RJ Young
FOX Sports National College Football Analyst
Many will tell you they always believed Coach Prime could be great in Colorado. But show me one that placed them in their preseason poll. I’m assuming you can’t.
I take it not everyone has been paying attention to how Prime has been building its roster and staff since December of last year – the same month I made Shedeur Sanders my No. 1 contender for the Heisman.
Not everyone had interviewed him — like I had on FOX Sports’ “Number One College Football Show” — when he was in the middle of a 27-6 run at HBCU Jackson State. And not everyone rang the bell when Travis Hunter spurned Florida State and became the first five-star player to sign with an FCS program. I did.
This is their second time here – among the top 25 teams in the country – and, if ` voters are of integrity, will also be listed there for the first time since December 2020.
For now, consider me confirmed, and consider this column informed and credible, even though there are many who would tell you otherwise. And when? Ask them if they picked Colorado to beat Texas Christian.
[Related: Compare to RJ Young’s Preseason Top 25]
I won college football games this week 6-0 – undefeated, just like Prime.
Ask them: Do you believe?
1. Georgia (1-0)
Defeated UT Martin, 48-7
UGA quarterback Carson Beck completed 21 of 31 passes for 294 yards with a TD on his debut in 2023. The Dawg defense didn’t concede a point to their FCS opponent until the game had 6:57 left.
2. Michigan (1-0)
Defeated East Carolina 30-3
Without coach Jim Harbaugh or offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, the Wolverines made relatively easy work of their American Athletic Conference opponents. Quarterback JJ McCarthy completed 26 of 30 passes with three touchdowns to win.
3. Ohio State (1-0)
Defeated Indiana 23-3
The Buckeye defense kept Indiana scoreless in the second half, not conceding a touchdown. While offense looked tough against the Hoosiers, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ strong defense is reason for Buckeye believers to be positive.
Big wins for Michigan, Ohio State
4. U.S.C (2-0)
Defeated Nevada 66-14
Caleb Williams continues to play at the Heisman level. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 319 yards with five TD passes to put the Trojans past the Wolfpack.
5. Penn State (1-0)
Defeated West Virginia 38-15
After going into the dressing room only 14-7 at halftime, the Nittany Lions scored 24 points behind quarterback Drew Allar’s accuracy in the second half. Allar completed 21 of 29 passes for 325 yards and won by three touchdowns.
6. Alabama (1-0)
Defeated Middle Tennessee 56-7
Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe validated coach Nick Saban’s decision to field him by leading Alabama in both passing (194 yards) and rushing (48 yards) with five total touchdowns while the Tide topped in Week 2 -25 showdown with Texas.
7. Tennessee (1-0)
Defeated Virginia 49-13
Quarterback Joe Milton completed 70% of his passes for 201 yards. Running back Jaylen Wright rushed for 115 yards in just 12 carries.
8th. State of Florida (1-0)
Defeated LSU 45-24
Keon Coleman has done more for basketball players who think they can play football than anyone alive. He’ll knock out some power forwards because they saw Coleman trump Jim Jones at the ball game.
9. Utah (1-0)
Defeated Florida 24-11
Without star quarterback Cam Rising in the lineup, the Utes played complementary football to avenge their loss to the Gators last year and comfortably earn the coveted win over an SEC opponent. Money Parks caught the game’s only TD passes for the Utes — a 70-yard throw from quarterback Bryson Barnes, who finished with that TD and an INT 12 of 18 for 159.
10 Washington (1-0)
Defeated Boise State, 56-19
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. continues to be one of the most prolific passers in the sport. In the win against BSU, he completed 29 of 40 passes for 450 yards with five pass touchdowns.
11. Texas (1-0)
Defeated Rice 37-10
Against a Rice team that went bowling last year, the Texas defense allowed just 176 total yards. The Longhorns are confident in their chances of defeating Alabama this weekend after holding Rice to just 27 rush yards and forcing three turnovers in the win.
Highlights: Check out the biggest plays from Texas’ win over Rice
12. Oregon (1-0)
Defeated Portland State 81-7
Eight Ducks scored at least one TD and five scored at least two in a game where one team scored the most points all weekend.
13. LSU (0-1)
Lost to Florida State, 45-24
Jayden Daniels and the LSU front seven are the forte of the reigning SEC West champions. But without significant help in the high school and at least one other playmaker in the backcourt, it could be difficult for LSU to return to the SEC title fight.
14 Our lady (2-0)
Defeated Tennessee State 56-3
The Fighting Irish have conceded just five points in two games and are averaging 49 points per game in their first game against a Power 5 opponent (North Carolina State) on Saturday.
15 UCLA (1-0)
Defeated Coastal Carolina 27-13
True freshman quarterback Dante Moore came off the bench and completed seven of 12 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bruins past the Chants.
16 Kansas State (1-0)
Defeated Southeast Missouri State 45-0
The Wildcats unleashed quarterback Will Howard, who completed 18 of 25 passes for 297 yards with a TD and an INT. But K-State will feel more comfortable being one of only two ranked programs to score week 1 shutouts.
17 Wisconsin (1-0)
Defeated Buffalo 38-17
The debut of the “Dairy Raid” led to more of the same in Wisconsin. Running backs Chez Mellusi and Braelon Allen combined for 298 rush yards in 30 rushes with four touchdowns.
18 Colorado (1-0)
Defeated TCU, 45-42
The Buffaloes won their first true away game since 1995 with a school-record 510 passing yards by Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter’s first 100-yard receiving INT performance of this century.
The Buffaloes became the first team to defeat a senior opponent in 2023.
Deion Sanders, Colorado make a big statement!
19 Oklahoma (1-0)
Defeated Arkansas State 73-0
The Sooners gave up an average of 30 points per game last season. Bringing a proud program like the Red Wolves to zero could herald the kind of shutdown defense coach Brent Venables has wielded in the past.
20 North Carolina (1-0)
Defeated South Carolina 31-17
Quarterback Drake Maye completed 24 of 32 passes for 269 yards with two TDs and two INTs, helping coach Mack Brown become the first coach in the sport’s history to win 100 games at two different schools.
21 Oregon State (1-0)
Defeated San Jose State 42-17
The arrival of DJ Uiagalelei was exactly what Beaver fans were hoping for. He completed 20 of 25 passes for 239 yards and was responsible for five touchdowns.
22 duke (1-0)
Defeated Clemson 28-7
Riley Leonard passed for 175 yards and rushed for 98 more yards, including a 44-yard scoring dash. But it was the Blue Devils’ defense, forcing three turnovers, that stole the show.
23 TCU (0-1)
Lost to Colorado, 45-42
Quarterback Chandler Morris completed 24 of 42 passes for 279 yards with two TDs and two INTs, while running back Emani Bailey rushed for 164 yards in the loss with just 14 carries.
What the Buffaloes’ win means for both Colorado and TCU
24 Clemson (0-1)
Lost to Duke, 28-7
The Tigers didn’t score on drives of … 11 games and 49 yards; eight plays, 71 yards; seven plays, 62 yards; 11 plays, 48 yards.
They scored on one drive for five games and 18 yards – their only points of the game.
Cade Klubnik played his worst game yet as a college player.
25 Iowa (1-0)
Defeated Utah State 24-14
The Hawkeyes had a TD on their first offensive possession of the season – the first time since 1991. Quarterback Cade McNamara completed 17 of 30 passes for 191 yards with two TDs.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of The Number One College Football Show podcast. Follow him on Twitter @RJ_Young and subscribe to The RJ Young Show on YouTube.
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