College Football Power Rankings - Week 2
Week:
Week 2 of the 2009 college football season saw a couple of freshman quarterbacks lead their teams to come-from-behind wins on late drives.
But Matt Barkley and USC's heroics at the Horseshoe weren't enough for USC to break the deadlock at the top of the Power Rankings, as Florida and Texas remained No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, after finishing off the cupcake portions of their schedules.
Michigan returned to the Top 25 after Tate Forcier orchestrated the Wolverines' game-winning drive to beat Notre Dame at the Big House.
Houston was the week's other big mover, as Case Keenum & Co. led the Cougars to a 45-35 win over Oklahoma State in Stillwater, sending the Cowboys into a tailspin from last week's No. 5 spot.
Be sure to check back every Monday, as the 2009 Power Rankings will be updated throughout the season.
Overall | Voters 1-5 | Voters 6-10 | Voters 11-15| College Football Power Rankings - Week 2 | |||||
| RK (LW) | TEAM | REC | PTS | COMMENT | |
 | 1 (1) | Florida (15) | 2-0 | 375 | "Preseason" is over, as Florida rolled over Troy, 56-6, in its final tune-up before the Gators' much-anticipated SEC opener against Tennessee. |
 | 2 (2) | Texas | 2-0 | 354 | Texas overcame a sluggish start against Wyoming before coming alive in the second half in a 41-10 win. Up next for the Longhorns is a visit from Texas Tech, the team that dashed UT's title hopes last season. |
 | 3 (3) | USC | 2-0 | 349 | Those eager to toss USC's season into the rebuilding bin received a rude awakening as freshman QB Matt Barkley combined with Joe McKnight and Stafon Johnson on an 86-yard TD drive that pushed the Trojans past Ohio State in the Horseshoe, 18-15. |
 | 4 (4) | Alabama | 2-0 | 331 | Mark Ingram was battling the flu and Julio Jones sat out most of the game with a bruised knee, but Trent Richardson (118 yards rushing, two TDs) and Mike McCoy (100 yards receiving, one TD) made sure the Tide didn't miss a beat in a 40-14 win over FIU. |
 | 5 (6) | Penn State | 2-0 | 294 | Penn State's defense was never really threatened by Syracuse and the Nittany Lions needed a couple of big plays from Evan Royster and a typically-efficient performance from Daryll Clark to top Syracuse 28-7. |
 | 6 (7) | California | 2-0 | 284 | Another 50-plus points, another electrifying performance from Jahvid Best, another win for California. The Bears trounced Eastern Washington, 59-7, and have a visit to Minnesota next week before beginning Pac-10 play at Oregon. |
 | 7 (9) | Mississippi | 1-0 | 280 | Ole Miss was off this week after opening the season with a win at Memphis, but the Rebels rose by virtue of Oklahoma State's fall. |
 | 8 (8) | Brigham Young | 2-0 | 278 | BYU only led Tulane 6-3 midway through the second quarter but the Cougars exploded for 48 unanswered points in a 54-3 win. BYU returns home where it will host Florida State as the Cougars aim for another win against a school from a BCS conference. |
 | 9 (12) | Boise State | 2-0 | 244 | Kellen Moore threw four TD passes as Boise State's unbeaten trek took another step forward against Miami (Ohio). The win was the Broncos 100th this decade, joining Oklahoma as the only schools to hit the century mark in wins in the 2000s. |
 | 10 (11) | LSU | 2-0 | 241 | Les Miles called LSU's 23-9 win over Vanderbilt "imperfect." It's probably an accurate depiction of the Tigers through two games. But style points can wait. Wins, especially in the SEC, don't have to be pretty. |
 | 11 (10) | Ohio State | 1-1 | 206 | Questions abound in Columbus after Ohio State fans watched helplessly as a freshman QB snatched a historic win away from the Buckeyes. Losing to USC in that fashion hurts, but the ineffectiveness of its offense stings OSU even more going forward. |
 | 12 (13) | Oklahoma | 1-1 | 197 | It may have been Idaho State but Oklahoma fans had to take some solace watching the Sooners rack up 64 points in their first full game without Sam Bradford. Landry Jones threw three TDs and OU had five rushing TDs in the shutout win. |
 | 13 (14) | Georgia Tech | 2-0 | 187 | Georgia Tech blew a 24-point lead before rallying to beat Clemson last Thursday, 30-27. The ACC's Thursday night showcase continues this week when the Yellow Jackets visit Miami. |
 | 14 (15) | Virginia Tech | 1-1 | 181 | Virginia Tech rebounded from its loss to Alabama the previous week with a 52-10 win over Marshall. Running backs Ryan Williams and David Wilson combined for 329 yards rushing and four TDs. |
 | 15 (18) | TCU | 1-0 | 167 | TCU sent Virginia to its second straight home loss with a 30-14 win, holding the Cavaliers to 177 yards of total offense and just seven first downs. The Horned Frogs host Texas State on Saturday. |
 | 16 (17) | Miami (FL) | 1-0 | 143 | Miami's brutal, four-game opening stretch continues with a visit from Georgia Tech on Thursday night, followed by a trip to Virginia Tech. |
 | 17 (21) | Cincinnati | 2-0 | 113 | Cincinnati will need to keep finding ways to get Mardy Gilyard the ball. The senior reached the end zone four times in a 70-3 win over Southeast Missouri State -- twice receiving, once on a punt return and once on a run. |
 | 18 (5) | Oklahoma State | 1-1 | 110 | Just when it looked like OSU had recovered from a poor start, things turned sour again in the fourth quarter it fell to Houston 45-35. The schedule turns soft the next couple of weeks, giving OSU a chance to rebound, but this one hurts. |
 | 19 (19) | Nebraska | 2-0 | 107 | Zac Lee and the Cornhuskers have been impressive in their first two outings. Nebraska's national credentials will be put to the test with a visit to Virginia Tech on Saturday. |
 | 20 (NR) | Houston | 2-0 | 85 | Not a bad way to head into a bye week. Oklahoma State knew what to expect from Case Keenum & Co., but the Cowboys just couldn't contain the Cougars as they dropped their first top 5 team in almost 25 years. |
 | 21 (22) | Utah | 2-0 | 72 | San Jose State made Utah work until the very end to collect its 16th straight win, 24-14. Consecutive win No. 17 will be even more difficult to come by with a visit to Oregon on Saturday. |
 | 22 (34) | Michigan | 2-0 | 65 | As one freshman QB sent a Big Ten team to a crushing loss, another sent one to a euphoric victory. Tate Forcier has many more plays left in his Wolverines career, but there'll be few he remembers more than his TD to Greg Mathews to beat Notre Dame. |
 | 23 (20) | Georgia | 1-1 | 56 | It was a little too close for comfort against South Carolina, as Georgia was dangerously close to an 0-2 start before pulling out a 41-37 win. The Bulldogs travel to Arkansas on Saturday. |
 | 24 (25) | Kansas | 2-0 | 44 | Todd Reesing led the Kansas offense to 576 total yards in a 34-7 win over UTEP. The Jayhawks' defense held the Miners to just 4 yards rushing. |
 | 25 (23) | North Carolina | 2-0 | 31 | It's not often the opposing team gifts you the game-winning score, but North Carolina isn't complaining after a late safety gave the Tar Heels a 12-10 win on the road against UConn. |
| Others receiving votes: Notre Dame (25), UCLA (22), Iowa (8), Pittsburgh (8), Oregon State (7), Missouri (6), Arkansas (3), Auburn (1), Texas Tech (1) | |||||
