Because the College Football Playoff Rankings come out on Tuesdays, we’ll be doing our college football power rankings on Tuesdays this season. Where do the LSU Tigers rank after their huge win over the weekend?
1. Clemson Tigers (2-0) | Last week: 1
The out-of-conference matchup against Texas A&M was probably Clemson’s biggest test of the regular season, and they passed with flying colors, as the game never felt like it was in question after a few minutes. Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence hasn’t been consistently super-sharp yet, but he continues to show the major flashes that make him a star—it’s only a matter of time before the passing attack really starts clicking. Clemson will be expected to run through their final ten games of the regular season slate, but the Carrier Dome this Saturday could present some issues.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) | Last week: 2
Alabama is coasting against a light early-season schedule, and that should continue this Saturday when they start their SEC schedule versus South Carolina. A notable story off the field for the Crimson Tide is the program’s discontent with being scheduled for early home games in the sweltering Alabama heat, which makes it less likely for fans to stay for a full 60 minutes when they’re blowing teams out by 40 and 50.
3. Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) | Last week: 3
Murray State surprisingly hung around during the first quarter of their game at Georgia, but the Bulldogs quickly turned it on after a 7-7 first-quarter tie, outscoring the Racers 35-0 in the second quarter. Five Georgia players had over 30 yards rushing in the 63-17 win, and they all averaged at least 6.2 yards per carry. Look for Jake Fromm and the passing game to get a little more work this Saturday ahead of their September 21 game against Notre Dame.
4. LSU Tigers (2-0) | Last week: 5 (+1)
Owning the most impressive win of the young season to this point, LSU has a case for anywhere in the top four of this week’s power rankings. Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow looks like one of the best players in the country through two weeks, as LSU’s transition to a spread offense cannot be going much better. Receivers Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Terrance Marshall Jr. all had over 100 yards in the big-time win over the Longhorns in Austin.
5. Oklahoma Sooners (2-0) | Last week: 4 (-1)
Some might argue that Oklahoma shouldn’t drop after putting up 70 points (their first time hitting the mark since 2007), but going from No. 4 to No. 5 is more about LSU’s win than anything else. Jalen Hurts looks very comfortable in Lincoln Riley’s offense, and the unit is operating at an elite level despite losing key players to the NFL. The Sooners should handle UCLA this Saturday night.
6. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) | Last week: 7 (+1)
The thought was that Cincinnati might be somewhat of a challenge for Ohio State, but that was not the case as the Buckeyes overwhelmed in a 42-0 victory. Ohio State has too many athletes for their competition through two games, and they’ll take the show on the road for the first time this Saturday at Indiana.
7. Auburn Tigers (2-0) | Last week: 9 (+2)
This bottom four of the top ten gets complicated, but Auburn gets the No. 7 position for now with a ranked victory over Oregon to open their season a couple of Saturdays ago. Auburn only beat Tulane by a score of 24-6, but true freshman quarterback Box Nix is probably still finding a rhythm at this level. The Tigers face Kent State this Saturday before going to College Station in a couple of weeks.
8. Michigan Wolverines (2-0) | Last week: 8
Michigan did not look good over the weekend, and they probably got outplayed by Army in their narrow double overtime win. However, the Wolverines did come away with a victory—and remember, eventual CFB Playoff participant Oklahoma also needed overtime to beat Army last season. Michigan will undoubtedly have to pick it up as they head on the road to face Wisconsin, though, and the offense in particular needs to figure it out to get their new spread approach clicking.
9. Texas Longhorns (1-1) | Last week: 6 (-3)
Texas could remain as high as No. 7 after losing narrowly to a top-five LSU team. There are always a bunch of “what-ifs” in games, but if the Longhorns were able to stop Joe Burrow from stepping up in the pocket and making a fantastic play on third-and-17 late in the fourth quarter, a 38-37 Texas win might have been the most likely outcome. The home loss makes things more difficult for Texas’ Playoff hopes, but there’s a lot of football in front of them.
10. Florida Gators (2-0) | Last week: NR
The week off after an emotional season-opening win over Miami appears to have done Florida good, as they looked much sharper in their 45-0 win against Tennessee-Martin. The matchup was a cakewalk, but it’s still as great sign that Felipe Franks went 25-for-27 with as many touchdowns as incompletions while the running game did some damage, too. The Gators begin their SEC schedule with Kentucky this Saturday.