College football was in full swing this Labor Day weekend with games being played for six consecutive days. The first full week of action did not disappoint with several top 25 matchups along with some crazy upsets and near upsets. Week 1 gave us a glimpse at who was overrated and who was underrated entering the season with several highly ranked teams laying an egg in their opener and several unranked teams coming out of nowhere and putting the nation on notice.

The biggest loser from Week 1 was the ACC which had seven teams lose on opening weekend including their top three teams entering the season. Clemson should still run this conference and is their best bet to get into the playoff but a weak schedule paired with a loss to Georgia makes a 7th straight playoff trip far from a guarantee. Potential playoff dark horses in UNC and Miami saw their playoff hopes take a massive hit this weekend.

The SEC had a great weekend outside of LSU with all their other contenders winning and will jump in my rankings due to several other teams either losing or having underwhelming wins to start their season off. Several top teams played down to competition and squeaked by with close wins which is understandable during Week 1 and time will tell if these poor opening game performances were just teams being rusty or if it’s a sign of bigger issues. It’s a long season ahead but here’s how the rankings stand one week into the season.

1.Alabama Crimson Tide(1-0) W 44-13 vs Miami

Any of the hot takes that Alabama would have a let down season after losing most of its key players from the undefeated squad last year were quickly silenced as the Tide humiliated a top 15 Miami team 44-13 and jumped out to a 27-0 lead in the first half. Bryce Young had an excellent debut throwing four TD passes and cementing himself as the Heisman frontrunner for the time being. Bama still has a tough road ahead but the Tide further established themselves as the best team in the nation.

2. Georgia Bulldogs(1-0) W 10-3 vs Clemson

I was one of the few people who had the Dawgs ahead of Clemson before the season and I was proven right on Saturday night. In an old school defensive struggle Georgia prevailed and now have the most impressive win in the nation on their resume. Georgia has the best defense in the nation and the offense should look much better with a healthier receiving core as the season goes on. If Georgia can take care of business the rest of the regular season they should be a lock to make the playoff regardless of what happens in the SEC title game. In a crazy Week 1, Georgia established themselves as the second best team in the nation.

3. Oklahoma Sooners(1-0) W 40-35 vs Tulane

This ranking may seem too high for the Sooners after narrowly escaping an upset against Tulane however with Clemson losing and Ohio State not impressing
me the Sooners only fall one spot. The Sooners played better than the final score shows as they led comfortably for most of the game before Tulane rallied in the fourth to come oh so close to pulling off the upset. Spencer Rattler’s turnover issues returned and two costly interceptions overshadowed an otherwise solid performance. Rattler can’t afford to make those mistakes against better competition. I still have very high hopes for the Sooners but Rattler and the defense need to be more consistent going forward.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes(1-0) W 45-31 vs Minnesota

Like Oklahoma, the Buckeyes were put on upset watch in their opener but prevailed vs the Golden Gophers(with some help from a missed targeting call). C.J. Stroud struggled in the first half before putting on a show with four second half TD passes. Minnesota is a respectable opponent however Ohio State’s defense had no answers for Mohamed Ibrahim. While the talent on offense is undeniable the defense still has questions. The Buckeyes will get a chance to show their a top three team this week as they host Oregon in what is arguably the best game this Saturday.

5. Texas A&M Aggies(1-0) W 41-10 vs Kent State

The Aggies took care of business against Kent State dominating on both sides of the ball. Haynes King had a rocky opener with three interceptions however
the talent is definitely there to be one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC. A&M is easily Bama’s toughest matchup in the regular season and are an upset win away from winning their first SEC West title. For now the Aggies turn their attention to a road matchup against Colorado.

6. Cincinnati Bearcats(1-0) W vs Miami(OH) 49-14

7. Clemson Tigers(0-1) L vs Georgia 10-3

8. Iowa State Cyclones(1-0) W vs Northern Iowa 16-10

9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish(1-0) W vs Florida State 41-38

10. Iowa Hawkeyes(1-0) W vs Indiana 34-6

11. Oregon Ducks(1-0) W vs Fresno State 31-24

12. USC Trojans(1-0) W vs San Jose State 30-7

13. Florida Gators(1-0) W vs FAU 35-14

14. Penn State Nittany Lions(1-0) W vs Wisconsin 16-10

15. Texas Longhorns(1-0) W vs UL Lafayette 38-18

16. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers(1-0) W vs The Citadel 52-14

17. UCLA Bruins(2-0) W vs LSU 38-27

18. Wisconsin Badgers(0-1) L vs Penn State 16-10

19. Arizona State Sun Devils(1-0) W vs Southern Utah 41-14

20. Ole Miss Rebels(1-0) W vs Louisville 43-24

21. Virginia Tech Hokies(1-0) W vs North Carolina 17-10

22. TCU Horned Frogs(1-0) W vs Duquesne 45-3

23. North Carolina Tar Heels(0-1) L vs Virginia Tech 17-10

24. Miami Hurricanes(0-1) L vs Alabama 44-13

25. LSU Tigers(0-1) L vs UCLA 38-27