College Football Power Rankings: Week 0 (2021)
Welcome back, college football fans! It’s been a long eight-month layoff, but football is finally here.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are looking to defend yet another title, after they thrashed the Ohio State Buckeyes 52-24 in the College Football Playoff Title National Championship. They’re in perfect position to do so, as they enter the 2021 season as the number-one ranked team in the AP Poll, the Coaches Poll, and most importantly: my power rankings!
Week 0 features just five games, so we’re still a little under two weeks away from the best teams in the land taking the field, but opening weekend should still be filled with excitement. Here are the games on tap on Saturday:
- Nebraska @ Illinois
- UConn @ Fresno St.
- Hawai’i @ UCLA
- UTEP @ New Mexico St.
- Southern Utah @ San Jose St.
Every Monday, I’ll be publishing my top 25 power rankings, complete with notes, information, and highlights from the week prior. Check out the first edition of my rankings below:
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College Football Power Rankings: Week 0
* (NS) = neutral site
Big Movers
In a normal week, this section would highlight the three or four teams who jumped up or fell back the highest number of spots. Of course, since no games have been played and these are the initial rankings, no team has moved anywhere. Instead for Week 0, I'll highlight a few teams with the biggest disparity vs. their AP ranking.
Iowa State Cyclones
If you've read my Big Ten preview, you probably know I'm not Brock Purdy's biggest fan. I don't think he's very dynamic, and I don't think he's a guy I want to put my money behind in big games or pressure situations. Despite having a top-tier head coach and a great running back, a lot is going to fall on Purdy's shoulders, which is why I dropped them back three spots below their AP Poll position.
Cincinnati Bearcats
I really like everything Luke Fickell has done in Cincinnati, but I'm being a bit cautious with their #8 ranking in the polls. Last year was strange with all the COVID restrictions and cancellations. That doesn't mean the Bearcats aren't good - they are - I just don't think I can place them in my top 10 over some other consistent national powerhouses just yet. I hope they prove me wrong, because this is one of my favorite programs to watch.
Texas Longhorns
Is Texas back? Not yet, but they may finally be on their way back. It's going to take some time to adjust to Steve Sarkisian's way of doing things down in Austin, but there's no shortage of talent on this roster. And with the way Coach Sark likes to open up the offense, the learning curve should be quicker than expected. This program has heard enough of the jokes and had enough of the losing, and keeping them out of the top 20 felt like an indictment of their recent past and not a reflection of their bright immediate future.
Ole Miss Rebels
I'm extremely high on the University of Mississippi. I wrote in the notes section of the above table 'all aboard the Lane Train' - I'm a huge believer in a now experienced and much more mature Lane Kiffin. He's injected life into this program, top recruits want to play for him, and they're poised to score a boatload of points. Matt Corral is the perfect quarterback for Kiffin's system, and he's at the top of my list for surprise Heisman contenders. They're the first of two unranked teams to land in my top 25 power ranks.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
I understood why the Associated Press kept the Cowboys on the outside looking in - they've got to replace their best two offensive weapons from a year ago. But Mike Gundy is the epitome of consistency - he's won at least seven games and reached a bowl 15 straight seasons - and Spencer Sanders will be back under center. I think this is a more complete teams than many of the others ranked around the same area as the Cowboys, like Utah, Washington, and Michigan, to name a few.
Random Musings
In a normal week, this section would be filled with quick news and notes from some of the teams listed in my power rankings. Without any games played yet this year, I've pulled a few things to look out for once the season kicks off.
Clemson Tigers
In the first game of the post-Trevor Lawrence era, the Tigers will battle the fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. They've got a chance to make the rest of the country quickly forget any doubts they had about the team's potential without their star quarterback.
Miami Hurricanes
Long gone are the early-2000s days where the Canes were nearly a national title game lock, and here are the days where this program has been tagged as one who can't get it done late in the season. There's no tougher test in college football than the one they've got in Week 1 - against Alabama. How will D'Eriq King bounce back from ACL surgery? We'll soon find out.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Louisiana was one of the most surprising teams of 2020, and they've got a chance to solidify their legitimacy with a victory over the Texas Longhorns in Week 1. They're perfectly capable of doing it, too. This is a really well-rounded team that's extremely well-coached too. Their defense allowed just 22 points per game last year, and quarterback Levi Lewis has the luxury of standing behind a mountain of an offensive line. Doubt this program at your own risk.
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Mike Wagenman is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @mjwags23.