| ESPN.com's Power 16 Week 1 |
| | RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | COMMENTS |
 | 1 | USC (15) | 13-0 | 268 | Doubt USC's dominance? Cue up the first half of that 55-19 smashing of Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, then get back to us. |
 | 2 | Texas (1) | 11-1 | 228 | QB Vince Young and RB Selvin Young will rack up yardage. But to win the Big 12 and beyond, the 'Horns need help from the passing game. |
 | 3 | Michigan (1) | 9-3 | 200 | Michigan is again loaded at wideout with Steve Breaston and Jason Avant. But the best chance to stop this team is to shut down running back Mike Hart. |
 | 4 | Virginia Tech | 10-3 | 193 | The wait is over. The Marcus Vick Era has begun. Vick still has to win over Hokie Nation, however. |
 | 5 | Ohio State | 8-4 | 190 | Expect the Buckeyes to lean heavily on true freshman Maurice Wells, who rushed for 5,955 yards and 55 TDs in his high school career. |
 | 6 | Tennessee | 10-3 | 166 | For a team with BCS aspirations, ranking 98th in kickoff returns and 104th on punt returns is laughable. But CB "Inky" Johnson may stave off further embarrassment. |
 | 7 | Miami | 9-3 | 162 | You'll hear this a time or two (or more) this year. Don't kick it to Devin Hester, especially on punt returns. |
 | 8 | Florida | 7-5 | 151 | Chris Leak has shown he's a great passer. Give him time in the pocket, and he'll pick you apart with those receivers. |
 | 9 | LSU | 9-3 | 149 | LSU is going to have to throw the ball to have success. Right now, that means opposing secondaries have the advantage. |
 | 10 | Oklahoma | 12-1 | 146 | If they're going to make another BCS run, you'd figure settling of a QB would be a top priority. Then again, how hard is it to turn and hand off to Adrian Peterson? |
 | 11 | Iowa | 10-2 | 120 | A young defensive line could be a key for Iowa. All four starters from the line are gone, and their replacements had zero sacks and nine tackles last year. |
 | 12 | Louisville | 11-1 | 101 | Quarterback Brian Brohm's potential is why Louisville has been tapped to top the Big East, despite losing six players to the NFL draft. |
 | 13 | Purdue | 7-5 | 38 | Purdue's five losses last year were by a total of 14 points. That needs to change this season. |
 | 14 | Georgia | 10-2 | 37 | Georgia's wideouts are unproven, which means the heat will be on quarterback D.J. Shockley. |
 | 15 | Florida State | 9-3 | 35 | If he were at any other school, senior RB Leon Washington would be a Heisman candidate. Instead, he'll split carries with Lorenzo Booker. |
 | 16 | Texas A&M | 7-5 | 27 | Coach Dennis Franchione knows what he wants: a multiple offense, an aggressive defense and toughness on both sides. He's still working on the last two. |
| Others receiving votes: Auburn, Cal, Texas Tech, Boise State, Boston College, Arizona State, NC State, Bowling Green, Virginia, Alabama, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Wyoming. |
