The AP Top 25 college football poll is out, and this should be the last week it does not include Big Ten teams. So before next week's shake-up -- which will also include the first weekend of SEC play -- here's what's on tap for each ranked team, starting with No. 1 Clemson.
No. 1 Clemson (2-0)
There wasn't much to learn from the Tigers' easy win over The Citadel, a glorified scrimmage that featured 49 first-half points for Clemson before Trevor Lawrence was pulled from the game. That none of the Tigers' stars got dinged up was a big plus, and if D-linemen Tyler Davis (knee) and Justin Foster (COVID-19 protocols) can get back on the field in two weeks against Virginia, everything should be clicking for Dabo Swinney's crew. -- David M. Hale
No. 2 Alabama (0-0)
Things are going smoothly in Tuscaloosa as the Crimson Tide have somehow avoided a single opt-out and coach Nick Saban reported on Wednesday that he expects no one to miss time because of COVID-19. The same can't be said of their Week 1 opponent, as Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said that 12 players will be out for the season opener on Saturday, making an already daunting challenge that much more difficult. -- Alex Scarborough
No. 3 Oklahoma (1-0)
After using Missouri State as a speed bump in a 48-0 win in Spencer Rattler's debut, Oklahoma will begin its quest for a sixth straight Big 12 title on Saturday at home against Kansas State. The Wildcats are coming off a loss to Arkansas State, but Sooners coach Lincoln Riley can just point to last year's 48-41 upset loss to K-State as a reminder of what's possible. For OU's defense, it's a chance to measure progress in a year. -- Dave Wilson
No. 4 Georgia (0-0)
The Bulldogs continue to play the waiting game at quarterback as former USC transfer J.T. Daniels still hasn't been fully cleared from his previous ACL injury. But, as coach Kirby Smart put it, he wouldn't be practicing if they didn't expect him to be cleared soon. Smart called him a likely game-time decision. With that said, Daniels might not be a shoo-in. Ever since Jamie Newman opted out, the buzz around D'Wan Mathis has been building. Instead of the two transfers, Georgia might end up playing the QB they've had all along. -- Scarborough
No. 5 Florida (0-0)
The SEC coaches last week voted redshirt senior Kyle Trask as the preseason first-team All-SEC quarterback. Maybe that says something about the pool of quarterbacks this season in the SEC, but it also says something about Trask's development under Dan Mullen. The Gators should be as balanced offensively as they've been under Mullen, and Trask's ability to spread the ball around and make key throws is a big part of that. -- Chris Low
No. 6 LSU (0-0)
Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin aren't walking back through that door. The Tigers are still down 17 starters from last season, not to mention both coordinators. But coach Ed Orgeron got a bit of good news this past week when defensive lineman Neil Farrell opted back in, providing some much-needed experience and depth up front. There's still plenty of talent in Baton Rouge, but there may be no bigger wild card in the SEC than LSU. -- Scarborough
No. 7 Notre Dame (2-0)
There had been some questions around the offense before the season started and the unit got off to a slow start in its first week against Duke. It adjusted, though, and showed some of its potential this past week against USF in a route. The real test for Notre Dame is a few weeks ahead with a tough stretch that starts with Louisville on Oct. 17 and includes games against Clemson and North Carolina. If the offense continues to get better, Notre Dame should be right in the mix for the ACC championship game. -- Tom VanHaaren
No. 8 (tie) Texas (1-0)
The Longhorns have to like what they see while getting ready for Saturday's visit to Lubbock. Sam Ehlinger completed 24 passes to nine different receivers for 429 yards and five TDs in just a half in the Horns' 59-3 win over UTEP. Texas Tech, meanwhile, gave up 572 passing yards to Houston Baptist in the Huskies' first-ever game against a Power 5 school as the Red Raiders barely escaped with a 35-33 win. -- Wilson
No. 8 (tie) Auburn (0-0)
By all accounts, Bo Nix had a terrific first season on the Plains, earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors. Not so fast. On a recent podcast, Nix said he lost his confidence and wasn't the same player he was in high school. With a year under his belt, it appears that's changed. Coach Gus Malzahn says he's different now. "It feels different. His approach is different. He's no longer a true freshman. I expect him to be a leader on this team. -- Scarborough
No. 10 Texas A&M (0-0)
The Aggies are looking for a breakthrough season, and they get a favorable matchup at home against Vanderbilt to test a lot of new faces on offense. Confidence is high in the two-headed backfield of Isaiah Spiller and Ainas Smith behind fourth-year starter Kellen Mond. But leading receiver Jhamon Ausbon opted out last week, so the hunt for a new No. 1 is on. There's not a lot of time for experimenting: Alabama and Florida await in the next two weeks. -- Wilson
No. 11 North Carolina (1-0)
The Tar Heels had their nonconference game against Charlotte canceled because of a COVID-19 outbreak among the 49ers team, so Week 3 was quiet in Chapel Hill. That wasn't ideal for the Tar Heels, who will now scramble to find a new nonconference opponent, but it's an extra week of prep for an offense that looked a bit out of sorts in its opener before finding footing in the fourth quarter. With an impressive-looking BC team on deck, the extra prep time might be a blessing. -- David M. Hale
No. 12 Miami (2-0)
Miami unveiled its new turnover chain and got to wear it three times against Louisville, but there is no doubt Manny Diaz will want to see improvements out of the defense after it gave up over 500 yards of offense. One more area that absolutely needs work: penalties. Miami had 11 for 89 yards and that is something that has to change moving forward. Still, Miami showed vast potential, especially on offense. Its big win Saturday can only help going into rivalry week against Florida State, in another national primetime game. Miami is far from being back, but the Hurricanes appear to be a vastly improved team from a year ago. -- Adelson
No. 13 UCF (1-0)
It is hard to be nitpicky about a dominant 49-21 win over Georgia Tech, but there are a few areas the Knights can work on as they prepare for their first conference game of the season against East Carolina. The first: penalties. UCF had eight of them, including several that stymied drives during a stagnant third quarter. Another: turnovers. The Knights had two, both in Georgia Tech territory. The third: run D, after giving up 227 yards rushing on the ground. As big as the margin of victory was, it could have been bigger. Mistakes are to be expected in season openers. Now, UCF will get back to work as it pushes to gain just a little more consistency. -- Adelson
No. 14 Cincinnati (1-0)
The Bearcats are on a mission to win the conference after losing to Memphis by five points in 2019. The defense is still pretty stocked with some key returning starters, including corner Ahmad Gardner. The offense is where more of the questions arise, but the team did not show any lag from the offseason in its first game against Austin Peay. That game was a nice warm-up to the season, but Army is next and eventually SMU and Memphis in October. Those games will be the real test for Cincinnati to see where it stacks up. -- VanHaaren
No. 15 Oklahoma State (1-0)
The Cowboys had a difficult first game against Tulsa with Spencer Sanders' first-quarter lower extremity injury. The offense was stagnant until third-string quarterback Shane Illingworth came in, but there's still concern as Oklahoma State opens up Big 12 play against West Virginia. The Mountaineers aren't a bad team to open up with given all of their uncertainties, but Oklahoma State can't afford another week like the one they just had. -- Harry Lyles Jr.
No. 16 Tennessee (0-0)
The offensive line was already going to be Tennessee's strength this season, but Cade Mays getting a waiver from the NCAA last week to be eligible to play right away this season gives the Vols a chance to be dominant up front. Mays, a starter at Georgia, still has to be cleared by the SEC in order to transfer within the conference. But the idea of Mays and Trey Smith anchoring that Tennessee offensive line opens up a lot of possibilities for the Vols on offense. -- Chris Low
No. 17 Memphis (1-0)
The Tigers are still looking to play their first game since Sept. 5, after their scheduled game this past week against Houston was postponed because a "significant number of individuals" inside the program were placed into quarantine because of coronavirus protocols. Saturday, it was reported that their game this Friday against UTSA was canceled. The next game on Memphis' schedule is at SMU on Oct. 3, and hopefully conditions allow for it to happen safely. -- Lyles
No. 18 BYU (1-0)
The Cougars will have gone 19 days in between games when they host Troy this week, following their 55-3 win to open the season against Navy on Sept. 7. Positive COVID-19 test results and the related contact tracing forced BYU to postpone the game it had scheduled with Army for Saturday. It's unclear when, or if, that game will be replayed or what the roster availability for the Cougars will look like this week. -- Low
No. 19 Louisiana (2-0)
Thanks primarily to Elijah Mitchell's rushing, UL survived a serious trap-game situation at Georgia State and now heads back to Lafayette to prepare for its first home game of the season against Georgia Southern. The Eagles were shaky against Campbell a week ago but are tough to prepare for. Survive that hurdle, and it's time for the Sun Belt game of the season: an October 7 visit to Appalachian State. -- Connelly
No. 20 Virginia Tech (0-0)
As of this writing, Virginia Tech is finally in a position to play some football. After having games against NC State and Virginia canceled, the Hokies will play the Wolfpack on Sept. 26. They're expected to contend in the Coastal Division, and they open up against an NC State team with a new offensive coordinator (Tim Beck) and a defense that has more potential than promise -- Lyles
No. 21 Pittsburgh (2-0)
The Panthers' vaunted defense did exactly what was expected against an overmatched Syracuse line. Pitt's D utterly harassed Tommy DeVito throughout, with one deep ball (by backup QB Rex Culpepper) serving as the only real offense the Orange could muster. But does Pitt's offense have enough to really challenge in the ACC? There were certainly some bright spots Saturday, including touchdowns from Jared Wayne and Jordan Addison, but the ground game continues to be a big concern. -- Hale
No. 22 Army (2-0)
After starting the season as the nation's only 2-0 team, Army saw its momentum slow with the cancellation of its game against BYU. The Black Knights looked long and hard for a replacement but ultimately came up empty. Now things get challenging. Jeff Monken's squad travels to Cincinnati this weekend to face the Bearcats, who could be the best team in the Group of 5.
No. 23 Kentucky (0-0)
Don't sleep on Kentucky in the race to win the SEC East. The dynamic Terry Wilson is back at quarterback after missing most of last season with an injury, and the defense is in good shape. But the biggest reason for optimism in Lexington has to be the offensive line. Known as "The Big Blue Wall," the line returns four of the top seven highest-graded lineman in the SEC last season, according to Pro Football Focus. -- Scarborough
No. 24 Louisville (1-1)
The Cardinals worked the entire offseason to make improvements on their defense, but they had little to show for it in a loss to Miami. Several coverage busts allowed Miami to score on quick, big plays, the type of mistakes that improving defenses generally do not make. Though Malik Cunningham threw for over 300 yards, he made several mistakes and turned the ball over multiple times. It won't be any easier next weekend against Pitt, which has played well defensively the first two weeks. -- Adelson
No. 25 Marshall (2-0)
With the Big Ten being eligible for AP Top 25 consideration starting next week, Marshall's stay may be short-lived, but the Thundering Herd should enjoy it. Following an impressive 17-7 takedown of previous No. 23 -- and defending Sun Belt champ -- Appalachian State, Marshall won't play again until Oct. 10 when it travels to Western Kentucky. Expect a heavy dose of RB Brenden Knox, who ran for 138 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Mountaineers.