The first week of college football is in the books, and Arizona State is a perfect 1-0. In anticipation of the AP releasing their Top 25, our experts here at Devils in Detail conducted a poll of our own, ranking the top 25 teams in the nation following this weekend's action.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State is sure to get plenty of love in every poll this week. The reigning national champions shut down Arch Manning and the top-ranked Longhorns, making it hard to argue with them vaulting to the top. They were one vote shy of being the unanimous top team here.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
The only other team to receive a first place vote in our poll, the Nittany Lions thoroughly demolished Nevada and quarterback Drew Allar looked to be in command of the offense.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
Opinions were split on the Bulldogs in our poll, but not nearly as much as the following teams. Given their championship pedigree, Georgia gets the nod here.
4. Miami Hurricanes
Former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck made his debut with Miami Sunday night and managed to score a thrilling win over Notre Dame in the final minutes. It's the Hurricanes' first win over a Top 10 team since 2017, and could signal a watershed moment for head coach Mario Cristobal.
5. LSU Tigers
Head coach Brian Kelly finally won a season opener with the Tigers, beating out Clemson in a defensive rubber match that made both teams' Heisman contending quarterbacks look human.
6. Oregon Ducks
The Ducks dominated FCS powerhouse Montana State, and quarterback Dante Moore looked like a natural in the Oregon offense. That's about all you could ask for in Week 1 if you're Dan Lanning.
7. Texas Longhorns
It'll be interesting to see how far the Associated Press drops Texas following their lackluster performance against Ohio State. Our panel was eager to drop them several spots, and it's easy to see why given the disappointment of Arch Manning's start.
8. Clemson Tigers
Clemson was locked in a tight battle with LSU all game long, but quarterback Cade Klubnik was unable to break through and save the day. He had a slow start last year, too, and it might be enough to put a ceiling on the Tigers' championship aspirations.
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Opinions were very split on Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish staged a thrilling fourth quarter comeback, but fell just short in the final minutes against Miami. They look ready for another deep playoff run, but our panel isn't convinced just yet.
10. South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina made easy work of Virginia Tech, and quarterback LaNorris Sellers may have thrust himself to the forefront of the Heisman race with his highlight reel from the game.
11. Arizona State Sun Devils
The Sun Devils probably should have blown out Northern Arizona, but a win is a win. Still, our panel is unsure how to feel right now. One voter had Arizona State as high as fifth, while another dropped them to 14th. Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson both looked great, which is probably enough to keep the Sun Devils in contention no matter what.
12. Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois looked like the best versions of the Bret Bielema Wisconsin years, with an efficient run game and relentless defense. Granted, it was against FCS Western Illinois, but the Fighting Illini look ready to contend in the Big Ten.
13. Florida Gators
A year ago at this time, we were all convinced Florida head coach Billy Napier was fired. Now, he's leading an electric offense featuring quarterback DJ Lagway, and the Gators may be for real.
14. SMU Mustangs
The Mustangs picked right back up where they left off last year, with quarterback Kevin Jennings making plays through the air and on the ground. SMU looks primed for another trip to the College Football Playoff.
15. Alabama Crimson Tide
How far does Alabama fall after losing to unranked Florida State? Like Texas, our panel isn't showing much sympathy for the Crimson Tide; none of us had them inside the Top 10 still.
16. Michigan Wolverines
Michigan is hoping for a more coherent offensive approach this year, and through one week, it looks like they're onto something. Quarterback Bryce Underwood impressed in his first career start, and the Wolverines defense is still stout too.
17. Texas Tech Red Raiders
A wild storm delay didn't take any shine off the Red Raiders' 60-point victory, a thorough dismantling of their FCS opponent after needing overtime against another FCS team in last year's opener. That's a great sign for Texas Tech, as they enter the final year of quarterback Behren Morton's run in Lubbock.
18. Oklahoma Sooners
The offensive overhaul in Norman looked to be a good move in Oklahoma's season opener. Brent Venables may have the hottest seat of any coach in the nation, but this weekend showed he may be en route to cooling it down.
19. Texas A&M Aggies
Placing the Aggies was difficult for the panel. Their highest ranking was 15, while another didn't even include them in their Top 25. Texas A&M looked perfectly good in their opener, but they face a tough schedule this year.
20. Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State also had a wide variance of rankings. One pollster had them as high as 12, and another barely included them at 24. The Cyclones are 2-0, though, with a strong Week 0 win over Kansas State boosting their conference ranking.
21. Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss is in their first year post-Jaxson Dart, but it looks like Lane Kiffin found another competent passer in Austin Simmons.
22. Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana is hoping for another trip back to the College Football Playoff, but transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza's uneven Hoosier debut was anything but convincing.
23. Florida State Seminoles
Florida State jumped into the tail end of the Top 25 after their upset of Alabama, and the coordinator changes Mike Norvell made in the offseason both seem to have paid early dividends.
24. Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee's offseason quarterback musical chairs didn't seem to matter, as the Volunteers cruised to victory in their season opener and still looks to be an SEC contender.
25. Kansas State Wildcats
After losing to Iowa State last week, Kansas State came extremely close to losing to FCS North Dakota this week. Two panelists dropped them from their Top 25 entirely as a result, but the rest aren't ready to bury them just yet.
Others Receiving Votes
Utah, BYU, TCU, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Louisville, Memphis, Tulane, James Madison
Utah and BYU both nearly edged out Kansas State, while the others all received one vote apiece at various spots throughout the final five slots.