College Football

Georgia on top, Florida State rising in Joel Klatt's Top 10

Updated Sep. 5, 2023 4:52 p.m. ET

Week 1 of the college football season was filled with excitement and plenty of fireworks from the top teams in the nation.

Georgia shook off a slow start and cruised past UT Martin, Michigan looked dominant in a win over East Carolina, and Florida State, behind quarterback Jordan Travis, looked like a legitimate College Football Playoff threat with an impressive victory over LSU.

FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt released his Top 10 rankings Tuesday night following Duke's season-opening upset win over Clemson.

The two-time defending national champion Bulldogs remain in the top spot in Klatt's rankings, while Michigan and Alabama round out the top three.

Here is a look at Klatt’s complete Top 10 following Week 1.

1. Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated UT Martin, 48-7

Following a slow start, the Bulldogs looked like the defending national champions in the second half of Saturday's win. Carson Beck made his first career start under center, taking over for Stetson Bennett. Beck threw for 294 yards and a touchdown while adding 12 yards and a score on the ground. While there was plenty of talk surrounding Beck and how he would respond to taking on the starting QB role, this is not a team centered around its quarterback or offense. Kirby Smart has built something that is bigger than a quarterback. This is a roster-based team, and they are still the best roster in college football, despite a sluggish first half in Week 1.

2. Michigan Wolverines
Record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated East Carolina, 30-3

Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy showed up at Michigan Stadium wearing a blue "FREE HARBAUGH" shirt in order to let Michigan's head coach know his players were thinking about him as he serves a school-imposed, three-game suspension. The junior signal-caller made his coach proud, as he threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns in a dominant 30-3 victory. All three of McCarthy's touchdown passes went to Roman Wilson, who finished with six catches for 78 yards. The Wolverines should be just fine without Harbaugh for their first three games as they get set to host UNLV in a Week 2 matchup.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Middle Tennessee State, 56-7

There has been a lot of chatter about this being the year Alabama falls off. Nick Saban's group certainly looked like a top-five team on Saturday. Making just his second-career start under center, Jalen Milroe looked like the best athlete on the field in the Crimson Tide's blowout win. The talented redshirt sophomore was accurate in the passing game, completing 13 of 18 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns, and he showed off his impressive athleticism with a team-best 48 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. The real test for Saban's team will come this weekend when they host No. 11 Texas.

4. Florida State Seminoles
Record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated LSU, 45-24

There was plenty of hype surrounding Mike Norvell's team heading into the 2023 campaign, but no team, outside of maybe Colorado, notched a bigger win in Week 1 than the Seminoles. Quarterback Jordan Travis was outstanding in Florida State's upset of LSU, completing 23 of 31 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns while adding 38 yards and another score on the ground. The Seminoles outscored the Tigers 31-7 in the second half thanks to Travis and his new target, Keon Coleman, who hauled in nine catches for 122 yards and three touchdowns after transferring from Michigan State. Florida State has the look of a team that could make a run to the College Football Playoff.

No. 8 FSU stuns No. 5 LSU in 45-24 win

Joel Klatt recapped Florida State's 45-24 win over LSU.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes
Record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Indiana, 23-3

The Buckeyes took care of business in Week 1, notching a 23-3 win over Indiana, but Ryan Day's group did not look like one of the top teams in the country this past weekend. Kyle McCord struggled in his first start under center, and the offensive line did not do him any favors. McCord finished 20-of-33 with 239 yards and an interception, and the Buckeyes' rushing attack managed just 143 yards on the ground against an Indiana team that is expected to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten. This is a talented group that will have the opportunity to get things right over the next two weeks before traveling to South Bend for a Week 4 showdown against Notre Dame on Sept. 23.

6. Penn State Nittany Lions
Record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated West Virginia, 38-15

Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions looked as good as advertised. Making his first starter under center, Allar completed 21 of 29 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who looks like one of the top wide receivers in the Big Ten. Jame Franklin's team looked excellent on the defensive side of the ball, forcing four punts and three turnovers on downs in the victory. This is a defensive group that has talent at all levels, which should help it compete with Michigan and Ohio State for a Big East title.

Ohio State's Kyle McCord & Penn State's Drew Allar make debuts in week 1

Joel Klatt reacted to QB debuts around college football.

7. Washington Huskies
Record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Boise State, 56-19

Michael Penix Jr. picked up right where he left off last season. The talented left-handed signal-caller completed 29 of 40 passes for 450 yards and five touchdowns in a dominant win. Penix's five TD passes matched a career-high, with four of them coming in the second quarter. The former Indiana transfer should be in the Heisman Trophy conversation throughout this season, especially if the offense continues to put up these types of numbers. Washington looks like an early favorite in the Pac-12, which went 12-0 as a conference in Week 1.

8. USC Trojans
Record: 2-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Nevada, 66-14

The hype continues to build around Caleb Williams as if it wasn't high enough following his Heisman-winning 2022 campaign. The Trojans QB was incredible once again this past weekend in USC's blowout win. Williams was a human highlight film, making near-impossible throws look easy. He passed for 319 yards and five touchdowns in the victory. Williams has played in 16 total games now at USC and has five touchdowns in six of those games. But as good as Williams and the Trojans' offense looked, there were some slight concerns on defense as USC surrendered 360 yards to a Nevada team that went 2-11 last season while averaging only 304.5 yards per contest. This is a defense that will have to answer some questions once it gets into Pac-12 play.

9. Utah Utes
Record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Florida, 24-11

Utah also notched an impressive Week 1 win, and the Utes did it without starting QB Cam Rising, who is one of the top signal-callers in the nation. Junior Bryson Barnes filled in for Rising and tossed a 70-yard touchdown pass on Utah's first play of the game, which ultimately set the tone for the remainder of the contest. While Barnes helped guide the offense, it was Utah's defense that was the real story. The Utes recorded five sacks, picked off a pass, and held Florida to just 1-of-13 on third down and 2-of-5 on fourth down. Utah also limited the Gators to just 13 total rushing yards in the victory. This was a win the Pac-12 had to have and showed that Utah should be a force to be reckoned with once again this season.

10. Tennessee Volunteers
Record: 1-0
Week 1 result: Defeated Virginia, 49-13

Offense, offense and yes … more offense. Joe Milton and the Tennessee Vols scored on their opening offensive drive against Virginia and never trailed. Milton, who is now the full-time starter under center for Josh Heupel's team, completed 21 of 30 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding 33 yards and two more scores on the ground. The Vols put up 499 yards of total offense in this one while showing a balanced attack. This is a team that looks like it can score on anybody in the always-impressive SEC.

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