Conference Power Rankings
In his first collegiate game, Auburn’s Bo Nix tosses the game-winning touchdown with less than 10 seconds remaining to defeat Justin Herbert and the Ducks. (2:33)
How would you rank all 14 teams in the SEC? Or all 10 in the Big 12? Here’s a full ranking of every team in every Power 5 conference.
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SEC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | ACC
When Bo Nix found Seth Williams for the game-winning touchdown in Arlington, Texas, fans inside AT&T Stadium started the time honored chant, “S-E-C!”
But boy, it was nearly not the SEC’s weekend. Not at all.
If Auburn had lost to Oregon — and for much of the game it looked like that was going to happen — the conference would have taken a big L to start the season.
Because before that moment, we saw Missouri lose to Wyoming, South Carolina blow a lead to North Carolina, Ole Miss fall flat against Memphis and the coup de gras of Tennessee losing at home to Georgia State. You read that read: not Georgia but Georgia State.
So, no, don’t go crazy SEC fans. Savor the Auburn win, which put the Pac-12 back in its sad, lonely place. Enjoy Alabama beating up on Duke, LSU thumping Georgia Southern and Texas A&M dominating Texas State. But when it comes to conference chest-thumping, pump the brakes a bit.
Nix and Williams saved the weekend from being a total disaster, but it didn’t erase some other woeful performances. — Alex Scarborough
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Auburn
4. LSU
5. Texas A&M
6. Florida
7. Mississippi State
8. Kentucky
9. Arkansas
10. Missouri
11. South Carolina
12. Vanderbilt
13. Ole Miss
14. Tennessee
Justin Fields throws four touchdowns and runs in another in Ohio State’s rout of Florida Atlantic.
The Big Ten was a little bit of a mixed bag in Week 1 with some convincing wins, questions left unanswered and one surprising loss. At the top, Ohio State and Wisconsin were on their game and came away with decisive wins. Penn State dominated Idaho, showing a lot of promise on offense, while Michigan’s offense needed a bit of a ramp-up period as the Wolverines learn new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ system, still coming away with the win. Michigan State has questions remaining about its offense, specifically the offensive line, and how it will progress going forward, but the defense was in midseason form. On the negative side, Purdue took a bad loss to Nevada to open the season, losing on a last-second field goal, and Northwestern could muster only seven points against Stanford in the conference’s only losses. It’s tough to really learn much from the start of the season considering the opponents and the cobwebs that need to be cleared from the offseason, but these are the early power rankings for the Big Ten. — Tom VanHaaren
1. Ohio State
2. Wisconsin
3. Michigan
4. Penn State
5. Michigan State
6. Iowa
7. Nebraska
8. Northwestern
9. Maryland
10. Purdue
11. Illinois
12. Minnesota
13. Indiana
14. Rutgers
Jalen Hurts throws three touchdowns and rushes for three more in Oklahoma’s win vs. Houston.
Week 1 provided a smattering of entertainment for Big 12 fans. Want some dazzling quarterback play? Jalen Hurts and Spencer Sanders have you covered. Like a fast and furious defense? The Longhorns have that. Tense, close games that are decided in the fourth quarter or overtime? Hello, Kansas, West Virginia and Iowa State. All the new coaches had successful debuts, though Matt Wells and Chris Klieman had more comforting maiden voyages than Neal Brown and Les Miles. All in all, plenty of bang for your Big 12 entertainment buck. Week 2, all eyes will be on Austin. If Texas is for real when it comes to being a playoff contender, the Longhorns have a chance to prove it against LSU. — Sam Khan Jr.
1. Oklahoma
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma State
4. Iowa State
5. TCU
6. Baylor
7. Texas Tech
8. Kansas State
9. West Virginia
10. Kansas
BYU quarterback Zach Wilson throws two interceptions as Utah finishes Week 1 with a 30-12 road victory.
Oregon was front and center in Week 1 to make a statement for the Pac-12. A win against Auburn would have provided a valuable data point for not only the Ducks, but for the rest of the conference. And for a while, it looked like that win was coming. Except, of course, then they blew a 21-6 second-half lead, aided by puzzling game management errors by coach Mario Cristobal. Last year, eventual conference champion Washington showed a season-opening loss to Auburn isn’t a death blow, but it was a loss that worked against the conference in the eyes of the College Football Playoff selection committee. There is a good chance the Ducks’ loss will factor in similarly down the line. Utah, Washington and Washington State — the Pac-12’s three best teams a year ago — are again the teams feeling the best about their Week 1 showings. — Kyle Bonagura
1. Utah
2. Washington
3. Washington State
4. Oregon
5. Stanford
6. USC
7. Cal
8. Arizona State
9. Colorado
10. UCLA
11. Arizona
12. Oregon State
Travis Etienne runs for three touchdowns and 205 yards as the Tigers take care of Georgia Tech in Week 1.
The ACC featured both the expected and the unexpected in Week 1. Clemson dominated Georgia Tech, reaffirming why the Tigers were a heavy preseason choice to make it back to the College Football Playoff. Virginia affirmed why it was the preseason choice in the Coastal Division, too, with an impressive road win over Pitt. But the unexpected got far more attention: Travis Etienne, not Trevor Lawrence, putting together the jaw-dropping performance for Clemson. Mack Brown showing off his dance moves after North Carolina pulled the upset on South Carolina with true freshman quarterback Sam Howell leading the game-winning drive. Florida State blowing an 18-point lead at home to lose to Boise State, ramping up the pressure on Willie Taggart. Clemson remains in the spotlight in Week 2, hosting Texas A&M in what should be one of its biggest challenges of the season. But there are other games that intrigue, including Syracuse at Maryland and Miami at North Carolina. These rankings could look different at this time next week. — Andrea Adelson
1. Clemson
2. Virginia
3. Boston College
4. North Carolina
5. NC State
6. Wake Forest
7. Syracuse
8. Miami
9. Virginia Tech
10. Louisville
11. Pitt
12. Florida State
13. Duke
14. Georgia Tech