UNDATED (AP) — The Boise State Broncos could be on the cusp of ceding their Group of Five supremacy to the team that just beat them. Alex Golesh has been quietly building South Florida since 2023 when he took over a program that had won a total of 15 games over five years. He put together back-to-back 7-6 seasons that ended with bowl wins and will go into Saturday’s game at No. 13 Florida with a dymanic quarterback in Byrum Brown, a retooled defense and the boost of confidence that comes with last week’s 34-7 win over Boise State.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama felt like it showed a lack of effort in its season-opening loss at Florida State. It definitely showed up during evaluations of the 31-17 setback in Tallahassee. With its lowest ranking in 17 years, No. 21 Alabama is trying to step up its intensity and hustle during practice this week before hosting Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday. It’s all about reclaiming the “Bama standard.” That standard was lacking against the Seminoles, with clips surfacing showing the Tide loafing at times and getting outmuscled on nearly every play. Linebacker Qua Russaw says “everybody sees it watching film. Everybody’s not running to the ball."
UNDATED (AP) — All those top-10 matchups last week left college football fans wanting more. They’ll have to wait. It could be three weeks until there’s another one. That’s not to say there aren’t compelling matchups in Week 2. No. 15 Michigan at No. 18 Oklahoma is the only Top 25 matchup. Other games worth watching are Oklahoma State at No. 6 Oregon, South Florida at No. 13 Florida and Iowa at No. 16 Iowa State.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin will make more than $2 million a year after signing a three-year extension that keeps him under contract through October 2030. Stricklin’s new deal also includes a provision that would make him “special assistant to the athletic director” for five years beginning in 2030. It’s a role similar to the one former Florida AD Jeremy Foley assumed following his retirement in 2016. Stricklin signed the extension in June. His previous deal paid him $1.8 million annually and ran through 2027. He got a $250,000 raise and could make as much as $2.175 million a year with bonuses.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — No. 21 Alabama will be without defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman for the rest of his season after he sustained a lower-body injury in practice. Coach Kalen DeBoer announced Beaman’s status on his weekly radio show. Beaman started last week’s season opener at Florida State and logged a quarterback hurry. Beaman was starting in place of fourth-year junior Tim Keenan, who remains sidelined with a lower-body injury. Without Beaman and Keenan, the Crimson Tide will turn to sophomore Edric Hill and freshmen Isaia Faga and London Simmons. Alabama hosts Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Brent Venables returned to Oklahoma as head coach before the 2022 season hoping to bring the Sooners back to a championship level, but they have posted two losing campaigns during his three years. Oklahoma remains historically great, but Venables acknowledges that the Sooners haven’t been up to standard lately. As Oklahoma has struggled, a consistent on-field identity has yet to be established. A home game against No. 15 Michigan gives Venables a chance to take a major step forward in setting the tone for the program.
UNDATED (AP) — While a heart-pounding weekend of college football unfolded in the South and neighboring Ohio and more chaos is likely to come, all was and should continue to be tranquil in central Pennsylvania for the next three weeks. Penn State won its opener against Nevada by five touchdowns and is favored to beat Florida International by six TDs on Saturday and FCS Villanova by at least that many the following week. The nonconference schedule is so soft that it makes the Nittany Lions’ hold on No. 2 tenuous even if they win by the expected large margins.
UNDATED (AP) — Ohio State is back at No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll ahead of No. 2 Penn State and No. 3 LSU, which was joined this week by No. 5 Miami in the top five. Florida State is back in the poll for the first time in a year at No. 14 and Alabama plummeted to its lowest ranking in 17 seasons at No. 21. The defending national champion Buckeyes received 55 of 66 first-place votes. They are No. 1 in a regular-season poll for the first time since 2015. Preseason No. 1 Texas dropped to seventh.
