Miami (Fla.)
The Hurricanes leap to No. 1 with a second win against a top 15 opponent and their largest win against an AP Top 25-ranked team since 2001. Carson Beck (340 yards) led the way in a 576-yard performance, the program’s best production against a ranked team since 1998, in a 49-12 victory against USF. Next up: Billy Napier’s gator bait. 2 3-0
2

Ohio State
Ohio State won the battle for the state with a 37-9 win against Ohio. Jeremiah Smith had 153 receiving yards and two total touchdowns. The Buckeyes have won 61 games by double digits since 2019. They’re revving up, but with Texas’ issues growing, the season-opening win looks slightly different. 1 3-0
3

Georgia
Georgia’s defense left a lot of tape for Kirby Smart to chew up and spit out in the film room, but a win is a win, even if Tennessee deserved the victory, as Smart said after the 44-41 overtime win. Quarterback Gunner Stockton likely silenced a lot of critics in his first 300-yard game, completing 8 of 10 passes to tie the game in the final 3 minutes of regulation. The SEC race still goes through Athens. 3 3-0
4

LSU
Brian Kelly loves to crash out once a year in press conferences, but let’s face it: there are issues on offense for the Tigers. How in the heck does a team only score 20 points despite forcing five interceptions on defense? LSU averaged 2.1 yards per carry until a 51-yard run on the final play of the 20-10 victory against Florida. QB Garrett Nussmeier ranks 90th nationally in quarterback rating. That defense? It’s special and may finish the season in the top five. — 3-0
5

Oregon
Oregon will lose a Big Ten game at some point this century, but not this week. The Ducks drilled Northwestern 34-14 and moved to 10-0 in conference games since joining the league in 2024. Dante Moore threw his first interception of the season, and the Ducks gave up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter after going up 34-0, but it was still a great day along the shore of Lake Michigan. — 3-0
6

Penn State
We’re still waiting for Penn State to play a team with a pulse. The Nittany Lions beat Villanova 52-6 and made gamblers everywhere upset by allowing ‘Nova to score and cover the 48.5-point spread as time expired. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen each scored for the 17th time, the most by a duo in the Big Ten since 2000. Next up is a bye week before facing Oregon in a monstrous showdown. 4 3-0
7

Illinois
Illinois is the boa constrictor of college football, slowly strangling prey with strong-armed body slams in the trenches and a methodical offense capable of lulling you to sleep while also scoring at will. The Illini knocked off Michigan 38-0, while Luke Altmyer threw for two more touchdowns and has yet to be picked off. We can’t wait for the trip to Indiana this week. Finally, a worthy opponent for the Hoosiers, who have been feasting on fawn. — 3-0
8

Florida State
Florida State rested up during its bye week and will host Kent State on Saturday. You can hit the snooze button this week, Seminoles fans. The showdown against Miami on Oct. 4 could be epic. — 2-0
9

Texas A&M
The most entertaining game in a week of epic finishes, the Aggies rallied to beat Notre Dame 41-40 for their first ranked road win since 2014. Mario Craver was phenomenal, becoming the first player since 2022 to eclipse 200 receiving yards, and has emerged as a household name after starting the season with three straight 100-yard performances. And how about quarterback Marcel Reed extending plays and making big plays with his arm, including the game-winning throw on fourth down at the 11-yard line? These Aggies are for real. NR 3-0
10

Oklahoma
It’s never easy traveling to the East Coast, kicking off early in the day and playing in an unfamiliar environment, but the Sooners handled the weird road trip to Temple well. The Sooners picked up a 42-3 win against a well-coached K.C. Keeler squad. John Mateer, the Heisman Trophy favorite, threw for 282 yards and rushed for 63 more while scoring two total touchdowns. Next up is the return of Jackson Arnold, who leads Auburn against his former team in Norman this week. — 3-0
11

Utah
FBS teams hate traveling to Laramie because of how difficult Wyoming has proven to be at War Memorial Stadium, but the Utes passed the test with flying colors with a 31-6 victory. The Utes started slow with a 3-0 lead at halftime but cranked things up in the second half as dynamic quarterback Devon Dampier threw for 230 yards and rushed for 86 more. The Utes host Texas Tech in a battle of Big 12 heavyweights this week. The winner gets the leg up in the title race. 1 3-0
12

Tennessee
It’s difficult to see the light in the haze of a heartbreaking overtime loss, but the Vols might be the second-best team in the SEC after losing to Georgia in overtime. The Vols started hot, then traded jabs before missing a field goal and losing in overtime to the Bulldogs. Joey Aguilar was fantastic, scoring five total TDs and throwing for 371 yards and four scores. Amazingly, the Vols have led Georgia in the last seven meetings – and have lost all of those games. 5 2-1
13

Ole Miss
Is it a quarterback controversy or an embarrassment of quarterback riches when your backup is only the third in the last 30 years to throw for 350-plus yards and score two rushing touchdowns? Trinidad Chambliss led the Rebels to a 41-35 win against Arkansas in place of hobbled starter Austin Simmons. Lane Kiffin has decisions to make, but either way, the Rebels will be fine. Next up is Tulane, the favorite in The American. Sneaky great matchup, by the way. 3 3-0
14

Texas
Yes, Arch Manning is objectively and completely mediocre. Will he improve? Maybe. Will he get worse? Probably not. Does it matter? Yes. The Longhorns’ stock continues to tumble after a 27-10 victory against UTEP because the offense is just … meh. Manning was 11-of-25 passing for 114 yards and one touchdown with an interception. Texas fans booed him. That will continue if he struggles in the SEC. The good news is Sam Houston is next. Wait … Is that good news? 5 2-1
15

Georgia Tech
You’re a fool if you bet against Brent Key. He’s 16-6 as an underdog at Georgia Tech, and the early leader for ACC Coach of the Year won yet again with an insane 24-21 victory against overrated Clemson. Aidan Birr was downright chill as time ticked down on the clock before he kicked a record-breaking 55-yard field goal to clinch the win as time expired. Haynes King continues to be the most underrated quarterback in the country, recording the third 200-yard passing and 100-yard rushing game of his career. NR 3-0
16

Vanderbilt
The ‘Dores are just beating people down. Vandy marched into Columbia and drilled then-No. 11 South Carolina (we had them No. 21 in the Power Rankings last week). The Gamecocks lost QB LaNorris Sellers in the first half, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Vandy snapped its 31-game road losing streak against AP-ranked teams. NR 3-0
17

Alabama
Alabama’s receivers came back to life in a 38-14 shellacking of Wisconsin. Ryan Williams recorded the first 150-yard, two-touchdown game of his career. Ty Simpson became the first Alabama quarterback in the last 30 years to complete more than 80% of his passes while throwing for 350 yards and four touchdowns. 7 2-1
18

Missouri
Is Ahmad Hardy the best running back in the country? He ran for 250 yards and three touchdowns on only 22 carries, and did so without touching the ball in the fourth quarter of a 52-10 blowout of Louisiana. He’s run for 100-plus yards in every game this season. Hardy ranks second in rushing yardage (462) and is averaging 8.1 yards per carry. 1 3-0
19

Auburn
The Power Rankings still have an issue with Auburn’s herky-jerky passing offense, but Jackson Arnold continues to lead a fantastic rushing attack. The Tigers beat South Alabama 31-15, the program’s first three-game winning streak in six years. They did what they needed to do to set up an undefeated showdown in Arnold’s return to Oklahoma this week. 4 3-0
20

Texas Tech
Joey McGuire is 3-0 for the first time at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders defeated Oregon State 45-14 and Behren Morton threw for 442 yards and four touchdowns as one of the country’s more explosive offenses continues to march. Next up is Utah, which will reveal a lot about where the richest roster in the Big 12 stands. — 3-0
21

Notre Dame
The Power Rankings still love the Irish despite an 0-2 record. Losses on the final possessions against No. 1 Miami and No. 9 Texas A&M still count as losses, but it’s clear the potential is there for a double-digit winning season with great offensive production in both games and a strong defensive performance against the Hurricanes on the road. 8 0-2
22

Tulane
Tulane won the Darian Mensah Bowl with a 34-27 victory against Duke as the former Tulane quarterback returned to New Orleans and lost to his former team. The Green Wave and USF are the leaders in the Group of Six to snag a spot in the College Football Playoff. Tulane can gain the advantage this week against Ole Miss. 1 3-0
23

Mississippi State
The Bulldogs followed up their upset of Arizona State with a 63-0 win against Alcorn State. Jeff Lebby has already surpassed his win total from last season with a 3-0 start this fall. Next up is Northern Illinois. 2 3-0
24

Michigan
Michigan recorded its fourth-largest win over the last 80 years with a 63-3 blowout of Central Michigan. Keep your eyes on CBS this week with Nebraska hosting the Wolverines. This is a defining moment early in the season for both programs. 1 2-1
25

South Florida
The Bulls hang on loosely following a 37-point loss at Miami, the program’s worst loss as a ranked team. Byrum Brown still threw for 274 yards. Remember, USF and Tulane do not meet in the regular season, setting up the possibility of both programs running through the season with undefeated conference records before meeting in the American Championship Game. 14 2-1

Speaking alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to acknowledge that Israel did not kill Hamas leaders in its strike in Qatar last week, while putting a positive spin on the outcome.

“It didn’t fail, because it had one central message and we considered it before we launched it, and that is, you can hide, you can run, but we’ll get you,” he said at a Jerusalem press conference.

Israel targeted Hamas leaders last Tuesday in strikes in the Qatari capital that were said to kill five members of the terror group and a Qatari security officer. Israel’s security establishment was said to believe that the attack failed to take out Hamas’s top brass.

The strike elicited fury from Arab governments, including those with full diplomatic ties with Israel. On Monday, the leaders of Arab and Islamic states berated Israel in Doha at an emergency gathering in the wake of the attack.

US President Donald Trump has also expressed his displeasure, while tempering his public statements. He told reporters on Sunday that Israel must be “very, very careful” about how it handles Qatar, which he called a “great ally.”

Trump sounded similar notes shortly after the attack, when he posted on social media that the strike “does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” though he said that eliminating Hamas is a “worthy goal.

In a seeming gesture meant to reduce blowback to Washington in the wake of the strike, Netanyahu stressed at Monday’s press conference that Israel’s decision to act against Hamas in Qatar was a “wholly independent decision.”

“We assume full responsibility,” he said. “We did it on our own. Period.”

Rubio also sought to move past any public disagreement with Israel over the strike, saying, “We are focused on what happens next.”

At the same time, Netanyahu expressed sentiment that could be interpreted as an implicit rebuke of US criticism of the attack, blasting the “immense cynicism and hypocrisy” of those who assailed Israel over the strike.

Netanyahu pointed out UN Resolution 1373, ratified after the 9/11attacks, which says that no country can harbor or give safe haven to terrorists.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, on September 15, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The prime minister stressed that, after the 2001 attacks, the US “acted very boldly against the terrorist havens that were given to al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. The terrorist haven that was given to the chief terrorist [Osama] Bin Laden in Pakistan.”

Rubio will visit Qatar on Tuesday, The Washington Post reported, citing two American sources.

Rubio met with Netanyahu one-on-one for about an hour and a half before an expanded meeting with aides.

He also met Monday with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and President Isaac Herzog.

A ‘concise’ Gaza operation

Rubio’s visit came as Israel gears up for its announced full-fledged invasion of Gaza City. On Monday, Israeli forces continued to bring down high-rise buildings in the northern Gaza metropolis.

Flames erupt from a building following an Israeli military strike in Gaza City, September 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Yousef Al Zanoun)

In recent days, the IDF has instructed Palestinians in all areas of Gaza City to leave for the Israeli-designated “humanitarian zone” in the Strip’s south, ahead of a major offensive against Hamas. Out of the one million Palestinians who were in Gaza City, more than 320,000 have evacuated, according to IDF estimates.

Before his trip, Rubio said he would speak to Netanyahu about Israeli military plans to seize Gaza City, the largest urban center in the devastated territory, as well as the government’s talk of annexing parts of the West Bank in hopes of precluding a Palestinian state.

Rubio earlier said Trump wants the Gaza war to be “finished with,” which would mean the release of hostages and ensuring Hamas is “no longer a threat.”

Demonstrators protest near the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem, calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, September 13, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

But alongside Netanyahu, he showed firm support for Israel, saying that the “ideal outcome” is for Hamas to simply surrender, but “it may require ultimately a concise military operation to eliminate them.”

“As much as we may wish that there be a sort of a peaceful diplomatic way to end it,” said Rubio, “and we’ll continue to explore and be dedicated to it, we also have to be prepared for the possibility that that’s not going to happen.”

“Every single hostage, both living and deceased,” must be returned home immediately, said Rubio, and Hamas “can no longer continue to exist as an armed element that threatens the peace and security, not just of Israel, but of the world.”

Gazans deserve a better future, he continued, but that can’t begin “until Hamas is eliminated and until all of the hostages, both living and deceased, are home.”

Trump remains “committed firmly” to those goals, he said.

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