Josh Furlong's AP Top 25: Oregon is hot on Texas' heels after defeating Ohio State

SALT LAKE CITY – It was the first weekend of the season not to be missed.

And fortunately for college football fans everywhere, the early predictions were correct. Sure, there was a muted Red River rivalry — largely due to Texas' dominance — but most of the other top games delivered the drama to match.

And then Colorado and Kansas State rounded out the day with some entertaining back-and-forth action.

The following is the ballot I submitted to the Associated Press that will be factored into the consensus rankings that will be released Sunday afternoon.

1.Texas

At this point, there are very few flaws in Steve Sarkisian's team. Sure, Quinn Ewers threw a pick on the Longhorns' first possessions after missing a few weeks, but that did little to hurt Texas' chances in a rivalry game against Oklahoma.

There's a tough test against Georgia next week – the Longhorns' biggest test this season – but it looks like Texas is well on its way to a potentially special season.

2.Oregon

The scare that came very close to Idaho in Week 1 is now a distant memory. With arguably one of Ohio State's deepest rosters, Oregon held on tough and secured the home win to take a big step up the Big Ten hierarchy. The Buckeyes blew the finish, but Oregon made the right plays to win the game.

Maybe Phil Knight's money will get him close to that national championship after all.

3. Ohio State

Despite the loss, it is clear that Ohio State is in the mix as one of the best teams in the country. I'm confident they'll still be in the top three after a 1-point loss; and if the game had been played in Columbus, the result might have been reversed. But it's not like this game can't be won.

A sloppy offensive pass interference call and a stunning decision by Will Howard at the end are easily correctable. But none of this helps Ryan Day sleep at night in the stressful environment he finds himself in every day.

4. Penn State

Penn State has flaws, so the fact that the Nittany Lions are ranked No. 4 doesn't give me full confidence. However, they are undefeated and find ways to win games. However, aside from a strong second-half performance, Penn State doesn't come close to a win against USC this week.

The undefeated streak gives the Nittany Lions the slimmest of margins over a Georgia team that also has weaknesses and is coming off a loss to Alabama.

5. Georgia

This isn't the same Georgia team that has proven inescapable in recent years, but the Bulldogs aren't that far off either. A loss to Alabama exposed some flaws, but the talent on the roster is undeniable.

Carson Beck threw for 459 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against an inferior Mississippi State team, making the game a little closer than expected in the second half.

6.Miami

Miami had a bye week, but Clemson is lurking in the ACC race.

7. Notre Dame

Stanford struck first on Saturday, but Notre Dame was the last laugh en route to scoring 49 unanswered points in a win over the Cardinal. The loss to Northern Illinois continues to be a headache, but the Fighting Irish have had a great performance since then.

8. Clemson

Clemson is doing its best to show that a blowout loss to Georgia in Week 1 was an anomaly. The opponents were mostly middle-class teams, but the Tigers have performed great in the last five games. Things are going better for Dabo Swinney's squad, but the schedule has also been pretty sparse.

9.Alabama

Is Alabama good? This is mostly tongue-in-cheek, but I've been wondering that more than I should lately – especially after seeing how well Alabama played early on against Georgia in Week 4. On Saturday, Alabama probably should have lost to a gritty South Carolina team, but the Crimson Tide found a way — even after giving up an onside kick late.

But in Alabama the decision has not yet been made.

10.Tennessee

Tennessee went from being a world class player to being good but not great pretty quickly. Against Florida, it took overtime for the Vols to escape with a win. The talent in the squad is certainly there, but cracks are starting to develop.

Exit: Utah, Oklahoma, USC

Check in: Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Iowa

Considered (alphabetically): Arizona State, Arkansas, Army, Georgia Tech, Liberty, Louisville, Memphis, Navy, Nebraska, Syracuse, Texas Tech, UNLV, Washington State

If you can't see my full ballot below, click here.