Week 2 JP Poll: Top 20 power ranking revealed after opening college football week

The first round of college football action for all teams is officially in the books. Week 1 was a smashing success, with a handful of truly fantastic games on the docket and many of them delivering as expected. As a result, the power ratings for Josh Pate‘s updated JP Poll dropped on Tuesday night.

There are some shake-ups toward the top worth mentioning this week. And there were some teams that remain ranked ahead of teams they lost to over the weekend, which will likely cause some consternation. But it’s all about “The Model” for the JP Poll.

As for the rest of the power ratings, there were a few changes. Here is the full JP Poll ahead of Week 2 as released on Josh Pate’s College Football Show.

1. Texas Longhorns (-)

Despite losing to Ohio State on the road in the opener on Saturday, Texas remains the top team in this week’s JP Poll. And it was a close loss on Saturday, on the road at that.

Still, there are some questions that Arch Manning and company must answer. Are the receivers up to snuff? Pate didn’t love how little separation he saw in that regard on Saturday.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (-)

A ranking that will surely infuriate Buckeyes fans, Ohio State remains ranked below Texas in the JP Poll. That’s not to say Ohio State isn’t a great team, Pate points out.

Instead, what it tells viewers is that Texas would remain favored on a neutral field if the two teams lined up today. That said, Pate believes he’d pick Ohio State even in that scenario, bucking the thinking of this week’s power ratings.

3. Georgia Bulldogs (+1)

There wasn’t much to learn about from Georgia’s thumping of its first non-conference opponent over the weekend. Gunner Stockton looked the part in taking over the reins at quarterback.

The Bulldogs will get plenty of chances to prove they’re worthy of this lofty ranking. That will start in two weeks with a road test at Tennessee, followed by a bye week and then a home date with Alabama.

4. Penn State Nittany Lions (-1)

Penn State put a hurting on Nevada, racking up a 46-11 win that was never really contested. Running back Nick Singleton ran for two touchdowns in the win.

Perhaps the best sign for the Nittany Lions was that the defense forced three turnovers. Continue to be opportunistic like that and Penn State will have a chance to beat everyone on the schedule.

5. LSU Tigers (+7)

One of the most impressive wins this weekend came from LSU, which went on the road to take on a top-10 Clemson team. That win is reflected in this week’s JP Poll, with LSU sitting inside the top 5 and Clemson now dipping toward the bottom of the top 10.

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier looks capable of leading LSU to the College Football Playoffs this fall. If he can continue to avoid turnovers, the Tigers have the talent to win every game on the schedule.

6. Oregon Ducks (-)

Oregon crushed overmatched Montana State. And quarterback Dante Moore settled in quite nicely. That’s the good news for the Ducks, who will take a 213-yard, three-touchdown outing any day of the week.

The competition will get stiffer for the Ducks, but coach Dan Lanning has proven he’s got the roster capable of matching up with any team in the country. This week provides an interesting test against Oklahoma State.

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-)

It was an uncharacteristic game for the Fighting Irish, who weren’t able to ride running back Jeremiyah Love. Notre Dame simply didn’t force feed him, which put more of the game on new quarterback CJ Carr‘s shoulders.

Carr responded excellently, leading a game-tying drive and erasing a 14-point deficit to give Notre Dame a chance against Miami. Ultimately it goes down as a loss, but the Fighting Irish have plenty to build on.

8. Florida Gators (-)

Florida was never going to learn much against Long Island, but the team managed to rest several key players nursing injury and came away from the contest mostly healthy. Quarterback DJ Lagway did, in fact, get the start after missing plenty of time this offseason.

The Gators have excellent skill position players, as Vernell Brown III starred and Jadan Baugh continued to look like one of the best backs in the conference. Florida’s offensive line wasn’t quite everything it was touted as, so can that unit get things shored up?

9. Clemson Tigers (-)

Clemson fought hard against LSU but couldn’t manage to figure out things all the way offensively. Cade Klubnik was limited to 19-of-38 passing with one interception.

The good news? Clemson has plenty of reasons to remain highly ranked in the JP Poll. The defense looked stout against what figures to be a very, very good LSU offense.

10. Oklahoma Sooners (-)

John Mateer‘s debut for Oklahoma went quite well, with the Washington State transfer accounting for four of the team’s five scores. He is going to be elite, and Pate is quick to remind everyone he picked Mateer to win the Heisman Trophy.

Now Oklahoma will get a real test, taking on Michigan at home this week. Michigan is still a team developing, but if Brent Venables wants to quiet the noise in the system, this is probably a game he needs to win.

Week 2 JP Poll: 11-20

11. Miami Hurricanes (-)
12. Alabama Crimson Tide (-7)
13. Texas A&M Aggies (-)
14. Utah Utes (NR)
15. Tennessee Volunteers (+3)
16. USC Trojans (-1)
17. Ole Miss Rebels (-3)
18. South Carolina Gamecocks (-1)
19. Michigan Wolverines (-3)
20. Florida State Seminoles (NR)

NOTE: You can view the Week 1 JP Poll here.