Ohio State** claimed the No. 1 spot after a 56-3 win over Ball State, with Jeremiah Smith catching 8 passes for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half before freshman Legend Bey stole the show with a weaving untouched touchdown off a swing pass.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**LSU** jumped from preseason No. 10 to No. 7 after Lane Kiffin's Tigers demolished Clemson 51-10 — handing Dabo Swinney his worst loss as head coach — while controlling total yards 644-145, rushing yards 309-40 and first downs 38-8.

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📈 College football Power Rankings: Who's No. 1? — SkimNews

By ESPN · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-09

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Ohio State claimed the No. 1 spot after a 56-3 win over Ball State, with Jeremiah Smith catching 8 passes for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half before freshman Legend Bey stole the show with a weaving untouched touchdown off a swing pass.
LSU jumped from preseason No. 10 to No. 7 after Lane Kiffin's Tigers demolished Clemson 51-10 — handing Dabo Swinney his worst loss as head coach — while controlling total yards 644-145, rushing yards 309-40 and first downs 38-8.
Alabama debuted at No. 10 behind first-year starting quarterback Keelon Russell, who threw for 249 yards (the most for an Alabama QB in his first career start since Bryce Young's 343 against Miami in 2021) and led the team with 86 rushing yards in a 48-10 win over East Carolina.
Oregon slid from preseason No. 4 to No. 8 after a sluggish 34-27 escape over Boise State, undone by 10 penalties for 90 yards and a muffed punt turnover that handed the Broncos momentum.
Texas climbed to No. 3 on the strength of touted transfers Cam Coleman (3 third-down catches for 70 yards and 2 TDs) and Rasheem Biles (forced fumble and interception in a 59-7 rout of Texas State) ahead of Ohio State's visit to Austin in Week 2.
Notre Dame held off Wisconsin at Lambeau Field after an erratic first half, with Colorado transfer cornerback D.J. McKinney returning a pick-six and quarterback CJ Carr finding a rhythm in a 17-point second-half separation.
Indiana debuted at No. 6 behind transfer quarterback Josh Hoover, who completed 4 touchdown passes on only 3 incompletions against North Texas and hooked up with Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh for a one-handed 15-yard TD grab.

Why it matters: Week 1 reshuffled the top of the rankings: Ohio State leapfrogged preseason No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Oregon to claim No. 1, while LSU vaulted three spots after the most lopsided result of opening weekend. The Week 2 Texas–Ohio State clash in Austin — a tuneup Texas explicitly built toward — now carries direct seeding stakes for both top-three teams.