College Football Top 25 Rankings (Week 2)
College Football Top 25: Sam Darnold, USC Trojans Football
Weekly college football top 25 rankings are a big part of every season, and Athlon Sports will update its top 25 following the games each weekend. The second weekend of the 2017 season was filled with exciting games and intriguing non-conference matchups. Alabama easily handled Fresno State to remain No. 1 in the rankings, but Clemson, Oklahoma and USC each jump a few spots after big wins in Week 2. Clemson completely dominated Auburn, and Oklahoma scored a road upset at Ohio State. Penn State defeated rival Pitt, and Washington handled FCS opponent Montana State to round out the top six teams going into Week 3. TCU's win over Arkansas pushed the Horned Frogs into the top 25 after Week 2.
College Football Top 25 Rankings
1. Alabama (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated Fresno State
Injuries at linebacker will be something to watch as the season progresses for Nick Saban’s defense.
2. Clemson (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated Auburn
Timely plays by new quarterback Kelly Bryant and a dominant effort on defense were more than enough to knock off Auburn.
3. Oklahoma (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated Ohio State
Baker Mayfield was the difference for Oklahoma in Saturday night’s win at Ohio State. However, the defense also played well, and the offense got key contributions from freshmen Trey Sermon (RB) and CeeDee Lamb (WR).
4. USC (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated Stanford
Question marks surrounded USC after beating Western Michigan in Week 1. One week later, those question marks have disappeared. The Trojans were impressive in Saturday night’s victory against Stanford.
5. Penn State (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated Pitt
Another big effort from running back Saquon Barkley helps the Nittany Lions enact a little revenge on rival Pitt.
6. Washington (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated Montana
Dante Pettis earns a place in the Pac-12 record book with his seventh career punt return for a touchdown.
7. Michigan (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated Cincinnati
Two games, two dominant performances on defense for the Wolverines.
8. Ohio State (1-1)
Week 2 Result: Lost to Oklahoma
The Buckeyes still have issues to iron out in the passing game and in the secondary.
9. Florida State (0-1)
Week 2 Result: Off
Due to Hurricane Irma, Florida State’s game against ULM was canceled.
10. LSU (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated Chattanooga
The Tigers have a lot of promising freshmen making plays for an already dominant defense.
11. Oklahoma State (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated South Alabama
Oklahoma State has quietly been very impressive in its two wins to open the season.
12. Wisconsin (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated FAU
It looks like coach Paul Chryst has found his next star running back in true freshman Jonathan Taylor.
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13. Georgia (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated Notre Dame
Georgia’s defense led the way in a road win at Notre Dame on Saturday night.
14. Louisville (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated North Carolina
Quarterback Lamar Jackson has been on fire through the first two weeks of the season. Can Clemson’s defense find a way to slow him down on Saturday night?
15. Virginia Tech (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated Delaware
No letdown for the Hokies against Delaware.
16. Auburn (1-1)
Week 2 Result: Lost to Clemson
Gus Malzahn and coordinator Chip Lindsey need to find a few answers on the offensive line this week.
17. Oregon (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Defeated Nebraska
Big performances by quarterback Justin Herbert, running back Royce Freeman and freshman defensive back Thomas Graham secure victory against Nebraska.
18. Tennessee (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Beat Indiana State
A season-ending injury to receiver Jauan Jennings for the year is a big loss for Tennessee. However, sophomores Marquez Callaway and Brandon Johnson, along with freshman Josh Palmer are a trio of promising options for coach Butch Jones.
19. Notre Dame (1-1)
Week 2 Result: Lost to Georgia
New coordinator Mike Elko is already making strides in improving Notre Dame’s defense. But the Fighting Irish need more from offense, especially from the ground attack.
20. Stanford (1-1)
Week 2 Result: Lost to USC
The Cardinal gave up an uncharacteristic 8.4 yards per play in the loss to USC on Saturday night.
21. Maryland (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Beat Towson
Coach DJ Durkin’s team didn’t suffer a letdown against Towson after a road victory at Texas in Week 1. Freshman quarterback Kasim Hill was impressive in his first start.
22. Kansas State (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Beat Charlotte
Quarterback Jesse Ertz is off to a fast start (26 of 37 for 511 yards and four touchdowns) so far this season.
23. Miami (1-0)
Week 2 Result: Off
Due to Hurricane Irma, Miami’s game against Arkansas State was canceled.
24. TCU (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Beat Arkansas
The Horned Frogs used a stingy defense and steady ground attack on offense to score a road win at Arkansas.
25. UCLA (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Beat Hawaii
UCLA’s offense picked up against Hawaii where it left off in Week 1 against Texas A&M.
