Highlights from my Associated Press poll, filed late Monday night…

Georgia moved into first place after beating Clemson, a result that compares favorably to Ohio State, which struggled in a first half against Akron.

Notre Dame jumped three spots to No. 4 with a win over Texas A&M, which will do wonders for the Irish’s playoff chances. (That could be their toughest game in months.)

Miami was another high-rise after Florida’s defeat.

But no one moved like USC.

The Trojans weren’t in my preseason poll because of questions about, well, everything. But they looked sharp against LSU on Sunday night and are provisionally in the top 10.

(It’s entirely possible that the Tigers will perform mediocrely, in which case we’ll adjust the value of the win on USC’s resume.)

Oregon fell six spots to No. 10 after struggling to beat Idaho. It could be a temporary setback for the Ducks, but for now they don’t deserve a spot near the top.

All in all, the voting submitted after Week 1 is typically nine parts guesswork and one part substance (i.e., based on material results). We know so little about so many teams, including the FCS opponents that provide early fodder for the heavyweights.

The mood:

1. Georgia
2.Texas
3. Ohio State
4. Notre-Dame
5.Utah
6.Alabama
7.Miami
8. Penn State
9. USC
10.Oregon
11.Oklahoma State
12.Mississippi
13. Nebraska
14.Missouri
15.Michigan
16. Kansas State
17.Arizona
18.Iowa
19.Oklahoma
20. Boise State
21.Tennessee
22.Wisconsin
23.Memphis
24.Kansas
25. Vanderbilt

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Originally published: September 3, 2024 at 5:40 am