The ho-hum weeks on the college football schedule are supposed to deliver surprises, but Week 3 failed to accomplish that mission.
The top 19 teams in the AP Top 25 poll won in Week 3, while only two in the top 25 lost -- and both did so on the road against higher-ranked opponents. We nearly got a massive shakeup with No. 1 Georgia, which trailed Kentucky 9-3 before rallying to win 13-12, but Mark Stoops inexplicably opted to punt in plus territory on fourth-and-8 with 3:02 remaining. Georgia was on the ropes and struggling to stop the run, but Kentucky punted and didn't get the ball back until the final seconds. Stoops' long string of conservative decisions — four field goals — led to the game ending with terribly difficult passes that unsurprisingly went nowhere.
Elsewhere, we got some great games, and with it a reminder that it's time to give the Group of Five their flowers. The conferences have looked impressive in big games against power opponents, but none more so than the MAC. Toledo demolished Mississippi State 41-17 on Saturday to follow up Northern Illinois's massive win at Notre Dame in Week 2, which might hold true as the upset of the year.
UNLV beat Kansas on Friday, solidifying itself as a playoff contender (and maybe a future Pac-12 member?), and Boise State pushed Oregon to the limit with arguably the best running back in the country (Ashton Jeanty) in Week 2. Heck, Georgia State rallied to defeat upstart Vanderbilt on Saturday, just two weeks after the Commodores beat Virginia Tech and emerged as the toast of the sport.
Has parity entered the chat? Eh, maybe at the mid-levels of the sport, but not at the top.
Week 4 is sure to deliver a shakeup with multiple games between nationally ranked teams — Tennessee at Oklahoma; USC at Michigan; and Utah at Oklahoma State. Let's set the table with our power rankings.
Biggest Movers
2
Oregon
2
Utah
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Kentucky had Georgia on the ropes in plus territory before Mark Stoops did what he did all game: settled. The Kentucky coach punted and effectively killed all hope of breaking Georgia's incredible 41-game regular-season winning streak. Georgia is good for one of these games every season (they were on the ropes, too, at Mizzou last season), and you can bet it comes at the perfect time for the Bulldogs as they enter a bye week before traveling to Alabama. Kirby Smart will get 'em right. | -- | 7-1 |
| 2 |  | We all gasped when Quinn Ewers hobbled off the field and didn't return with an abdominal strain. Then we all gasped again as Arch Manning took over and didn't miss a beat, doing something no other quarterback in college or the NFL has done in 25 years: throw touchdowns of 50 and 75 yards, and run for a 65-yard score. | -- | 7-1 |
| 3 |  | Ohio State was on a bye but doesn't suffer in the power rankings from strong performances all around them in the top 10. Tennessee, however, is creeping up on the Buckeyes and could supplant them with a blowout this week at Oklahoma. The Bucks have played a tad tougher schedule than the Vols and won't be challenged until Oct. 5 against Iowa. | -- | 7-1 |
| 4 |  | Tennessee continues to break backs, but it faces the first team with a pulse on the schedule this week (Oklahoma) as coach Josh Heupel returns home to Norman. The Vols broke school records in a 71-0 win against Kent State, including in yards (740) and points through three games (191). The feeling here is Tennessee will make several SEC teams on its schedule quit in the third quarter. The defense is legitimately scary and the offense is on a record-setting pace (63.7 points per game). | -- | 7-1 |
| 5 |  | Miami deserves to be higher in the polls, but No. 5 fits the Hurricanes well in the power rankings. They set records for yards (750) and passing touchdowns (6) in a 62-0 demolition of Ball State. Only one quarterback in the FBS has multiple 300-yard, four-touchdown performances in the first half since 2022 - and Cam Ward has two such showings. The QB has thrown for 1,035 yards and 11 touchdowns against one interception through three games at Miami. Believe it or not, the trip to South Florida this week might be its toughest test yet this season. | -- | 9-0 |
| 6 |  | Ole Miss passed its first road test at Wake Forest with flying colors in a 40-6 win. As much attention as Jaxson Dart and the offense receive, the defense is more impressive considering the context. They're one of three FBS teams to not allow a touchdown this season and own the sport's best scoring differential (+159) through three weeks since Baylor in 2013 (+186). The Rebels get another laugher this week against Georgia Southern before entering SEC action Sept. 28 against Kentucky. | -- | 7-2 |
| 7 |  | Alabama's 42-10 win at Wisconsin was more impressive than Ole Miss' victory at Wake Forest, but the Crimson Tide remain slightly behind the Rebels in the power rankings this week. Jalen Milroe has started the season with three straight games with two-plus touchdown passes and two-plus rushing touchdowns in each game, tying for the most in the last 20 seasons (Colin Kaepernick, 2010). The Tide handed Wisconsin its largest home loss since 2008 and can rocket up the rankings after the bye week when they host No. 1 Georgia. | 1 | 6-2 |
| 8 |  | Oh, hello, Oregon. The Cardiac Quacks didn't get a scare from rival Oregon State, pulling away in the second half as the Ducks scored on every possession in the 49-14 road win. Dillon Gabriel connected on his first 15 pass attempts and the Ducks put up a season-high 546 yards, 240 yards rushing and 49 points. The biggest development: The makeshift offensive line solidified itself and allowed zero sacks after giving up seven combined in the first two games. | 2 | 9-0 |
| 9 |  | Cam Rising makes Utah go, and without the veteran quarterback, the Utes struggled to score (again) before pulling away for a 38-21 win against Utah State. The Utes trailed 14-3 and then reeled off 25 straight points to pull away. Rising (hand laceration) is expected to return this week at Oklahoma State, a critical showdown for the early designation as the Big 12's top team. Utah enters the game with three straight losses to AP-ranked teams, but those losses occurred with Rising on the sideline. | 2 | 4-4 |
| 10 |  | Missouri finally faced a team that can push back and was impressive rallying from an early double-digit deficit to build a double-digit advantage itself. The Tigers held on for a 27-21 win against nationally ranked Boston College. Brady Cook is incredible with a healthy Luther Burden, who caught six passes for 117 yards and one touchdown - and was slippery after the catch. Mizzou has won two of the last three games in which it trailed by double digits. | 1 | 6-2 |
| 11 |  | Penn State served a bye, but we did learn something about the Nittany Lions: They're better this season with Andy Kotelnicki calling plays. Kansas looks lost offensively this season without Kotelnicki calling the offense's shots, even with veteran QB Jalon Daniels back on the field. The Jayhawks lost to UNLV, a playoff contender in the Group of Five, and Daniels completed only 50% of his throws to go along with two interceptions. It's clear Penn State has benefited greatly from Kotelnicki's creativity while Kansas has missed his touch. | -- | 7-1 |
| 12 |  | USC's resume nearly took a small hit during its bye week, but LSU rallied to beat South Carolina on the road. A trip to Michigan, the Trojans' first Big Ten game, awaits this week. The Wolverines are ripe for the taking. | -- | 4-5 |
| 13 |  | LSU will play in a lot of entertaining games on TV this season. That's great for college football fans guzzling beer and demolishing chicken wings on their couch. That's not necessarily a good thing for Tiger fans, though. A porous offensive line, an elite quarterback and a desperately inconsistent defense make for unpredictable outcomes, and hoping a flipped coin lands on heads every Saturday is no way to live vicariously through a football team. The Gamecocks would have beaten LSU with a healthy LaNorris Sellers but became one-dimensional with backup Robby Ashford. Still, that was a heck of a comeback by LSU to win 36-33. | -- | 6-2 |
| 14 |  | Kansas State picked up a solid win against nationally ranked Arizona, though we'll remind you Arizona was not in the CBS Sports Power Rankings last week. Avery Johnson threw for 156 yards and ran for 110 more as he scored twice on throws in the 31-7 win. The combo of DJ Giddens and Dylan Edwards in the backfield is among the Big 12's best. Edwards also scored on a punt return Friday. | -- | 7-2 |
| 15 |  | Iowa State rested in Week 3 after its 20-19 comeback to win the Cy-Hawk Trophy at Iowa. The Hawkeyes didn't hurt the Cyclones by rallying and holding off Troy in a 38-21 win. | 1 | 7-1 |
| 16 |  | Something just doesn't seem right with Oklahoma's offense. A week after struggling against Houston, the Sooners again had issues putting away Tulane at home. Pro Football Focus' analytics graded the Sooners overall with a season-low score of 69.2, including a 56.7 for the offense. Jackson Arnold's air yards are low, though he rushed for two touchdowns and the third-down conversions improved (8 of 16). The scripted plays were magnificent to open the game. The running game has improved, too. Can Oklahoma keep pace with Tennessee's offense? OU's defense has been solid, as expected, but this is an exceptional offense coming to Norman. | 1 | 5-4 |
| 17 |  | Oklahoma State bounced back from an uneven performance against Arkansas to demolish Tulsa on the road. Alan Bowman threw for 396 yards and five touchdowns, tying his career high, as the Cowboys won their 10th straight against the in-state rival. Up next is perhaps the game of the year: a showdown in Stillwater against Utah. | -- | 3-6 |
| 18 |  | Clemson's schedule suddenly seems much easier after what transpired in the first three weeks. NC State doesn't seem formidable with an inconsistent Grayson McCall at quarterback and Florida State is historically bad, starting the year 0-3 for only the third time in program history. The toughest game remaining on the schedule is Louisville, which travels to Death Valley on Nov. 2. The Tigers won't see Miami until the ACC Championship Game. The Tigers host NC State this week. | -- | 6-2 |
| 19 |  | Michigan is what it is at quarterback, it appears, and that means trouble is on the horizon against teams with solid defenses. Davis Warren threw only three incomplete passes in a 28-18 win against Arkansas State, but all three incompletions were interceptions. He's thrown six picks this year after the team had only five all last season. Michigan is a frustrating team to watch, and even worse for those trying to bet against the spread. The defense will give the Wolverines a shot to win every game, but even that can't last if the offense continues to struggle. | -- | 5-4 |
| 20 |  | Louisville sat at home last week to prepare for two formidable opponents coming up in consecutive weeks: Georgia Tech and Notre Dame. The Cardinals can prove themselves worthy of a spot in the top 15 with wins. | -- | 6-3 |
| 21 |  | Northern Illinois was provided a respite on the schedule after its hard-fought win at Notre Dame, which has served as the upset of the season. The Huskies open MACtion this week against Buffalo, which has improved under first-year coach Pete Lembo. The Bulls beat Mass 34-3 and are 2-1 for only the third time in 26 years. | -- | 4-4 |
| 22 |  | There's mad, and then there's whatever Notre Dame was Saturday in its 66-7 thrashing of Purdue on the road. The Irish took out their frustrations from their loss to Northern Illinois with a near-perfect performance on the road, handing the Boilermakers their worst loss in school history. Riley Leonard still hasn't thrown a touchdown pass but looked sharp on the run and through the air. Maybe he'll get that elusive touchdown toss this week against Miami (Ohio). | 1 | 7-1 |
| 23 |  | Nebraska did what it had to do to beat Northern Iowa 34-3 to start 3-0 for the first time since 2016. To the fans who say Nebraska is boring, coach Matt Rhule is just fine with that after the program went 1-5 in one-possession games last season (and lost nine such games in 2022 before his arrival). "We want to score, get a lead, play defense and run the football, Rhule said. "Then I want everyone to say, 'Why are you so boring in the fourth quarter?' And then we win." The Huskers need to prepare for a low-scoring slugfest this week against Illinois. | 1 | 5-4 |
| 24 |  | Syracuse exits its bye week with a sneaky-good matchup against Stanford on Friday. Can Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord stretch his tremendous pace (735 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception) into the third game of the season? | 2 | 6-2 |
| 25 |  | You gotta love the Group of Five showing up big on the road against power programs this season. UNLV pulled off the second-most impressive win of the year by taking down Kansas on the road Friday night. What's scary for the Mountain West is UNLV is not playing exceptionally well on offense, but Matt Sluka is a gamer. He led an 18-play, game-winning touchdown drive in the final minutes. UNLV is 3-0 for the first time since 1984 and Barry Odom is an impressive 12-5 as the head coach. The program was 11-31 in the four seasons prior to his arrival. | NR | 6-2 |
