AP Top 25 Reality Check: No. 23 Georgia Tech breaks long poll drought and teams suing ACC start 0-3
Georgia players celebrate after the NCAA college football game between Georgia Tech and Florida State at the Aviva stadium in Dublin, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. Credit: AP/Peter Morrison
Instead of talking about Florida State's losses, let's focus on one of the teams that beat the Seminoles.
With a 2-0 start that included a victory in Irleand over FSU, Georgia Tech moved into The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in nine years at No. 23. The poll drought was the third-longest among power conference teams; Rutgers has not been ranked since 2012 and Vanderbilt was last ranked at the end of the 2013 season.
The next two longest active runs without cracking the Top 25 belong to Texas Tech and the other team that beat Florida State, Boston College. Both the Red Raiders and Eagles were last ranked in 2018. Boston College was second among the others receiving votes in Tuesday's poll.
Despite losing Florida State from the rankings, the Atlantic Coast Conference had more teams in the Top 25 this week than last with five as Louisville also moved in while Clemson held on at No. 25.
The schools suing to get out of the ACC are currently 0-3. How's that for a reality check?
No. 1 Georgia (1-0)
Next: vs. Tennessee Tech, Saturday.
Reality check: Freshman RB Nate Frazier emerged as yet another option as coach Kirby Smart weighs when to bring back Florida transfer RB Trevor Etienne, who did not play in the opener after an offseason arrest for a traffic violation. Looks like Georgia will be fine there, regardless.
Georgia's Haynes King, left, and Florida's Daniel Lyons challenge for the ball during the NCAA college football game between Georgia Tech and Florida State at the Aviva stadium in Dublin, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. Credit: AP/Peter Morrison
Ranking: Just right.
No. 2 Ohio State (1-0)
Next: vs, Western Michigan, Saturday.
Reality check: The Buckeyes rested preseason All-America guard Donovan Jackson for the opener against Akron due to an undisclosed injury, which might have contributed to a running game that was productive but not explosive.
Ranking: Just right.
No. 3 Texas (1-0)
Next: at No. 10 Michigan, Saturday.
Reality check: The 545 total yards and seven offensive touchdowns against Colorado State wasn't particularly surprising. Recording the first season-opening shutout since 2004 had to be encouraging because — aside from running back injuries — the defense is where the question marks lie in this team.
Ranking: This is fine.
No. 4 Alabama (1-0)
Next: vs. South Florida, Saturday.
Reality check: Freshman WR Ryan Williams, just 17 years old, looks like the next great Crimson Tide receiver after a lull in that area of the 'Bama development machine.
Ranking: Just right.
No. 5 Notre Dame (1-0)
Next: vs. Northern Illinois, Saturday.
Reality check: The 246 yards allowed by the Irish at Texas A&M were the fewest in a road game against a ranked team since 2003. Second-year CB Christian Gray looks like a strong complement to preseason All-American Benjamin Morrison.
Ranking: Maybe a little high, but rewarding teams for playing and winning real games early is justifiable.
No. 6 Mississippi (1-0)
Next: vs. Middle Tennessee, Saturday
Reality check: Let's get this out of the way: The Rebels' schedule sets up to not tell us much about them that we don't already know — unless that trip to Wake Forest is feistier than expected in Week 3.
Ranking: About right.
No. 7 Oregon (1-0)
Next: vs. Boise State, Saturday.
Reality check: The Ducks racked up 487 yards against Idaho, but it came in small bites at 5.6 yards per play. QB Dillon Gabriel was also sacked four times. An injury to starting guard Matthew Bedford makes the line a work in progress.
Ranking: Fine to punish the Ducks for that effort, but it was a bit of an odd game.
No. 8 Penn State (1-0)
Next: vs. Bowling Green, Saturday.
Reality check: Lots of attention on the new offense under coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, but the defense under new coordinator Tom Allen also looked sharp and aggressive, with S Jaylen Reed setting an early tone.
Ranking: Little low.
No. 9 Missouri (1-0)
Next: vs, Buffalo, Saturday.
Reality check: Six plays into the season, All-American Luther Burden III scored Missouri’s first touchdown against Murray State. A nice glimpse of things to come, coach Eli Drinkwitz hopes.
Ranking: Little high.
No. 10 Michigan (1-0)
Next: vs. No. 4 Texas, Saturday.
Reality check: Aside from sorting out quarterback, the Wolverines are going to need to find somebody other than TE Colston Loveland to be a receiving threat.
Ranking: Too high.
No. 11 Utah (1-0)
Next: vs. Baylor, Saturday.
Reality check: QB Cam Rising's return from a knee injury to play a sixth season is off to a promising start: five touchdown passes against Southern Utah, including three to TE Brant Kuithe, another guy returning from a season lost to injury.
Ranking: Touch high.
No. 12 Miami (1-0)
Next: vs. Florida A&M, Saturday.
Reality check: There tends to be a lot of resistance to anything that appears to be Miami hype early in the season. Fair. Florida is a mess. But these Hurricanes, led by QB Cam Ward, definitely look different.
Ranking: Little low.
No. 13 USC (1-0)
Next: vs. Utah State, Saturday.
Reality check: It cannot be overstated how much better the Trojans were in the opener against LSU at the basics of defensive football: gap discipline, executing coverage assignments, tackling. So far so good for new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.
Ranking: This is fine, but maybe both LSU and USC are just OK.
No. 14 Tennessee (1-0)
Next: vs. NC State, Saturday at Charlotte, North Carolina.
Reality check: The Nico Iamaleava hype train is already revving up. A big game against a ranked team could launch it.
Ranking: Tempting to push the Vols up a little higher.
No. 15 Oklahoma (1-0)
Next: vs. Houston, Saturday.
Reality check: The Sooners will need a receiver or two to step up alongside Deion Burks (three TDS against Temple) with WR Jalil Farooq (foot) out 6-8 weeks.
Ranking: Touch high.
No. 16 Oklahoma State (1-0)
Next: vs. Arkansas, Saturday.
Reality check: The Cowboys probably would have liked a little more pop out of All-American Ollie Gordon II and their running game against South Dakota State (3.3 yards per carry as a team) but otherwise it was a low-drama opener against the two-time defending FCS champion.
Ranking: Touch low.
No. 17 Kansas State (1-0)
Next: at Tulane, Saturday.
Reality check: An early road trip to a good — but in transition with a new coach — Group of Five program should give some insight into where things stand with the Wildcats.
Ranking: Feels OK.
No. 18 LSU (0-1)
Next: vs. Nicholls, Saturday.
Reality check: Maybe LSU needs to reconsider big-stage season-openers. If for no other reason than coach Brian Kelly’s mental health.
Ranking: See No. 13 USC.
No. 19 Kansas (1-0)
Next: at Illinois, Saturday.
Reality check: A healthy Jalon Daniels is all KU wanted coming out of an opener against Lindenwood. Mission accomplished.
Ranking: Little high.
No. 20 Arizona (1-0)
Next: vs. Northern Arizona, Saturday.
Reality check: AP player of the week Tetairoa McMillan looked like the best player on varsity who accidentally suited up for the freshman team's game as he piled up a school record for receiving yards against New Mexico.
Ranking: Little high.
No. 21 Iowa (1-0)
Next: vs. Iowa State, Saturday.
Reality check: We don’t want to hear about the level of competition. Iowa has spent the past three seasons making every defense it plays look like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Hawkeyes fans are absolutely allowed to be encouraged by a 40-0 win in the opener.
Ranking: Little high.
No. 22 Louisville (1-0)
Next: vs. Jacksonville State, Saturday.
Reality check: The Cardinals laid 62 on Austin Peay with four TD passes from QB Tyler Shough, who is with his third team still looking for a full, healthy college season.
Ranking: Little high.
No. 23 Georgia Tech (2-0)
Next: at Syracuse, Saturday.
Reality check: Maybe beating Florida State isn't worthy of a ranking, but the Jackets also took care of business against Georgia State upon return from Ireland, which can be tricky. With so many ranked teams opening their seasons with mismatches, rewarding Georgia Tech works.
Ranking: Little low.
No. 24 NC State (1-0)
Next: vs. No. 14 Tennessee, Saturday at Charlotte, North Carolina.
Reality check: Getting into a four-quarter game against Western Carolina was not the start the Wolfpack was looking for. No need to panic, but defensive coordinator Tony Gibson's usually reliable group needs to pull it together fast.
Ranking: Too high.
No. 25 Clemson (0-1)
Next: vs. Appalachian State, Saturday.
Reality check: There was a lot of talk in the offseason about freshman blue-chip WRs T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. Against Georgia, they played a total of 18 snaps and each made one catch in the fourth quarter. Clemson needs one their freshman receivers to be an immediate impact player.
Ranking: Too high. Boise State could have filled one of the last two spots.
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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP
