LARAMIE, Wyo. — If you didn’t have fun watching college football this weekend, you clearly weren’t paying attention.
From the morning slate where Georgia Tech upset Clemson, to Georgia’s improbable win in overtime over Tennessee, to a last-second come-from-behind win by Texas A&M to send Notre Dame to 0-2 on the season, the weekend delivered.
The following is the ballot I submitted to the Associated Press that will be counted in the consensus rankings that will be released Sunday afternoon.
1. Ohio State
Julian Sayin was an efficient 25-of-32 for 347 yards and three touchdowns in a never-in-doubt 37-9 win over Ohio.
2. LSU
Brian Kelly was none too happy about any criticisms facing his team after an emotional 20-10 win over a Florida team that threw five interceptions. The game wasn’t always pretty on the offensive side of the ball, but LSU continues to win. Maybe wins over Clemson and Florida won’t mean much soon, but it’s still two Power Four wins.
3. Georgia
Georgia could be No. 2 on my ballot this week, but they somewhat lucked into a win again against Tennessee. Regardless of luck, Georgia saw an opportunity and delivered when it had a chance. It was a persistent effort all day as the team started in a hole from the jump against a good Tennessee team.
4. Oregon
Dante Moore had an efficient afternoon on the road against Northwestern, and a Ducks win was never in doubt — not a bad start to Big Ten play. Maybe I’m under ranking the Ducks here, but time will tell. I’m certainly not doubting Dan Lanning, though.
5. Miami
Miami put a stop to South Florida’s fun … and in convincing fashion. The Hurricanes never let the Bulls get close — even after a lengthy weather delay. Carson Beck looked great en route to a three-touchdown performance.
6. Florida State
Florida State had a bye. The win over Alabama is looking better as the Crimson Tide have seemingly found a rhythm.
7. Oklahoma
On the road, Oklahoma wasted little time showing it was clearly the better team against Temple. Some thought it could be a trap game, but John Mateer continued to look good for a Sooners team who could be legit this year. We’ll see how good, though, in the coming weeks.
8. Penn State
Admittedly, this is quite the drop after starting the season 3-0 and being previously ranked high on my ballot. It’s really nothing against Penn State, but I’m going with teams that have a better resume to this point in the season. I still like the Nittany Lions, but we need to see it against tougher competition.
Oh look, here comes the Penn State-Oregon game!
9. Illinois
A simple shutout win against Western Michigan keeps the Fighting Illini undefeated and ranked high. The Duke game remains the highlight of the schedule, but that’s going to fade fast. Conference play will really prove whether Illinois is deserving of a top-10 ranking.
10. Texas A&M
Texas A&M was 17 seconds away from defeat. But Marcel Reed showed he’s more than just a running QB and delivered a perfect strike in the end zone to send Notre Dame to 0-2 on the season. The Aggies have so far lived up to the preseason expectations, but the road gets much trickier.
In consideration (alphabetical): Arizona State, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Missouri, Nebraska, TCU, UNLV, USC
If you can’t see my full ballot below, click here.
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