AP Top 25 Heat Check: Voters quick to invest in Notre Dame

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Texas out. Notre Dame in.

Those brand-name teams often get the benefit of the doubt early in the season from AP college football poll voters — though that doesn’t necessarily last very long.

The first regular-season AP Top 25 was released Tuesday and while the top was mostly unchanged, save a big drop by No. 10 Florida State, there was some shuffling at the bottom.

Texas, which got a preseason endorsement from voters, got the boot after a sloppy home loss to Maryland. The Longhorns, who were 5-7 last season, went from No. 23 to not receiving a vote.

Among the two newly ranked teams is the bluest of blue bloods: Welcome, No. 24 Notre Dame. Coming off a 4-8 season, the Fighting Irish were third among the others receiving votes in the preseason poll. So it was not too surprising that a 49-16 victory against Temple would lure in some voters.

Heat check probably would have waited to see Notre Dame play Georgia on Saturday before making even this modest investment in the Irish. Let’s take a look at how the voters did with the rest of the Top 25. Reminder: Too hot = ranked too high. Too cold = ranked too low.

(All games Saturday unless noted)

No. 1 Alabama (1-0)

They are who we thought they were.

Next: vs. Fresno State.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 2 Ohio State (1-0)

Sure, the Buckeyes took three quarters to ditch Indiana, but how many other ranked teams had a true road win against a 2016 bowl team in week one? That would be zero.

Next: vs. No. 5 Oklahoma.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 3 Clemson (1-0)

Suddenly, Clemson is the favorite in the ACC and it has almost nothing to do with that Kent State game.

Next: vs. No. 13 Auburn.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 4 Penn State (1-0)

Yes, it was only Akron, but 59-0 says something. Consider: During James Franklin’s first three seasons, Penn State beat three MAC teams, including Akron, by a combined average score of 27-10.

Next: vs. Pittsburgh.

Heat check: Feels too hot, but who else should be No. 4?

No. 5 Oklahoma (1-0)

NCAA passer efficiency rating is a nebulous stat, but this is telling: Baker Mayfield had a rating of at least 175 in every game last season except the one against Ohio State. It was 120.6 in the loss.

Next: at No. 2 Ohio State.

Heat check: Too hot, but in position to prove heat check wrong.

No. 6 Southern California (1-0)

Not a great opener and it needs to get better quickly.

Next: vs. No. 14 Stanford.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 7 Washington (1-0)

Not a great opener, but the Huskies have some time to work things out.

Next: vs. Montana.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 8 Michigan (1-0)

Have to give Michigan’s defense some credit for dominating Florida. At least a little.

Next: vs. Cincinnati.

Heat check: Too cold.

No. 9 Wisconsin (1-0)

One bad quarter, otherwise, all good for the Badgers.

Next: vs. FAU.

Heat check: A touch too hot.

No. 10 Florida State (0-1)

Voters took into account the loss of QB Deondre Francoise and docked the Seminoles a few extra places. At this point in the season, seems fair.

Next: vs. Louisiana-Monroe.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 11 Oklahoma State (1-0)

During a long weekend of games, last Thursday seems to have been forgotten by voters. The Cowboys looked awesome against what should be a decent Tulsa team.

Next: at South Alabama, Friday.

Heat check: Too cold.

No. 12 LSU (1-0)

Pseudo-home game and BYU has offensive issues, but Tigers’ victory counts as one of the better ones of opening weekend.

Next: vs. Chattanooga.

Heat check: Too cold.

No. 13 Auburn (1-0)

First look at quarterback Jarret Stidham was mostly positive.

Next: at No. 3 Clemson.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 15 Georgia (1-0)

Like Florida State, the Bulldogs lost their quarterback and will turn to a freshman. Jake Fromm gave some reason for optimism that the loss of Jacob Eason won’t kill the season. Still, there is much to prove.

Next: at No. 24 Notre Dame.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 16 Miami (1-0)

Movement around the Hurricanes had more to do with rising two spots in the rankings than the victory against Bethune-Cookman.

Next: at Arkansas State.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 17 Louisville (1-0)

Lamar Jackson, still great.

Next: at North Carolina.

Heat check: Too cold.

No. 18 Virginia Tech (1-0)

Two opening weekend games matched Power Five teams that won at least 10 games last season. The Hokies won the other one.

Next: vs. Delaware

Heat check: Too cold.

No. 19 Kansas State (1-0)

Wildcats in a holding pattern until a road trip to Vanderbilt in Week 3.

Next: vs. Charlotte.

Heat check: Just right.

No. 20 Washington State (1-0)

Celebrate the small stuff: The Cougars beat an FCS team for the first time in three seasons and moved up four spots.

Next: vs. Boise State.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 21 South Florida (2-0)

Tied with Stony Brook in the fourth quarter is no way to impress voters.

Next: at UConn.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 22 Florida (0-1)

Hate to over-punish for losing to a good team, but the Gators’ offense looked so helpless.

Next: vs. Northern Colorado.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 23 TCU (1-0)

The Horned Frogs had the second-most points among others receiving votes in the preseason poll — which doesn’t seem like a great reason for them to rise into the rankings after playing Jackson State.

Next: at Arkansas.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 24 Notre Dame (1-0)

The last time the Irish started the season unranked they went to the national championship game.

Next: No. 15 Georgia.

Heat check: Too hot.

No. 25 Tennessee (1-0)

Lost in all the jokes about the Vols’ turnover trash can is the fact that they came from 14 down in the fourth quarter to beat a pretty good Georgia Tech team.

Next: vs. Indiana State.

Heat check: Too cold.

INSTEAD OF …

TCU, Notre Dame and Florida, how about UCLA, Maryland and South Carolina? Maybe Colorado.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

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More college football coverage: http://collegefootball.ap.org/ and www.Twitter.com/AP_Top25

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FILE – In this Sept. 2, 2017, file photo, Notre Dame running back Josh Adams runs down the sideline the team’s NCAA college football game against Temple in South Bend, Ind. The first regular-season AP Top 25 was released Tuesday and while the top was mostly unchanged–save a big drop by No. 10 Florida State–there was some shuffling at the bottom. Among the two newly ranked teams is the bluest of blue bloods: Welcome, No. 24 Notre Dame. Coming off a 4-8 season, the Fighting Irish were third among the others receiving votes in the preseason poll. So it was not too surprising that a 49-16 victory against Temple would lure in some voters. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2017/09/web1_118356179-d93661e4d8fe426ea0d6240fa39f25bd.jpgFILE – In this Sept. 2, 2017, file photo, Notre Dame running back Josh Adams runs down the sideline the team’s NCAA college football game against Temple in South Bend, Ind. The first regular-season AP Top 25 was released Tuesday and while the top was mostly unchanged–save a big drop by No. 10 Florida State–there was some shuffling at the bottom. Among the two newly ranked teams is the bluest of blue bloods: Welcome, No. 24 Notre Dame. Coming off a 4-8 season, the Fighting Irish were third among the others receiving votes in the preseason poll. So it was not too surprising that a 49-16 victory against Temple would lure in some voters. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

By RALPH D. RUSSO

AP College Football Writer

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