Ohio State’s 14-7 win against Texas triggered one of the cardinal rules of the US LBM Coaches Poll: When No. 2 beats No. 1, No. 2 becomes No. 1.
What happens after No. 1 is very much up in the air after the first full weekend of the 2025 season, but the Buckeyes likely will assume the top spot after taking the season opener. Look for Big Ten rival Penn State to climb one spot to No. 2 after the Nittany Lions cruised through the opener against Nevada.
Georgia could also take a one-rung move to No. 3, though there will be competition for the third spot from LSU and Miami. The Tigers scored a huge win against Clemson and Miami nailed a late field goal to knock off Notre Dame.
The debate comes after No. 5, centering on where to place Oregon and one-loss teams in the Longhorns and Fighting Irish. Texas could easily slot in at No. 6 and probably no lower than No. 7.
After an eventful weekend, here’s how the top of this week’s Coaches Poll should look:
1. Ohio State (1-0)
The offense will need time to run into form with a new quarterback and coordinator but the defense looks ready to carry the load. The Buckeyes held Arch Manning to 5.7 yards per attempt while the Longhorns converted just 6 of 20 attempts on third and fourth down.
2. Penn State (1-0)
Things will stay easy for Penn State after the 46-11 rout of the Wolf Pack. Next up are Florida International and Villanova before a huge matchup at home against Oregon to end September.
3. LSU (1-0)
Finally taking a season opener under Brian Kelly will give LSU a major shot in the arm heading into this weekend’s tune-up game against Louisiana Tech. Then comes Florida, in the first of four SEC games against teams ranked in the preseason Coaches Poll.
4. Georgia (1-0)
The 45-7 win against Marshall featured a broad overview of how the offense will look with Gunner Stockton at the controls. The Bulldogs’ new starter threw for 190 yards on 7.9 yards per attempt while running the ball 10 times for a team-high 73 yards and a pair of scores. In comparison, Carson Beck run for 187 yards across his two years as the starter.
5. Miami (1-0)
After he injured his arm in last year’s SEC championship game and transferred to Miami in the offseason, Beck’s performance in a 27-24 win against Notre Dame served as a quick reminder of why he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the Bowl Subdivision. He completed 20 of 31 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns as the Hurricanes replaced Clemson as the team to beat in the ACC.
6. Oregon (1-0)
Look for the Ducks to remain under the radar until meeting Penn State. Not that the rest of the month will be a total breeze: Oregon will take on Oklahoma State, Northwestern and Oregon State before that faceoff with the Nittany Lions.
7. Texas (0-1)
A major thud in Columbus has opened the door to criticism of Manning, his surrounding personnel, the general state of the offense and the Longhorns’ overall ability to weather an SEC slate that includes Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia and Texas A&M.
8. Notre Dame (0-1)
The loss to Miami isn’t too painful in the big picture given how Notre Dame will be a prime at-large candidate even with two regular-season defeats. And the Irish have to like what they saw from young quarterback CJ Carr, who had 237 yards of total offense and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to nearly pull out the win.
9. Arizona State (1-0)
An easy win against Northern Arizona leads into Saturday’s matchup with Mississippi State. While the Bulldogs are the worst team in the SEC, the cross-conference game gives ASU a nice shot at making a national statement.
10. Clemson (0-1)
This fall might end at No. 9. For voters, the disappointing loss to LSU could feed into the perception of Clemson as a program still struggling to put things together despite last year’s late charge to the ACC crown. If coaches are really cynical about the Tigers’ state of affairs, South Carolina is a contender for this spot after beating Virginia Tech.
