ESPN - The thing about first impressions is you can’t take them back. Some are underwhelming, like Arch Manning’s at Ohio State or Nico Iamaleava’s at UCLA. Some could be a harbinger for big things ahead, like Florida State steamrolling Alabama following a 2-10 season in 2024, or LSU finally winning an opener under Brian Kelly against the toughest Week 1 competition it has faced. Jackson Arnold had a tough first go-around at Oklahoma, but his first impression with Auburn left Tigers fans tickled.

First impressions can be deceiving -- shoutout to Kenny Trill and a magical night in 2014 -- but they also provide much-yearned-for context to the power rankings. LSU’s defense looked significantly better, as did Utah’s offense and Texas A&M’s passing game. We’ll learn more about Michigan and Oklahoma, and specifically quarterbacks Bryce Underwood and John Mateer, this coming week in Norman, but so far, so good.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes Preseason ranking: 5 Despite debuting eight new starters and a new coordinator in Matt Patricia, the Buckeyes defense shined in a 14-7 victory over Texas. Ohio State came up big when it mattered most, stuffing Texas four times on fourth down, including twice inside the Buckeye 10-yard line. Offensively, quarterback Julian Sayin played a clean game in his first career start. He completed 13 of 20 passes, while avoiding any big mistakes. He didn’t take a sack and didn’t turn the ball over. Coach Ryan Day suggested the Buckeyes will gradually open up the offense moving forward. But while their young passer settles in, the Buckeyes showed they can win with defense. The defending national champs also showed they remain the team to beat.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions Preseason ranking: 2

The Nittany Lions did not mess around in their opener, rolling to a 46-11 win over Nevada. Quarterback Drew Allar was extremely sharp, hitting 22 of 26 passes for 217 yards with one TD and no turnovers. Pass rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton got off to a dominant start and forced two fumbles. New transfer wideouts Kyron Hudson and Trebor Pena enjoyed productive debuts with a combined 163 yards on 13 catches. Nevada didn’t punch in a touchdown until the final minute of garbage time. This squad shouldn’t get seriously challenged until it’s time to open Big Ten play against Oregon on Sept. 27, but it’s still encouraging to see them play clean and totally in control as they kick off one of the most anticipated Penn State seasons in a long time.

3. LSU Tigers Preseason ranking: 8

The Tigers spent about $18 million overhauling their roster this past offseason, with much of the investment being spent on defense. The early results were promising in Saturday night’s 17-10 victory at No. 4 Clemson. LSU not only snapped its five-game losing streak in season openers, but it did it against the defending ACC champions in a hostile road environment. LSU limited Clemson to only 32 rushing yards and harassed quarterback Cade Klubnik for much of the night. Cornerback Mansoor Delane, a transfer from Virginia Tech, had an interception and received a game ball for his work in the secondary. Along with NC State transfer Tamarcus Cooley and former Houston safety A.J. Haulcy, Delane vastly improved the back end of LSU’s defense, which has been the team’s trouble spot the past few seasons.

4. Georgia Bulldogs Preseason ranking: 4

Quarterback Gunner Stockton passed his first test as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, albeit against rebuilding Marshall, which figures to be one of the worst teams in the FBS this season. Stockton was forced into action in this past season’s SEC championship game against Texas and a CFP quarterfinal against Notre Dame after Carson Beck was hurt. Against the Thundering Herd, Stockton passed for 190 yards with two touchdowns and ran for 73 yards with two scores in the Bulldogs’ 45-7 victory. He looked confident and wisely used his legs in the red zone. Georgia ran for 239 yards, which was an emphasis this past offseason since it ranked next-to-last in the SEC in that department in 2024. USC transfer Zachariah Branch looked as good as advertised, hauling in three catches for 95 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown. Georgia gets another warmup against FCS program Austin Peay next week before opening SEC play at Tennessee on Sept. 13

5. Miami Hurricanes Preseason ranking: 10 A year ago, Miami’s playoff hopes were dashed by a defense that couldn’t get a stop. In Week 1, it was the Hurricanes’ defense that saved the day. After the offense stagnated down the stretch and Notre Dame tied the game at 24, things could’ve fallen apart, but a pass rush led by Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor stole the show, enveloping CJ Carr on back-to-back plays on the final drive for the Irish. The question now is whether Miami can sustain. Last year, the Canes opened with a big Week 1 win, too. Now, it’s time for Miami to prove it can play at this level week after week.

6. Oregon Ducks Preseason ranking: 9

Even though coach Dan Lanning did not name Dante Moore the starting quarterback for the Ducks ahead of their season opener against Montana State, Saturday’s matchup showed why there was no official declaration necessary. Moore took the reins of an offense previously led by Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel and seamlessly made it hum on their way to a commanding 59-13 win over an FCS opponent. In his first game as a starter, Moore threw for three touchdowns; as a team, Oregon threw for 253 yards and ran for 254 yards. The balanced attack, complemented by a defense that once again looks stout and held the Bobcats to 244 total yards, made for a proper opening statement. As Lanning said after the game, this was “certainly a better start than we had last season” when the Ducks barely beat both Idaho and Boise State.

7. Texas Longhorns Preseason ranking: 1

Texas ended four drives on downs, including one on the 1-yard-line and another in the red zone, and lost by just one touchdown in a 14-7 loss at Ohio State on Saturday. Arch Manning struggled, particularly in the first three quarters, going 0-for-5 with an interception on passes of five or more air yards in the first three quarters, and ended the game with 37% of his passes missing the target, the worst percentage by a Texas quarterback in the past 10 seasons. Breaking in four new offensive linemen on the road in Columbus along with a new quarterback was always going to be a challenge, but it really showed up on the 10 plays Texas ran in the red zone, with just 26 yards and no scores. Returning home to face San José State next week gives Texas a chance to get Manning and the offense untracked.

8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preseason ranking: 6

If the concern entering the season was the QB, those questions were largely answered in a loss to Miami. CJ Carr accounted for three touchdowns and led the Irish from down 14 to tie it late in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. The lack of touches for the tailbacks, particularly Jeremiyah Love, was frustrating, but if the result wasn’t what Notre Dame fans hoped for, the overall performance -- particularly in the second half -- showed this year’s Irish are still a worthy playoff contender.