Josh Furlong's AP Top 25: LSU the biggest riser, as Michigan moves into suspect role

SALT LAKE CITY — Week 1 is in the books, and you can't trust anything.

There were some entertaining results, controversial wins, quality first steps and disappointments along the way, but there's still so much to learn about the 2026 season and the likely chaos that will unfold (Western Michigan won in my book!).

And yet, I did my best to rank teams after the first week of action, which remains a significant challenge considering the unequal level of games played. On one hand you had a team like LSU who dominated a fellow Power Four opponent, on the other there's a handful of top 25 teams who blew out FCS opponents.

These games are not equal, and so there's still a lot of projecting going on for every team out there.

The following is the ballot I submitted to the Associated Press that will be counted in the consensus rankings that will be released Tuesday afternoon.

1. Ohio State

Ohio State is the good and faithful team who remains a consistent threat. A 56-3 win over Ball State won't tell us a ton, but there's a lot to love about this Ohio State team, which will soon get a test from Texas. They remain No. 1 for the consistency element, but there's several teams that are much closer to the top spot in my book.

2. LSU

After the Week 1 dominance over a downtrodden Clemson program, LSU vaulted up in my rankings to No. 2. There's no team out there in Week 1 that looked better than the Tigers. There's always some drama surrounding Lane Kiffin, but his team looked like a well-oiled machine and they're going to be a major threat this season — assuming there can be consistency through it all.

3. Notre Dame

For a brief moment, Notre Dame looked like it could be a tough battle with Wisconsin. But the Fighting Irish quickly put that to rest in the second half with a pure dominate half of football. A year after missing the playoff, Notre Dame looks like one of the best teams out there.

4. Miami

It seems Mario Cristobal's reliance on transfer portal QBs works. Former Duke QB Darian Mensah showed out for the Hurricanes, throwing for 401 yards and five touchdowns on 30 attempts (he only had three incompletions) against a Stanford team who has struggled to gain a footing over the last decade. Mensah is a strong Heisman contender in my book, but we're a long way from New York.

5. Georgia

A 60-point win over Tennessee State is going to tell us nothing.

6. Indiana

A year removed from its improbable run to a national title, Indiana has made an early case to remain in contention for a repeat. The Hoosiers looked good with TCU transfer QB Josh Hoover under center in a win over North Texas, which was completely outmatched. Indiana has a weak nonconference schedule so it will be tough to fully gauge this team, but all signs point to another solid team under Curt Cignetti.

7. Texas

Arch Manning looks to have picked up where he left off last season after building into his role as the team's starter. With less pressure on his shoulders this season, Texas looks ready to make some waves. The transfer haul showed out, but this week will be the true test against Ohio State. It's seemingly now or never for Steve Sarkisian.

8. Oregon

Oregon found itself in a tight battle with a seemingly solid Boise State team. The dropping in standing isn't fully tied to a close battle against arguably the best Group of Six team out there, but more about the tight competition around the Ducks. A similar showing two years ago proved to be nothing as Oregon went undefeated and claimed a No. 1 spot — only to lose in the first round of the playoff.

9. Ole Miss

It wasn't a perfect showing for Ole Miss in Week 1, but the new-look Rebels found a way to come out on top against a really good Louisville team who will likely contend for an ACC title. It took Ole Miss a bit to get going, but the rest of the game showcased why the team can be a threat again this season.

10. Oklahoma

Like Georgia, there's little to gain from a 51-point thumping of UTEP — other than Oklahoma continues to have a solid defense and John Mateer is poised for a great bounce-back season following his midseason injury that limited what he could do the rest of the season.

In consideration (alphabetical): Arizona State, Auburn, Houston, James Madison, Kansas State, Memphis, New Mexico, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Western Michigan

If you can't see my full ballot below, click here.

Think you can do better? Create your own Top 25 ballot with the KSL Sports Fan Top 25 poll here.

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