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SALT LAKE CITY — If you're not loving college football through the first two weeks of the season, what gets you excited?
The games have been pure entertainment, with the only expected result being the unexpected. Case in point: Who would have thought Notre Dame would fall to Marshall, or that Texas A&M would fall to Appalachian State?
What about Alabama edging past Texas to stave off defeat in a game the Crimson Tide were favored by 20 points?
Yeah, there was a lot going on this weekend, and it ended with some stellar game, too. BYU needed two overtime periods to upset Baylor at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and Oregon State's Jonathan Smith went for the win instead of kicking a field goal to go into overtime — and it paid off!
There's still so much unknown about the teams this season, which makes ranking them continually difficult and yet so entertaining at the same time.
Here's the ballot I submitted to the Associated Press that will be counted toward the official consensus poll released later today.
1. Georgia
The Bulldogs walked through a 33-0 win over Samford Saturday. All but 3 points were scored in the first half, yet there was no doubt Georgia would win the game. Maybe the win could have been more dominant, but there's no questioning Georgia has another solid team.
2. Ohio State
Without two of their best receivers, Ohio State had no problem getting past Arkansas State in a 45-12 win. C.J. Stroud threw for four touchdowns and had Marvin Harrison Jr. on the receiving end on three of those TD passes. The Buckeyes are a worthy contender for the No. 1 spot, but Notre Dame losing tarnishes its Week 1 win — slightly.
3. Alabama
Yes, the Crimson Tide won the game against Texas on the road on the shoulders of Bryce Young. But it came with a ton of penalties and Texas opening up its defense late to allow Alabama to get into scoring position with ease. It was a tough game, but not Alabama's prettiest. For that reason, I'm dropping them to No. 3, but it's still a three-way tie at the top in my eyes.
Create your own Top 25 poll with the KSL.com CFB fan poll
Hate that voters are disrespecting your team, knowing that you could rank the top teams in college football better? Well, you're in luck.4. Michigan
What's there to say about a 46-point blowout over one of the worst teams in FBS? At least Michigan is coming around to the idea that J.J. McCarthy is the guy to lead the program under center. We still don't know a ton about Michigan, but they'll remain ranked high for the time being — if not for last season's playoff run alone.
5. Clemson
DJ Uiagalelei remains the starter at quarterback and was relatively efficient with the ball against Furman. He had an interception but finished with 231 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-27 passing. It's still to be determined how good Clemson is this season, but their defense makes up for any inefficiencies on offense, which there weren't many this week.
6. Oklahoma
Oklahoma waited until the third quarter to get anything done, in which the Sooners scored 24 points to put distance on Kent State. Before that, though, it was a 7-3 game and not much to celebrate. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel was efficient with the ball, but it took a while to get the offense moving. Could this spell trouble with a more worthy opponent?
7. Oklahoma State
In a test against Arizona State, Oklahoma State used a 17-point second quarter to put some distance on the visiting Sun Devils. Arizona cut the lead to 3 points in the fourth quarter to make Oklahoma State sweat a bit, but quarterback Spencer Sanders passed for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away from the visiting team. The game presented some adversity and a good resolve against a Power Five opponent.
8. BYU
For a moment near the end, it felt like neither team wanted to win the game, with multiple missed kicks to send the game into double overtime. All in all, it was a hard-fought battle with the Cougars coming out on top. BYU has its first signature win of the 2022 season, and they did it without their top two receivers — though Chase Roberts would like to have a word about that.
9. USC
There's no question USC has an offense that can score at a high rate — the Caleb Williams to Jordan Addison connection remains a strong bond. But the biggest flaw for the Trojans is still its defense. USC got a conference win over a Stanford team that's still not quite back to what it used to be, but it's a solid win to start the season.
10. Utah
After missed opportunities in The Swamp, Utah bounced back — and then some — in a morning game against an inferior FCS opponent. The first-quarter score made the game look close, but Utah's offense erupted en route to a 73-7 win over Southern Utah. The defense looked much-improved Saturday, but the opponent leaves some questions as to how much — and a Florida loss to Kentucky leaves some doubt on the table.
Checking in: Appalachian State, Kansas State, Oregon State
App State is only 1-1 on the season but took North Carolina down to the wire and then beat Texas A&M. I love what Appalachian State is doing right now and I want to reward them with a spot in my ballot — same as Kansas State and Oregon State. The Beavers remain an intriguing team, and I'm looking forward to see how it all shakes out for them.
Dropping out: Houston, Notre Dame, Wisconsin
Maybe it's too harsh to drop Notre Dame out of my ballot, but starting the season 0-2 — and with a loss to Marshall — doesn't make for a Top 25 team in my eyes. The Fighting Irish have a lot to prove before they get back on my ballot.
In consideration: Air Force, Cincinnati, Florida State, Fresno State, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Penn State, Texas, UCLA, Washington State
If you can't see the full ballot below, click here.
Want to create your own Top 25 ballot, go create one with the KSL.com College Football Top 25 Fan Poll.
