ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit has named his top college football teams following a crazy week. Week 2 featured two improbable upsets.
Marshall won at No. 9 Notre Dame in a 26-21 stunner. The Thundering Herd helped ice the game with a late interception return for a touchdown.
Additionally, Appalachian State found some magic to win at No. 6 Texas A&M. App State won despite a massive talent gap. Texas A&M’s offense struggled mightily. The Aggies finished with under 200 total yards. App State’s defense gave up 63 points last week to UNC, so the result was extremely concerning for Texas A&M’s offense.
In another great game, No. 1 Alabama won 20-19 at Texas. Quarterback Bryce Young help the Crimson Tide remain undefeated with several clutch plays. The Crimson Tide scored a last second field goal after trailing for almost the entire second half.
Here’s how Kirk Herbstreit ranks his top six college football teams:
No. 6 Clemson Tigers
Clemson defeated Furman 35-12. The Tigers continue to show some weakness on the offensive side of the football. Clemson has a great defense, but Furman actually outgained Clemson 384-376.
No. 5 USC Trojans
USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams threw for four touchdowns against Stanford. The Trojans jumped out to a 41-14 lead, but Stanford closed the gap to 41-28 in the fourth quarter before USC ran out the clock.
The Trojans play Fresno State in Week 3. USC may be the Pac-12’s top hope at making the College Football Playoff.
No. 4 Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines defeated Hawaii 56-10. The Wolverines won’t be tested until they play Maryland in Week 4. Michigan has a fairly easy schedule to start the season, but the Wolverines do have several tests in the second half of their schedule.
No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama’s 20-19 win over Texas showed that the Crimson Tide are not invincible. The 2022 edition of Alabama may be quite similar to the 2021 edition of the Crimson Tide that was involved in several close games.
No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State toppled Arkansas State 45-12 to move to 2-0. The Buckeyes’ season opening win over Notre Dame doesn’t look as impressive now after the Fighting Irish lost at home to Marshall.
No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia cruised to a 33-0 win over Samford. The Bulldogs are outscoring opponents 82-3 to start the 2022 college football season.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett looks sharp to start the season. Georgia does face a road test at South Carolina in Week 3.