College Football Rankings: Week 3

We’ve seen so many great games, with so many teams either exceeding expectations or not meeting them. Miami doesn’t look like the team we all expected, Michigan State has been surprisingly good, and the rankings are all over the place. We have a great schedule ahead for Week 4, including Notre Dame-Wisconsin, SMU-TCU, and Arkansas-Texas A&M. Here are my rankings after a crazy Week 3:

1. Alabama (3-0) (PREV: 1)

Alabama showed that other teams are capable of competing with the Tide, but Alabama remains at the top. Florida put up a good fight, now Alabama has a guaranteed win this Saturday against Southern Miss.

2. Georgia (3-0) (PREV: 2)

I correctly predicted how this game would play out. The last time Georgia hosted South Carolina, they got upset. So, this time, the Bulldogs destroyed South Carolina. I bet the fans in Athens are glad JT Daniels is back. They get an easy game against Vanderbilt next week.

3. Oregon (3-0) (PREV: 4)

Even though Oregon destroyed Stony Brook, they move up because they looked better than Oklahoma this past weekend. Their next big game doesn’t come for a while, but the Ducks just have to keep their foot on the gas.

4. Oklahoma (3-0) (PREV: 3)

Oklahoma held off old rival Nebraska late in the game, winning 23-16. If you haven’t seen D.J. Graham’s interception, you need to see it. Google it. The defense worries me still. I’m not a fan of their defense. That won’t go well in the SEC. They take on West Virginia in a tough night game. Keep your foot on the gas, Sooners.

5. Iowa (3-0) (PREV: 5)

Iowa stays where they are because they did what everyone expected them to do. The Hawkeyes demolished Kent State, and they look ahead to Colorado State. It’s too bad that their next big game doesn’t come until possibly Maryland a week from Saturday. Tyler Goodson looks like a top back in the Big Ten, rushing for 159 yards and three touchdowns.

6. Cincinnati (3-0) (PREV: 8)

Cincinnati held off Indiana in what was supposed to be one of the highly anticipated matchups before the season. The Bearcats have a bye this week, but that gives them even more time as their next game is against Notre Dame. I’m expecting a big game from Desmond Ridder if Cincinnati beats the Irish.

7. Penn State (3-0) (PREV: 10)

In the most anticipated non-conference game of the week, Penn State now has a winning record in white-out games. They hosted Auburn in Happy Valley, where Sean Clifford led the Nittany Lions to a 28-20 victory over the Tigers. They take on Villanova on Saturday.

8. Texas A&M (3-0) (PREV: 7)

With Penn State and Cincinnati’s big wins, it forced Texas A&M to drop another spot. The Aggies beat up New Mexico, forcing them to either punt, turn the ball over on downs, or throw an interception. They travel to Arlington, Texas this week, as they face SEC foe Arkansas. Zach Calzada had a solid game, and I hope that turns into a weekly occurrence as Haynes King hasn’t worked out for them.

9. Clemson (2-1) (PREV: 6)

Clemson doesn’t look like the dominant team we all thought they would be. They beat Georgia Tech by one possession, something that I believe Dabo Swinney needs to address. Clemson should be blowing most of these remaining opponents out, and they’re not looking great, especially on offense. My Heisman pick of D.J. Uiagalelei isn’t turning out too good. NC State might upset them if the Tigers don’t get their act together.

10. Ohio State (2-1) (PREV: 9)

Ohio State struggled against Tulsa, which is a big concern. The Buckeyes tried to pull away in the third quarter, but Tulsa kept finding ways to score. Ohio State ended up winning 41-20, but it took a big game from Treveyon Henderson for them to pull away. They should blow out Akron on Saturday.

11. Florida (2-1) (PREV: 11)

Emory Jones had a better game than I expected. With Anthony Richardson unavailable due to precautions, Jones led a Gators comeback to nearly upset Alabama in The Swamp. Had the two-point conversion been successful, Florida might’ve won. Watch out for the Gators, however. They looked completely different in that second half. If Dan Mullens can help build momentum off of that rally, there’s a slight chance that they could win out. Florida takes on Tennessee for Week 4.

12. Notre Dame (3-0) (PREV: 12)

Notre Dame looks more and more vulnerable by the week. There hasn’t been a single game where the Fighting Irish has blown out their opponent. Brian Kelly tied Knute Rockne for most wins in program history, but I wouldn’t be celebrating that if I were him. They have a huge neutral-site game against Wisconsin on Saturday, which means they need to put their head down and beat them.

13. Iowa State (2-1) (PREV: 14)

Brock Purdy and Breece Hall played well as the Cyclones blew out UNLV on the road. Their next game is a lot tougher as they face Baylor. Xavier Hutchinson was terrific, with ten receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns.

14. Ole Miss (3-0) (PREV: 15)

Matt Corral had himself a day, with seven total touchdowns to lead the Rebels to a 61-21 victory over Tulane. If you’re not seriously considering him in the Heisman Trophy race, you’re wrong. They have this week off, but they have to play Alabama to begin October.

15. BYU (3-0) (PREV: 25)

BYU is one of the hottest teams in the country right now. They’re coming off of back-to-back ranked victories over Utah and Arizona State. Holding Jayden Daniels and the Sun Devils to 17 points deserves a boost in the rankings. The Cougars play USF, a much easier opponent.

16. North Carolina (2-1) (PREV: 17)

The Tar Heels took down Virginia, whose offense has been at the top of the ACC. Josh Downs couldn’t have had a better game, with eight receptions for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Ty Chandler had 198 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. With Sam Howell throwing for over 300 yards and five touchdowns, North Carolina won this shootout. Howell also made an impact on the run, rushing for 112 yards. Mack Brown’s team has Georgia Tech next on their schedule.

17. Arkansas (3-0) (PREV: 24)

Even though their blowout win was against Georgia Southern, you can see Arkansas will be ready to battle with Texas A&M on Saturday. KJ Jefferson passed for 366 yards and three touchdowns, a career-high for him. Watch out, Aggies, because the Jefferson-Burks duo is going to break down your defense.

18. Coastal Carolina (3-0) (PREV: 20)

Coastal Carolina had a close call, as they edged Buffalo 28-25. Shermari Jones ran for 149 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Grayson McCall went 13-for-19, passing for 232 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. The Chanticleers take on UMass on Saturday, which should end up being an easy win.

19. Michigan (3-0) (PREV: N/A)

Michigan was ranked in the AP Poll after defeating Washington in the Big House. They were next in line for my rankings. Teams like Miami, UCF, and Arizona State lost, which helped the Wolverines get put into the top 25 for me, even though they blew out Northern Illinois. Blake Corum rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, and Cornelius Johnson had three receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown. Michigan takes on undefeated Rutgers on Saturday, a team they should not sleep on.

20. Wisconsin (1-1) (PREV: 21)

Wisconsin’s ranking doesn’t really change because they didn’t play this week. I’m still concerned about Graham Mertz’s ability to lead the Badgers, but they’ve had a while to prepare for Notre Dame on Saturday that they should be in a dogfight with the Fighting Irish.

21. Michigan State (3-0) (PREV: N/A)

Kenneth Walker III is one of the best running backs in America, while the Spartans are one of the hottest teams in the country. Michigan State upset Miami on the road 38-17, something I thought would happen. They take on Nebraska at home on Saturday night.

22. Auburn (2-1) (PREV: 19)

Tank Bigsby was excellent running for the Tigers, but Bo Nix needs some work. Nix went 21-for-37, passing for 185 yards. They were not going to win in Happy Valley in a white-out game.

23. UCLA (2-1) (PREV: 13)

Fresno State upset the Bruins after they pulled away with a last-second touchdown in the fourth quarter. Two receivers scored and racked up over 100 yards, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson passed for three touchdowns. The Bruins visit Stanford on Saturday.

24. Fresno State (3-1) (PREV: N/A)

Fresno State has not looked this good in quite a bit. Their only loss came with a close game with Oregon, but beating UCLA puts the Bulldogs into my top 25. Jake Haener passed for 455 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception; Ronnie Rivers rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns on 21 attempts; Jalen Cropper had 14 receptions for 141 yards and one touchdown. UCLA could not stop Fresno State’s offense. They take on UNLV next.

25. West Virginia (2-1) (PREV: N/A)

With Leddie Brown rushing for 161 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, the Mountaineers edge Virginia Tech to win the Black Diamond Trophy. They had a big lead, but the Hokies came back. However, West Virginia held on to win. They take on their toughest opponent yet: Oklahoma.