College Football 2024: B/R's Top 25 Rankings After Week 1

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — In case you didn't believe the preseason hype, top-ranked Georgia provided a spectacularly emphatic Week 1 beatdown of Clemson.

Deservedly so, the Dawgs are atop the Bleacher Report Top 25 as the opening weekend nears its final matchups. LSU takes on USC in Las Vegas on Sunday, and Florida State plays Boston College on Monday.

Elsewhere around the landscape, Miami smacked rival Florida in the afternoon before Notre Dame won at Texas A&M.

The opening week's panel included David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Morgan Moriarty and Brad Shepard. A first-place vote was worth 25 points, followed by 24 points for a second-place vote and so on.

Editor's Note: This Top 25 will be updated after the conclusion of USC-LSU on Sunday, Sept. 1.

1. Georgia

2. Ohio State

3. Texas

4. Ole Miss

5. Alabama

6. Penn State

7. Notre Dame

8. Miami

9. Oregon

10. Missouri

11. Tennessee

12. Utah

13. Oklahoma State

14. Oklahoma

15. Michigan

16. Kansas State

17. LSU

18. Iowa

19. Arizona

20. Kansas

21. Louisville

22. USC

23. Boise State

24. Georgia Tech

25. Texas A&M

After one quarter, it was a scoreless tie. Would this be a defensive struggle where Clemson could hang around with Georgia?

Well, uh, nope.

As we've observed so frequently lately, UGA found another gear in the second half. Carson Beck threw for 283 yards with two touchdowns, and the defense held Dabo Swinney's team to just 188 yards in a 34-3 blowout.

Clemson simply had no answers on offense. Cade Klubnik averaged a miserable 4.9 yards per attempt on 29 throws, and Phil Mafah rushed for 59 yards on 16 carries. Georgia posted six tackles for loss as a 6-0 halftime lead ballooned to an absolute rout in Atlanta.

Georgia, which recorded its 40th straight regular-season win, passed its first test of 2024 in impressive fashion.

The preseason No. 1 team fully deserved its billing.

The reigning champs survived a scare.

On one hand, that's the meaningful part for Michigan. Losing to Fresno State would've been disastrous, but a victory—no matter how unappealing—can reduce how bitter a mood is after the game.

The opposite view is not so optimistic. Fresno State is a solid Mountain West contender, but the new-look Wolverines looked limited offensively for much of the game. Davis Warren averaged a meager 4.5 yards per throw, and Donovan Edwards rushed for only 27 yards on 11 carries as Kalel Mullings instead paced the ground game. Michigan had just a 13-3 lead into the fourth quarter before pulling away.

As expected, the Maize and Blue put a terrific defense on the field. The experienced unit ceded 247 yards, dominated against the run and carried Michigan to its 30-10 triumph.

For the Wolverines to get past No. 4 Texas next weekend, though, the story of this offense needs to change in a hurry.

In short: One massive showdown in Ann Arbor.

Texas looked excellent on Saturday, steamrolling a decent Colorado State team 52-0. Next weekend, the Longhorns will be aiming to capitalize on Michigan's uncertain offense in a Top 10 clash.

Because the College Football Playoff has grown to 12 teams, the impact of the result won't be so dramatic for the losing side. One setback ruined a team's margin for error during the last decade, but that conversation won't happen until a second—or even third—loss in 2024 and beyond.

Still, the contest offers an early resume-boosting win.

The other Top 25 matchup pits Tennessee against North Carolina State in Charlotte. Tennessee enjoyed a big Week 1 performance from young quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns while only playing the opening half.

In the evening, keep an eye on Boise State's trip to Oregon for a tilt between a top Group of Five and national contender, respectively.