By Anthony Wootton
The Associated Press college football rankings have been published, and there are some notable movers after an exhilarating Week 1. The reigning champions got off to a hot start, as did the number one team, but there were a few surprises and no end of drama.
We focus on the notable risers and fallers from the weekend.
Risers
Georgia Bulldogs: 2 (up from 3)
The defending national champions only jumped one spot, but the manner of their win sent a statement to the competition. Georgia isn’t the same team that won the title in the new year. 15 of its players joined the NFL in the draft, one of whom went first-overall, another inside the top 15, and five in total in the first round. That’s a lot of talent. The Bulldogs bulldozed Oregon on Saturday. Quarterback Stetson Bennett was electric, throwing for a career-high 368 yards, leading touchdown drives on his first seven possessions. Their defense stifled the Ducks, sending a statement to all challengers with their 49-3 win.
Oklahoma Sooners: 7 (up from 9)
The new era under rookie head coach, Brent Venables, got off to an impressive start at Norman. The former Clemson defensive coordinator, who worked for a decade with Dabo Swinney, saw his Sooners offense race out of the traps, taking a 21-point lead in the first quarter. He will have been just as impressed with his defense, who forced two punts on the UTEP Miners’ first two drives. By halftime, the Miners managed less than 19 yards on the ground. The Sooners’ pass rush was just as effective, led by defensive lineman, Reggie Grimes, who had 2.5 sacks. Oklahoma’s quarterback, Dillan Gabriel, grabbed the headlines, going 6 of 7 for 127 yards passing and a touchdown in the opening quarter. He also scored a touchdown with his legs in that first quarter. Gabriel finished 15 of 23 for 233 yards and two touchdowns through the air, plus 20 yards rushing and a score.
Florida Gators: 12 (not ranked last week)
The Gators are biggest risers after Week 1, and what an impressive start to the season for new head coach Billy Napier and his team. Napier became the first Gator coach to beat a ranked opponent on his debut. Utah, the Pac-12 defending champions, came to town and were left stunned after this thrilling 29-26 win. Florida quarterback, Anthony Richardson, showed up in a big spot. More than 90,000 fans witnessed the local boy from Gainesville throw for 274 total yards and three touchdowns in his first game as starter. On a night of highlights for the 21-year-old, his 2-point conversation that left defenders lying in his wake was one of the standout moments of the Week 1 college action. Utah had their chances, most notably with 17 seconds on the clock when their game-winning touchdown was intercepted, a play which sealed the win. Plays are there to be made, and the Gators got the upset.
Fallers
Oregon Ducks: not ranked (down from 11)
There was more fight in the concourse of the stadium than there was in the football team. This was not the start new Ducks head coach, Dan Lanning, had envisioned. Oregon is not the offensive powerhouse it once was. Georgia’s defense was too much for Bo Nix at quarterback. They reduced Nix to 21/37 pass attempts for 173 yards, 0 TD and 2 interceptions. Georgia was hugely impressive on both sides of the ball, but this blowout for the Ducks destroys any hopes of being in with a shot of the playoffs come the end of the season. Their defense was sloppy; their missed tackles allowed Georgia to make some big plays. Lanning has a big job on his hands.
NC State Wolfpack: 18 (down from 13)
The Wolfpack did win in Week 1, but the manner of their win is the cause for concern. They can thank last season’s all-conference kicker, Owen Daffer, for the win over the East Carolina Pirates. Daffer missed an extra point for the Pirates, which would have tied the game, and then failed with his 41-yard field goal attempt with five seconds remaining. The Wolfpack won 21-20. Things were looking good for NC State at halftime, as they went in with a 21-7 lead. Things would’ve been much easier for them if their ground game wasn’t so inept. The Wolfpack failed to score on four attempts at the goal line on a series, they also had a fumble. They’ll take the win knowing there’s a lot of improvement needed across all positions.
Utah Utes: 13 (down from 7)
As great a win as it was for the Gators, the Utes had this. Quarterback Cam Rising’s interception at the end summed up what head coach, Kyle Whittingham, called a ‘gut wrencher’ of a loss. Rising threw for 216 yards on 22 of 32 pass attempts. He also rushed for 91 yards. The Utes could have gone for the game-tying field goal but went for the touchdown. They would have scored earlier in the game, but for a solid goal-line stand by the Gators. It wasn’t all on the offense, the defense struggled with the raucous crowd and couldn’t contain Florida quarterback, Stetson Bennett. Utah had been in the playoff discussion, and although it’s not beyond a possibility, they have work to do to be a part of the conversation.
