Josh Pate’s personal Top 25 ahead of Week 2 put LSU No. 2 and Miami No. 3, slotting them ahead of Penn State (No. 4) and Georgia (No. 5) after opening-week results. That ordering differs from the AP poll (Ohio State, Penn State, LSU, Georgia, Miami) and reflects Pate’s read on the 2025 resume and performance, rather than what people think of the teams in the preseason.
🚨WEEK 2 COMMISSIONERS POLL🚨
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) September 5, 2025
These are my rankings pic.twitter.com/XZVJ0Q5Pcb
Miami Hurricanes
Miami beat then–No. 6 Notre Dame 27–24 in primetime, seizing control early and closing with defense and special teams. Carson Beck went 20-of-31 for 205 yards and 2 TDs, Carter Davis hit the 47-yard game-winner with 1:04 left, and edge duo Rueben Bain Jr./Akheem Mesidor ended the game with back-to-back sacks. Miami was plus-2 in the turnover margin, had a 33:57 time of possession, and a balanced 119 rushing yards on 38 attempts. Total offense was essentially even (324–314 MIA), but the zero giveaways helped a ton.
A top-10 win with clean ball security and clutch plays is the kind of immediate resume that should be rewarded. It’s also meaningfully stronger than beating a heavy underdog by a wide margin like Georgia and Penn State did. All respect to both of those teams — they'll get a chance to move back up later in the year — but this is how rankings should be done.
LSU Tigers
On Saturday, No. 9 LSU went to No. 4 Clemson and won 17–10. Garrett Nussmeier delivered the go-ahead 8-yard TD to Trey’Dez Green in the fourth quarter, LSU’s defense held Clemson to 10 points and finished the job with a late fourth-down stop. Nussmeier’s line: 28/38, 232 yards, 1 TD. Caden Durham paced the ground game with 17 rushes for 74 yards and a TD.
Like Miami, LSU posted a quality win against a top-five opponent away from home which is stronger proof of ability than hammering an overmatched opener. LSU's win is enough to justify a jump over teams without a similar win. Also, with Clemson being ranked a tad higher and the win coming on the road, it makes sense that LSU is getting the nod over Miami here.
Georgia Bulldogs
Gunner Stockton flashed dual-threat control (2 pass TD, 2 rush TD, 190 pass yards, 73 rush yards) in a 45-7 win over Marshall. Team stats were dominant: 488–207 yards, 27–7 first downs, 34:29 time of possession and 0 turnovers. Special teams flipped the field with a blocked punt by KJ Bolden as the Bulldogs built a 45–0 lead before a late Thundering Herd score.
The performance was excellent, but the opponent quality wasn’t comparable to LSU’s or Miami’s. In a resume lens, a 45–7 rout of Marshall won’t trump true top-10 wins in Week 1. And frankly, it's not something the committee will even look at when they start to meet later in the year.
Penn State Nittany Lions
No. 2 Penn State defeated Nevada 46 to 11. PSU was plus three in turnovers (3–0), and had a 438–203 yardage edge. Drew Allar went 22/26 for 217 yards and a TD, Nicholas Singleton logged two short rushing TDs and Kyron Hudson caught a 31-yard TD before halftime.
While Penn State is bringing back a plethora of starters from a playoff team, it is important to reward teams that schedule — and win — a top 10 non-conference game (when comparing them to a team that played a G5 school). The Nittany Lions will have plenty of time to move themselves back up as well, but Pate got it right here.
Final Takeaway
Pate’s Week 2 ballot prioritizes who you beat as much as how you looked. Miami and LSU banked victories over top-tier opponents (one at home, one on the road) and were rightfully rewarded for it. Penn State and Georgia may have been jumped, but it wasn't really a punishment for those programs. Instead a ranking like this is a reward for teams that have gotten a quick start to resume building. That's how it should be.