US LBM Coach Poll: Oklahoma rises after beating Michigan State
USA Today Sports’ Paul Myerberg analyzes the biggest results that shaped the US LBM College Football Coach vote this week.
Sports Pulse
- Notre Dame’s playoff chances are taking place in upcoming games against Texas A&M after an opening loss to Miami.
- Clemson is facing a key game against Georgia Tech after a disappointing start to the season.
- The matchup between No. 3 Georgia and No. 15 Tennessee will form a significant SEC Championship race.
10 wins seem to be the magic number for the college football playoffs, based on the first year of the expanded format. But it’s just a solid limbobar for separating Power 4 crop cream from playoff competitors, but where and how important is their victory WHO?
No. 8 Notre Dame will be holding No. 16 Texas A&M this weekend after losing 27-24 to No. 6 Miami in the season opener. Down the line, the Hurricanes managed to win the ACC, earning a top-4 playoff seed and remove a stab wound from the result for the Fighting Irishman.
Back to last season: Notre Dame survived a terrible defeat to northern Illinois, making the playoffs and making the national championship game. Clearly, a single loss to Miami will not stand by Ireland if they care for the business against a schedule that features only additional opponents ranked in this week’s US LBM Coach poll.
When the Trojans visit South Bend in October, Southern California may fall below the top 25. Similarly in North Carolina. By the time November comes, the Navy and Pittsburgh could be in the mix for national rankings. These same teams may hover around bowl eligibility and do little to strengthen Notre Dame qualifications.
One loss in September is survivable against this schedule. The two losses immediately from the gate draw a completely different picture.
As they head towards Saturday, the Irish people have to accept the reality of this matchup. Losing to A&M is a potentially devastating blow to Notre Dame’s playoff hopes – perhaps not a fatal blow, but will seriously detain the national runner-up before the playoff bracket is released in early December.
This brings the Irishman into the spotlight when he is facing the most pressure towards the third week of the 2025 season, looking at his teams, games, coaches and quarterbacks.
Team: No. 11 Clemson
It was a nightmare two weeks for preseason ACC favorites, followed by a disappointing loss to No. 4 LSU, followed by a brighter, expected victory, often ughing against Troy. And this feels like a continuation of a disastrous trend. Clemson now dropped three of his five dates last season.
Throughout these two games, the Tigers have only four touchdowns, ranking 120th in the bowl subdivision for yards per game and 95th in yards per play. Stumbling out of the gate, he handed the ACC frontrunner status to the Hurricane, raising another round of serious questions about the viability of this team as a championship contender.
They could write off the Tigers considerably after losing on Saturday at Georgia Tech. This starts with a victory over Colorado and Gardner Webb. The second defeat in three weeks could require Clemson to run the table from here to justify consideration for a massive playoff, and demand an unharmed finish just to reach the ACC Championship Game.
There is still a sense of unknown around both teams, mainly due to the victory each posted up to two weeks. Georgia defeated Marshall and Austimpy, while Tennessee broke through Syracuse and East Tennessee. However, the volunteers looked better at the part, earning 117 points in total, averaging 605 yards per game, making it the second-best bowl plot.
The nasty weather and delays in extended matches have affected what the Bulldogs looked like in their victory over Austimpy. The attack adapts to tweaking the scheme and approach implemented to be suitable for new quarterback Gunnar Stockton. Overall, Georgia has brought back seven starters, with four additional players whose experience has been launched through the transfer portal.
Some early season struggles are not unexpected. And these hiccups could be a byproduct of Georgia.
Knoxville results shape the orientation of the SEC race. The Bulldogs can erase the doubt and give room for error against the slate highlighted by Texas 7, Mississippi, 13, and 18 Alabama. Volunteers can establish Prime Playoff positioning against schedules that include two more ranked teams in Crimson Tide and No. 16 Oklahoma.
Coach: Billy Napier, Florida
Napier is borrowed after the Gators lost 18-16 to South Florida.
His overall record speaks for itself: Napier is 20-20 in three or more seasons in Florida, giving him the lowest win percentage of any coach with at least 30 games in Florida in the modern era. Last weekend’s defeat was the program’s first home run to schools from Florida, other than Florida or Miami, since Stetson in 1938.
Given the Gators schedule, the chances of Napier returning for another year are almost infinite. The eight matchup gauntlet with the team in this week’s coach’s poll begins at LSU on Saturday night. This is closer to the must-see game four coaches will face in September.
The Gators have dropped six of their sevens at Baton Rouge and have not won two consecutive wins with this rival since 2008-9.
Quarterback: Archmanning, Texas
FBS quarterbacks are not familiar with wall-to-wall scrutiny. Not unexpected, his name, his reputation, and the fact that he is a Texas starter all plays a role – all Manning Throw’s analysis is far greater than the attention that has been noted by other players on FBS.
He scored five in his victory over San Jose State last week. This is a huge increase in production from the Ohio opener. However, Manning was still burning for something that looked as harmless as his frown after failing a side arm throw against the Spartan. (Steve Sarkisian said this week that Manning “has nothing.”
The SJSU victory is a first-year starter advancement. He must continue to improve what should have been another defeat against Texas El Paso this time. The Minor allowed 233 yards per attempt in a loss to Utah State and gave up 295 yards for 8.2 yards per throw in a win over Tennessee Martin last Saturday.
