AP Top 25 Heat Check: Badgers, ‘Horns Surge; Tigers Tumble

The first weekend of the college football season mostly lived up to the hype, no thanks to Southern California.

Seven teams ranked in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, including two in the top five, lost. The first poll of the regular season had four new teams in it, with No. 10 Wisconsin and No. 11 Texas making huge jumps into the rankings.

The first month or so of the season is always the most volatile and difficult for the 61 media members who vote in the poll. How do you balance wanting to rank on results with the fact that there are so few games of value?

In recent years, voters have become more comfortable making dramatic shifts in early season polls — which is how you get LSU dropping 16 spots after one loss and Wisconsin going from unranked to 10th.

How did the voters do this week? Time for a heat check.

No. 1 Alabama (1-0)

The only nit to pick is there are still seven voters giving their No. 1 vote to other teams. Maybe they're upset Nick Saban lied about his quarterbacks?

Next: Western Kentucky

Heat check: Just right.

No. 2 Clemson (1-0)

It wasn't Deshaun Watson's best game against Auburn, but he made a handful of spectacular plays that few others can. And that was the difference between winning and losing.

Next: Troy

Heat check: A touch too hot.

No. 3 Florida State (1-0)

Who else coaches quarterbacks as well as Jimbo Fisher? It'd be a short list.

Next: Charleston Southern.

Heat check: Too cold. Flip-flop with Clemson.

No. 4 Ohio State (1-0)

Look out for H-back Curtis Samuel playing the versatile role that the Buckeyes never quite found the sweet spot last season with Braxton Miller. Samuel had 84 yards rushing and 177 receiving in the Bowling Green blowout.

Next: Tulsa.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 5 Michigan (1-0)

The Wolverines don't leave home for a game until Oct. 8.

Next: UCF.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 6 Houston (1-0)

The Cougars made a big jump to their best ranking since 1990, but are likely to settle in right around here for a while. How much credit will they get from voters for road victories against American Athletic Conference rivals Cincinnati and Navy in the next month?

Next: Lamar.

Heat check: Too cold after one of the weekend's best victories.

No. 7 Stanford (1-0)

QB Ryan Burns was great against Kansas State. If he keeps burning opponents who stack the box to stop McCaffrey, the Cardinal will be just fine.

Next: vs. USC, Sept. 17.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 8 Washington (1-0)

One red flag from an easy victory against Rutgers: No running back averaged more than 4 yards per carry.

Next: Idaho

Heat check: Huskies hype is too hot.

No. 9 Georgia (1-0)

Great start for Kirby Smart, but a top-10 ranking for beating North Carolina seems like a bit much.

Next: Nicholls.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 10 Wisconsin (1-0)

Badgers can bask in the big win for a couple weeks. Then, starting Sept. 24: at Michigan State, at Michigan, Ohio State, at Iowa, Nebraska. This top-10 thing might not last long.

Next: Akron.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 11 Texas (1-0)

It is way too early to proclaim Texas truly back, but what the Longhorns have most lacked under Charlie Strong was a quarterback and an offensive identity. For the first time it looks as if they now have those.

Next: UTEP.

Heat check: Too cold. Top-10? Sure.

No. 12 Michigan State (1-0)

We'll find out soon enough if the Spartans were saving themselves against Furman for Notre Dame.

Next: at No. 18 Notre Dame, Sept. 17.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 13 Louisville (1-0)

After eight touchdowns against Charlotte, QB Lamar Jackson gets a nice stage to show off this week. Then things get serious in Week 3 when Florida State comes to the 'Ville.

Next: at Syracuse, Friday.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 14 Oklahoma (0-1)

Under almost no circumstances is it acceptable for Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon to get a combined 12 rushing attempts in a game for the Sooners again this season.

Next: Louisiana-Monroe.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 15 TCU (1-0)

Should we be worried about the spotty performance, especially on defense, against South Dakota State? We'll find out Saturday.

Next: Arkansas.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 16 Iowa (1-0)

What better way to celebrate a victory against Miami, Ohio, than by giving a six-year contract extension to coach Kirk Ferentz.

Next: Iowa State.

Heat check: Ferentz possibly coaching 27 seasons at Iowa sounds just right.

No. 17 Tennessee (1-0)

The Volunteers' offensive line was brutal against Appalachian State. Better improve against Bud Foster's defense or the next slide will be right out of the Top 25.

Next: Virginia Tech at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Heat check: Too hot. Other team's losses were better than the Vols' win.

No. 18 Notre Dame (0-1)

At this point we can assume Brian Kelly is continuing the quarterback competition to keep Malik Zaire focused. Because DeShone Kizer has nothing left to prove.

Next: Nevada.

Heat check: Too cold.

No. 19 Mississippi (0-1)

The way it happened made the loss to Florida State feel worse than it was.

Next: Wofford.

Heat check: Too cold.

No. 20 Texas A&M (1-0)

Department of everything is relative: Longhorns blow a lead and win in OT. Is Texas back? Aggies blow a lead and win in OT? Is Sumlin off the hot seat?

Next: Prairie View.

Heat check: Too cold.

No. 21 LSU (0-1)

Maybe we shouldn't be surprised about LSU: When nothing changes, why expect different results? Though it does seem as if the voters were being a punitive in their treatment of the Tigers.

Next: Jacksonville State.

Heat check: Too cold.

No. 22 Oklahoma State (1-0)

Cowboys power booster T. Boone Pickens prefers SMU and Houston for Big 12 expansion.

Next: Central Michigan.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 23 Baylor (1-0)

Didn't think the Bears should have been ranked in the first place.

Next: SMU.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 24 Oregon

As bad as the Ducks' D was last season, allowing 4.9 yards per play, even to UC Davis, is somewhat encouraging.