College Football Power Rankings: Notre Dame cracks Top 5, Michigan falls out of Top 10

Welcome back to HQ. So we gave you the NFL power rankings. So take you to the college rankings. This is courtesy of our 24 over seven sports partner Brandon Marcelo. And here is how the college slate looks after week one of action. No surprise the dogs stay on top after handling business against Clemson, Ohio State staying at number two. Texas at three, Ole Miss at four. I want to point your attention though to Notre Dame because last week they were number seven. This week they are number five after a big road win over Texas A&M. Let's break down these power rankings as we bring in the curator of the list, our Brandon Marcello. We've also got Danny Kanell in the house who I'm sure has a lot to talk about after this weekend. But guys, let's start with that number. Number five, I should say Notre Dame. Brandon, you moved him up to number five. They were underdogs in that one. Kyle Field we know is not an easy place to play. And they walk out of there with a win. So what did you learn about Notre Dame after that win this weekend. Well Riley Leonard. Riley Leonard he's just a gamer. He can carry a team on the ground and in addition to throwing some big passes. But for Notre Dame, they proved a lot of what we thought. Defensively they're an elite defense. They still are from last season, but more importantly they've got some receivers now. They've got receivers that are some big boys out there in big drives and that drive to take the lead late. They made big plays on the ground. They made big third down plays in the passing game with new receivers and transfers that came in. In addition to Riley Leonard at quarterback, this Notre Dame team had a gritty win at A&M. Very tough atmosphere against I think still a good A&M team. Maybe not top 25 worthy, maybe on the edge right now, but Notre Dame got it done this weekend and a gritty win with a lot of new pieces. Very impressed with them and of course their schedule the rest of the way. Very conducive to be a playoff team. A lot of people saying after week one, you can already lock them in. Yeah, Brandon, we talked about the coming into the schedule. It was a three game schedule. It looks closer to like a two game schedule, and maybe it was a one game schedule depending on what we see out of A&M, because that Florida State team zero and two, that looks like a lock for Notre Dame, especially if Florida State doesn't improve the USC game, though I think is better. That's a stronger one. Here's why I'm not quite sold on Notre Dame just yet. In the top five, you mentioned Riley Leonard, who was good. He needs to take another step forward as a passer. We've already known what he could do as a runner. It was great to see him back with that physical capability based off the off season surgery that he had coming off that injury that he suffered at Duke. I still do need him to take another step as a passer. The other thing about this defense, they were phenomenal. I don't know how good A&M is going to be offensively. Connor Wegman was really a disappointment. A lot of people had hyped him up, myself included, and he fell short. How much of that was because Notre Dame's defense showed up and showed out, or how much it was because of ineptitude for the Aggies. We'll have to see. I do think you're right, though, Brandon. They almost could already start punching their ticket buying tickets to the playoffs because that schedule should be pretty manageable for them. A&M, one of several SEC teams to take a lump in week one, as Danny Canales pointed out on social media, to try to hide the tears from Tallahassee. Let's go to LSU. One of those teams at number 11. Look, Brian Kelly showing all that emotion after the game pounding on the table. Are we talking USC right now just outside of the top ten after the win over LSU Lincoln Riley might have found something there. He's got the quarterback and does he have a defense? Brandon yeah, I think so. Though I don't want to overreact too much after week one with them. I mean, I had LSU and USC right next to each other at like 12 and 13 going into this season. So I bumped USC just up a little bit based off this weekend's results as well, but very impressed with Miller Moss. I mean, we could continue to talk and sing his praises. He completed 73% of his passes in his last two starts, dating back to that bowl game last season. Lincoln Riley. At this point, just stop questioning whether he's going to have a good quarterback, because that's all he does is develop great quarterbacks and Heisman Trophy contenders. I'm not going to go that far yet with Miller Moss, but man, he looks the part defensively though they do look like a good defense. I'm not going to say great or elite or anything like that, but it's good. It's much better than what it was last season when they were chasing everybody around. I know it's just a cliche to say they're bigger, faster, stronger, but they are bigger and stronger. I'm not going to say faster, but they play more fundamentally sound than they did last season. And that's because of their new DC. They're doing a great job right now. Let's see what they do over the next few weeks as they get alon, especially in the Big Ten. Have to go on the road a little bit, but USC very impressive in their first showing with the retooled defense. Yeah I left impressed with both teams right? I mean I actually feel better about LSU than I did going into the season because their defense had massive issues and they were able to pretty much contain USC to keep it from being the shootout that everybody thought we were going to see a game in the high 30s, potentially, but I was impressed with USC. You mentioned the added bulk and they covered it during the broadcast. The 1,400 pounds added, which I kind of laughed at this offseason. But they did somehow look more physical. Most impressively was their tackling. I thought they tackled better the schemes that Dan Lin, the new defensive coordinator, had. I thought were really smart. They didn't give up the big play. They kept everything in front of them and now all of a sudden I look at USC. I did not have them in that upper tier of the big Ten, and now I absolutely think they belong in that conversation with Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Penn State and USC. I think they're in that upper tier. So I'm a little bit more bullish. You're right though, it is a long season. We'll see how they do. All of a sudden that game against Penn State gets way more intriguing. I cannot wait to see what this Trojans team does. But I'm a believer right now. I'm wondering if you're a believer in Miami at this point, because after they took care of business against Florida in the swamp, something that they haven't done in several, several years here, I think cam Ward went out there and made a statement. Brandon, I want to hear from Danny first, though, just your thoughts on Florida and really Miami, what they were able to do. I am I'm higher on Miami than Brandon is. I think they're a top five team and I know we have to let this thing play out. You have them. Number two in your power rankings. I thought it was one of the Georgia I thought was the most impressive team this weekend. Miami, I thought, was second most impressive. That was complete domination, a game that they were only supposed to win by a field goal. They go out and dominate from start to finish, and for one reason. Also, cam Ward is the playmaker that we thought we could see. A lot of people said, well, it was at Washington State or it was at Incarnate Word. What does he do when he goes against the likes of an SEC opponent? He went out there and played like a man amongst boys, toying with Florida's defense. Cool, calm, collected in the pocket, waiting for the big plays to get there. I thought he was sensational. The defense was getting after the Gators, and I know the Gators may not be very good this season, and we'll see what happens. They might be a 4 or 5 win team, but I thought the way that they dominated the game was one of the more impressive things I thought from the season, and they're clearly now the favorite to win the ACC. Yeah, I'm just I'm holding off a little bit on them still because I just think Florida is that bad, they just don't look the part. They didn't look very well prepared at all. Cam Ward is just an absolute gamer. He's a game changer. We saw it at Washington State carrying that team. And as you said, having to do so much that he put himself in trouble a lot of times, having to turn the ball over just to try and win some games. But in Miami, he's got so many more weapons around him. And how about cam McCormick, who we're looking at right now, his ninth year of college catching a touchdown pass. Just great stuff. But listen Miami is stacked. We knew their defensive line was going to be very talented. But you kind of wonder going into the season it's great to have all those pieces. But can they gel together and play very well? As Danny Kanell would know, Florida State's got a lot of pieces on their defensive line not doing so well right now, but Miami is looking very good with all the pieces they've brought in over the last couple of years. They've gelled together. I think what really makes Miami so dangerous is that this is a very close knit team. I don't know if you guys saw that video that leaked out of the locker room after Miami's win, but Mario and those players are so sick and tired of hearing about all the naysayers and everybody questioning them. They are really rallied around that. It's Miami against the world and a lot of ways. This past weekend we had the old boys from the 90s Miami, USC, Notre Dame, impressive wins, the quote unquote villains of college football are back on top right now, and I can't wait to see this season unfold with that trio of teams doing so well early in the year, there was another team that was pretty good in the 90s, too. I'm just saying it doesn't look so back. Danny Noles yeah, there's some salt over former ACC player of the year over there. Just a little bit with Florida State. Struggles with with what Clemson did in the first week. It seems like the ACC is Miami's to win. Let's jump back into the Big Ten and kind of look ahead to the marquee matchup of this upcoming week. The Michigan Wolverines fall out of Brandon's top ten. They are down to 14 after a lackluster showing against Fresno. They're a seven and a half point dog at home against Texas this week. Brandon are they going to are they going to get beat for the first time in years? Oh, I think so. Texas is way too powerful, way too explosive. I think the thing with Texas that really impressed me in their opener again, don't want to overreact, but under Steve Sarkisian he likes to lean on maybe 3 to 5 receivers every year. But he is expanded that rotation. He wants 6 to 8 guys to lean on. And this past week all four touchdown catches for them were by transfers. Newer guys on the roster Texas is spreading that ball out a little bit more, spreading the wealth. Their defense is still pretty dang good. I really like them going to Michigan, going to the big house and Michigan. Listen their offense we knew was probably not going to be as explosive as it was last year. But having to start a former walk on Davis Warren, as good as he might be, they're not going to be that explosive. They're going to be prone to maybe making mistakes. When they do try to push the ball down the field. And as we saw this past week, they're a little herky jerky offensively, no matter who the quarterback is out there, they don't have a lot of confidence no matter who the signal caller is back there. And that's a big time concern for m, not just against Texas this week, but for the rest of the season in the Big Ten. Brandon, I think a lot of people were wondering, oh, are we too down on Michigan because of the pieces they lost and the question marks, no more Jim Harbaugh, no more J.J. McCarthy. I thought you saw some glaring weaknesses on display. Now. They could clearly change all of the critics minds by going out there and having an impressive performance versus Texas. You mentioned the quarterbacks trying to go with two for a majority of the game, rolling him out there every other play was really awkward. I saw some of that. The offensive line, where was it? This is a university that's had tremendous offensive line play. It wasn't there. And Donovan Edwards, who I thought would pick up right where Blake Corum left off, he was almost nonexistent running the football. The one bright spot I think, that you could take away from this one that possibly you get back in there and play well against Texas. The defense the defense did play well enough. Had the pick six to kind of give them a little bit of breathing room late. They are going to have their hands full against Texas. But I'm with you Brandon. I'm a little bit down on Michigan after what we saw in week one. Would they be better with Cade McNamara this season? The Michigan Wolverines? Yeah, I think from what we've seen so far, yes, Iowa only a few spots behind Michigan at Brandon's power rankings over here. Oh my gosh. We've got an offense now in Iowa City. Our Brandon Marcello bringing us his power rankings for week one. Now that week one is done we turn our attention to week two. And that means there's plenty of content coming your way on the cover three podcast, you can hear more from Danny Kanell, as well as