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The AP Top 25 was released Tuesday, and parity is already emerging around a top-heavy Big Ten.
From a top-to-bottom review of the poll, here are a few notable takeaways.
Ohio State remained at No. 1 following an effortless 56-3 win over Ball State. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith accounted for two touchdowns, while Julian Sayin threw for 320 yards and accounted for total touchdowns in his first game as a second-year starter (and third year overall) in Columbus.
The Buckeyes will have a chance to put a dent in the College Football Playoff conversation if they can beat the Texas Longhorns for a third consecutive season. The Longhorns had little trouble with Texas State, securing a 59-7 throttling in Austin this past week ahead of the marquee showdown Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
Transitioning away from Ohio State, its rivals up north were part of the center of controversy Saturday night in Ann Arbor as the Michigan Wolverines escaped their MAC counterpart, the Western Michigan Broncos, in a 13-12 thriller.
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The Wolverines, who were ranked in the top-20 in the preseason, fell out of the poll despite quarterback Bryce Underwood’s late-game heroics in connecting with JJ Buchanan as time expired.
But some argue there shouldn’t have been another play at all, including the Mid-American Conference itself. A statement shared Tuesday expressed discontent with replay protocols and said AP voters and the College Football Playoff should take a closer look at the Wolverines’ season-long body of work when it comes time to create the 12-team field.
“After further study and investigation, it is now evident that replay protocol was not properly followed in determining whether time remained on the game clock at the conclusion of the Western Michigan vs. Michigan football game,” MAC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher stated.
Steinbrecher wrote that by rule, the “program feed” clock, which displayed approximately zero seconds on the clock upon Underwood’s initial pass falling incomplete, should have been used. Instead, it was not.
“This was not a judgment regarding the proper amount of time to place on the clock. It was an error in the application of the established replay protocol governing this specific end-of-game timing situation,” Steinbrecher added. “Had the protocol been properly followed and the program-feed clock been used, no additional play would have been awarded, and Western Michigan would have won the game, 12–7."
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Even though the game stands as a 13-12 Wolverines win, Steinbrecher said he is unsatisfied.
“As a result, the Mid-American Conference has submitted formal appeals to the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee and the College Football Playoff,” Steinbrecher concluded. “The MAC is requesting that those bodies recognize Western Michigan as the actual winner of the game for purposes of their respective rankings, evaluations and selection deliberations, and take such other corrective action as may be within their authority.”
It’s unclear whether Steinbrecher’s appeal will be accepted, as the Broncos look ahead to a Week 2 matchup vs. Boise State while the Wolverines rematch the Oklahoma Sooners Saturday on Big Noon Kickoff.
The rest of the league: Overall, the conference finished Week 1 at 16-2, as Rutgers and Wisconsin fell to 0-1 to UMass and Notre Dame. The Penn State Nittany Lions moved up two spots to No. 16, while Iowa moved up one spot to No. 21 following a 40-0 shutout over Northern Illinois in Iowa City. Michigan fell out of the AP Poll altogether, as the Sooners sit at No. 11 entering the Week 2 matchup.
Big Ten Week 1 final scores
- UMass 37, Rutgers 21
- Illinois 42, UAB 23
- Minnesota 59, Eastern Illinois 7
- Oregon 34, Boise State 27
- *Michigan 13, Western Michigan 12 – Kyle Whittingham’s Michigan coaching debut
- Ohio State 56, Ball State 3
- Maryland 62, Hampton 0
- Indiana 52, North Texas 16
- USC 42, Fresno State 26
- *Penn State 45, Marshall 0 – Matt Campbell’s Penn State coaching debut
- Iowa 40, Northern Illinois 0
- *Michigan State 30, Toledo 20 – Pat Fitzgerald’s MSU coaching debut
- Purdue 44, Indiana State 19
- Nebraska 49, Ohio 21
- Northwestern 34, South Dakota State 18
- UCLA 45, California-Berkeley 24
- Washington 24, Washington State 10 (The Apple Cup)
- Notre Dame 41, Wisconsin 13 – Played at Lambeau Field in Green Bay
*=Indicates coaching debut with new team
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