AP Poll Top 25 released following wild Week 1

by:Steve Samra•09/06/22•

SamraSource

The AP Poll Top 25 has been released following an exciting Week 1 that gave college football fans a taste of what’s to come this season. It also saw a shakeup after some thrilling season-opening games.

Seven SEC teams cracked the top 25, led by No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Georgia. Arkansas, Kentucky and Ole Miss and Tennessee also saw new rankings this week, while Florida jumped into the poll after starting the year unranked. The Gators’ win — led by quarterback Anthony Richardson, who had a great debut as the starter — over Utah catapulted them to the No. 12 spot in this week’s poll.

The action all began last Thursday, when Penn State defeated Purdue by a score of 35-31, leaving the Boilermakers in a state of shock leaving the field. Also, the return of the Backyard Brawl between West Virginia more than lived up to the hype, as the Panthers won a thriller over the Mountaineers by seven.

The first college football Saturday of the season featuring a full slate of games delivered and then some. The early window was highlighted by a bonkers game between North Carolina and Appalachian State. While the Tar Heels defense allowed 40 points in the fourth quarter alone, Mack Brown’s squad was able to squeak out a 63-61 victory.

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Then, the Dan Lanning Era didn’t have a great go against his former team, Georgia, in his coaching debut with the Oregon. To say the game wasn’t close is an understatement, as Lanning’s squad got blown out by Kirby Smart’s program, losing 49-3 — and fell out of the rankings as a result.

Finally, the coup de gras on Saturday night was none other than a main event level matchup between Notre Dame and Ohio State. While the Fighting Irish gave the Buckeyes all they could have, Marcus Freeman came up short in his return to Columbus, leaving with a 21-10 loss.

LSU and Florida State then squared off in a Sunday thriller in New Orleans. The Seminoles looked primed to sealed the game, but fumbled, setting up a 99-yard LSU scoring drive as time expired. However, the Tigers saw their game-tying extra point attempt get blocked, meaning Florida State held on for a 24-23 victory.

One final matchup awaited on Monday as Clemson faced off against Georgia Tech. The Tigers didn’t score in the first quarter and looked shaky to start, but ended up finding their groove to cruise past the Yellow Jackets 41-10.

Following the results of those games and more, here’s what the AP Poll Top 25 looks like after Week 1.

AP Poll Top 25 following Week 1:

Others receiving votes: Oregon (131), Penn State (122), Texas (118), Cincinnati (63), Florida State (42)