One of the great advantages about the college football seasons when you get through Week 2 is that almost every team has played at least one game against a competitive opponent. Those head-to-head results are crucial for making updates to the college football rankings, and with less data points the changes could be drastic in the wake of notable results.
Oklahoma hosting Michigan was always going to be a measuring stick game for both teams in 2025, and the Sooners passed the test with a 24-13 win that showcased both a stout Brent Venables defense and the playmaking of new quarterback John Mateer. It was a quality win against a quality opponent, and one that got the attention of the voters for the CBS Sports 136, our comprehensive ranking of every FBS team.
The Sooners move up to No. 12 was one of the more notable moves within the top 20 of the rankings, but there is some shuffling at the very top that reflects changing sentiment among our experts. Ohio State, LSU and Penn State all held their positions in the top three from last week, but both Miami and Oregon jumped up ahead of Georgia, which fell from No. 4 to No. 6.
That should be considered a reflection of voters taking to Miami and Oregon rather than fading Georgia, as the Bulldogs have yet to play a power conference opponent. Additionally the margin between Miami and Oregon is razor thin, so it’s clear that both of these teams are getting some buzz with their strong starts to the season.
Naturally, we have some big changes coming for top teams that took losses like Florida, Arizona State and Kansas State. As well as big opportunities for moves up by the teams who delivered stunning upsets and suddenly look like a more formidable foe in 2025.
Check out those and other the notable moves from throughout the CBS Sports 136 in the Mover’s Report below the top 25 table.
College football experts from CBS Sports and 247Sports contribute ballots each week, which are averaged together for our rankings. You can see the top 25 below and 26-136 on our rankings page.
Biggest movers
- No. 37 Mississippi State (+25): Taking down a top-15 opponent at home in thrilling fashion is going to get the attention of voters who previously had the Bulldogs buried down in the middle tier of the entire FBS landscape. It should have also gotten the attention of the rest of the SEC, which should expect a much tougher task getting past Jeff Lebby’s crew here in Year 2.
- No. 12 Oklahoma (+16): One of the biggest stages of Week 2 saw Oklahoma deliver one of the most important wins of the Brent Venables era. The Sooners defense allowed just one touchdown all night and John Mateer was a shining star with his playmaking in the first half, paving the way for a wire-to-wire win in Norman.
- No. 17 USF (+16): The Bulls have now jumped 64 spots from their preseason ranking off the backs of wins against Boise State and Florida. And while we may have been a little low on USF to start the year the strength of those two victories, and the quality on display in the wins, suggests we won’t be seeing Alex Golesh’s team outside the top 50 again anytime soon.
- No. 54 UNLV (+14): Dan Mullen’s Rebels are 3-0 after taking down UCLA on Saturday night in Las Vegas. And while the first two victories came in some higher-scoring affairs against lesser competition it was the defense that stood tall in key spots for UNLV to log a power conference win.
- No. 38 SMU (-17): The overall quality of SMU, in a vacuum, hasn’t really changed much since the double-overtime loss to Baylor. But since SMU blew a 14-point lead in the final nine minutes it’s understandable why our voters might have a lower opinion on the Mustangs coming out of Week 2.
- No. 59 Kansas State (-20): Things have gone from bad to worse for Chris Klieman’s team, who returned from a tough loss in Ireland to find a struggle with FCS North Dakota and now a loss to Army. The Wildcats started the season as a potential Big 12 contender, but now face the potential of fighting for a spot in the postseason with two losses before mid-September.
- No. 35 Arizona State (-23): The Sun Devils nearly got out of Starkville with a narrow win if not for pass coverage breakdowns in the final moments of the loss at Mississippi State. Arizona State will have chances to bounce back up in the rankings with several games against other Big 12 opponents, but here we see a pretty big punishment for the loss.
- No. 36 Florida (-25): The Gators had a long fall coming from their position up inside the top 15, but that kind of correction is going to come for a team that loses as a three-score favorite at home.
Check out the rest of the CBS Sports 136: Teams ranked 26-136
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