2024 SID Sports Week 2 Rankings

Breaking down the Top 25 and players of the week after Labor Day weekend

While there weren’t a ton of great games this weekend, we still saw some fireworks, especially on the offensive side. Generally early in the season, defense reigns. That wasn’t so this week as scoreboards were filled across the nation. Most of that can be gleaned from the massive amount of FBS-FCS matchups across the Top 25, but still, nobody was playing defense at all.

But what results matter the most and how does the nation shake out after its first week of action? Let’s get into the SID Sports Week 2 Top 25!

SID Sports Week 2 Top 25

1. Georgia 1-0 LW: 1
   Georgia took Clemson behind the woodshed in Week 1 and let the world know that the Bulldogs are still the best of the best. Their defense stood in the way of every single thing the Clemson offense tried and Carson Beck and company tore through what should be a solid Tiger unit. This Georgia team is going to make a lot of people look silly.

2. Ohio State 1-0 LW: 2

   Ohio State got an expected result in a win over Akron, but the offense took a bit to get going. Once they were started, there was no stopping the Buckeyes. Will Howard looked like an upgrade from Kyle McCord, Treveyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins were impossible to stop, and the Buckeyes may have their next star receiver in Jeremiah Smith ready to go.

3. Texas 1-0 LW: 4

   I thought Colorado State would be a decent team this year. Texas didn’t care. The Longhorns pitched a shutout and put 52 on the Rams’ domes. The rushing attack didn’t lose a step with Jerrick Gibson and Jaydon Blue stepping up and the defense only allowed 74 passing yards. Scary stuff.

4. Oregon 1-0 LW: 3

   I don’t like to overreact to Week 1 games - especially against FCS opponents - but Texas looked so much better than Oregon did, hence the flip flop. Idaho is a great FCS team, but they’re an FCS team and Oregon has title aspirations. Dillon Gabriel was lethal in the short passing game, but I want to see them take more shots and open the offense up more as the season goes on.

5. Penn State 1-0 LW: 5
   A gnarly looking storm couldn’t slow the Nittany Lions and neither could West Virginia. Despite a lengthy game delay, Penn State dominated all aspects of the game. Drew Allar looked comfortable and the one-two punch of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton were punishing. I think Andy Kotelnicki may have been the missing piece in Happy Valley.

6. Oklahoma 1-0 LW: 6
   Temple didn’t really have a chance, did they? Jackson Arnold didn’t post the gaudiest numbers with only 141 passing yards, but his four touchdown passes were impressive. The defense is always going to be a strength here, but if Arnold can protect the ball and be as efficient as he was, the Sooners can go far.

7. Michigan 1-0 LW: 8
   Michigan was in a tight battle with Fresno State in the first half, but turned it on in the second to cruise to a 30-10 victory. It seems like Davis Warren was the winner of the quarterback battle, but I expect Alex Orji will still get some snaps, most often in running situation.

8. Alabama 1-0 LW: 8
   The Kalen DeBoer era got off to a great start in a 63-0 win over Western Kentucky. Jalen Milroe was debatably the most efficiently scoring quarterback in the nation, going 7-9 for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air and adding 79 yards and two scores on the ground. He’s going to thrive in this wide open offense and the defense shut down a Hilltopper offense that’s always good for some points.

9. Notre Dame 1-0 LW: 15
   The Irish got the win in Bryan-College Station after a tight first half and the defense showed up big time. Texas A&M’s Conner Weigman looked confused all night and the Aggies struggled to get anything going on the ground. Riley Leonard didn’t have his best game, but tailback Jeremiyah Love was able to get the job done in the fourth quarter.

10. USC 1-0 LW: 20
    The Trojans notched the season’s first win over a Top-10 team in a thrilling game Sunday night against LSU. I’ll be honest, I didn’t think D’Anton Lynn could get the defense right, but his second-half adjustments to slow down Kyren Lacy really impressed me. Miller Moss was schemed up to have a great game and spread the ball around a ton. If the defense can continue to grow, the Trojans may be one of Lincoln Riley’s best teams.

11. Tennessee 1-0 LW: 11
    Tennessee was one of many SEC teams that lit up the scoreboard last week, running through Chattanooga 69-3. Nico Iamaleava was 22-28 for 314 yards and three touchdowns and tailback Dylan Sampson averaged over 10 yards a carry with three scores of his own. This team will go as far as the offense takes it.

12. Missouri 1-0 LW: 12
    Luther Burden hauled in Brady Cook’s only touchdown pass and the Tigers trounced Murray State 51-0. Missouri had eight players with a carry and four of them found the endzone.

13. Ole Miss 1-0 LW: 13
    You can always count on a Lane Kiffin-led transfer team to post 76 points in their first week, right? It was against Furman, but Jaxson Dart had five touchdown passes in the first half. The SEC is going to be a bloodbath this season.

14. Utah 1-0 LW: 14

    In what was perhaps the most Utah way possible, the Utes won 49-0 and I didn’t even notice it. Cam Rising is back and his five touchdown passes against Southern Utah show that the super-super senior is finally healthy and ready to lead the Utes to the playoff.

15. Kansas State 1-0 LW: 17
    Kansas State cruised to a 41-6 win over UT Martin and had the complete game I expected from them. Avery Johnson had two touchdown passes, the Wildcats blocked a punt for a touchdown, and Dylan Edwards added two scores - one on the ground and one in the air. All while the defense held the Skyhawks to 134 total yards.

16. Oklahoma State 1-0 LW: 18
    Oklahoma State had one of the toughest FCS opponents in South Dakota State but the Cowboys were unfazed in a 44-20 win. Ollie Gordan did Ollie Gordon things (146 total yards and three total scores) and Alan Bowman threw for 267 yards and three scores.

17. Iowa 1-0 LW: 19
    Hold onto your butts, Iowa scored 40 points! Is that a sign of things to come? No, probably not. They beat up on FCS Illinois State, but Cade McNamara threw for three touchdowns and Kaleb Johnson ran for two more. The defense didn’t get on the board at all today. Let’s wait to see if they can do this against an FBS opponent before declaring the Hawkeyes offense solved.

18. Kansas 1-0 LW: 21
    Let’s be honest, Lindenwood was set up for the 48-3 drubbing they got from the jump. This was a complete game from Lance Leipold’s squad - Jalon Daniels had a decent game, but Devin Neal had 112 yards and two scores on only eight carries. The Jayhawks weathered some turnovers, which they’ll need to fix soon.

19. Louisville 1-0 LW: 22

    The Tyler Shough era in Louisville saw no hitches in a 62-0 win over FCS Austin Peay. Seeing a trend here? JaCorey Brooks was Shough’s top target and Isaac Brown added in a strong running game. The Cardinals defense spent the day in the Governor’s backfield, racking up five sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

20. Miami 1-0 LW: Next Five Out
    We get our first new entrant to the Top 25 in Miami. It’s rare that you see a team dominate a rivalry game as much as the Hurricanes did against Florida. The defense shut down everything Billy Napier called. Cam Ward and Damien Martinez were virtually unstoppable. This Miami team is undeniably talented, but can they keep up that level of play?

21. LSU 0-1 LW: 7
    LSU took a big tumble after their neutral-site loss to USC, but it was a close game and the Tigers played well. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier took care of the ball and was incredibly efficient. I think tailback John Emery Jr. was the best of the bunch, but I’m worried about this defense. They allowed 378 passing yards to the Trojans, but their 3.3 yards per carry allowed wasn’t too bad. Let’s see if the Tigers rebound from this loss to a very good Trojans team.

22. Arizona 1-0 LW: 25
    Boy did the Brent Brennan era in Arizona get off to a hot start. Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan were the best tandem in the nation and tailback Jacory Croskey-Merritt added 100 yards and a score on the ground. They allowed 39 points to New Mexico, though, which is something to monitor going forward.

23. NC State 1-0 LW: 23
    The Wolfpack struggled against Western Carolina, but 21 points in the fourth quarter landed NC State a comfortable three score win. Kevin Concepcion was a star, as we assumed, but Jordan Waters really shined on the ground with 123 yards and two scores on 20 carries. Grayson McCall was solid, not great, though. They’ll need him to play better if they want to go far in a wide open ACC.

24. SMU 2-0 LW: 24
    The Week Zero close game against Nevada was worrying, but the Mustangs dispatched Houston Christian in style. I think quarterback Preston Stone is out of a job, though, as Kevin Jennings has outplayed him in both of SMU’s games. So far, Jennings has a 90.9 QBR, while Stone carries a 60.2. It’ll be interesting to see which one Rhett Lashlee turns to next week against BYU.

25. Auburn 1-0 LW: Next Five Out
    I was skeptical about this Auburn team, especially on offense, but it’s hard to discount 73 points, even if it came against Alabama A&M. Payton Thorne struck for four touchdowns in the air and one on the ground and all three quarterbacks that played posted QBRs over 95. Hugh Freeze always dials up a quarterback-friendly scheme and I think that’s the path forward for Auburn in the SEC.

Next Five Out: Memphis, Iowa State, Clemson, Boise State, Vanderbilt

Memphis did Memphis things against North Alabama where Seth Henigan annihilated the Lions through the air and the defense pitched a shutout. They’ve got a tougher test coming this week against Troy, but I think the Tigers can weather that storm. Iowa State came out a little flat against North Dakota, but the Cyclones were able to get past the Fighting Hawks 21-3. Rocco Becht played well, but I was most surprised by how strong the Iowa State secondary was, only allowing 121 total passing yards. Clemson was on the other side of a beatdown and it’s time to sound the alarm. We’re now 14 games into the Cade Klubnik-Garrett Riley era without results. Boise State played the marquee Group of Five matchup and made it out alive. Ashton Jeanty is the best tailback in the nation after 267 yards and six scores. Vandebilt is the surprise here after an overtime upset over Virginia Tech. The Commodores’ offense hummed under Diego Pavia, who has a massive chip on his shoulder and Jerry Kill in his corner.

Players of the Week

1. Ashton Jeanty, RB Boise State
   Georgia Southern had no answer for Jeanty all day. The junior tailback gored the Eagles defense for 267 yards and six (!) rushing touchdowns on Saturday. He averaged 13.4 yards per carry on 20 carries. That’s videogame numbers. I’m really excited to see what he does against Oregon next week.

2. Tetairoa McMillan, WR Arizona
   Only one other player made a run at Jeanty’s gaudy statline and that was McMillan. His 1,400 yards season last year was no fluke as the junior snagged 10 catches for 304 yards and four scores against New Mexico. With an FCS matchup against Northern Arizona looming, expect McMillan’s statline to get even crazier.

3. Jackson Woodard, LB UNLV
   Let’s turn to the defensive side of the ball to UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard. He was all over the field in UNLV’s rout of Houston, posting a team-high 11 tackles and is one of three players with three sacks so far. Factor in four tackles for loss and a pass defensed and you get the best defensive outing in the nation last week.

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What I’m Reading:

Three-Point Stance by Tyler Schuster: Three-Point Stance is your favorite independent college football newsletter. Come for in-depth analysis and bold commentary, stay for the jokes and memes. An idea hatched after years of 12-hour days glued to the couch, Tyler Schuster puts his passion for the sport on full display, delivering big-picture ideas, weekly previews and gambling nuggets directly to your inbox.

An idea hatched after years of 12-hour days glued to the couch, Tyler Schuster puts his passion for the sport on full display, delivering big-picture ideas, weekly previews and gambling nuggets directly to your inbox.

House Blocking Analysis by Matt Wilson: They say games are won and lost in the trenches. Matt's going to break down exactly how it's done through great film breakdowns and write ups. I used to write with Matt for a Cleveland Browns site, so I know personally that he's going to churn out quality content you won't want to miss!

Split Zone Duo by Alex Kirshner, Steven Godfrey, and Richard Johnson: You can't beat Alex, Richard and Godfrey. They're on the front lines breaking news and creating the best content in the game. I 100 percent recommend SZD for anyone into college football and Steven Godfrey hating your team. They’re mostly a podcast publication, but sometimes being able to listen to three well-informed guys talking about college football is what you need in your life.

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