After winning again in Week 2, the Blue Devils hold steady in the AP top 25 at No. 21. The Blue Zone breaks down movement in the poll around the nation:
Holding serve
Coming off a big upset win to open the season, Duke had a short week to prepare for the Lafayette Leopards, an FCS opponent, in its second matchup of the year. Despite a slow start, the Blue Devils handled business, capturing a 42-7 victory in a rainy Wallace Wade Stadium.
Duke’s performance against a far inferior opponent did not do much to shift voter’s opinions, as head coach Mike Elko’s squad remains at No. 21 in this week’s poll. The Blue Devils will return to action Saturday at home against the Northwestern Wildcats.
PAC-8
Just when everyone thought it had been impressive enough in Week 1, the PAC-12 has upped its level of play once again in Week 2. After placing six teams in last week’s poll, the conference added another pair this week, putting two-thirds of the league into the top 25. The self proclaimed Conference of Champions has its fingerprints on all tiers of the poll, including two teams in the top 10 in USC and Washington. The Trojans made it look easy again Week 2 against Stanford, cruising to a 56-10 victory, while the Huskies dismantled Tulsa to the tune of 43-10 to remain undefeated.
The Utah-Oregon-Oregon State clump remains from last week’s poll, as they come in at No. 12, 13 and 16 respectively. The Utes and the Ducks faced their first signs of danger this week, as both teams squeaked out one-possession victories on the road, beating Baylor and Texas Tech. Colorado is catching up to the aforementioned trio, as it lands at No.18 after a trashing of Nebraska in its home opener.
The newcomers this week from the West Coast are Washington State and UCLA, who join the top 25 after continuing their impressive starts to the season. The Cougars won a big one this weekend, taking down then-No.19 Wisconsin at home in a 31-22 victory. The Bruins took down the always-solid San Diego State Aztecs by a score of 35-10, and the two teams landed at No. 23 and 24 this week.
Texas… is back?
After years of mediocre seasons and disappointing performances in big games, the Longhorns have finally returned to national prominence. In a prime-time matchup in Tuscaloosa, Ala., against the Crimson Tide, Texas delivered, knocking off the perennial powerhouse 34-24 in a thriller. Behind the arm of sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers, the Longhorns look like a title contender in their last year in the Big 12, and the committee regards them as such. Texas comes in at No. 4 this week, cementing its presence on the national stage.
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