RJ Young
FOX Sports National College Football Analyst
Many will tell you that they always believed Coach Prime could be great at Colorado. But show me one that ranked them in their preseason poll. I’m guessing you can’t do that.
I’m guessing not everyone has been paying attention to how Prime has built its roster and staff since December of last year – the same month I named Shedeur Sanders my No. 1 contender for the Heisman.
Not everyone had interviewed him — as I did on FOX Sports’ “Number One College Football Show” — when he was in the midst of a 27-6 run at HBCU Jackson State. And not everyone rang the bell when Travis Hunter spurned Florida State to become the first five-star player to sign with an FCS program. I did.
That means they’re here for a second week – among the top 25 teams in the country – and, if AP voters have integrity, will also be listed there for the first time since December 2020.
For now, consider me vindicated and consider this column informed and credible, even if 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 went 6-0 in college football games this week – 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 in his 2023 debut. The Dawg defense didn’t give up a point to its FCS opponent until there were 6:57 minutes left in the game.
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 foe. Quarterback JJ McCarthy completed 26 of 30 passes with three touchdowns in the win.
3. Ohio State (1-0)
Defeated Indiana 23-3
The Buckeye defense held Indiana scoreless in the second half and did not allow a touchdown. While the offense looked tough against the Hoosiers, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ strong defense is a reason for the Buckeye faithful to be positive.
Big wins for Michigan, Ohio State
4. USC (2-0)
Defeated Nevada 66-14
Caleb Williams continues to play at a Heisman level. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 319 yards with five TD passes to lead the Trojans past the Wolfpack.
5. Penn State (1-0)
Defeated West Virginia 38-15
After going into the locker room down just 14-7 at halftime, the Nittany Lions scored 24 points in the second half behind the accuracy of quarterback Drew Allar. Allar completed 21 of 29 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
6. Alabama (1-0)
Defeated Middle Tennessee 56-7
Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe validated coach Nick Saban’s decision to use him by leading Alabama in both passing (194 yards) and rushing (48 yards) with five total touchdowns as the Tide rolled to a top score in Week 2 -25 showdown with Texas was heading.
7. Tennessee (1-0)
Defeated Virginia 49-13
Quarterback Joe Milton completed 70% of his passes for 201 yards. Running back Jaylen Wright managed 115 yards on just 12 carries.
8th. Clemson (0-0)
Plays Duke on Monday night.
9. Utah (1-0)
Defeated Florida 24-11
Without star quarterback Cam Rising in the lineup, the Utes played complementary football to avenge last year’s loss to the Gators and comfortably get a coveted win against an SEC opponent. Money Parks caught the only TD passes of the game for the Utes – a 70-yard toss from quarterback Bryson Barnes, who finished 12 of 18 for 159 with that TD and an INT.
10. State of Florida (1-0)
Defeated LSU 45-24
Keon Coleman has done more for basketball players who believe they can play football than any other person alive. He’ll knock out some power forwards because they saw Coleman outplay Jim Jones in the ball game.
11. Washington (1-0)
Defeated Boise State, 56-19
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. continues to be one of the most productive passers in the sport. In the win over BSU, he completed 29 of 40 passes for 450 yards with five passing touchdowns.
12. 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
13. 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.
14. LSU (0-1)
Lost to Florida State, 45-24
Jayden Daniels and LSU’s front seven are the strength of the reigning SEC West champions. But without significant help in the secondary and at least one more playmaker in the backfield, it could be difficult for LSU to get back into the SEC title game.
15. Notre Dame (2-0)
Defeated Tennessee State 56-3
The Fighting Irish have allowed just five points in two games and are averaging 49 per game in their first game against a Power 5 opponent (North Carolina State) on Saturday.
16. 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.
17. 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 just two ranked programs to post shutouts in Week 1.
18. 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 on 30 rushes with four touchdowns.
19. Colorado (1-0)
Defeated TCU, 45-42
The Buffaloes won their first true road game since 1995 with a school-record 510 yards passing performance from Shedeur Sanders and the first 100-yard receiving INT performance of this century from Travis Hunter.
The Buffaloes became the first team to defeat a ranked opponent in 2023.
Deion Sanders, Colorado, are making a big statement!
20. 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 be a harbinger of the type of shutdown defense coach Brent Venables has wielded in the past.
21. 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 history of the game to win 100 games at two different schools.
22. 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 accounted for five touchdowns.
23. Tulane (1-0)
Defeated South Alabama 37-17
Quarterback Michael Pratt completed 14 of 15 passes for 294 yards with four touchdowns. The Green Wave have won 13 of their last 15 games.
24. 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 managed 164 yards on just 14 carries in the loss.
What the Buffaloes’ win means for both Colorado and TCU
25. Iowa (1-0)
Defeated Utah State 24-14
The Hawkeyes scored 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 host of The Number One College Football Show podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to The RJ Young Show on YouTube.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL is trending
Get more out of college football. Follow your favorites for information about games, news and more