College Football Power Rankings – Week 1

Boise State’s thrilling win over Virginia Tech on Monday night was a fitting conclusion to the first week of the season. Alabama maintained its No. 1 ranking comfortably, but the Broncos did make a dent in the Tide’s armor by earning two first-place votes while also gaining ground on Ohio State for the No. 2 spot.

TCU and Texas round out the top five while Utah, South Carolina and Arizona enter this week’s Top 25.

Here is this week’s Power Rankings:

College Football Power Rankings – Week 1
	RK (LW)	TEAM	REC	PTS	COMMENT
	1 (1)	Alabama (17)	1-0	495	The Crimson Tide rolled to their 25th consecutive regular-season win in their season opener, a 48-3 victory over San Jose State. Penn State visits on Saturday. Still no word of Mark Ingram’s return.
	2 (2)	Ohio State (1)	1-0	472	The last time the Buckeyes lost a home opener was Woody Hayes’ final season (1978) and Marshall wasn’t about to end that streak. A rematch of the 2002 national title game is next, as Miami visits Columbus on Saturday.
	3 (3)	Boise State (2)	1-0	470	The Broncos kept themselves in the national title hunt with an impressive 33-30 victory over Virginia Tech. Boise State looked formidable in all areas of the game, but none more so than the Kellen Moore-to-Austin Pettis combo.
	4 (7)	TCU	1-0	393	The Horned Frogs added to the non-AQ fun in Week 1, upending Oregon State 30-21. TCU wasn’t perfect, but behind Andy Dalton’s three-touchdown performance (he also had two INTs), the Frogs were able to keep their BCS dreams alive.
	5 (4)	Texas	1-0	388	It was a capable, if not overwhelming, performance in a 34-17 win over Rice. There were no thrills from Garrett Gilbert, who didn’t throw a TD pass but didn’t turn the ball over either, as UT relied on Tre Newton and Cody Johnson to carry the load.
	6 (9)	Iowa	1-0	366	Ricky Stanzi is on pace to throw zero interceptions in 2010. That may be a bit of a reach but the Hawkeyes did cruise comfortably in a 37-7 win over Eastern Illinois — their 10th straight season-opening win.
	7 (12)	Oregon	1-0	364	Return specialist Kenjon Barner was given a full run in the Ducks’ backfield (while LaMichael James served his one-game suspension), and he didn’t disappoint, scoring five TDs … in the first half of Oregon’s 72-0 romp over helpless New Mexico.
	8 (10)	Miami (FL)	1-0	349	Florida A&M was little more than a walkthrough ahead of the Hurricanes’ trip to the Horseshoe to face Ohio State. The road gets no easier after the Buckeyes, with visits to Pitt and Clemson forthcoming.
	9 (11)	Nebraska	1-0	327	The Cornhuskers won their 25th straight season opener with a convincing win over WKU, continuing the longest active streak in the country. Freshman QB Taylor Martinez (262 total yards, 3 TDs) had a dazzling debut for Nebraska.
	10 (6)	Oklahoma	1-0	324	With a career-high 218 yards from DeMarco Murray and a 142-yard, 2-TD effort from Ryan Broyles, it’s amazing to think the Sooners needed a fourth-quarter INT from Diondre Borel to feel safe at home against Utah State. A visit from Florida State awaits.
	11 (5)	Florida	1-0	321	Urban Meyer bemoaned his team’s “offensive incompetence” in a 34-12 win over Miami (Ohio) that was not without its nervous moments. A visit from South Florida is up next.
	12 (13)	Wisconsin	1-0	281	The Badgers left Las Vegas with a 41-21 victory but it was not until the second half when they did a number on UNLV. John Clay and Montee Ball combined for 202 yards rushing and four TDs to send Wisconsin to its 13th straight win in a season opener.
	13 (8)	Virginia Tech	0-1	249	The Hokies missed a big opportunity on a big stage Monday night, but they proved they can erase a deficit and hang with one of the best teams in the nation. Tyrod Taylor was impressive, passing for 186 yards and two touchdowns and running for 73 more.
	14 (18)	Florida State	1-0	201	In truth, it probably didn’t matter who patrolled sideline for the Seminoles — that’s how comprehensive their opening victory was over Samford. The real test for Jimbo Fisher and FSU takes place in Norman against Oklahoma on Saturday.
	15 (16)	Georgia Tech	1-0	171	Joshua Nesbitt completed just as many passes to his own team as South Carolina State (one), yet was the most dangerous player on the field. His 130 rushing yards and three touchdowns led the Yellow Jackets to a breezy opening week win.
	16 (15)	USC	1-0	162	Lane Kiffin had no shortage of adjectives to describe USC’s defensive performance against Hawaii and none of them was positive. One adjective to describe QB Matt Barkley is sparkling — his 5 TDs saved the Trojans mighty embarrassment.
	16 (17)	Arkansas	1-0	162	The Razorbacks will be stockpiling stats in the early part of the season, as they rolled by Tennessee Tech 44-3 in Week 1 and shouldn’t be tested by Louisiana-Monroe. QB Ryan Mallett accounted for 301 yards and three TDs in the win.
	18 (24)	Georgia	1-0	157	Aaron Murray has Georgia fans dreaming big after dismantling La.-Lafayette 55-7 in his debut. Murray threw three TD passes and ran for another, finishing with more than 200 yards of total offense. He’ll face a tougher test in Week 2 vs. South Carolina.
	19 (29)	Utah	1-0	134	Utah opened the season with a statement, handing Pitt a 27-24 OT loss. While the offense put up impressive numbers, it was the defense that made the difference for the Utes.
	19 (21)	Penn State	1-0	134	Robert Bolden was impressive in his first action as a college QB. He’ll need the confidence because Youngstown State is no Alabama and Tuscaloosa is no place for an inexperienced QB as the Nittany Lions hit the road to take on the defending champions.
	21 (22)	Auburn	1-0	105	The Tigers made quick work of Arkansas State, dismissing the Red Wolves 52-26. QB Cameron Newton, who threw three touchdowns and ran for two more, will open the conference schedule at Mississippi State next week.
	22 (19)	LSU	1-0	90	The Tigers got the win they needed — against a depleted North Carolina team, 30-24 — but the fact they nearly squandered a 20-point halftime lead is sure to raise eyebrows. Patrick Peterson and Russell Shepard were among the few bright spots for LSU.
	23 (28)	South Carolina	1-0	85	The Ol’ Ball Coach notched his first win of the season against Southern Miss, 41-13. The next game won’t be so easy, as the Gamecocks play host to Georgia. They’ll need another stellar performance from Stephen Garcia and Marcus Lattimore.
	24 (25)	Stanford	1-0	56	The Cardinal passed their first test of the post-Toby Gerhart era, rolling past Sacramento State, 52-17. Andrew Luck led the charge, completing nearly 74 percent of his passes for 316 yards and a career-high four TDs.
	25 (34)	Arizona	1-0	39	There was little the Wildcats did wrong in a comprehensive 41-2 win over Toledo. The only points they surrendered were self-inflicted and the only INT thrown by Nick Foles (32-37, 360 yards, 3 TDs) came off a deflection.
Others receiving votes: West Virginia (33), Oregon State (29), Notre Dame (25), Pittsburgh (20), Houston (20), Brigham Young (20), North Carolina (20), Michigan (14), California (7), Texas A&M (6), Missouri (4), Boston College (2), Fresno State (1), Mississippi State (1)

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