Projecting some of the changes in the AP Top 25 college football rankings after Week 1 scores
Aug 31, 2024
at
11:55 pm ET
•
5 min read
Week 1 of college football is almost in the books, but we still have to wait a few days before a new updated version of the AP Top 25. Still, the slates from Thursday, Friday and Saturday are filled with results that voters will use to inform their reworked ballots.
In a normal college football week, we will use this space to project, specifically, what the updated AP Top 25 will look like when the rankings refresh on Sunday. But with three ranked teams left to play this weekend and three more days until a new AP poll, we will instead focus on the teams that delivered rankings-shifting results.
There were not many games between ranked teams in Week 1, but No. 1 Georgia’s season-opening trouncing of No. 14 Clemson will likely transfer a few first-place votes the Bulldogs’ way — making Kirby Smart’s team even closer to a unanimous No. 1. There will also be a significant impact on the losing end with a reranking of Dabo Swinney’s Tigers. Saturday’s night cap between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 20 Texas A&M will also spark some ballot changes as Marcus Freeman’s group picked up the biggest win of the day by beating a ranked team on the road in thrilling fashion.
But with so few games between ranked teams, we are expecting there will be some movement based on the quality of performance and the quality of victory for ranked teams in action. That’s where teams like Penn State or Miami could see a boost even after wins against unranked teams, as both did so by large margins in road environments.
Let’s take a look at some of the teams that will be on the move when the rankings update after Week 1. And be sure to join us on Monday night for the official Tomorrow’s Top 25 Today as we sort out the new AP Top 25 projections after Week 1. For now, here are a few teams that changed their ranking outlook on Saturday.
CBS Sports will release a complete projected AP Top 25 on Monday night following the conclusion of Week 1 play.