OMAstros: OF Jake Marisnick got the night off as he tries to work t

It was supposed to be an easy week, and for the most of the Top 25 it was, but whether is defeat or close victory, several teams looked really shaky against inferior competition. Take a look at how it all shook out in our Power Rankings.?Power Rankings voters: Edward Aschoff, Butch Davis, Heather Dinich, Brad Edwards, Chris Fallica, Rod Gilmore, Danny Kanell, Chris Low, Ivan Maisel, Ryan McGee, Brett McMurphy, Adam Rittenberg, Mark SchlabachPrevious rankings: Week 1?1. Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0)Trending:Week 1 ranking: 1 Week 2 result: Defeated Western Kentucky 38-10Like an inexorable force of nature, Alabama casually rolled over Western Kentucky, setting up a key SEC West showdown with Ole Miss. While the Rebels are on their heels after losing their opener to Florida State, they own something that almost seems miraculous: a winning streak against Nick Saban. Ole Miss has won the last two games in this series, which officially makes the Rebels the Crimson Tides nemesis.2. Florida State Seminoles (2-0)Trending:Week 1 ranking: 2 Week 2 result: Defeated Charleston Southern 52-8After having little trouble with Charleston Southern, the Seminoles turn their attention to Louisville and the Lamar Jackson Show. Or will that be the Deondre Francois Show, counters FSU? This ACC clash features two impressive young gunslingers vying to push their teams to the top of the ACC -- at least until they meet Clemson.3.?Ohio State Buckeyes?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:??4 Week 2 result:?Defeated Tulsa 48-3The Buckeyes started slowly but ultimately dominated Tulsa in a 48-3 victory, with the defense playing lead and the offense catching up with a rugged running game. J.T. Barrett and the passing attack? Well, well see -- and soon -- as Ohio State heads to Oklahoma on Saturday for a critical matchup between teams with CFP aspirations.4.?Houston Cougars?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?5 Week 2 result:?Defeated Lamar 42-0No?Greg Ward Jr.? No problem. Houston crushed Lamar by running the ball against an overmatched foe, but the bigger issue is whether Ward will be 100 percent at Cincinnati on Thursday with a short week of preparation. Ward?sat out with an injury to his right throwing shoulder. While the school reported no structural damage, the question remains whether this could be a nagging issue on a week-to-week basis, affecting Ward as both a passer and runner.5. Clemson Tigers (2-0)Trending:Week 1 ranking: ?3 Week 2 result: Defeated Troy 30-24While Clemsons 30-24 win over Troy wasnt pretty, it was a win and survival is the name of the game in this already slightly nutty season. Is the offense a concern? Perhaps. A matchup with South Carolina State should provide another chance for Deshaun Watson & Co. to iron out some persistent wrinkles before the ACC slate starts at Georgia Tech on Sept. 22, a Thursday night showdown in Atlanta.6.?Michigan Wolverines?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?6 Week 2 result:?Defeated UCF 51-14After mowing over Central Florida, the Wolverines might face their first challenge of the season during a visit from a seemingly improved, 2-0 Colorado squad. Michigan was churning on both sides of the ball against the Knights, with new starting QB Wilton Speight turning in a highly efficient performance.7.?Stanford Cardinal?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?7 Week 2 result:?Did not playThe Cardinal enjoyed a bye after taking down Kansas State in Week 1, but a visit from USC at the very least should be interesting as the Trojans should be highly motivated to rehabilitate their national image after getting trounced by Alabama in Week 1. While the Cardinal beat the Trojans twice last year -- in the regular season and Pac-12 championship game -- USC won the previous two meetings.8.?Washington Huskies?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?8 Week 2 result:?Defeated Idaho 59-14The Huskies continued their jaunt through a pillow-soft nonconference schedule with a blowout of hapless Idaho. While the Huskies have taken care of business like a top-10 team playing weak foes, we wont know much about them until they open the Pac-12 slate at Arizona and thereafter play Stanford and Oregon back-to-back. Up next? Portland State, an FCS team.9.?Wisconsin Badgers?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?10 Week 2 result:?Defeated Akron 54-10The Badgers didnt let up after their red-letter win over LSU, whipping Akron 54-10, rolling up 586 yards on offense and holding the Zips to just 10 first downs. Wisconsin plays host to Georgia State next weekend and then gets Big Ten play rolling on Sept. 24 at Michigan State, a potential separation game in the conference pecking order.10.?Louisville Cardinals?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?12 Week 2 result:?Defeated Syracuse 62-28Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson announced himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate with five touchdowns -- four rushing -- and an ACC record 610 total yards in a 62-28 win over Syracuse. He can push his candidacy to another level if he can beat No. 3 Florida State and transform the preseason ACC and CFP picture.11.?Texas Longhorns?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?11 Week 2 result:?Defeated UTEP 41-7The Charlie Strong renaissance continued with the Longhorns whipping UTEP 41-7, a four-quarter domination. Despite a number of O-linemen sitting out due to injury, freshman QB Shane Buechele completed 22 of 27 for 244 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions and he rushed for 34 yards for good measure. Up next is an interesting matchup at California.12.?Tennessee Volunteers?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?19 Week 2 result:?Defeated Virginia Tech 45-24Tennessee was down 14-0 to Virginia Tech in the first quarter, and you could already see the sports writers lining up for the 2016s Biggest Bust stories. Then ... poof! The Vols found their mojo and looked like the SEC East favorite they are supposed to be, rolling up 31 unanswered points before the Hokies managed to answer with a field goal. The Vols now host Ohio before beginning their SEC gantlet: Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M and Alabama.13.?Michigan State Spartans?(1-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?13 Week 2 result:?Did not playThe Spartans took the week off in advance of their trip to Notre Dame, the first test of the season for new starting QB Tyler OConnor. The Spartans won three straight over the Fighting Irish from 2011-13.14.?Texas A&M Aggies?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?15 Week 2 result:?Defeated Prairie View 67-0Aggies QB Trevor Knight piled up some nice numbers passing and running against Prairie View, but can he do the same at Auburn, which mostly corralled Clemson QB Deshaun Watson? The Aggies can make an early SEC West statement and perhaps further embolden the gathering calls for Tigers coach Gus Malzahns job.15.?Oklahoma Sooners?(1-1)Trending:?Week 1 ranking: ?17 Week 2 result:?Defeated Louisiana Monroe 59-17The Sooners blasted Louisiana Monroe, perhaps ridding themselves of the residual bad taste of the opening loss to Houston. If there is any remaining -- and there probably is just a bit -- they can thoroughly cleanse it by figuring out a way to beat Ohio State on Saturday. A marquee win like that would certainly put Oklahoma back into the CFP contender track.16.?Notre Dame Fighting Irish?(1-1)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?16 Week 2 result:?Defeated Nevada 39-10The Fighting Irish stomped Nevada 39-10, showing no signs of a hangover after losing a heartbreaker to Texas in Week 1. On the downside, cornerback Shaun Crawford suffered an Achilles injury that will sideline him for the season, and the Irish secondary already has injury and suspension issues. Up next is a visit from Michigan State, a game that can put the Irish back on the CFP map. Or knock them out for good.17.?Iowa Hawkeyes?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?18 Week 2 result:?Defeated Iowa State 42-3The Hawkeyes, whove been all over the place in their rivalry with Iowa State, dominated the Cyclones from bell-to-bell, with QB C.J. Beathard particularly efficient. When you look at Iowas schedule, its difficult to believe the Hawkeyes wont reach an Oct. 22 date with Wisconsin at 7-0.18.?Georgia Bulldogs?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?9 Week 2 result:?Defeated Nicholls 26-24Good golly, Mr. Smart, what the heck was going on against Nicholls? Oh, well, a win is a win -- we guess -- even if its just 26-24 against a 55-point underdog. Obviously, touted true freshman QB Jacob Eason isnt going to provide immediate magic to the offense. A visit to Missouri didnt seem very daunting a week ago, but the Bulldogs apparently cant take anyone lightly.19. Ole Miss Rebels (1-1)Trending:Week 1 ranking: ?14 Week 2 result: Defeated Wofford 38-13While Ole Miss win over Wofford wasnt artful, it did help put some distance between the Rebels and a tough opening loss to Florida State. And all those frowns in Oxford will turn upside down if Ole Miss can win a third straight over Alabama, the nations defending national champion and current No. 1 team.20.?LSU Tigers?(1-1)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?22 Week 2 result:?Defeated Jacksonville State 34-13While LSUs 34-13 win over Jacksonville State was far from pretty -- and didnt include an injured Leonard Fournette -- it appears that the Tigers have found a quarterback, as Danny Etling, a Purdue transfer, came on for the ineffective Brandon Harris and led the Tigers to all their points. Of course, Jacksonville State is one thing. A visit from Mississippi State is another.21.?Oregon Ducks?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?25 Week 2 result:?Defeated Virginia 44-26Oregon owned a struggling Virginia squad, with the offense looking flashy and the defense looking ... well, better. Well get a much more substantive measure of whether Oregon is a legit Pac-12 North Division contender again after a trip to Nebraska on Saturday. The Cornhuskers sideline will look familiar with former Oregon State coach Mike Riley leading Big Red.22.?Baylor Bears?(2-0)Trending:?Week 1 ranking:?23 Week 2 result:?Defeated SMU 40-13Baylor didnt look like itself in the first half against SMU -- it failed to score a TD before the break for only the fourth time in its past 57 games -- but it surged in the third quarter and coasted home. The Bears annual preseason of cupcakes when the rest of college football is playing tough nonconference games continues next Friday at Rice.23. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-0)Trending:Week 1 ranking: NR Week 2 result: Defeated TCU 41-38 (2OT)The Razorbacks looked much better in Week 2, showing good offensive balance in their double-overtime win at No. 15 TCU. More than that, they showed some mental toughness by overcoming the Horned Frogs fourth-quarter comeback to prevail in OT. After a visit from Texas State, a more dangerous Texas team comes to town -- Texas A&M -- in a potentially significant SEC West showdown.24. Florida Gators (2-0)Trending:Week 1 ranking: NR Week 2 result: Defeated Kentucky 45-7The Gators blasted woeful Kentucky and looked good on both sides of the ball while doing so, owning a 564-149 yardage advantage in a 45-7 domination. Of course, Floridas early season is littered with patsies, including a visit from North Texas on Saturday, so we wont get a true measure of the Gators until they visit Tennessee on Sept. 24.25. UCLA Bruins (1-1)Trending:Week 1 ranking:?24 Week 2 result: Defeated UNLV 42-21UCLA started quick, meandered and then pulled away from UNLV in a 42-21 victory, but the bigger issue may be the health of defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes, by far the Bruins best defensive player. He didnt play in the second half with what was called a strained right knee. Vanderdoes missed all of the 2015 season after he blew out his left knee. The Bruins visit BYU on Saturday.Others receiving votes: North Carolina, Miami, Boise State, San Diego State, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Utah, TCU, Colorado, Appalachian State, Arizona State?Wholesale Custom Jerseys . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Discount Custom Jerseys Online . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. http://www.customjerseyschina.com/ . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Cheap Custom Jerseys From China . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Custom Football Jerseys China . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home.BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles set a major league record by hitting four home runs in the first inning before making an out.Unfortunately, they still had eight innings left to play.Wade Miley and a host of Baltimore pitchers struggled for much of the game, and the Orioles wasted five homers in a 15-8 loss to the Houston Astros on Friday night.Coming off a six-homer performance on Thursday, the Orioles picked up where they left off against Houston starter Collin McHugh, becoming the first team in the modern era (since 1900) to open a game with four home runs before making an out, according to STATS.Adam Jones hit McHughs first pitch into the seats in left field and Hyun Soo Kim singled before Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo homered in succession.But Houston answered with a five-run second to go up 6-5. Jose Altuve capped the surge with a two-run double with two outs to chase Miley, who matched the shortest start of his career.It was terrible. Its embarrassing for that to happen, he said. I flat-out stunk.The left-hander is 0-2 with a 9.53 ERA in four starts since being traded from Seattle on July 31.He wasnt the only culprit. Five Baltimore pitchers combined to give up a season-high 15 runs and 18 hits.I know hes frustrated, but hes not the only one who struggled pitching tonight, manager Buck Showalter said.Altuve homered and had five RBI to help the Astros end a five-game skid. George Springer went 4 for 5 with a home run for Houston, which also got long balls from Evan Gattis and Teoscar Hernandez.Chris Devenski (2-4) allowed one hit in four innings for the Astros after McHugh yielded seven runs and nine hits in three innings.I dont know if Ive ever been blitzed like that before in my career, the right-hander said. Todays game in general was kind of a crazy.Springer provided a glimpse of things to come by hitting a leadoff hhomer on the fifth pitch from Miley.ddddddddddddAfter the teams traded five-run innings, Baltimore went up 7-6 in the third and Houston pulled even in the fourth.The Astros took a 9-7 lead against Ubaldo Jimenez (5-10) in the fifth. Hernandez blooped an RBI single to center and Springer greeted Tyler Wilson with a run-scoring single.Pedro Alvarez homered in the bottom half before Houston pulled away in the sixth, getting a two-run homer from Altuve and a solo shot from Gattis.Showalter doesnt expect this defeat to linger with his team.Our guys turn the page very quickly, just like their team did before tonights game, he said.Trumbo, who leads the majors with 36 homers, shrugged off the loss.Its going to happen throughout the course of the year, he said. Weve had a lot of good times, and some not-so-good times, and this will be one of them. Everyone is this room has dealt with it many times before. Its not easy to brush off, but I think were equipped to do it.ROSTER MOVESAstros: Optioned reliever James Hoyt to Triple-A Fresno and recalled Brad Peacock from the same club. We need some fresh arms up here, manager A.J. Hinch said.Orioles: Optioned Wilson to Triple-A Norfolk after the game.TRAINERS ROOMAstros: OF Jake Marisnick got the night off as he tries to work through a sore groin. Hes played in only two games since Aug. 11. Hes not moving quite at full speed, Hinch said.Orioles: OF Joey Rickard (thumb) wont be ready to play when rosters expand on Sept. 1, Showalter said.UP NEXTAstros: Mike Fiers (8-6, 4.66 ERA) makes his 88th career start Saturday, facing the Orioles for the first time.Orioles: Chris Tillman (15-4, 3.46) gets the call after having his start Wednesday pushed back because of a sore right shoulder. ' ' '