College Football Power Rankings: Top efficiencies and impressions from

After 5 straight days of college football, Week 1 remains in the books. There was a school-record-breaking efficiency from Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava in his freshman launching, showing the preseason hype around him was called for. Other programs didn’t have as perfect a weekend, however it’s just Week 1.

Can Iamaleava maintain his performance when the Volunteers handle top-25 challenger NC State in Week 2? What does LSU require to enhance on after a difficult last-second loss to USC?Our specialists voted on who need to remain in the leading 25 and offered their first impressions on each school based on Week 1 efficiencies.

It was a brand-new season but the very same results for Georgia’s tenacious defense in its 34-3 thrashing of Clemson in Atlanta. The Bulldogs limited the Tigers to just 13 first downs and 188 lawns of offense. Clemson passed the 50-yard line just twice. Georgia linebackers Jalon Walker and Raylen Wilson and end Mykel Williams applied good pressure on Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik, and freshman safety KJ Bolden looked more than ready in his first college game with 4 tackles.All-American security Malaki

Starks relocated to the star position since of Joenel Aguero’s injury, and Starks changed well. Depth on the defensive line remains a concern, especially if Williams (ankle)and take on Warren Brinson(leg) are sidelined for long. Williams was wearing a walking boot on his left foot when he left Mercedes-Benz Arena.– Mark Schlabach The Buckeyes have yet another rising star wideout in true freshman

Jeremiah Smith, who shined in his Ohio State launching. Smith dropped his first pass off his chest on the opening drive. After that, he was unstoppable. He completed with 92 backyards receiving on 6 catches and became the very first Ohio State freshman in 26 years to debut with two touchdown receptions.Smith signs up with Ohio State’s enviable variety of hazardous playmakers, which includes preseason All-American wideout Emeka Egbuka and standout running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, who combined for 120 rushing yards in Ohio State’s 52-6 victory over Akron. The offense left to a slow start in planner Chip Kelly’s very first game calling plays. However in the 2nd half, Ohio State got rolling behind an appealing efficiency from senior transfer quarterback Will Howard. Once it settles in with all the new pieces, this Ohio State offense figures to be a juggernaut.– Jake Trotter Answers to the greatest concerns surrounding the Longhorns will need to wait till next weekend’s check out to Michigan, but this was an extensive start from Texas. Quarterback Quinn Ewers opened his junior season 20-of-27 for 260 yards with 3 goal tosses, consisting of an appealing, no-look goal strike to Matthew Golden before halftime.Freshman pass catcher Ryan Wingo led Texas with 70 getting yards on 4 catches, and Arch Manning got in on the action, too, going 5-for-6 for 95 lawns and a passing

goal while adding another score on the ground. Props as well to a Longhorns secondary that held Colorado State(306.5 passing yards per game in 2023)to 74 yards through the air. A big test awaits at Michigan Stadium in Week 2.– Eli Lederman Kalen DeBoer’s debut at Alabama underscored why he rose from relative obscurity to replace the best college coach of perpetuity in Nick Saban. DeBoer’s offenses

are dominant and flashy, and Alabama’s had space to grow after last season. The Crimson Tide stormed out to a 42-0 halftime lead versus Western Kentucky, which had never ever tracked by many points at the half considering that it signed up with the FBS in 2007. Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Quarterback Jalen Milroe had 169 lawns and 3 touchdowns on only four conclusions in the first half, and recorded his third career game with a minimum of 3 touchdown passes and two rushing goals. Freshman wide

receiver Ryan Williams had touchdown receptions of 84 and 55 lawns in his debut, while running back Justice Haynes and others had big nights. Alabama held WKU’s usually powerful offense to 103 passing lawns, 2.2 backyards per play and zero points.– Adam Rittenberg It wasn’t quite, however as rock fights go, Notre Dame came out of this one looking pretty good. The Irish held off Texas A&M 23-13 behind a gutty efficiency from Riley Leonard and a dominant defensive effort. Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler each chose off passes, and the Irish stuffed two important fourth-down

shots to preserve the win.Perhaps most considerable, Notre Dame seems to have found a clear lead back in Jeremiyah Love, who had 91 backyards and the consent TD, while Clemson transfer Beaux Collins became a playmaker in the death game.– David Hale QB Drew Allar passed for 216 lawns and 3 TDs in 34-12 success over West Virginia. Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire Penn State’s hire of Andy Kotelnicki resonated more than a lot of offending organizer additions due to the fact that of what it represented. If Kotelnicki could stimulate quarterback Drew Allar and an offense that lacked surge in 2023, the Nittany Lions would be a complete CFP contender. Allar and the Nittany Lions ‘offense looked like a various unit in Kotelnicki’s launching, stretching the field– and West Virginia’s talented defense– for 34 points and 457 backyards in an outstanding roadway win. In the first half alone, Allar passed for 199 yards and 3 goals and connected on conclusions of 50 and 55 yards.An offense that produced one 100-yard getting efficiency all last season saw Harrison Wallace III reach triple digits on an 18-yard goal from Allar late in the 2nd quarter. Penn State’s defense continued to flourish under brand-new organizer Tom Allen, keeping West Virginia out of the end zone for more than three quarters and permitting just 3.7 backyards per play.– Rittenberg One week in, the Rebels’electrical offense leads the country

in scoring thanks to a completely dominant 76-0 win over FCS group Furman. Jaxson Dart tossed for 418 backyards and scored 6 overall touchdowns in 2 quarters. Tre Harris, Juice Wells and the Rebels’many playmakers shined, and a reloaded offending line held up nicely.Pete Golding’s defense required 9 three-and-outs. A 52-point halftime lead enabled Lane Kiffin to send out in the backups for the whole 2nd half. Ole Miss finished

with 772 total yards, the most by any Rebels group in Kiffin’s period. All in all, that has to do with as tidy of a season opener as one might hope, and the head coach admitted afterward he couldn’t discover much to be crucial about.– Max Olson It’s the first game of the season, but the No. 3 group in the nation isn’t supposed to have a hard time like this. What made Oregon’s hard-earned 24-14 win over FCS opponent Idaho– in your home, no less– a lot more confounding is that it got 487 lawns on offense, held its opponents to simply 217 total backyards, had 31 very first downs and just one turnover, and held the ball for nearly 40 minutes of game time. So, how did the Oregon end up with just 24 points? Simply put, the Ducks were careless. The offending line was a screen, allowing 3 sacks

, representing 7 of Oregon’s 8 charges that cost it 60 yards and stalled a handful of promising drives.Oregon appeared to move the ball at will, and Oklahoma transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel debuted for the Ducks with 380 yards and 7.8 backyards per pass, in addition to two touchdowns, but he also had a fumble and tossed the ball 49 times. Gabriel finished 41 of those 49 passes, but the balance between him and the running game didn’t seem rather established as the Ducks barely crossed 100 yards rushing as a team. Even though the defense looked close to midseason form, to state there’s space for enhancement for Dan Lanning’s team would be an understatement as it heads into much tougher matchups.– Paolo Uggetti As quickly as quarterback Camera Ward got here through the transfer portal in January, expectations around the Hurricanes in Year 3– under Mario Cristobal– began to rise. Everybody saw why versus the Florida Gators in a performance that will go down in the history books in the once annual competition. Ward tossed for 385 backyards and 3 goals, often looking casual as he stepped back to pass. Possibly that is since his offensive line protected him all day, offering him the self-confidence to being in the pocket and take his time. Even when he did need to scramble out, he still made jaw-dropping plays, including one across his body to Jacolby George in the back

of completion zone for a touchdown.Beyond his performance, Miami is starting to look the way Cristobal has planned given that his arrival: Hard and physical on the offending and defensive lines. The Hurricanes will be preferred in their next 3 nonconference games, starting Saturday against Florida A&M. However Cristobal knows a big opening win just indicates a lot. To support the statement that was made, they need to keep winning.– Andrea Adelson The Wolverines’ national title defense started with a surprise on offense, as Davis Warren, not Alex Orji, made the starting quarterback job. Warren had predictably mixed results in the opener against Fresno State however capped Michigan’s finest drive of the night, a 75-yard rise in the fourth quarter, with an 18-yard touchdown

pass to star tight end Colston Loveland. The senior QB had an interception and just 118 passing backyards, as he struggled to get in rhythm with his broad receivers.Michigan didn’t free up Donovan Edwards in the run game, although Kalel Mullings looked capable with 92 hurrying lawns on 15 brings. The defense aided with an 86-yard pick-six from cornerback Will Johnson and another interception from Zeke Berry that established a touchdown. But coach Sherrone Moore stated”whatever” should enhance as Michigan prepares

to host Texas in Week 2.– Rittenberg Murray State was never ever most likely to trouble the Tigers, but Missouri leapt to a 28-0 lead in simply 11:22 and kept overdoing in a comfortable start to an expectation-filled season in Columbia. Brady Cook found Luther Problem III for a 16-yard score on the opening possession.Transfer rushers Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll integrated for 5.1 yards per carry and each found the end zone in their group debuts. And the Tigers’ defense, led by first-year planner Corey Batoon, ended up as the only FBS unit to allow fewer than 100 backyards in Week 1, albeit against a Murray State offense that averaged 16.6 points per game last fall.– Lederman Redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava broke Tennessee’s record for passing lawns in a half. Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images If you didn’t purchase Nico Iamaleava stock this offseason, the cost simply went up. Tennessee’s redshirt freshman phenom threw for 314 lawns and three TDs on 22-of-28 passing in his very first home start, breaking the school record for passing backyards in a half, and rolled to a 69-3 win over Chattanooga Mocs.The Vols threw for 414 backyards, hurried for 304 and scored on 10 of 13 drives against a preseason top-10 FCS opponent, and their defense didn’t let the Mocs cross midfield when in the first half. This group looks all set to take on a top-25 enemy with NC State up next.– Olson It was about as ideal of a start to the season as the new-look USC group could have hoped. With the eyes of the whole sport on the Modelo Vegas Kickoff Classic, Lincoln Riley’s group didn’tsimply hang with an SEC challenger, it beat one in a 27-20 win over LSU. The revamped Trojans defense under brand-new defensive planner D’Anton Lynn looked worlds better and much more sound than its previous version, while new starting quarterback Miller Moss showed why– for a minimum of one game– Riley was ideal to turn over the group to him instead of a transfer quarterback. Moss revealed amazing grace as USC’s offense stalled in the middle of the game while the

defense( who would have believed? )kept the Trojans in it by holding the Tigers ‘offense at bay long enough for Moss to craft a winning touchdown drive in the final minutes of what was an electrical game.It is, certainly, only one game, but there is lots of pledge now surrounding a USC group that

might have quickly gotten away with a down year offered all the changes. Rather, Moss and the offense look ready to have fun with anyone, while the Trojans appear to be more powerful than before. There’s a long method to go, however that’s as good of an impression as any and likely Riley’s signature win in 3 seasons as USC’s head coach.– Uggetti Welcome back, Cam Rising. After missing last season because of a severe knee injury, the Utes quarterback completed 10 of 15 passes with five goals and no interceptions in a 49-0 win versus Southern Utah. If there was any concern about Increasing’s ability to restore his previous type– he assisted the Utes to 2 Pac-12 titles and Rose Bowl berths in 2021 and 2022– those ideas likely faded quickly Thursday.Still, considering the quality of the challenger, this week’s game against Baylor will be a better barometer for how the Utes will fare in their first season in the Big 12

.– Kyle Bonagura Jackson Arnold tossed for 4 touchdowns in his very first regular-season start, and the Sooners required 6 turnovers in a season-opening rout of Temple. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said Arnold played “actually effectively.”However the offending story came from pass receiver Deion Burks. The Purdue transfer notched three scores before halftime in his Oklahoma debut, becoming the 5th Sooner in program history to register 3 goals in a half.There were

problems for Oklahoma– 1-for-12 on third down, has a hard time throughout a new-look offending line, a long-term injury for wide receiver Jalil Farooq– but the Sooners travelled in the opener. They now look ahead to a Week 2 go to from a Houston team that suffered a 27-7 defeat to UNLV in Week 1.– Lederman The Cowboys were in control from start to end up in a 44-20 win versus South Dakota State, the protecting FCS nationwide

champ. It wasn’t a dominant performance by any methods– OSU outgained SDSU by just six lawns– but a comfortable win was precisely what the Cowboys needed to start the project versus a dangerous opponent.After rushing for 1,732 lawns

last season, Ollie Gordon II ran for 104 yards and a set of scores on 27 brings, while Alan Bowman tossed for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Oklahoma State can now shift its complete attention to this week’s game against Arkansas, which goes to Stillwater.– Bonagura The Avery Johnson era began with a 41-6 win over UT Martin, with the quarterback going 14-of-21 for 153 yards passing and 2 touchdowns in addition to 3 brings for 37 backyards. He likewise tossed his first interception.The Wildcats’defense smothered the Skyhawks,

enabling just 134 yards, eight very first downs and only 0.9 lawns per rush, and Kansas State obstructed a punt in the very first quarter and returned it one lawn for a score.– Dave Wilson In a difficult loss to USC on Sunday night, QB Garrett Nussmeier passed for 304 backyards and 2 TDs. Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire Garrett Nussmeier revealed a lots of self-confidence in his biggest test yet as the Tigers’new QB1, however the Tigers have a lot to clean up after losing on Sunday night in Las Vegas in a 27-20 loss to USC.Too numerous unrestrained charges(10) and missed out on chances eventually amounted to

a blown lead and 14 points surrendered in the last 6 minutes, leaving an annoyed Brian Kelly questioning his team’s focus and absence of killer impulse. It’s far prematurely to state this group remains in problem, however Kelly’s postgame anger definitely speaks to how winnable this game felt and how frustrating it is to begin 0-1 yet once again.– Olson The Jayhawks put away FCS Lindenwood before a competitive game had a chance to emerge, constructing a 34-0 lead by halftime and travelling to a 48-3 victory. Kansas was so dominant that it needed only 15 pass attempts from Jalon Daniels (9-of-15, 148 backyards, 1 TD, 1 INT)and eight carries from Devin Neal (112 backyards, 2 TDs). Nine different players signed up rushing efforts. It was a foreseeable result versus an overmatched group, and it does not do much to inform speculation about what the rest of the season might look like for the Jayhawks.– Bonagura Pass receiver Tetairoa McMillan may have delivered the offensive efficiency of the college football season in Week 1, capturing 10 passes

for 304 lawns and 4 goals. The reality is, McMillan might have challenged the FBS single-game getting backyards record of 405 had Arizona wanted to force this concern in the 4th quarter.

Any discussion about who the very first receiver in the 2025 NFL draft will be must start with McMillan.The Wildcats likewise were explosive rushing the ball, as Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Quali Conley combined on 23 carries for 196 yards(8.5 yards per bring). However it wasn’t all great for the Wildcats in coach Brent Brennan’s debut: They permitted 39 points and 471 backyards to New Mexico, which lost last week to FCS Montana State.– Bonagura QB Cade McNamara threw for 3 TDs in 40-point win over Illinois State. Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports The Hawkeyes left to an alarming start offensively, managing just a pair of field goals in the very first half in brand-new offensive planner Tim Lester’s launching. However in the 2nd half, quarterback Cade McNamara and the Hawkeyes found their groove. McNamara tossed three touchdown passes, as the Hawkeyes coasted to a 40-0 win over Illinois State.Iowa played without coach Kirk Ferentz, who served a one-game suspension for a recruiting violation; assistant head coach Seth Wallace helmed the team in his location. The Hawkeyes had a hard time offensively all last season, completing last in the Big Ten in a wide range of categories. On Saturday, they revealed guarantee in the 2nd half behind McNamara, who missed the last nine games of last season with a knee injury. The Hawkeyes ought to be tough defensively again. If they can get more from the offense, they might prove to be a surprise playoff contender.– Trotter The Wolfpack have been billed as a sleeper contender

in the ACC, but during the early going in a 38-21 win over Western Carolina, they had a hard time to discover a rhythm and consistency with their revamped offense. That all changed in the 2nd half, as Jordan Waters jump-started the run game (123 lawns, 2 TDs) and signal-caller Grayson McCall got more comfy(318

lawns, 3 TDs, 1 INT ). The star of the show was wideout KC Concepcion, who picked up where he ended last season with 9 receptions for 121 lawns and 3 touchdowns. Later, NC State coach Dave Doeren stated he would never apologize for a loss. It gets much harder today, as the Wolfpack take on Tennessee in a substantial game not only for prospective playoff implications but likewise to assist the ACC start to change the narrative about the conference as a whole.– Adelson The Aggies could never ever get in an offending rhythm in a game that marked a disappointing starting to a new period in College Station. Drawing a top-10 Notre Dame team brought a national tv audience and a raucous crowd of 107,315, and the defense played up to its billing for the first half, which ended in a 6-6 tie. The Irish then ran for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns in the second half as they pulled away for a 23-13 win. But the bigger issue as A&M shifts to brand-new planner Collin Klein’s offense is the performance of quarterback Conner Weigman, who was 5-of-16 for 61 yards and tossed two interceptions on tosses of 5 or more backyards, according to ESPN Statistics & Info.– Wilson The Tigers’punchless offending efficiency versus Georgia’s formidable defense raised concerns about their trajectory with quarterback Cade Klubnik running the show. Klubnik finished 18 of 29 passes for 142 backyards with 2 sacks and one interception. Pass receiver Antonio Williams played well with 6 catches for 76 backyards, but the Tigers didn’t get much production in the passing game from anybody else.Tailback Phil Mafah ran for 59 backyards on 16 attempts. The Tigers went 4-for-13 on third down. The bright side: Clemson most likely won’t deal with a defense as great as Georgia’s once again in the regular season. The Tigers will attempt to get better in Saturday’s home game versus Appalachian State.– Schlabach

It might not be the most stylish method to win games, but Georgia Tech is a best mirror of its coach, former O-lineman Brent Key. The group has 16 former linemen on its staff, and physicality is the foundation of whatever Key wants to do on both sides of the ball. So far, it has worked.In disturbing Florida State in Week 0, the Jackets controlled the line of skirmish. In a win over Georgia State on Saturday night, Tech ran for 225 backyards and three ratings. It’s exactly the dish Secret believes can bring the program to the next level.– Hale