The Week 2 AP poll comes out Sunday around 2 p.m. ET, with four ranked teams (Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Washington, SMU) still to play. This is our projection of how voters react to Saturday, built on how the poll has historically treated blowouts, scares and one score wins over Group of Five teams. The real poll goes on our AP top 25 page the moment it drops, and this page updates every Saturday night through the season.
| Proj. | Team | Week 1 | Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | 56 to 3 vs. Ball State | Holds |
| 2 | Georgia | 63 to 3 vs. Tennessee State | Up 1 |
| 3 | Oregon | 34 to 27 vs. Boise State, trailed at half | Down 1 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | Plays Wisconsin Sunday | Holds |
| 5 | Texas | 59 to 7 vs. Texas State | Holds |
| 6 | Indiana | 52 to 16 vs. North Texas | Holds |
| 7 | Miami | 45 to 6 at Stanford Friday | Holds |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 50 to 0 vs. Missouri State | Holds |
| 9 | LSU | 51 to 10 vs. Clemson | Up 2 |
| 10 | Ole Miss | Plays Louisville Sunday | Down 1 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 51 to 0 vs. UTEP Friday | Down 1 |
| 12 | Texas Tech | 33 to 10 vs. Abilene Christian | Holds |
| 13 | Alabama | 48 to 10 vs. East Carolina | Holds |
| 14 | BYU | 63 to 7 vs. Utah Tech | Holds |
| 15 | USC | 39 to 0 vs. Fresno State Friday | Holds |
| 16 | Penn State | 45 to 0 vs. Marshall | Up 2 |
| 17 | Washington | Plays Washington State Sunday | Holds |
| 18 | SMU | Plays Florida State Monday | Up 1 |
| 19 | Tennessee | 56 to 9 vs. Furman | Up 1 |
| 20 | Utah | 66 to 14 vs. Idaho Thursday | Up 1 |
| 21 | Iowa | 40 to 0 vs. Northern Illinois | Up 1 |
| 22 | Michigan | 13 to 12 vs. Western Michigan on a disputed Hail Mary | Down 6 |
| 23 | Houston | 33 to 20 vs. Oregon State | Holds |
| 24 | Louisville | Plays Ole Miss Sunday | Holds |
| 25 | Missouri | 54 to 14 vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff Thursday | Holds |
The Calls
Georgia over Oregon. Voters rarely drop a top three team for a win, but a seven point home win over a Group of Five team in which the Ducks trailed at halftime, on the same day Georgia won 63 to 3, is the kind of split that flips a No. 2 and No. 3. It is close; if Oregon holds at 2 it is by a handful of points.
LSU up, not way up. 51 to 10 over an unranked Clemson team that looked broken earns a two spot climb into the top 10, not a top five leap. Ole Miss and Oklahoma each slide one spot to make room, with Ole Miss able to win it back Sunday night.
Michigan down six. A 27.5 point favorite that needed a replay decision to beat a MAC team at home usually falls into the 20s. The Wolverines stay ranked because there is no one obvious to replace them, and Oklahoma at the Big House next week decides whether they stay at all.
Nobody new. Oklahoma State was unranked before it lost to Tulsa, so the top 25 has no opening. Boise State, Auburn (17 to 16 over Baylor) and Nebraska are the first teams on the outside, and Boise State’s performance in Eugene will get it the most votes of any unranked team.
The Bottom Line
Our projected Week 2 AP poll has Ohio State at No. 1, Georgia at No. 2 over Oregon, LSU into the top 10 at No. 9, Penn State up to 16 and Michigan down to 22, with Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Washington and SMU held in place until they play. The real poll replaces this projection on our AP top 25 rankings page Sunday afternoon.