Florida’s slim victory over Miami didn’t impress voters of the AP Top 25 College Football Poll. They dropped the Gators from No. 8 to No. 11. Florida didn’t fare much better with the Coaches Poll, slipping from eighth to 10th.
Week 1 of the college football season didn’t offer many stunning occurrences, it was more like small surprises. Twenty-four of the top 25 teams in the poll won, though only 15 of those covered against the spread.
The top seven spots remaining the same, though No. 1 Clemson gained some first-place votes. In the preseason poll they had 52 first-place votes, and 1,540 points. After its 52-14 victory over Georgia Tech, the Tigers picked up two more top votes, and increased its point total to 1,542.
“That locker room, you’d have thought we just won the Super Bowl,” Swinney said after the game. “Bunch of young guys that just played their first game at Clemson.”
Swinney is hoping that attitude continues as the team faces No. 12 Texas A&M. The game is at Clemson, and the Tigers are favored by 17.5 points. The over/under is 64.
Even though there is a double-digit point spread, Swinney knows this game should be closer.
“Quarterback Kellen Mond is a really, really good player who can run,” Swinney said. “”He can really run the football. Year two under Jimbo, he’s really well-coached, really schooled up and he knows the system. As opposed to last year, now he’s got a whole year under his belt. Excellent leader, very smart, and great instincts.”
Top 10 Teams, LSU, Texas Face Off
The other big game of Week 2 is No. 6 LSU at No. 9 Texas. The Longhorns moved up a spot from last week after Florida slipped to No. 11, and they defeated Louisiana Tech, 45-14.
Now they get to face another team from the Bayou, although this one should present a much bigger challenge. Coach Tom Herman, though, said he is treating it like just another game.
“I don’t want to downplay the significance of the matchup,†Herman said. “I think it’s really important for us. We understand that to get to where we want to go as a program that we’re going to have to play in and to win these type of games. And to do it against another top-10 opponent is pretty cool, especially at home.â€
Movement in the Middle
Because Oregon lost to Auburn, they slid down the poll, while the Tigers jumped up. The Ducks went from No. 11 to No. 16, while Auburn went from No. 16 to No. 10. The Tigers join No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Georgia, and No. 6 LSU as the other SEC teams in the top 10.
Auburn hosts Tulane this Saturday, and is an 18-point favorite, though the last thing coach Gus Malzahn wants his team to do is be over confident.
“We’re playing a really good Tulane team,†Malzahn said. “When you look at them from top to bottom, they’re a veteran team. A veteran team special teams, offense, defense. They’ve won six out of their last seven games, and you can tell they’re extremely well coached. It’s really one of the better teams, non-Power 5, that we’ve played since I’ve been the head coach.â€