College Football Power Rankings: Notre Dame, Ole Miss in top five as Clemson nears exit after Week 1

College football is so back, baby. We hoped and prayed for thrillers in Week 1, and got them, but we also were treated with several disappointing performances from teams many expected to contend for spots in the new 12-team College Football Playoff.

It’s difficult gauging teams after Week 1, particularly in this new era. Teams are adjusting to new coach-to-player helmet communications (did anyone notice how many teams had issues?) and many have new quarterbacks and coaches on the field. Still, Michigan and Oregon coaxed sideway glances after struggling to put away weaker opponents. The Clemson of 2024 looked just like the Clemson of 2023, and that’s terrible news for Dabo Swinney. Up the road, ACC contender NC State needed three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put away FCS Western Carolina.

USC and LSU proved to be the game of the week, with two elite quarterbacks duking it out before Miller Moss led a game-winning drive at the final minute. The big news out of Las Vegas: Both teams improved their defenses with off-season hires, so there’s still reason for excitement in Baton Rouge.

Week 1 was also Retro Week. USC, Notre Dame and Miami stole the spotlight with impressive wins. The sport is healthier when the villains are on a roll, particularly on the road. Notre Dame lived up to the preseason hype with a gutty win at Texas A&M. Miami terrorized Florida in The Swamp, mocking the beloved Gator chomp in the end zone, and Cam Ward twisted the knife more when he downplayed the crowd noise.

The big dogs in the Big 2 continue to reign supreme. The Big Ten lost only one game – Minnesota’s heartbreaker against North Carolina – and the SEC lost three, but Vanderbilt knocked off a preseason ACC darkhorse with an overtime win against Virginia Tech, winning a game it trailed by a touchdown in the fourth quarter for the first time in 62 games.

We could get some big shakeups in the power rankings in Week 2 with some big matchups, including Michigan at Texas and NC State facing Tennessee. Prepare accordingly.

Biggest Movers

Rk	Teams		Chg	Rcrd
1	Georgia	The Bulldogs dominated Clemson in every facet and Carson Beck continued his tear from late last season. It’s scary to consider just how much better Georgia might look this week when running back Trevor Etienne returns from suspension. Georgia has won 40 straight regular-season games, the most in the sport since 1957.	—	1-0
2	Ohio State	Ohio State needed a few quarters to warm up against Akron, but we all knew the Buckeyes would name their score. Freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith lived up to the hype, leading the Bucks in all receiving categories and scoring two touchdowns in the first half. Kansas State transfer WiIll Howard completed 11 of his final 12 passes.	6	1-0
3	Texas	Texas’ warmup for Michigan had everything. The 52-0 blowout of Colorado State was the program’s second-largest shutout in a season opener. Backup Arch Manning threw and ran for a touchdown in his debut. More important was the rise of a deeper rotation at receiver: all four touchdown catches were made by transfers.	3	1-0
4	Ole Miss	No surprise, but Ole Miss can score points in bunches. The Rebels put up 52 in the first half of a 76-0 demolition of Furman. Jaxson Dart needed only one half to throw for 418 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. The Rebs’ first test (maybe?) is Week 3 at Wake Forest.	7	1-0
5	Notre Dame	Everything Notre Dame hoped for came true in the opener at Texas A&M. The defense is elite, and the offense found game-changers at receiver. Riley Leonard was fantastic in his debut, too, carrying the team on the ground when required. The go-ahead touchdown drive was filled with big boy plays in front of the most hostile environment of Week 1.	14	1-0
6	Alabama	The Kalen DeBoer era started, like many under Nick Saban, with a blowout. Alabama was impressive in shutting down Western Kentucky. Ryan Williams was electric in his debut, catching two passes for 139 yards and two scores. The Tide’s offense had two plays of 80 yards. They had zero last season.	1	1-0
7	Oregon	The right side of the Ducks’ offensive line is a problem. Penalties and run-blocking struggles hindered the offense in key moments against FCS Idaho. Still, Oregon dominated most statistical categories. Dillon Gabriel tied and broke records in his Oregon debut, throwing for 380 yards and completing 41 passes. Two trick plays led to touchdowns for Idaho.	2	1-0
8	Penn State	Penn State hired Andy Kotelnicki away from Kansas for his creative play designs. The new offensive coordinator sparked the Nittany Lions to one of the more impressive road performances of Week 1. Drew Allar had a career-best performance and stretched the field, unlike in the past, averaging 12.7 yards per pass with an efficiency rating of 229.7.	7	1-0
9	Utah	Cam Rising is back! The seventh-year quarterback picked up where he left off two years ago, throwing a career-high five touchdowns in a 49-0 drubbing of FCS Southern Utah. Rising improved to 12-0 at home as Utah’s starter. A nonconference game against Baylor is next before the crucial Week 4 trip to Oklahoma State – a showdown of the Big 12’s two most experienced rosters.	NR	1-0
10	Tennessee	Nico Iamaleava is off to a hot start. He threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of a 69-3 win against FCS Chattanooga, the most points scored by Tennessee since 2000. A trip to Charlotte to play NC State will shed more light on whether the Vols are a national contender.	14	1-0
11	USC	Does Lincoln Riley have yet another quarterback capable of winning the Heisman Trophy? Miller Moss was surgical in the win against LSU and has completed 73% of his passes in his last two starts. A trip to Michigan in Week 4 looms large for USC’s playoff hopes.	NR	1-0
12	Miami (FL)	Tell ’em, Mario. Mario Cristobal was on fire in the locker room following the blowout of Florida, and for good reason. So many doubted Miami heading into the season – and many will again – but the Hurricanes made a statement. They’re the ACC’s best team.	NR	1-0
13	LSU	Brian Kelly is angry with his team, but LSU is still worthy of a spot in the top 15 after a tight battle against USC. Garrett Nussmeier was solid at quarterback, but more importantly, the defense has improved from its historically bad pace in 2023. LSU just has to curb the penalties.	1	0-1
14	Michigan	Michigan will miss JJ McCarthy. The Wolverines produced only 89 yards in the first half against Fresno State with former walkon quarterback Davis Warren. The defense is still elite, holding Fresno to 9 rushing yards. The Wolverines have a gigantic opportunity to quiet the naysayers against Texas.	12	1-0
15	Missouri	Another SEC team, another FCS blowout. Mizzou scored four touchdowns in the first 12 minutes and outgained Murray State 489-85 in a 51-0 win. Believe it or not, the only potential challenge in September is a home game against Vanderbilt.	6	1-0
16	Oklahoma	Jackson Arnold’s debut was a success. He threw four touchdowns in the first half against Temple, picking up where Dillon Gabriel left off last season. The Sooners have scored 50-plus points in six games since last season, the most in the FBS.	6	1-0
17	Kansas State	The offense started slow but picked up with quarterback Avery Johnson in the second half of the season opener. The defense was impressive, limiting UT Martin to 2.4 yards per play. K-State ran for 283 yards and Johnson chipped in 37 yards. The trip to Tulane this week could be a challenge.	NR	1-0
18	Iowa	It was more of the same for Iowa in its opener, but then the offense – dare we say – exploded in the second half. The Hawkeyes’ new offense isn’t revolutionary, but at least Cade McNamara bounced back from a subpar first half to connect on several explosive throws. Up next is the Cy-Hawk.	NR	1-0
19	Oklahoma State	Oklahoma State can kick off its run to the CFP with a win against the SEC’s Arkansas this week. The Cowboys beat FCS national champion South Dakota State with a healthy dose of Ollie Gordon II (27 rushes) in the opener. The veteran roster is built to win tight games.	6	1-0
20	Kansas	It was great seeing Jalon Daniels back on the field after he missed most of last season. He threw for 148 yards on nine completions. The rushing attack picked up 331 yards. Kansas can pick up its first road win since 1975 against a Big Ten team this week at Illinois.	NR	1-0
21	NC State	NC State trailed FCS Western Carolina in the fourth quarter but rallied to win by 17. Grayson McCall threw for 318 yards but looked shaky in his debut. None of that will matter if the Wolfpack beat Tennessee in Charlotte this week.	2	1-0
22	Georgia Tech	I’m still high on Georgia Tech following its Week 0 win against Florida State. Tech is 2-0 for the first time in eight years. If QB Haynes King remains sharp and controls the tempo, Tech can contend in the ACC. The trip to upstart Syracuse this week is tricky.	NR	2-0
23	Texas A&M	Conner Weigman didn’t look the part of an NFL prospect against Notre Dame, but he didn’t get much help from his receivers in man coverage.The Aggies still look the part of a top-25 team and Weigman should improve against easier defenses.	NR	0-1
24	Clemson	Clemson’s offense is still a problem. The Tigers had only two plays in Georgia territory in the first half last week. The receivers need to step up, but counting on a freshman like Bryant Wesco Jr. to be the spark is not wise. That defensive line is elite. The rest of the team? Not so much.	NR	0-1
25	Nebraska	Buy Dylan Raiola stock now while you can. The five-star freshman was impressive in his debut, and he could put up huge numbers again this week against a weak Colorado secondary. Nebraska has been waiting for a gigantic night game like this since 2014 (Miami). Prepare for fireworks.	NR	1-0