1. Georgia (1-0)
This was typical Georgia. Dynamic on offense, stingy on defense, and they seemed to have fully earned their preseason No. 1 spot with a 34-3 win over overwhelmed Clemson.
2. Ohio State (1-0)
Remember the name Jeremiah Smith. The highly touted freshman caught six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns in his debut, a win over Akron. Former USC quarterback Matt Leinart called him a top-10 draft pick “right now.”
3. Texas (1-0)
There isn’t much to learn from the Longhorns’ 52-0 win over Colorado State. Saturday’s visit to Michigan will tell us a lot more about Quinn Ewers and Texas.
4. Alabama (1-0)
In Tuscaloosa, no one missed Nick Saban in Week 1. Alabama managed 550 yards of offense and beat Western Kentucky 63-0. The first real test comes on September 14, when the Crimson Tide visit Wisconsin.
5. Ole Miss (1-0)
There are easy games and the first four games of Ole Miss’ schedule: Furman, Middle Tennessee State, Wake Forest and Georgia Southern. The toughest game here is Wake Forest, and the Demon Deacons were picked 15th in the easy ACC.
6. Notre Dame (1-0)
The 10-point win at Texas A&M was Notre Dame’s first road win against a top-25 team early in the season since beating Pittsburgh in 2005. The year couldn’t have started better.
7.Oregon (1-0)
Not impressive. Oregon couldn’t run the ball and committed eight penalties in a 10-point home win over Idaho. Mountain West favorite Boise State is up next and could pose a threat if the Ducks produce a repeat of their subpar performance from Saturday.
8. Michigan (1-0)
The Wolverines hope their offensive woes are due to the nervousness of a brand new unit in its first game. They don’t beat many teams with that kind of performance, managing just 269 yards of offense against Fresno State. Saturday’s opponent, Texas, certainly won’t be.
9. Penn State (1-0)
The Nittany Lions have now won 25 consecutive games under coach James Franklin when leading by at least a touchdown. Quarterback Drew Allar threw three touchdowns in an impressive 22-point road win at West Virginia.
10. USC (1-0)
This wasn’t the USC we’ve seen the last two years under Lincoln Riley. It was stingy on defense and avoided mistakes on offense. This 27-20 win over LSU in Las Vegas was the most impressive victory of the weekend for any team not named Notre Dame.
Heisman Watch (in alphabetical order)
QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Dart threw as many touchdowns (five) as incomplete passes in his 76-0 win over Furman. A pretty good recipe for success.
WR/DB Travis Hunter, Colorado
Hunter did not leave the field in last Thursday’s win over North Dakota State and played 129 fumbles, catching seven passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns and making three tackles on defense.
QB Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee
How about making the most of the moment? Iamaleava set a Tennessee record by throwing for 314 yards in a half in his first game and adding three touchdown passes.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe, Alabama
A total of five touchdowns and 279 yards in just over two and a half quarters are a good start to Milroe’s Heisman Trophy campaign.
QB Cam Ward, Miami
That was a damn good first impression from the Washington State transfer, who ran for 385 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-17 win over rival Florida in the Swamp.
