[oldalum]

You're easily impressed, then.  ;)
If you think neither MSU nor OU should have been ranked after their first-game results, then my reasoning (or guess at Wilner's reasoning) would not apply. But if you would still have ranked them in the top 25 after week 1, then margin of victory vs. unranked teams would be a second- or third-order effect after wins or losses against ranked teams. And plenty of other supposedly top teams had marginal first games as well.

[oldalum]

You're easily impressed, then.  ;)
If you think neither MSU nor OU should have been ranked after their first-game results, then my reasoning (or guess at Wilner's reasoning) would not apply. But if you would still have ranked them in the top 25 after week 1, then margin of victory vs. unranked teams would be a second- or third-order effect after wins or losses against ranked teams. And plenty of other supposedly top teams had marginal first games as well.