College football week one rankings shift as Ohio State rises to top spot
Analyst Joel Klatt moved Oregon down to No. 7 after a narrow win, promoted Ohio State to No. 1, and reshuffled several other programs based on their opening-week performances.
Analyst Joel Klatt released his first weekly top-10 college football rankings after the opening games of the 2026 season. Ohio State, which defeated Ball State 56-3, entered the list at No. 1, while Oregon fell to No. 7 after a close win over Boise State that Klaxon described as a "dogfight". Klatt also elevated Texas from No. 8 to No. 3 after a dominant victory over Texas State, and moved LSU into the top five, citing its talent level despite roster turnover.
Klatt highlighted strong performances from several teams: Oklahoma’s 51-0 win over UTEP, Miami’s 45-6 triumph at Stanford, and Georgia’s 63-3 rout of Tennessee State, noting that Georgia’s early statistics came against a lower-tier opponent. He praised USC’s quarterback Jayden Maiava and the defense’s early shutout against Fresno State, while expressing concerns about Notre Dame’s run game after a 41-13 win over Wisconsin.
The analyst also noted individual standouts, such as Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer’s three touchdown passes, Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney’s 234 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith’s 151 yards and two scores. Klatt said the rankings reflect teams that “did exactly what you should do” in week one and will be updated as the season progresses.