AP Poll Top 25 Week 2 winners and losers: Where do Big 12 teams rank among SEC sharks?
With the Week 1 slate finally complete, new poll votes have appeared, and it's time to assess AP Poll Top 25 Week 2 winners and losers. Two new teams have joined the top 25, while two previously ranked teams have fallen out of the poll. How are the Big 12 teams stacking up in the SEC-heavy poll? Time to break down the AP poll Top 25 Week 2 winners and losers.
AP Poll Top 25 Week 2 winners and losers
Winners
Louisville
Off a 62-0 route of FCS Austin Peay, the Cardinals broke into the top 25, leaping to 22nd overall. Louisville had been near the poll anyway, and with one ACC team falling out of the heap, the Cardinals made the jump.
Georgia Tech
Tech is off to a 2-0 start after a 35-12 win over Georgia State. That followed the Yellowjackets' 24-21 win over Florida State in Week 0. The subsequent collapse of the Seminoles does take a little luster off that win, but Tech is still 23rd in the new poll. Tech had not been ranked in the top 25 since 2015.
USC
The Trojans made the biggest leap within the poll, hopping from 23rd to 13th off their 27-20 win over LSU in Week 1.
Miami
The ACC's top squad also made a jump, hopping from 19th to 12th after besting Florida 41-17. Miami hasn't been ranked this high since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Aside from Miami, the last four teams in the top 25 are the other ACC representatives.
Losers
Florida State
The Seminoles opened the season at No. 10 and after an 0-2 start, fell all the way outside the top 25. The Seminoles had been ranked since late in the 2022 season, but losses to Georgia Tech and Boston College have scuttled their College Football Playoff chances.
Texas A&M
The Aggies slid just outside the top 25 after a 23-13 loss to Notre Dame at home. The Irish jumped from 7th to 5th on the strength of the win. The Aggies' fall leaves the SEC with eight teams in the Top 25.
Clemson
The Tigers didn't quite fall out of the top 25 after being humbled by Georgia 34-3. But their slide from 14th to 25th was the week's biggest drop and certainly doesn't leave much breathing room. Clemson suffered its third opening-week loss in the last four seasons.
How did the Big 12 fare?
While the SEC is the marquee league of college football, the Big 12 is more likely to get overlooked. But in checking in on the league in our AP Poll Top 25 Week 2 winners and losers, the Big 12 is holding its own. Utah, the league front-runner, jumped up a spot to 11th after an easy win.
Oklahoma State (16th) and Kansas State (17th) climbed one spot after their respective Week 1 wins. Kansas made a three-spot leap to 19th after besting Lindenwood 49-3 and Arizona jumped a spot to 20th after a 61-39 shootout win over New Mexico.
What do you think of our AP poll Top 25 Week 2 winners and losers? Anybody you'd add to either list? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!