DISCLAIMER: I work for a major media affiliate but do not have a vote in the Associated Press poll so my opinion means virtually nothing. These rankings have nothing to do with preseason polls or last season’s results; they’re based on games that have been played this year only. The rankings will be volatile, especially early in the season. 

Teams that play tough non-conference schedules and lose badly will unfortunately be punished for taking early season losses. These games could help their ranking later in the season for teams that improve, however they will free fall in the short term. 

Saturday delivered another dose of chaos as multiple ranked teams fell to unranked opponents while others barely hung on. Aside from Michigan, the Big Ten continues to reign supreme, and the SEC has taken notice. In a bizarre admission, Nick Saban all but conceded that the conference had been compensating its ‘student-athletes’ well before the arrival of NIL.

NEW: Nick Saban claims NIL has given Big Ten an advantage over SEC:

"I mean, kids grew up wanting to go to LSU, Alabama and Georgia. Got the money now. They don’t mind going to Ohio State. They don’t mind going to other places. So, that geographic advantage that the Southeast… pic.twitter.com/ES055hWphw

— On3 (@On3sports) September 5, 2025

Biggest winners of week two:

–Kalen Deboer lives to coach another week; If Alabama loses at home to UL Monroe or even wins by less than 30 points, he would have quite possibly been put in witness protection. 

–South Florida steals a win against in-state rival Florida at the swamp following a decisive week one victory over Boise State. Two ranked wins in the non-conference has put the Bulls in a great position to represent the group of five in the college football playoff.

USF catches Florida off guard with the no huddle and gets a HUGE 67 yard TD. Catch and run was almost identical to the Minneapolis Miracle from 2018 pic.twitter.com/FIgglvLghk

— Jarodactyl (@JarodactylYT) September 6, 2025

–Mississippi State gave their fans rare cause for celebration. The seemingly cursed program has long been the doormat of the SEC but they secured a win at home against No. 13 Arizona State. Things could be on the up and up in Starkville.

Losers of the week:

-The Big 12. Aside from BYU hosting Stanford, the truck stop conference lost every game they scheduled against the other power four conferences. Oklahoma State got steamrolled in Oregon while ASU lost to Mississippi State. Kansas State, who started the season ranked, lost at home to Army and Kansas lost their border battle to Mizzou. Utah can’t get out of this conference fast enough. 

Never invade Russia in winter, and if you're a Big 12 team, never play a game in Athens. pic.twitter.com/RjrxLaIcE5

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) September 6, 2025

-UCLA lost again, this time to a Mountain West school. The Nico Iamaleava experiment is shaping out horribly thus far; they had him throw the ball 41 times while UNLV walks away 3-0 under new head coach Dan Mullen. 

-Michigan’s stagnant offense and repeated failures in big games have put Sherrone Moore under heavy scrutiny, leaving fans to question whether he is the right leader to sustain the program’s recent success.

New to the Poll: USF, Mississippi State and Mizzou.

Kicked out: Michigan, ASU, Florida

My rankings:

1. Ohio state (+1) Ranked high, played a cupcake, won big. 
2. Penn State (+1) Ranked high, played a cupcake, won big. 
3. LSU (-2) didn’t dominate against LA like one would expect. Nussmeier threw an early pick and was forced to air it out 41 times against a far inferior opponent.
4. Oregon (+2) beat the brakes off of Oklahoma State after a week of intense internet feuding between two fanbases who couldn’t be more dissimilar.
5. Miami (-1) Ranked high, played a cupcake, won big. 
6. Georgia (-1) Ranked high, played a cupcake, won big. 
7. Florida State – Ranked high, played a cupcake, won big. 
8. Utah – Ranked high, played a cupcake, won big. 
9. South Carolina (-1) took down SC State 38-10, leaning on special teams and defense. LaNorris Sellers struggled early but finished 11-for-19 for 128 yards and a touchdown, showing flashes that will need to improve for SEC play.
10. Illinois (+6) steamrolled Duke as just 2.5 point favorites as kickoff. The Fighting Illini capitalized on five Blue Devil turnovers and dominated the second half.
11. Tennessee (-1)
12. South Florida (NR)
13. Oklahoma (+8)
14. Texas (+1)
15. Iowa State (+7)
16. Ole Miss (+5)
17. Texas A&M (+5)
18. Notre Dame (-2)
19. Clemson (-5)
20. Auburn (NR)
21. Texas Tech (+4)
22. Alabama (+1)
23. Mississippi State (NR)
24. BYU 
25. Mizzou (NR)

Week two served as a reminder that no ranking is safe and no program is immune to turbulence. Heavyweights stumbled, newcomers surged, and three fresh names cracked the poll while a few familiar brands fell away. With non-conference schedules still shaking out and conference play looming, expect the volatility to continue; because in September, perception changes as fast as the scoreboard.

Mitchell Linsley