Two games into the 2026 season, Georgia is outscoring its opponents 133-23. Those opponents have been Tennessee State and Western Kentucky — not exactly a murderer's row — but the Bulldogs' ruthlessly authoritative dominance of inferior opposition is certainly worth monitoring. In the midst of a three-year national title drought, it feels like Georgia is out to make a statement
The Bulldogs didn't play a marquee opponent in the season's first two weeks, and there's not a fascinating new quarterback or some flashy coordinator hire drawing eyeballs to what they are doing. In many ways, it's the same old Georgia, which can make it a tempting team to overlook heading into its SEC opener at Arkansas in Week 3.
But the "same old Georgia" was good enough to win back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022, and it's not like UGA has fallen off a cliff since. Georgia is 38-6 since it last hoisted a national championship trophy, and it is the back-to-back reigning SEC champion. Don't fall into the trap of overlooking the Dawgs.
It's true that, by SEC standards, this club has an easy schedule. There is no Texas, no LSU, no Texas A&M and no Tennessee. Road games at Alabama and Ole Miss will be challenging. They will also be opportunities for revenge after those teams handed UGA its only losses last season. Given what we've seen from the Bulldogs so far, look out. They appear determined to crush everything in their path in an attempt to summit college football's mountaintop once again.
We are handing out grades evaluating every team that started or ended the day with national championship odds of +3000 or better.
2026 national championship odds listed below courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Teams listed in order of their AP Top 25 ranking.
No. 1 Ohio State
Grade: C-
Result: 24-23 loss at No. 4 Texas
Title odds: +600
Ohio State suffered an all-systems meltdown in the second half of a game it once led 23-3. The defense's late collapse will likely garner the most attention, but the offense is culpable, too. The Buckeyes need to develop perimeter weapons other than Jeremiah Smith and refine their red-zone operation. Dating back to last year's Big Ten Championship Game loss to Indiana, the Buckeyes are just 1-3 over their last four games. With a challenging Big Ten slate ahead, Ohio State is anything but a lock to reach the playoff.
No. 2 Georgia
Grade: A-
Result: 70-20 win vs. Western Kentucky
Title odds: +650
A week after leading Tennessee State 35-0 at halftime, Georgia said 'hold on, watch this" and put 49 first-half points on Western Kentucky. Kirby Smart didn't like that his team surrendered 20 points in the second half, but the starters were done by then. The competition level continues to tick up incrementally with a road game against projected SEC bottom-feeder Arkansas in Week 3. But with a 133-23 scoring margin through two games, these Bulldogs look ruthlessly dominant.
No. 3 Notre Dame
Grade: A-
Result: 52-0 win vs. Rice
Title odds: +700
Operating on short rest following a Sunday win over Wisconsin, Notre Dame dominated while building a 42-0 first half lead. The critique is that Rice held the Fighting Irish to just 3.7 yards per rush. Replacing star backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price was never going to be easy, and Notre Dame is still working to find its footing in the ground game. The passing game and defense carried plenty of weight as the Irish totaled 360 passing yards while recovering four fumbles.
No. 4 Texas
Grade: B
Result: 24-23 win vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Title odds: +600
Texas pulled off the largest comeback victory over an AP No. 1 ranked team since at least 2000 by roaring back from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun Ohio State. A legendary final frame is graded as an A+++. But the first three quarters can't be totally ignored. Life looked unreasonably hard for the Longhorns' offense until their backs were completely against the wall. There is no doubt this team has grit, but with six ranked opponents still looming, Texas has plenty to refine.
No. 5 Indiana
Grade: A
Result: 55-0 win vs. Howard
Title odds: +800
Indiana took care of business against FCS foe Howard by holding the Bison to just 57 yards and four first downs while getting the backups plenty of action. The running game looked better (296 yards) than it did in Week 1 as backs Lee Beebe Jr. and Turbo Richard each surpassed 100 yards. Of course, it was also a step down in competition. TCU transfer Josh Hoover continues to look like a good fit at quarterback, as four of his six completions went for touchdowns during two quarters of work.
No. 6 Oregon
Grade: F
Result: 39-31 loss at Oklahoma State
Title odds: +2000
Oklahoma State dominated Oregon on both sides of the ball in a game that should never have been this close. If not for two interceptions leading directly to a pair of Ducks touchdowns, the Cowboys would have won going away. The Ducks were nearly doubled up in total yards, struggled on third and fourth downs offensively and surrendered too many big plays. It's back to the drawing board for coach Dan Lanning, who has myriad issues to address if Oregon is going to recover and make the playoff.
No. 7 Miami
Grade: A
Result: 77-7 win vs. Florida A&M
Title odds: +750
We do not award A+ grades for games against FCS opponents. But Miami dominated in historic fashion against a Florida A&M team that was dealing with devastating injuries while playing on just three days rest. The merits of considering games like these regular season contests is debatable. But there's no denying the Hurricanes looked awesome while piling up an ACC record 856 yards.
No. 8 LSU
Grade: C-
Result: 45-14 win vs. Louisiana tech
Title odds: +1300
LSU turned the football over four times in the second quarter and led just 10-7 at halftime, despite having a 278-0 edge in total yards. Three of those giveaways were interceptions from quarterback Sam Leavitt, who struggled at times against a Louisiana Tech defense that wreaked some havoc. The visiting Bulldogs notched five sacks and 11 tackles for loss. A week after an emotional beatdown of Clemson and a week before a highly anticipated trip to Ole Miss, LSU didn't seem dialed in.
No. 9 Ole Miss
Grade: B-
Result: 41-9 win vs. Charlotte
Title odds: +2200
After a short week on the heels of a dramatic Sunday win over Louisville in Nashville, Ole Miss simply needed to get its bearings inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and avoid any catastrophic injuries. Mission accomplished, as the Rebels methodically earned a drama-free victory. The star trio of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacy and receiver Deuce Alexander all turned in nice performances. But coach Pete Golding remains frustrated with his secondary's play ahead of next week's showdown with Lane Kiffin and LSU.
No. 10 Texas A&M
Grade: C+
Result: 48-20 win vs. Arizona State
Title odds: +2200
A week after holding Missouri State to just four first downs and 67 yards Texas A&M's defense recovered from an iffy start against and showed some teeth against a much better opponent. The Aggies found their dominant defensive gear late while turning a 24-20 game into a blowout victory by forcing three consecutive turnovers in the fourth quarter. A&M's offense produced just 255 total yards and must improve quickly as a tough SEC slate awaits.
No. 11 Oklahoma
Grade: C-
Result: 17-10 loss at Michigan
Title odds: +4500
A Michigan offense that looked totally inept in Week 1 against Western Michigan broke off a couple of huge plays against the Sooners during a 91-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter. A sputtering Sooners offense could never fully recover. OU quarterback John Mateer served up the go-ahead score up to Michigan on a platter when he threw a devastating interception in Sooners territory midway through the fourth quarter. Oklahoma won't sniff the playoff without significant offensive improvement.
No. 12 Alabama
Grade: B+
Result: 45-17 win at Kentucky
Title odds: +2500
Don't be deceived by the final score. Alabama faced significant adversity in Keelon Russell's first road start, falling behind 17-13 at the break. The inexperienced sophomore committed three turnovers in the first half, including an early pick-six that ignited a rowdy Kentucky crowd. But the second half showed what this team can be as the Crimson Tide outscored UK 32-0 while dominating defensively and running the football with encouraging success.
No. 13 Texas Tech
Grade: C+
Result: 35-24 win at Oregon State
Title odds: +2500
Maintaining the defensive standard that carried Texas Tech to a Big 12 title last season was always going to be challenging, but the Red Raiders aren't even close to that level right now. Oregon State racked up 20 first downs and 472 yards against a Texas Tech unit that isn't wreaking havoc like it did last season. This was a closer game than the final score indicated, and the Red Raiders are trending the wrong direction with respect to the conversation of true national title contenders. This team doesn't look like one right now.
No. 14 USC
Grade: B-
Result: 49-30 win vs. Louisiana
Title odds: +3000
It wasn't a banner night for Gary Patterson's USC defense, which gave up some big plays and registered just three tackles for loss against a Sun Belt foe. The offense, led by quarterback Jayden Maiava's five touchdown passes, continues to look potent. So basically, this is looking like a standard USC team. Points are rarely a problem, but it will have to prove it is defensively potent. win vs. Louisiana
