Tom Fornelli's College Football Power Ratings: Ohio State still No. 1 despite collapse, Oregon plummets

The Buckeyes are still on top after a tough finish in Austin, while the top 12 welcomes new teams from the Big Ten and SEC after Week 2 Sep 15, 2026 at 9:18 am ET • 7 min read Am I the bravest human alive?Courage comes in many forms. There's the courage to risk your life and run into a burning building to save someone else's life. There's the courage to start your life anew when you're unhappy. Just completely give up on your easy, comfortable existence to chase your passion and begin again.And then there's what I'm about to do. I'm about to leave Ohio State at No. 1 in my power ratings even though the Buckeyes lost to Texas on Saturday. I'm doing this even though I know that the majority of people who read this column, or see the rankings shared on social media without reading a single word I've written here, will not understand how power rankings work.They will think these are the same thing as an opinion poll, and they will drag my name through the internet mud. They will curse me. They will call me stupid. They'll probably call me ugly, too, just to be a little meaner than they need to be. Some may wish death upon me.And all I have to do to avoid this undeserved punishment is move Ohio State down a couple of spots. But I will not! I have too much integrity! I will face the backlash, for I know I am right! CBS Sports 138: Texas surges to No. 1 spot, Michigan returns to top 25 in college football rankings Chip Patterson We must remember that power ratings are meant to predict future results, not to react to past results. So, yes, Ohio State blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead against Texas on Saturday night, and the Buckeyes have lost three of their last four games. There are plenty of questions to ask Ryan Day and the Buckeyes about what's going on and how they can fix things. But you know what? There might not be much to fix. They lost the game, but their performance wasn't horrible. In fact, their performance was better than Texas' in a lot of the areas I look at. The Buckeyes outgained the Longhorns, averaged more yards per play, and had an edge in explosive plays. They also missed a 45-yard field goal with 4:16 left that proved rather consequential! If the kick is good, the Buckeyes probably win, and you're yelling at me for not knocking Texas enough instead.Now, you can argue that I should knock Ohio State's rating down because it has a kicker who can't be relied on, but all those numbers are already baked in, and guess what? Kickers miss field goals. We just focus on them more when they come in key spots.So, anyway, that's why I'm brave. Because I could've knocked Ohio State down a peg or two to avoid the backlash, but that would be dishonest, and I'm too courageous to be dishonest. No need to call me a hero, though I understand why you might be inclined to.Title odds via DraftKings Fell out of Top 12: Oklahoma, Texas Tech