AP Poll Reflects College Football's Emphasis on Wins Over Strength of Schedule

The second week of the college football season delivered significant upsets and reshuffled the Associated Press Top 25 poll, highlighting a persistent emphasis on wins and losses over strength of schedule. The Texas Longhorns ascended to the No. 1 ranking after a dramatic comeback victory against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Conversely, the Ohio State Buckeyes fell five spots to No. 6 after a narrow one-point road loss to the now top-ranked Longhorns. Despite holding a 20-point lead and being on the verge of a victory, a missed field goal proved costly. The game was statistically close, with ESPN's SP+ rating giving Texas a 50.2% win expectancy and Ohio State 49.8%.

The Oklahoma Sooners experienced a more drastic drop, plummeting 13 spots to No. 24 after losing on the road to Michigan. This occurred despite Oklahoma scheduling a top-20 opponent in a home-and-home series, a move often praised in college football discussions.

Meanwhile, teams like Indiana and Miami saw their rankings improve after defeating overmatched opponents. Indiana climbed into the top five after beating Howard, and Miami rose after a decisive win over Florida A&M. The AP poll's structure suggests that these victories, regardless of opponent quality, were weighted more heavily than Ohio State's close loss to a top-ranked team.

Oregon, previously expected to contend for a Big Ten Championship, dropped out of the top 20, landing at No. 21. The Ducks narrowly escaped against Boise State in week one and suffered a loss to Oklahoma State in week two. Their remaining schedule includes games against USC, Ohio State, Michigan, and Washington, leaving little room for error if they hope to re-enter playoff contention.

The poll's outcomes suggest that despite discussions about the importance of scheduling and the quality of opponents, the ultimate determinant for voters remains the win-loss record. This aligns with the perspective that human voters, and potentially the College Football Playoff selection committee, ultimately prioritize results over other factors when evaluating teams.