College Football Power Rankings: Week 1 (2021)

There were just five FBS games in Week 0, but we certainly learned a lot. Chip Kelly’s UCLA Bruins looked great, while Scott Frost’s Nebraska Cornhuskers looked anything but. Of the five games, four were blowouts – the only game that ended with a margin of victory of under 27 points was Illinois’ 30-22 victory over the aforementioned Cornhuskers.

A much better and fuller slate of games is on tap in Week 1, starting on Wednesday when UAB visits Jacksonville State and finishing with a matchup promising fireworks as Ole Miss battles Louisville on Monday night.

There were no teams from my Week 0 top 25 in action this weekend, so there was minimal movement in the power rankings. But after reading practice reports, watching some clips, and digging a bit deeper, I did make a few adjustments from Week 0 to Week 1. Let’s dive in.

No Juice on Week 1 College Football Games Featuring Top-25 Teams  >>

College Football Power Rankings: Week 1

*(NS) = neutral site; (NR) = not ranked in power rankings last week

Big Movers

As mentioned in the open, none of these teams played last week, so the movement was minimal and strictly based on reports and a little bit of film study. Here are the teams that I adjusted from Week 0.

Cincinnati Bearcats
I flip-flopped Cincinnati and Wisconsin this week. Wisconsin didn't do anything negatively in my eyes, but I really like what I'm seeing from the Bearcats in camp. Desmond Ridder shouldn't be slept on, and their coaching staff is intense and locked in. They know they don't have to justify their lofty ranking - they need to go out and play their game and the rest of the country will be on notice.

Miami Hurricanes
D'Eriq King still hasn't seen a live rep since having ACL surgery, but he looks like he's back to his old self on the practice field. Reports from Miami beat writers are extremely positive and optimistic. His health is the biggest question mark for this team at the current moment, so the positivity gave them a one-spot boost.

Texas Longhorns
I was too optimistic last week with the Longhorns. At the end of the day, it's going to take a bit of time to mesh with a new coaching staff, and I think Iowa and Indiana are going to have much more chemistry to start the year.

Liberty Flames
The Flames bumped Oklahoma State out of the power rankings; there's some doubt coming from beat writers about the potential of this offense out of the gate after losing their two biggest playmakers. Liberty on the other hand returns one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, and they're poised to put some crooked numbers up on the scoreboard.

Random Musings

Without any action from these teams in Week 1, I'll highlight a few big games right out of the gate - especially those I left out of this section in Week 0.

Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa kicks off conference play in their first game with a meeting against Indiana. It's going to be strength against strength - Iowa's defense against Michael Penix Jr. and the Indiana offense. If Penix can immediately bounce back from knee surgery, we could be looking at a slight upset from the Hoosiers on the road. But, this is also a chance for the Hawkeyes to solidify themselves as a contender within the Big Ten, and you know their crowd is going to be up to the challenge.

Penn St. Nittany Lions
Penn State finished 2020 with just a 4-5 record, and they have a tall task ahead of them if they want to start this season on a better note than they started last season. A trip to Madison to play the Badgers is on the horizon, and Sean Clifford better shake off the rust quickly, or it could be early panic time in Happy Valley.

Ole Miss Rebels
Mississippi can justify the early-season hype with a big victory over Louisville on the national stage on Monday night. If the Rebels pull out the win, watch out for some early-season Heisman chatter for Matt Corral.

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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.