Top 25 Predictions: What the AP Poll Will Look Like After Week 2

Just one top-25 team lost in Week 1 — and that was against a fellow ranked opponent. College football was bound to get more chaotic in Week 2. Indeed it did.

Three of the top 11 teams, including top-ranked Ohio State, went down on Saturday. That’s one way to ensure a reshuffled AP Poll.

The first leg of the Big Ten vs. SEC tripleheader set the tone for a day of upsets. Michigan, one week removed from its controversial victory over Western Michigan, bested No. 11 Oklahoma at the Big House. No additional time was needed in the Wolverines’ (partially) redeeming 17-10 triumph, which left the Sooners searching for answers with the start of SEC play looming.

Hours later, the main event unfolded in Austin. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said before his team’s bout against Ohio State that he thought it could be one of the most-watched games ever. That might hold true in the Lone Star State — the second half, at least.

The game began with a comedy of errors for the No. 4 Longhorns. Running back Raleek Brown lost a fumble on the first play of the game, setting up a short field for the No. 1 Buckeyes. On the next possession, an Arch Manning deep shot to Cam Coleman improbably turned into an interception. All told, Texas trailed by three scores at halftime, a deficit that seemed insurmountable the way it had played and was also likely not as large as it could have been.

The Longhorns took full advantage of the opportunity presented to them while Ohio State was lax with the lead. Back-to-back, fourth-quarter Texas touchdowns cut the lead to one score. Buckeyes kicker Connor Hawkins missed a field goal to set the Longhorns up for a legacy drive.

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Manning marched the ball down the field, bleeding out the clock in the process. Running back Hollywood Smothers scored the game-tying touchdown, and kicker Gianni Spetic — a native of the Buckeye State — put Texas ahead with the point after. Stunned, Ohio State had no answer. Julian Sayin’s Hail Mary heave was intercepted, and that was it. Longhorns 24, Buckeyes 23. If Ohio State and Texas swap spots, as Athlon predicts, this will be the third consecutive season in which the Longhorns hold the No. 1 ranking.

It’s been a bad start to the season for the Big Ten. The Buckeyes won’t get dinged too much for losing to a top-five team on the road, and Michigan looked considerably more competent than it did in the opener. But then No. 6 Oregon got exposed.

The Ducks were shaky in Week 1. They went back and forth for much of their game with Boise State. Oregon escaped with a win only to lose the following week at Oklahoma State as a three-score favorite. This is a Cowboys team that lost to Tulsa 24-10 in its opener and then turned around and upset one of the best rosters in the sport. (Oklahoma State’s team is considerably different, but consider that the Ducks won this game by 66 points a season ago.)

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For all of this chaos, the second week of the season also included some wildly lopsided games. No. 2 Georgia, No. 7 Miami and No. 22 Houston all hung 70-plus points on their respective opponents.

The next poll will be released on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. Here’s Athlon Sports’ AP Top 25 projection after Week 2.

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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.