Don Juan Moore/Getty Images There are only two matchups between ranked teams during Week 2 of the 2018 college football season, so it should be a relatively tame Saturday of action. Should is the operative word. After an interesting gameweek to begin the campaign, most AP Top 25 teams are preparing for what figure to be painless wins. Eight schools are slated to face lower-division opponents, and six others are battling Group of Five programs. The marquee games pit No. 3 Georgia against No. 24 South Carolina and No. 17 USC at No. 10 Stanford. Additionally, No. 18 Mississippi State travels to Kansas State, while both Penn State (Pitt) and Florida (Kentucky) have rivals on the docket. While there might not be huge changes, movement is likely. We've put together a handy guide of what to know and expect throughout the second big weekend of the season. Week 2 AP Top 25 Poll 1. Alabama (48 first-place votes), 1,511 2. Clemson (12), 1,467 3. Georgia, 1,350 4. Ohio State, 1,262 5. Wisconsin (1), 1,258 6. Oklahoma, 1,251 7. Auburn, 1,236 8. Notre Dame, 1,080 9. Washington, 870 10. Stanford, 865 11. LSU, 801 12. Virginia Tech, 777 13. Penn State, 768 14. West Virginia, 762 15. Michigan State, 684 16. TCU, 632 17. USC, 628 18. Mississippi State, 538 19. UCF, 407 20. Boise State, 391 21. Michigan, 318 22. Miami, 241 23. Oregon, 217 24. South Carolina, 125 25. Florida. 89 Alabama entered the campaign as the preseason No. 1, and Nick Saban's squad added to its advantage over No. 2 Clemson following a 51-14 drubbing of Louisville. After leading Clemson by 29 voting points in the preseason poll, the Tide hold a 44-point edge. Tua Tagovailoa, in his first career start, completed 12-of-16 passes for 227 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. The sophomore also scampered for 26 yards and a score. Video Play Button CFB National Signing Day 2019 Did Not Disappoint Martell Is Leaving Ohio St. and Is on His Way to the U White House Treats National Champions to Fast Food Cheat Day Northwestern May Have CFB's Most Hyped Coach Army's Historic Bowl Beatdown Caps Off Epic Season Purdue Football's No. 1 Fan Is Inspiring the Team CFB's Creative Entrances Put WWE to Shame CFB's Walk-on Scholarship Season Has Returned Tua Continues to Take Hawaiian Football to Another Level CFB Players Teaming Up to Tackle Hunger in Miami 4'2" WR Will Walk on at Baylor University Felder's Film Room: Ferocious Front 7's Will Decide National Championship UAB Is Making CFB Even More Fun and Having Its Best Season at the Same Time Heisman Hopefuls: B/R Highlights Finalists Prior to Trophy Ceremony Who Should Be the 2017 Heisman Finalists? Miami vs. Clemson: Which Elite Defense Will Prevail in ACC Championship Game College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 11 College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 10 Which CFB Stars Need More Heisman Hype? College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 9 Right Arrow Icon The Crimson Tide host Arkansas State in Week 2, so they should be safe atop the rankings for another week. However, a Clemson victory at Texas A&M will likely trim the minimal gap. But it's anyone's guess where No. 6 Oklahoma will find itself positioned after Week 2. While the Sooners should cruise past UCLA, only 26 voting points separate fourth-ranked Ohio State from No. 7 Auburn. Oklahoma is 11 behind and 15 ahead, respectively. Granted, it doesn't matter a whole lot anyway. It's very early. But quarterback Kyler Murray sure suggested he'll keep the Big 12 powerhouse as a national contender this season. In his official debut as Baker Mayfield's replacement, the Oakland A's prospect posted a 9-of-11 mark with 209 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Murray added 23 yards on the ground, highlighted by a sensational 15-yard scramble. Video Play Button CFB National Signing Day 2019 Did Not Disappoint Martell Is Leaving Ohio St. and Is on His Way to the U White House Treats National Champions to Fast Food Cheat Day Northwestern May Have CFB's Most Hyped Coach Army's Historic Bowl Beatdown Caps Off Epic Season Purdue Football's No. 1 Fan Is Inspiring the Team CFB's Creative Entrances Put WWE to Shame CFB's Walk-on Scholarship Season Has Returned Tua Continues to Take Hawaiian Football to Another Level CFB Players Teaming Up to Tackle Hunger in Miami 4'2" WR Will Walk on at Baylor University Felder's Film Room: Ferocious Front 7's Will Decide National Championship UAB Is Making CFB Even More Fun and Having Its Best Season at the Same Time Heisman Hopefuls: B/R Highlights Finalists Prior to Trophy Ceremony Who Should Be the 2017 Heisman Finalists? Miami vs. Clemson: Which Elite Defense Will Prevail in ACC Championship Game College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 11 College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 10 Which CFB Stars Need More Heisman Hype? College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 9 Right Arrow Icon Oklahoma toasted Florida Atlantic 63-14, dominating the matchup from start to finish. The same cannot be said for Michigan State despite the Spartans' victory. Utah State pushed MSU to its limit, even holding a 31-30 lead over the Big Ten program during the fourth quarter. After a late touchdown for the Spartans, Joe Bachie sealed the nervous win with a stunning deflection and interception. Video Play Button CFB National Signing Day 2019 Did Not Disappoint Martell Is Leaving Ohio St. and Is on His Way to the U White House Treats National Champions to Fast Food Cheat Day Northwestern May Have CFB's Most Hyped Coach Army's Historic Bowl Beatdown Caps Off Epic Season Purdue Football's No. 1 Fan Is Inspiring the Team CFB's Creative Entrances Put WWE to Shame CFB's Walk-on Scholarship Season Has Returned Tua Continues to Take Hawaiian Football to Another Level CFB Players Teaming Up to Tackle Hunger in Miami 4'2" WR Will Walk on at Baylor University Felder's Film Room: Ferocious Front 7's Will Decide National Championship UAB Is Making CFB Even More Fun and Having Its Best Season at the Same Time Heisman Hopefuls: B/R Highlights Finalists Prior to Trophy Ceremony Who Should Be the 2017 Heisman Finalists? Miami vs. Clemson: Which Elite Defense Will Prevail in ACC Championship Game College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 11 College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 10 Which CFB Stars Need More Heisman Hype? College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 9 Right Arrow Icon Michigan State dipped four spots in the poll to No. 15, and Week 2 likely won't provide a respite. Mark Dantonio's Spartans travel to face Arizona State, and kickoff is slated for 10:45 p.m. ET. It's not an ideal situation for a Midwest team. The Sun Devils didn't receive a single Top 25 vote, but an upset of MSU could vault Herm Edwards' team into the rankings. Follow Bleacher Report CFB writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.<doc-sep>Bob Levey/Getty Images On a streak-ending Saturday that saw few upsets and many of the nation's top teams hold serve, it was more about style points than who lost. While powerhouses Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Ohio State continued to build their impressive early-season resumes, Clemson survived a 28-26 scare on the road against Texas A&M at Kyle Field. Notre Dame avoided a post-Michigan hiccup by barely beating Ball State, 24-16, and Stanford announced its return to the Pac-12 picture with a patented Cardinal thumping of USC in Palo Alto, California. So, how did all that action affect our rankings? Bleacher Report's panel of experts—Matt Hayes, David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Kerry Miller, Brad Shepard and Ian Wharton—voted on the action. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, followed by 24 points for second, 23 for third, etc. Here is our Week 3 poll: 1. Alabama (Last week: 1) 2. Georgia (T-3) 3. Clemson (2) 4. Ohio State (T-3) 5. Oklahoma (5) 6. Auburn (6) 7. Wisconsin (7) 8. Washington (9) 9. Stanford (11) 10. West Virginia (10) 11. Notre Dame (8) 12. LSU (12) 13. Mississippi State (15) 14. Penn State (13) 15. TCU (14) 16. Virginia Tech (18) 17. UCF (17) 18. Oregon (21) 19. Boise State (20) 20. Michigan (22) 21. Texas A&M (NR) 22. Miami (25) 23. Boston College (NR) 24. Utah (NR) 25. Houston (NR) Others receiving votes: Utah, Duke, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan State, Arizona State, Oklahoma State Video Play Button Videos you might like Who's hot: Stanford Cardinal Tony Avelar/Associated Press David Shaw and his rugged Stanford Cardinal team are back to being a Pac-12 force. That was on full display Saturday night when a young USC team visited and left town looking like a bunch of frustrated freshmen in a 17-3 loss. A week after disposing of San Diego State to open the season, the Cardinal played yet another dominant game, manhandling the Trojans in all areas. Bryce Love forgot his off-night against the Aztecs with 136 rushing yards, and K.J. Costello added 183 through the air. Perhaps most impressive was the defense, which hearkened back to several years ago when the Derek Mason-led units were among the nation's best, stifling some of those stout USC and Oregon teams. With the Trojans mounting a last-ditch effort, Malik Antoine intercepted JT Daniels to cap a frustrating night for the talented freshman signal-caller. It put the perfect punctuation on the contest for Stanford. Antoine added another pick for good measure. "I'm going to say this in the most respectful way possible: All we hear about is all the great athletes at USC. We've got great athletes," Shaw told Fox's Bruce Feldman during the postgame interview. "It was a good matchup, and our guys play well. We can play much better." They were just as athletic and more physical, too. It remains to be seen if Shaw's team can be a national force, especially because its old-school brand of football stands out as an anomaly. They field a hard-nosed defense, run the ball between the tackles and play exceptional special teams. It'll be interesting watching the clash of style between Stanford and Oregon on Sept. 22, and Washington looms later. But the Cardinal should be firmly in the conversation as one of the most impressive early-season teams with Saturday's thorough handling of USC. Who's not: SEC East "pretenders" Streeter Lecka/Getty Images One team's upset hopes were quickly history. The other squad made the wrong kind of history. It was a bad day to be a ranked SEC East team not named Georgia. All the talk about South Carolina's being a trendy upset pick over the visiting Bulldogs fizzled in a flurry. Nothing was flashy about Georgia's 41-17 annihilation of the Gamecocks. But it didn't change the fact that the 'Cocks got clocked in every facet of the game in what was supposed to be a marquee matchup. The Gamecocks allowed three Georgia running backs to score, yielded 30 first downs and endured a pedestrian performance from quarterback Jake Bentley, who threw two interceptions, including a momentum-squelching early pick that gave the Bulldogs the game's first score. Will Muschamp's team also finished with a measly 54 rushing yards. All of that equalled a rout at the rocking Williams-Brice Stadium. Meanwhile, Kentucky erased 31 years of misery and recent years of oh-so-close losses by going into the Swamp and upsetting AP No. 25 Florida with a gutsy performance and a 27-16 final tally. It proved ranking the Gators after Week 1 was premature, and there's still a long way to go for that rebuild. At this point, it looks like smooth sailing into the SEC title game for Georgia unless somebody emerges in that scuffling division. The Wildcats may be legit, but Florida didn't look good Saturday night. Neither the Gamecocks nor Gators should be in this week's polls. Fun fact: Kansas beats Central Michigan, 31-7, to snap a nine-year road losing streak Ed Zurga/Getty Images Maybe it's a little poetic that the last time the Kansas Jayhawks football team won a road game, the No. 1 song in the nation was "I Gotta Feeling (That Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night)" by the Black Eyed Peas. They didn't play at night, but Saturday was a great day to be a Jayhawk. The sad thing is, their last road win was all the way back on Sept. 12, 2009. That's a streak of futility consisting of 46 consecutive losses away from home. The good thing for the Jayhawks is that streak of ineptitude is over. They join the Kentucky Wildcats for getting the biggest gorilla off their backs Saturday. That win was so long ago (against UTEP) that the notorious Mark Mangino was the head Kansas coach, muddling through his final season in Lawrence. The Jayhawks used an opportunistic defense to force six Chippewas turnovers, and they celebrated appropriately afterward. Fun Fact No. 2: Buckeyes add to historic excellence Joe Robbins/Getty Images With yet another lopsided, soul-crushing 52-3 win over an overmatched Rutgers team, Ohio State added to its impressive early-season resume. It also made it into some elite company, joining rival Michigan as the only college football teams in history with 900 or more victories, according to ESPN Stats & Info. There have been many brilliant players and legendary coaches to lead the Buckeyes, and they hope this season is special, too. After a headline-filled offseason, Ohio State has proved the Urban Meyer suspension hasn't affected its on-field play. Dwayne Haskins is an early-season Heisman Trophy candidate, there are waves of talented running backs and the defense looks as strong as any in the nation. The Scarlet Knights had no answers for OSU. They shouldn't hang their heads too low; 899 other teams felt the same way after playing the Buckeyes. Keep an eye on: a pair of AAC sleepers Jason Behnken/Associated Press Most of the Group of Five conversation so far has centered on Central Florida and Boise State, and rightfully so. Both of those teams have solid rosters and should be in the mix for a major bowl all year. But another couple of American Athletic Conference squads are quietly sneaking up on solid early seasons after registering wins over Power Five opponents Saturday. South Florida has moved on from the Quinton Flowers era with former Alabama and Arizona State quarterback Blake Barnett, and it looks like his third school is the charm. He racked up 202 passing yards, 91 rushing yards and four total touchdowns in a 49-38 win over Georgia Tech. Fellow AAC member Houston dominated Arizona 45-18, smothering quarterback Khalil Tate early to drop head coach Kevin Sumlin to 0-2. With new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles dialing up dimes and the Ed Oliver-led defense looking stout at times, the Cougars may make some noise in the conference, too. Both teams are worth monitoring. Either could wind up representing those "other" conferences in big bowls. What to watch for Jim Cowsert/Associated Press LSU at Auburn (3:30 p.m. ET) This game could be everything for the SEC West that Georgia-South Carolina was supposed to be (and wasn't) for the East.<doc-sep>Jay LaPrete/Associated Press Through two weeks of action on the gridiron, college football hasn't experienced a significant shift in the AP Top 25. Of the top 20 teams in the country, only two have suffered defeats, as Washington and Michigan fell to Auburn and Notre Dame, respectively. The complexion of the rankings could change after Week 3, as Ohio State and Auburn face ranked opposition, while teams such as TCU, Boise State and West Virginia could vault higher in the standings with marquee victories. Week 3's schedule has a similar makeup to the Week 2 slate, but those of us who love to see some chaos in college football are hoping Saturday holds more upsets. Week 3 AP Top 25 1. Alabama (2-0) Video Play Button Videos you might like 2. Clemson (2-0) 3. Georgia (2-0) 4. Ohio State (2-0) 5. Oklahoma (2-0) 6. Wisconsin (2-0) 7. Auburn (2-0) 8. Notre Dame (2-0) 9. Stanford (2-0) 10. Washington (1-1) 11. Penn State (2-0) 12. LSU (2-0) 13. Virginia Tech (2-0) 14. West Virginia (2-0) 15. TCU (2-0) 16. Mississippi State (2-0) 17. Boise State (2-0) 18. UCF (2-0) 19. Michigan (1-1) 20. Oregon (2-0) 21. Miami (1-1) 22. USC (1-1) 23. Arizona State (2-0) 24. Oklahoma State (2-0) 25. Michigan State (1-1) Week 3 Schedule and Predictions All Times ET. Predicted winners in bold. No. 5 Oklahoma at Iowa State (Noon, ABC) Kent State at No. 11 Penn State (Noon, FS1) No. 18 UCF at North Carolina (Noon, ESPNU) No. 21 Miami at Toledo (Noon, ESPN2) East Carolina at No. 13 Virginia Tech (12:20 p.m., ACC Network) UC Davis at No. 9 Stanford (2 p.m., Pac-12 Network) Vanderbilt at No. 8 Notre Dame (2:30 p.m., NBC) Georgia Southern at No. 2 Clemson (3:30 p.m., ESPN2) BYU at No. 6 Wisconsin (3:30 p.m., ABC) No. 12 LSU at No. 7 Auburn (3:30 p.m., CBS) No. 14 West Virginia at NC State (3:30 p.m., ESPNU) No. 17 Boise State at No. 24 Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m., ESPN) SMU at No. 19 Michigan (3:30 p.m., BTN) San Jose State at No. 20 Oregon (5 p.m., Pac-12 Network) No. 1 Alabama at Ole Miss (7 p.m., ESPN) Middle Tennessee at No. 3 Georgia (7:15 p.m., ESPN2) Louisiana at No. 16 Mississippi State (7:30 p.m., SEC Network) No. 4 Ohio State at No. 15 TCU (8 p.m., ABC) No. 22 USC at Texas (8 p.m., Fox) No. 10 Washington at Utah (10 p.m., ESPN) Predictions Road Tests Cause Significant Top 25 Shakeup Every Top 25 team survived its Week 2 road trip with the exception of Michigan State. While Week 2's slate was relatively tame, more chaos will come about in Week 3, as ranked programs face trickier tests. No. 5 Oklahoma is the first of the group to take on a road challenge Saturday, as it visits Iowa State, a team that went into Norman, Oklahoma, and upset the Sooners a year ago. No. 21 Miami has the most peculiar Week 3 road trip, as it visits Toledo, which took Week 2 off in order to prepare for the Hurricanes. The Rockets, who went 11-3 in 2017, tested the Hurricanes in Miami in Week 4 a year ago, as the MAC program led at halftime before falling 52-30. Joel Auerbach/Getty Images The clashes in the middle of Saturday's schedule are headlined by a pair of ranked matchups, but the most intriguing game is the one being played at Carter-Finley Stadium. No. 14 West Virginia and NC State face off in a showdown between two of the top quarterbacks in the nation in Will Grier and Ryan Finley. Grier and Finley both rank in the top 10 in the nation in passing yards, and they've combined for 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. The Finley-led Wolfpack went 2-2 against ranked teams a year ago, with wins over Florida State and Louisville, and they almost knocked off Clemson on the road. No. 1 Alabama heads to Ole Miss in the night set of games, but you would be foolish to pick the Rebels given how well the Crimson Tide played in the first two weeks. While Alabama might not succumb to an underdog on the road, No. 22 USC, No. 10 Washington and No. 23 Arizona State could all find themselves in precarious situations Saturday night. Ohio State Survives TCU Trip No. 4 Ohio State is one of three top 10 teams to hit the road in Week 3, but the Buckeyes don't face a true road test. Instead of playing in Fort Worth against No. 15 TCU, the Buckeyes will take on the Horned Frogs at AT&T Stadium in front of what should be a more neutral crowd in a larger stadium. Although the Horned Frogs will be fired up to play the No. 4 team in the nation close to home, they won't stand much of a chance against the Ohio State offense. Ohio State's scored the second-most points of any program in the nation, as it racked up 129 against Oregon State and Rutgers. Joe Robbins/Getty Images Only Hawaii, which started the season a week earlier than the Buckeyes, has scored more points in college football entering Week 3. In his two starts, Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins has nine touchdowns and one interception with a yards-per-attempt average of 10.3. TCU poses more of a challenge than Oregon State or Rutgers, but Haskins and the Buckeyes are on a roll at the moment and few defenses will be able to stop them. TCU head coach Gary Patterson has a defensive background, but the Horned Frogs limited only one of their six ranked opponents to under 20 points in 2017. Given all the factors involved, Ohio State should cruise to its third straight win and set the foundation for its next challenge against Penn State September 29. Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.<doc-sep>
Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press The Week 2 schedule in college football doesn't stand out right away since there are only two games featuring ranked opponents. Mixed in with the pair of Top 25 showdowns are some easy home games for a handful of teams and a few tricky road tests. Most of the programs in the AP Top 25 turned in impressive showings in Week 1, but there were a few teams who struggled out of the gates. Week 2 won't make or break a team's playoff hopes, but there could be some damage done to the resumes of certain programs if they can't replicate their hot start, or rebound from a tough Week 1. Week 2 AP Poll 1. Alabama (1-0) 2. Clemson (1-0) 3. Georgia (1-0) 4. Ohio State (1-0) 5. Wisconsin (1-0) 6. Oklahoma (1-0) 7. Auburn (1-0) 8. Notre Dame (1-0) 9. Washington (0-1) 10. Stanford (1-0) 11. LSU (1-0) 12. Virginia Tech (1-0) 13. Penn State (1-0) 14. West Virginia (1-0) 15. Michigan State (1-0) 16. TCU (1-0) 17. USC (1-0) 18. Mississippi State (1-0) 19. UCF (1-0) 20. Boise State (1-0) 21. Michigan (0-1) 22. Miami (0-1) 23. Oregon (1-0) 24. South Carolina (1-0) 25. Florida (1-0) Can Penn State, Michigan State Impress After Disappointing Week 1 Wins? The 2018 season didn't start the way most of the Big Ten East contenders hoped it would. Outside of Ohio State's thumping of Oregon State at home, the programs in the Big Ten East disappointed compared to expectations set for them in preseason. Penn State and Michigan State were especially underwhelming, as they struggled to put away Appalachian State and Utah State, respectively. The season openers at home were supposed to act as a springboard into tricky road trips in Week 2, but instead, the Nittany Lions and Spartans need to find a way to rebound from rough performances. Video Play Button CFB National Signing Day 2019 Did Not Disappoint Martell Is Leaving Ohio St. and Is on His Way to the U White House Treats National Champions to Fast Food Cheat Day Northwestern May Have CFB's Most Hyped Coach Army's Historic Bowl Beatdown Caps Off Epic Season Purdue Football's No. 1 Fan Is Inspiring the Team CFB's Creative Entrances Put WWE to Shame CFB's Walk-on Scholarship Season Has Returned Tua Continues to Take Hawaiian Football to Another Level CFB Players Teaming Up to Tackle Hunger in Miami 4'2" WR Will Walk on at Baylor University Felder's Film Room: Ferocious Front 7's Will Decide National Championship UAB Is Making CFB Even More Fun and Having Its Best Season at the Same Time Heisman Hopefuls: B/R Highlights Finalists Prior to Trophy Ceremony Who Should Be the 2017 Heisman Finalists? Miami vs. Clemson: Which Elite Defense Will Prevail in ACC Championship Game College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 11 College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 10 Which CFB Stars Need More Heisman Hype? College Football Top 25 Upset Alert for Week 9 Right Arrow Icon Penn State, who dropped three spots in the AP Top 25, travels to cross-state rival Pittsburgh for a prime-time contest at Heinz Field. Pitt isn't the most threatening opponent on paper, but the Panthers knocked off then second-ranked Miami in November and beat Clemson in 2016 when the Tigers were No. 2 in the nation. As for the Spartans, they have the less-than-ideal road trip to Tempe, Arizona, to face Arizona State in a contest that could be dangerous, especially if the Sun Devils duo of quarterback Manny Wilkins and wide receiver N'Keal Harry get into a rhythm. Michigan State put up 452 total yards in its 38-31 win over Utah State, but it also let up 344 total yards to the Aggies and their dynamic quarterback Jordan Love. As long as the Michigan State defense stops Wilkins and Harry combining for game-changing plays, the Spartans should leave Arizona with their second victory and more confidence entering a Week 3 trip to Indiana. USC, Stanford Set For 6th Clash in Last 4 Years There are few programs more familiar with each other than USC and Stanford. Since 2015, the Trojans and Cardinal have played five times, including the 2015 and 2017 Pac-12 Championship Games. Stanford took both contests in 2015 and won the lone meeting between the Pac-12 powers in 2016, but USC came out on top twice in 2017.