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Weekly college football top 25 rankings are a big part of every season, and Athlon Sports will update its top 25 following the games each weekend.
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The second weekend of the 2026 season was headlined by Texas’ comeback victory against Ohio State, Michigan’s upset of Oklahoma, Oregon’s loss at Oklahoma State and Boise State’s win over Memphis. Top-ranked teams in Georgia, Indiana, Notre Dame, LSU and Ole Miss cruised to easy victories in Week 2.
Texas takes the No. 1 spot in the post-Week 2 top 25 rankings, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana and Ohio State. Here are Athlon Sports’ top 25 college football teams after Week 2:
College Football Top 25 Rankings (After Week 2)
1. Texas (2-0)
Last Week: 3
Week 2 Result: Defeated Ohio State
A stunning fourth-quarter comeback lifted Texas to a 24-23 victory over Ohio State and the No. 1 ranking after Week 2. After a mistake-filled first half, the Longhorns used 21 points in the fourth quarter to earn a massive season-defining victory. Quarterback Arch Manning was sharp in the final 15 minutes, with the ground game and defense also making key plays to rally against the Buckeyes.
2. Georgia (2-0)
Last Week: 2
Week 2 Result: Defeated Western Kentucky
Another week, another easy victory for coach Kirby Smart’s team. The Bulldogs used five touchdown passes by quarterback Gunner Stockton to easily dispatch Western Kentucky in a 70-20 win.
3. Notre Dame (2-0)
Last Week: 4
Week 2 Result: Defeated Rice
Total domination is the best way to sum up Notre Dame’s 52-0 victory over Rice in Week 2. The Fighting Irish defense limited the Owls to just 128 yards, while coach Marcus Freeman’s offense averaged 7.4 yards per snap.
4. Indiana (2-0)
Last Week: 5
Week 2 Result: Defeated Howard
The Hoosiers turned in a dominant effort on both sides of the ball to crush Howard 55-0. Coach Curt Cignetti’s team has one more tune up next week against Western Kentucky before starting Big Ten play.
5. Ohio State (1-1)
Last Week: 1
Week 2 Result: Lost to Texas
The Buckeyes seemed to be in full control in Saturday night’s showdown at Texas, but the Longhorns scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to rally for a 24-23 victory.
6. Miami (2-0)
Last Week: 7
Week 2 Result: Defeated Florida A&M
The Hurricanes cruised to an easy 77-7 victory over Florida A&M on Thursday night. Quarterback Darian Mensah has completed 41 of 45 passes in his first two games with Miami.
7. LSU (2-0)
Last Week: 8
Week 2 Result: Defeated Louisiana Tech
LSU followed up its Week 1 victory with a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech. Coach Lane Kiffin’s team had a sloppy first half with four turnovers, but the Bayou Bengals scored 35 points in the final two quarters to put the game away. Next up: A showdown in Oxford against Ole Miss.
8. Texas A&M (2-0)
Last Week: 10
Week 2 Result: Defeated Arizona State
Arizona State outgained Texas A&M 369 to 255, but coach Mike Elko’s defense dominated in the second half, including scoring on two turnovers to lift the Aggies to a 48-20 win. Better play along the offensive line and with the rushing attack (just 92 yards against the Sun Devils) is a priority going forward.
9. Ole Miss (2-0)
Last Week: 11
Week 2 Result: Defeated Charlotte
Let the hype begin. The Rebels easily dispatched Charlotte 41-9 on Saturday night and can turn the page to a massive showdown against LSU in Week 3.
10. USC (3-0)
Last Week: 13
Week 2 Result: Defeated Louisiana
Young playmakers in receiver Trent Mosley and tight end Mark Bowman made big-time plays once again, and quarterback Jayden Maiava threw five touchdown passes to help USC beat Louisiana 49-30 on Saturday night.
11. Alabama (2-0)
Last Week: 14
Week 2 Result: Defeated Kentucky
After a shaky first half, Alabama controlled the final two quarters to win 45-17 at Kentucky. The Crimson Tide defense was the difference, as coordinator Kane Wommack’s group allowed only 209 yards, forced three takeaways and limited the Wildcats to just one third-down conversion on 14 attempts.
12. Texas Tech (2-0)
Last Week: 12
Week 2 Result: Defeated Oregon State
Oregon State gave Texas Tech all it could handle, but coach Joey McGuire’s team escaped Corvallis with a 35-24 victory. The Red Raiders gave up 403 passing yards to the Beavers, which is an area to clean up before next week’s showdown against Houston.
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13. BYU (2-0)
Last Week: 15
Week 2 Result: Defeated Arizona
BYU’s defense gave up only 87 yards in the second half to lift coach Kalani Sitake’s team to a 28-17 victory over Arizona. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier also made a couple of timely throws in the second half to spark the offense, including a 61-yard connection with Legend Glasker.
14. Penn State (2-0)
Last Week: 17
Week 2 Result: Defeated Temple
Quarterback Rocco Becht’s three touchdown passes lifted Penn State to a 27-9 win at Temple on Saturday. The Nittany Lions face Buffalo next week for one more tune up before Big Ten play starts.
15. Tennessee (2-0)
Last Week: 20
Week 2 Result: Defeated Georgia Tech
The Volunteers controlled the battle of the line of scrimmage against Georgia Tech on Saturday night to leave Atlanta with a 45-24 victory. Coach Josh Heupel’s team ran for 299 yards, while Tennessee’s revamped defense limited the Yellow Jackets to 135 yards on the ground and recorded seven tackles for a loss.
16. Utah (2-0)
Last Week: 19
Week 2 Result: Defeated Arkansas
Quarterback Devon Dampier accounted for four overall touchdowns, and Utah’s defense limited Arkansas to just four yards per play in a 43-10 victory.
17. Houston (2-0)
Last Week: 18
Week 2 Result: Defeated Southern
Houston crushed Southern 77-6 on Saturday night. Coach Willie Fritz’s team is ready for next Friday’s matchup against Big 12 title favorite Texas Tech.
18. Oregon (1-1)
Last Week: 6
Week 2 Result: Lost to Oklahoma State
The Ducks take a significant tumble in the post-Week 2 rankings after a 39-31 loss at Oklahoma State. Coach Dan Lanning’s team opened ‘26 with national title aspirations, but Oregon has not played like a top-five team for much of the season. Numerous issues, including line of scrimmage concerns, missed opportunities, and questionable play-calling by new coordinators on both sides of the ball.
19. Michigan (2-0)
Last Week: Not Ranked
Week 2 Result: Defeated Oklahoma
What a difference a week makes. After last week’s controversial win over Western Michigan, the Wolverines found the right mix of timely offense behind quarterback Bryce Underwood, along with a standout defensive effort to upset Oklahoma 17-10.
20. Oklahoma (1-1)
Last Week: 9
Week 2 Result: Lost to Michigan
In a game that was decided on tight margins, Oklahoma’s offensive struggles and costly turnovers (two) were the deciding factor in a 17-10 loss at Michigan.
21. SMU (2-0)
Last Week: 21
Week 2 Result: Defeated UC Davis
SMU had a quick turnaround from its Monday night win at Florida State, but coach Rhett Lashlee’s team easily defeated UC Davis 56-10.
22. Louisville (1-1)
Last Week: 22
Week 2 Result: Defeated Villanova
The Cardinals rebounded from their Week 1 loss with an easy 59-13 win over Villanova. The offense averaged 9.6 yards a play on Friday night behind a huge performance from quarterback Lincoln Kienholz.
23. Boise State (1-1)
Last Week: 23
Week 2 Result: Defeated Memphis
Saturday’s 38-20 victory over Memphis puts Boise State in the driver’s seat to be the top Group of 6 team for playoff purposes in ‘26. The rushing attack gashed the Tigers for 357 yards, and the defense pitched a shutout in the second half.
24. Iowa (2-0)
Last Week: 24
Week 2 Result: Defeated Iowa State
It’s only appropriate Iowa State-Iowa was decided in the final seconds, with the Hawkeyes nailing a 42-yard field goal to pull off a 16-13 victory.
25. Missouri (2-0)
Last Week: Not Ranked
Week 2 Result: Defeated Kansas
The Tigers join the top 25 after a 2-0 start to the season that included a Friday night win over Kansas in Week 2. Quarterback Austin Simmons (36 of 48 for 544 yards and seven touchdowns) has been sharp in his new surroundings.
Up Next: Florida, South Carolina, Washington, Mississippi State, Virginia and Virginia Tech
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 5:45 AM.