College Football

RJ Young's Top 25 rankings vs. AP Top 25 Poll: Alabama, Notre Dame too high?

Updated Sep. 9, 2024 1:44 p.m. ET

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RJ Young

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

Notre Dame's unforeseen loss to Northern Illinois on Saturday was just one of the jaw-dropping results from the second week of college football, a run that also included Iowa State upsetting Iowa, Illinois knocking off Kansas and Texas easily handling Michigan.

I released my Week 2 college football rankings on Saturday night, and Associated Press poll voters agree with me about who should be the top three teams in the country. After that, things differ a bit. Following Georgia (1), Ohio State (2) and Texas (3), I have Tennessee at 4, Ole Miss at 5 and USC at 6. The AP poll went with Alabama at 4, Ole Miss at 5 and Missouri at 6.

[Related: 2024 college football rankings: RJ Young's Ultimate 134]

But after the AP Top 25 Poll dropped on Sunday, there were three things that stood out to me above everything else:

1. Alabama looks sloppy

Former head coach Nick Saban might be getting ready to say this Alabama team can't play on his field.

Alabama looked sloppy for three quarters, allowing three sacks and committing three turnovers against South Florida. Now, Bama gets put in the same tier as Penn State — a program that doesn't know how to play four full quarters against lower-class competition.

Y'all need to figure out if you're a championship team or not, preferably before Wisconsin this week and Georgia the week after that.

2. Michigan isn't hitting double-digit wins this season

Michigan looks like the Big Ten's version of Florida State in the ACC — a team many thought was a top-10 program on the verge of being banished to the Shadow Realm.

Michigan lacks an offensive identity at quarterback and a bell-cow back, and the Wolverines have just one bona fide offensive weapon in tight end Colston Loveland.

Michigan, it smells like 8-4 in here.

3. Notre Dame is out of whack

More like Notre Cot Damn. How is facing Northern Illinois at home tougher than taking on Texas A&M on the road? Make me understand, Notre Dame. 

You know what? Don't waste my time. Off to Asphodel and into the Nothing with Notre Dame. Why?

It's not just that the Huskies beat the Irish, 16-14, in South Bend. It's that Notre Dame paid $1.4 million for the privilege. 

Notre Dame, I said you been had. You been took. Bamboozled. Hoodwinked. Led astray. Run amok.

This is what he does. NIU put the shimmy in the shag. Notre Dame put the money in the bag!

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast "The Number One College Football Show." Follow him at @RJ_Young and subscribe to "The RJ Young Show" on YouTube.

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