2024 college football rankings: Georgia, Ohio State on top; Nebraska cracks top 25

Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs kicked off the 2024 campaign by holding a top 25 team to three points. Meanwhile, Ohio State trailed a MAC team that hasn’t won more than two games in a season since 2018.

At this stage, at this level, style matters. When the third-best SEC team in the country, Ole Miss, can name the number against Furman, Ohio State can’t afford slow starts. 

When Texas can stomp a mudhole in Colorado State and pitch a shutout before playing the Buckeyes’ most hated foe, Ohio State can’t afford to look like a program that needs time to form.

The standard for Ohio State is the one Georgia set. And the Buckeyes have not met it.

Dominance. Excellence. Unflinching perfection. That’s all I ask.

With that, here are my top 25 rankings:

Editor’s note: This set of rankings reflects Florida State’s Week 0 loss to Georgia Tech. It will be updated following Monday night’s Florida State vs. Boston College game.

1. Georgia (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Clemson, 34-3

Georgia has won 43 of its last 45 games. Its only losses during that stretch were to Nick Saban’s Alabama program, and Saban is no longer at Alabama.

After a statement win against a top 25 program that has won as many national titles in the CFP era as the Dawgs have, Georgia has earned the right to be the No. 1-ranked team in the country.

2. Ohio State (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Akron, 52-6

I expected Ohio State to shut out one of the worst teams in the country. Instead, they trailed Akron 3-0 and allowed twice as many points scored by the Zips (6) as Georgia allowed Clemson to score all day.

The Buckeyes should’ve held the Zips to zip.

3. Texas (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Colorado State, 52-0

Despite losing two of their top three tailbacks before the season began, the Longhorns looked like a team that expects to contend for the SEC title with over 500 yards of offense and a delicious bit of garbage time entertainment with Arch Manning at quarterback. Texas looks like a team that can beat Michigan in Ann Arbor.

4. Ole Miss (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Furman, 76-0

Jaxson Dart threw for 418 yards (22-of-27) and five touchdowns in the first half alone. Wideout Tre Harris had eight catches for 179 yards with two scores. 

Ole Miss scored 73 points in the first three quarters alongside 772 total yards. Lane Kiffin ain’t messing around.

5. Alabama (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Western Kentucky, 63-0

The Hilltoppers got rock-bottomed by Alabama. This was the largest shutout win by the Crimson Tide since 1973. They didn’t have the services of former five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, whose arm was in a sling under a shirt at the start of the game, but it didn’t matter.

True freshman wideout Ryan Williams enjoyed a breakout performance with two catches for 139 yards, and both catches were touchdowns. Michigan transfer Keon Sabb nabbed two interceptions in the first half of the rout.

6. Notre Dame (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Texas A&M, 23-13

Notre Dame is one of four programs with a top-25 win after Week 1. The Irish face one of the other three in Georgia Tech on Oct. 19 and a talented FSU program on Nov. 9, but the Aggies might be their toughest opponent all season.

Marcus Freeman’s team beat Texas A&M by the same margin that No. 3 Oregon beat FCS Idaho by. Make it make sense, Ducks.

7. USC (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated LSU, 27-20

Miller Moss turned the waning minutes of the Trojans’ top-25 matchup with LSU into Miller Time, finishing with yet another outstanding performance on Sunday night: 27-of-36 for 378 yards with a TD.

Now, USC feels like the team we thought Oregon would be after Week 1.

8. Penn State (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated West Virginia, 34-12

Penn State fans knew they had a top-notch defense. They wanted to see improvement from Drew Allar and the offense, and they got just that on Saturday. Allar torched the Mountaineers’ defense for 216 yards and three touchdowns in an impressive Week 1 win. James Franklin’s move to hire former Kansas OC Andy Kotelnicki looks like a home run.

9. Oregon (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Idaho, 24-14

The Ducks led 17-14 in the latter stages of the fourth quarter. Idaho beat an FBS opponent last year and finished 9-4 — but that opponent was Nevada, not one of the two programs picked to play in the Big Ten title game later this year.

A slow start for the Ducks against Boise State in Week 2 might be too much to overcome. Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty went for 267 rushing yards and six touchdowns against Georgia Southern in Week 1. Head coach Spencer Danielson didn’t mince words about Jeanty, a top-100 superstar in my 2024 ranking.

“Obviously, it goes without saying, but Ashton Jeanty is the best player in the country,” Danielson said. “That was on full display tonight.”

10. Missouri (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Murray State, 51-0

Missouri’s slogan ought to be “What can NIL do for you?” It can turn short-order Brady Cook into a gridiron chef. It can lift your (Luther) Burden against lesser teams. The Tigers don’t play a team ranked on this list until they face Alabama on Oct. 26.

11. Oklahoma (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Temple, 51-3

Oklahoma beat an FBS opponent 51-3. Missouri beat an FCS opponent 51-0. Still, folks are treating OU like they’d normally treat Mizzou and Mizzou like they’d normally treat OU with no regard for history. The Sooners won 10 games last year, while the Tigers won 11. Hence, the ranking here.

12. Utah (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Southern Utah, 49-0

The next point the Utes allow will be the first they do all year. Among Big 12 teams, Utah is the only one that can say that after Week 1.

13. Tennessee (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Chattanooga, 69-3

The Volunteers are making themselves mandatory viewing this season with an opening onslaught of Chattanooga that raised my eyebrows.

14. Michigan (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Fresno State, 30-10

QB Davis Warren got the start over Alex Orji. Though both played, it’s clear that head coach Sherrone Moore and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell felt Warren was better equipped to run the offense. Still, he did not purport himself like a signal-caller who knew the offense as well as his predecessor.

Warren’s 118 yards (15-of-25) with a touchdown and an interception were less than ideal. Meanwhile, Kalel Mullings might wonder why he’s not RB1 after he led the rushing attack with 92 yards on 15 rushes, while EA Sports “College Football 25” cover athlete Donovan Edwards finished with just 27 rushing yards on 11 touches.

Michigan, the defending national champion, will enter its own stadium as an underdog against Texas on Saturday (12 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App). My question is: What are the Wolverines gonna do about it?

I just want a Texas fan to show up to Michigan on Saturday with a photo of Bill Engvall on burnt orange flyers and hand them out to fans around Michigan Stadium.

15. Oklahoma State (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated South Dakota State, 44-20

Oklahoma State showed Coach Prime’s Colorado program exactly what a Big 12 team is supposed to do with a top-ranked FCS opponent — doubling them up and adding a remainder.

16. Miami (Fla.) (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Florida, 41-17

Cam Ward is the best player in the state of Florida. The former Washington State QB completed 26 of 35 passes for 385 yards with three touchdowns and a pick while leading the Canes to a dominant 41-17 win over the Gators in Gainesville.

Miami’s defense recorded three sacks, two turnovers and rocked Graham Mertz. Yes, Montrell Johnson topped the 100-yard rushing mark, but he was the only one not getting beat like a dusty bedsheet.

17. LSU (0-1)

Week 1 result: Lost to USC, 27-20

Despite holding a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter, Brian Kelly’s Tigers lost to USC on Sunday night, marking his third-straight year with a season-opening loss. The good news is Garrett Nussmeier is the real deal. He completed 29 of 38 passes for 304 yards with two touchdowns and an interception that came on the final play of the game.

18. Kansas State (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Tennessee-Martin, 41-6

Kansas State gave the Skyhawks the kind of butt-kicking a pay guarantee should buy. That it came with a fifth-straight 100-yard rushing game from DJ Giddens and a rushing TD from former Colorado running back Dylan Edwards is an added bonus.

19. Georgia Tech (2-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Georgia State, 35-12

Brent Key’s team shocked the college football universe with a 24-21 upset win over Florida State in Week 0. The Yellow Jackets followed that up with a victory over Georgia State in which Haynes King took care of business with 275 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while adding another score on the ground.

Georgia Tech’s defense held the Panthers to just one touchdown a week after holding the Seminoles to under 300 yards of total offense. This defense deserves your attention.

20. Kansas (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Lindenwood, 48-3

The Jayhawks scored 27 points in the second quarter alone and put up 530 yards — including 331 on the ground — in the win.

21. Florida State (1-0)

Week 1 result: vs. Boston College (Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET)

Check back for updates.

22. Clemson (0-1)

Week 1 result: Lost to Georgia, 34-3

Garrett Riley offenses have scored just 10 points on Georgia in two games. And Dabo Swinney was dejected enough to admit that fans of Clemson have every right to be mad about how the Tigers got absolutely son’d by their daddy, those Georgia Dawgs. 

23. Arizona (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated New Mexico, 61-39

Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan had 304 receiving yards against New Mexico. That’s No. 2 all-time in Big 12 history, and Arizona’s first game in the Big 12 was on Saturday night.

24. Iowa (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated Illinois State, 40-0

Iowa averaged just 15.4 points per game in 2023. The Hawkeyes finished 129th out of 130 FBS teams in total offense. They put up 492 yards while holding the Redbirds to just 189 yards on Saturday. This was just the second time in three years that Iowa has scored 40 points or more, and 34 of those were scored in the second half.

25. Nebraska (1-0)

Week 1 result: Defeated North Dakota, 21-3

Dylan Raiola not only looked the part of a five-star phenom at quarterback for one of the proudest programs in college football history, he also managed to do what Jeff Sims and Henrich Haarberg struggled to do as starters in 2023 — take care of the football. Raiola’s next turnover will be his first.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube.

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