Top 25 (Week 3)

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) LW 1
After a shacking start, the Crimson Tide showed us that they are once again the top team in the nation scoring 35 straight points. At that point it looked like it was going to be a blowout, but they were able to hold off a late A&M rally to close out with the win.

2. Oregon Ducks (3-0) LW 2
Oregon made quick work with the Tennessee Volunteers after some thought they could give the Ducks a game. Instead Oregon put the pedal to the metal and ended this game pretty quick. QB Marcus Mariota continues to shine and the Ducks look like they won't be given a true test till they play Stanford.

3. Clemson Tigers (2-0) LW 3
A week off for the Clemson Tigers gives them a chance to get prepared for the start of ACC play. They'll face NC State on Thursday night which gives us another opportunity to see Tajh Boyd and Sammie Watkins back in action. It's seems like forever since we saw they knock down Georgia.

4. Louisville Cardinals (3-0) LW 4
It was suppose to be another easy win for Louisville against in state rival Kentucky. But a slow start and sloppy play helped keep the Wildcats in the game. The Cardinals pulled away late, but with a snoozer of a schedule, they can't afford to many slow starts.

5. Stanford Cardinal (2-0) LW 5
Army hasn't been good in a long time, but for the first half, the Cardinal had to be a little weary. But they snapped out of it and ended up with a 14 point lead. We knew that they wouldn't have many blow outs, but to give up 20 points to the Black Knights was surprising. Stanford can't afford to look sluggish next week when they play host to the explosive Sun Devils in what could be the top game of the week.

6. Florida State Seminoles (2-0) LW 6
It's been a while since we last saw Florida State run wild on Pittsburgh, but with the extra week off the Seminoles picked up right where they left off with and throttled Nevada. The early blowout also gave teh Seminoles a chance to rest key players and get everybody involved. They had two rush for 100 yards and a third with 78.

7. LSU Tigers (3-0) LW 7
QB Zach Mettenberger had another big time performance in leading the Tigers past a solid Kent State team. It's truely amazing that Mettenberger even struggled against poor competition last year, but this weekend he went 13/18 and looked comfortable in the pocket. Watch out Alabama, the Tigers are coming.

8. Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0) LW 8
With Braxton Miller out the Buckeyes turned to Kenny Guiton to lead them in the victory at California. Guiton was spectacular with 368 yards of total offense and three touchdowns. It may be me, but Miller has always struggled against weaker competition, where Guiton has come in and been dynamic. Don't be surprised if Urban Meyer gets both of them on the field at the same time.

9. Georgia Bulldogs (1-1) LW 10
After their first two games against Clemson and then South Carolina, it's only fitting that the Bulldogs get a week off to rest. It's been a roller coaster of emotions as they were down in the dumps after their loss and now jumping for joy after the win against South Carolina. Look for the Dawgs to get a break this week playing a North Texas team that shouldn't pose any problems for them.

10. Texas A&M Aggies (2-1) LW 9
A&M only drops a spot in the rankings, mainly because this is right where they belong. They are a very talented team, but their defense is going to cause them problems all year long. That was no more evident in the Alabama game when they score 42 points and still lose. Johnny Manziel and the offense can only do so much. But Maziel does need to take care of the ball a little better. His picks didn't help the defense out.

11. South Carolina Gamecocks (2-1) LW 11
In an ugly game the Gamecocks held onto the lead and got out with their first SEC victory of the year. This is a big win for South Carolina because it gets them back on track after the Georgia loss. But they can't rest yet, they travel to UCF who just beat a good Penn State team. This could be an upset watch.

12. UCLA Bruins (2-0) LW 12
Down 21-3 in the trailing minutes of the first half it looked like the Bruins were on the verge of getting blown out by Nebraska. But a late TD started a 38-0 run that enabled the Bruins to blowout the Huskers. QB Brett Hundley turned his slow performance into a magical 355 3 TD performance. The Bruins look to be for real and will battle with Arizona State for the Pac 12 South Division.

13. Miami Hurricanes (2-0) LW 13
After beating in state rival Florida, the Hurricanes enjoyed a good break. And it continues to be a breeze when they host FCS Savannah State which is one of the lower FCS programs. This should be a good game to get the offense back to humming after their poor showing against Florida.

14. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-0) LW 14
Amid all the controversy surrounding the Sports Illustrated investigation, the Cowboys continue to roll through their opponents. This week it was an over matched Lamar squad that quickly defeated 59-3. Next week it's a bye before starting their Big 12 slate off.

15. Michigan Wolverines (3-0) LW 15
If it wasn't for some bad play calling at the end of the game, we would be talking about a monumental upset by Akron. Instead we are wondering if that was a one game abnormality or is Michigan not as good as we thought they were. I think it's a little of both.

16. Baylor Bears (2-0) LW 17
The Bears are another team that had the weekend off. So far the Bears have looked like one of the top teams in the Big 12 and it will likely come down to their games against the two Oklahoma schools. But to win the league, the Bears need to stay focused and avoid dropping winnable games like they've done in the past.

17. Oklahoma Sooners (3-0) LW 21
Blake Bell was thought to be the starter going into the season, so when he wasn't it was a surprise. After the Sooner offense struggled for the first two weeks they finally turned to Bell as their starter. It wasn't necessarily a surprised that he succeed, but that it was through the air. Either way, they look like the Sooners of old.

18. Washington Huskies (3-0) LW NR
I was a little hesitant to put Washington into the top 25, mainly because they've always teased us before. But this year they finally look to be turning that corner from underachieving to a legit contender to the division title. Their win against a surging Illinois team was fantastic. Now they just have to show that same level of talent aganist the Pac 12 elite. Easier said than done.

19. Mississippi Rebels (3-0) LW NR
There was a lot of hype going into the season for the Rebels, and they might already be exceeding them. Their win over Texas was a big win not only cause they came from behind, but because they did it on the road. Hugh Freeze has them playing at a high level and they are getting a lot out of their true freshman. Can they keep it up once they hit the bulk of their SEC schedule? It will be fun to find out.

20. Northwestern Wildcats (3-0) LW 20
Outside of Ohio State an argument could be made that Northwestern has looked like the second best team in the Big 10. Their 38-17 win over Western Michigan is another example of their talents. With RB Veneric Mark out for a second straight Treyvon Green stepped up and rushed for 158 yards. With Michigan and Nebraska having their struggles, don't be surprised if the Wildcats win the Legends.

21. Florida Gators (1-1) LW 18
After a bad loss to Miami last week the Gators got a week off and it could be a blessing. If they are going to win the SEC East they need to find something to work offensively. Being a one dimensional rushing attack isn't working and they need somebody to step up on the outside. Did they do it? We'll find out against Tennessee.

22. Arizona State Sun Devils (2-0) LW NR
Arizona State's win over Wisconsin was big for their program. Entering year two of Todd Graham's tenure the Sun Devils needed something to build on. Now they hope they can continue the momentum going into next week's showdown against Stanford. They'll need to be crisp on offense if they want to put points up against the Cardinal defense.

23. Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-0) LW NR
I was very critical of their hiring of Kliff Kingsbury, but he is making me eat my words. He's taken a true freshman walk on QB in Baker Mayfield and turned him into his own version of Johnny Manziel. Their victory over TCU really was impressive since the Horned Frogs have one if not the best defense in the Big 12. Their schedule now opens up and they realistically could be 7-0 heading into their game against Oklahoma.

24. Wisconsin Badgers (2-1) LW 19
If it wasn't for a blow error by the officiating crew, we would be talking about Wisconsin's big win at Arizona State not their heartbreaking loss. That's mainly why I couldn't drop them too far because they should have been able to kick a field goal for the win. I'm curious now how they will handle this adversity. Will they learn from it or continue to sulk about it?

25. Fresno State Bulldogs (2-0) LW 23
Fresno State didn't play this week because their game against Colorado was postponed because of the floods in Colorado. A makeup game hasn't been set yet, but hopefully it does because this was a very underrated game.

Dropped Out: Nebraska Cornhuskers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, North Carolina Tar Heels, Northern Illinois Huskies