The first regular-season 2023 college football rankings won't be released on Sunday like usual even though Week 1 has already provided enough thrills to know there will be some shake-ups coming in the AP Top 25 poll. The rankings are delayed until Tuesday because we still have two games left through Monday before Week 1 officially concludes. And while that may be the case, it's no reason to wait with our weekly check-in on how Saturday's results will impact the reshuffled college football rankings.
Given Week 0 results will also be considered when the college football rankings are updated, two top-25 teams can already claim 2-0 records with No. 6 USC and No. 13 Notre Dame adding victories on Saturday.
Though the week's schedule features only one matchup between ranked teams -- that game is Sunday night's battle between No. 5 LSU and No. 8 Florida State -- there are more than a handful of teams where we believe voters are going to make adjustments after Week 1 results. The most obvious would be adjustments for ranked teams that lost, but there's also going to be some minor moves for teams that have answered preseason questions emphatically with their performances on the field.
There's also at least one case where a top team may see a slight step back in the rankings even in the wake of a win, as their margin and manner of victory didn't match what many expected going into the game.
Voters will have to consider how to handle previously unranked Colorado after Deion Sanders led the Buffaloes into Fort Worth, Texas, and took down No. 17 TCU in a 45-42 thriller. Also under consideration will be No. 3 Ohio State getting a slow start on offense in a 23-3 win at Indiana. No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan were both winners on Saturday, as were most of the top 25, but seeing some of those preseason expectations put to the test is bound to lead to some shakeups within the order for many voters.
So, join us back on Monday night for the official Tomorrow's Top 25 Today as we sort out the new AP Top 25 projections after Week 1. For now, here are a few teams that changed their ranking outlook on Saturday.
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| Take all the expectations, hype, buzz and intangible factors out of the equation, and this is still a result that is going to warrant placement on enough ballots for Colorado to be ranked after Week 1. Cu went on the road against a top-20 team as a three-touchdown underdog and pulled off a thrilling upset with an offensive performance that looks like it could be replicated against most of the teams on its schedule. The high-end talent on display -- with new arrivals Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and Dylan Edwards -- is proof that Coach Prime's vision for Colorado football can be realized faster than most expected. The preseason win total suggested Colorado would not be a bowl team, and the Buffs did not receive a single top 25 vote in the preseason, but it would be a shock to see the AP voters not put Coach Prime's squad in the rankings on Tuesday. | |
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| The Horned Frogs will almost certainly fall out of the top 25, as is the fate for most teams in the back half of the preseason rankings after a Week 1 loss. To avoid that drop, a team needs to have suffered that defeat to another ranked team or closely aligned opponent based on pregame expectations, and the Horned Frogs just got beat at home as a 21-point favorite. The "what now" for TCU is key as Sonny Dykes' completely remodeled offense was potent but inconsistent, and his defense got picked apart on key downs. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Frogs were in position to win and remain ranked, but too many late-game opportunities slipped away. Cleaning that up will be a key part of bouncing back from the loss. | |
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| Voters slotted the Fighting Irish at No. 13 prior to the season with a huge unknown hanging over the team as no one was quite sure how the offense would look with a new offensive coordinator and a new starting quarterback. Well, through two games, Sam Hartman has been excellent, the rushing attack hasn't missed a beat, and Notre Dame has outscored its opponents 98-6. Even an adjustment for the strength of the competition is going to view these two wins as thoroughly efficient and an offensive upgrade from where the team was one year ago. In terms of voting points, Notre Dame was extremely close to No. 12 Tennessee and No. 11 Texas in the preseason. I would not be surprised if the 49 points per game average puts the Irish ahead of at least one of those two teams on Tuesday. | |
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| This is a lot of projection and nitpicking from what was ultimately a 20-point road win against a conference opponent, but I think voters are going to cool on Ohio State from where they were in the preseason balloting. An offense that looked explosive on paper was anything but, as the 380 yards of offense was less than all but two of last season's performances. The Buckeyes never came close to matching the expectations of a 30-point pregame spread. This is a group that ahead of Alabama by just two voting points (1,400-1,398) in the preseason poll and even got a first-place vote. Ohio State did not look like the No. 1 team in the country on Saturday, and Alabama might get a bit of a boost if voters want to shake up their top five. | |
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| Alabama's preseason ranking of No. 4 was the lowest since 2009, a year that the Crimson Tide would go on to win the first national championship of the Nick Saban era. Slotting the Tide behind not just Georgia but also Michigan and Ohio State was done in part because of a lack of confidence in the quarterback position as spring practice didn't produce a QB1 and the offseason added a transfer from Notre Dame. Well, the incumbent stepped up in the season opener as Jalen Milroe accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) in a 56-7 win. While other top teams were sputtering at times, this was the one that exhibited wire-to-wire dominance, and I think the voters will respond with a bump up to No. 3. | |
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| There was not a lot of doubt that Washington would be able to score points with Michael Penix Jr. back alongside one of the 10 best wide receiver rooms in the country. But to see that group in action against a quality Boise State team revealed the advantages of continuity in college football. The Huskies have the same head coach, offensive coordinator, quarterback and pass catchers back together from a group that averaged 516.2 yards per game last season, and they wasted no time getting back to old habits with 568 yards and 56 points in a 37-point romp of the Broncos. Washington was well ahead of No. 11 Texas and just behind No. 9 Clemson, so depending on how things go with two games remaining, there could be room for upward movement. | |
CBS Sports will release a complete projected AP Top 25 on Monday night following the conclusion of Week 1 play.
