CFB Power Rankings – Week 3

/ Kolton McKinnies
  1. Georgia (2-0)
    • We know the Bulldogs are really good, but nothing about their 1st two games really tells us how good they can be this year with Carson Beck. They welcome their 1st Power 5 opponent this weekend with South Carolina, albeit one that looked really bad in its lone test in their loss to UNC. I expect Georgia to dominate the game, but if the Gamecocks hang around we may be given some hope that the rest of the field has a shot to dethrone the back-to-back champs.
  2. Michigan (2-0)
    • This is the same paragraph as above, except they have another cupcake opponent with Bowling Green coming in. The big question with Michigan really isn’t how good they are, we know who they are, it’s can they take the next step against the country’s elite teams not named Ohio St. We won’t have answers to that for a good while.
  3. Florida St (2-0)
    • The Noles are on a short list of teams who have shined early in the season. They look like the class of the ACC and are a clear favorite to get into the Playoff. They should dominate against a bad BC team this weekend to set up a massive trip to Clemson Week 4. That was a game everyone had circled on the calendar pre-season, but even with Clemson’s early season blunder, they will be playing to keep their hopes alive so that game is still massive. Potential look ahead spot this weekend, but a true contender would go into BC and dominate, so that’ll be something to watch.
  4. Notre Dame (3-0)
    • The Irish continue to affirm my belief that they will beat Ohio St and USC and get into the Playoff. They dominated a decent NC State team on the road, showcasing how difficult to stop offensively they are going to be with Sam Hartman running the offense. They dominate on the ground with Estime behind this elite O-line and are built to beat teams who are weak in the trenches…ie Ohio St and USC. I can’t wait for Week 4 when they host the Buckeyes.
  5. Penn St (2-0)
    • Drew Allar looks the part so far, but this weekend represents the exact sort of game Penn St would struggle with in the past. If the Nittany Lions are who we think they are they should go into Illinois and win comfortably. They are 14.5 point favorites, good teams win, great teams cover. If they think they can beat Ohio State and Michigan, you have to handle your business against a team like Illinois on the road. Very intriguing game from a measuring stick standpoint.
  6. Texas (2-0)
    • Texas is back. It’s been the question every year for the past decade or more, but going on the road and beating Alabama should put this question to rest. Now, many have the Longhorns higher, but Bama is not as impressive to me as others, and I think the teams I have above Texas right now would also be able to handle the Tide. It’s a great win, and positions them well to get into the playoff, especially since they get K-State and Oklahoma at home.
  7. USC (2-0)
    • The defense has looked a little better these last couple of weeks and man does Caleb Williams look fantastic. It’s hard to gauge just how much of a problem the defense is going to be for them, but the Pac-12 is going to test them week after week, so we are going to find out in short order. It’s an off week for the Trojans, but things will start heating up soon.
  8. Oregon (2-0)
    • By the skin of their teeth the Ducks were able to steal a dub from Lubbock this past weekend in a game that they didn’t play their best. Texas Tech is a good team and was hungry after a surprising loss, so to take their best shot and grab a road W was huge. The Ducks still have 6 ranked teams left on the schedule, so there are still land mines everywhere on the schedule. They get one last reprieve with Hawaii this weekend, but after that the madness will begin with Colorado coming to Eugene.
  9. Washington (2-0)
    • Michael Penix Jr and this offense have been electric to start the season, and they are certainly right there with USC and Oregon at the top of this Conference. You could poll 100 people and I bet it would be close to a 3-way tie in terms of the top Pac-12 team so it’s going to be fascinating to watch it all play out. This week they have a road visit to East Lansing, who is down and without their HC, so I would expect another big victory heading into the Conference slate.
  10. Ohio St (2-0)
    • I am still unimpressed with Kyle McCord and this offense, but they are 2-0 and they have the skill position guys to be elite. They get W. Kentucky this weekend to beat up on and try and build some rhythm on that side and they need to do so in a hurry because they’re heading to Notre Dame next week. So far I have no confidence these Buckeyes can go into South Bend and beat the Irish, and I doubt a game against W. Kentucky will allow me to feel any better.
  11. Utah (2-0)
    • 2-0 against Power-5 teams without your starting QB is something to be very excited about, and while the Utes aren’t the flashiest team in the Pac-12, they should enter the Conference slate with as good a chance as anyone as long as Rising comes back healthy. They should have an easy W with Weber St coming to town this Saturday and then the fun begins. The Utes are a sleeping giant in the Pac-12 right now.
  12. LSU (1-1)
    • Listen, the Tigers were written off with a game 1 loss to Florida St, but what it really amounts to? A loss to an elite team on a neutral site. I think LSU should still be the favorite out of the West in the SEC, but Alabama is right there as well. We are going to find out this weekend just how accurate that is as they head to Mississippi St, who isn’t great but represents a road test that can be used as a decent measuring stick game. An easy win gives you confidence they can be a factor come November.
  13. Alabama (1-1)
    • Milroe was exposed as I assumed he would be, and Alabama lost at home to Texas which all but eliminated them from Playoff contention. Do you really think that offense can run the table in the SEC? Ole Miss, Texas A&M and LSU all look poised to give the Tide a rough time, and let’s not forget Tennessee. And even if they win all of those tough tests, they would need to get through Georgia in the SEC title game as well, so I just don’t see them in the Playoff this year, or even as a top-10 team.
  14. Kansas St (2-0)
    • The Wildcats are as under the radar as it gets, but the defending Big 12 champs are the clear no. 2 in the Big 12 standing in the way of Texas. Will Howard is playing really well and I’ll say it til I’m blue in the face, this team is as tough and well coached as you’ll find in College Football. They get an interesting test @ Mizzou this weekend, and while I expect them to win the spread has fallen from 5.5 to 3.5 so there’s a lot of folks out there expecting a dog fight. I’m on the -3.5.
  15. Oregon St (2-0)
    • Quietly the Beavers are dominating the way that a top-15 team should be, and they’ll get another chance to do so this weekend with San Diego St in town. As I’ve mentioned the Pac-12 is a gauntlet this year, but with DJ at QB and this dominant running game Oregon St is going to be no fun for the top dogs this year. I don’t think they can win the Pac-12 but they’ll play spoiler no doubt.
  16. Ole Miss (2-0)
    • Pretty good win @ Tulane for Ole Miss this weekend but it was still kind of ugly without the starting QB for Tulane. Jackson Dart and the offense look pretty good, but you’d expect better honestly against a not so great Tulane D. I think the Rebels are still a step behind Bama and LSU in the West, but they get a chance at both and in a hurry as they go to Tuscaloosa Week 4 and host LSU week 5. They could easily be sitting 3-2 in a couple of weeks, but if they can pick off one of those they may have a shot at winning the West.
  17. Colorado (2-0)
    • The story of the season obviously is Colorado and it’s been a ton of fun watching them pull this turnaround off. They have joined the 2nd tier in the Pac-12 in my opinion, and in a couple of weeks USC has to travel to Colorado which will be one of the most watched game of the season. Sanders is legit at QB and they have legit weapons all around him. The questions are on Defense and the O-line is not good. I think those things hold them back but man, the win total was 3.5 and they look like an 8 or 9 win team.
  18. Tennessee (2-0)
    • I think the Vols are going to be in real trouble heading to Gainesville this weekend, and I really don’t think Milton and this offense is as elite as last year. Florida looked not great week 1 @ Utah, but that’s a great defense, the Vols…not so much. I dropped Tennessee this week after they struggled with Austin Peay, and maybe it was a look ahead spot, but great teams don’t play with their food like that. Take the Gators +6.5 at the very least.
  19. Oklahoma (2-0)
    • I’m not sure what to think of the Sooners thus far, the defense might be better? But is the offense not as great? I’m on a wait and see plan with this group, and I don’t think my questions are going to be answered when they go to Tulsa this Saturday. We’ll find out who they really are once Big 12 play gets underway.
  20. Duke (2-0)
    • A huge win over Clemson obviously catapulted Duke into the rankings and they didn’t have a let down this past week as they put it to Lafayette. They get Northwestern this weekend, who they should beat with ease, and then UConn after that. They should be 4-0 when the mighty Notre Dame comes to Durham in a spot they can prove they really do belong on this list of great teams.
  21. Miami (FL) (2-0)
    • Massive win for Cristobal and Miami as they got back to being a relevant program by giving it to Texas A&M. Tyler Van Dyke looked much improved and they look like a real contender in the ACC, obviously a step behind Florida St but they should be right there with Duke/UNC/Clemson fighting to get to an ACC championship game. They get an easy one with Bethune this weekend to come down off the high of this past weekend.
  22. UNC (2-0)
    • The Tar Heels barely escaped App St after a huge win over South Carolina to avoid another crushing loss early in the season. We thought the defense was improved but we’re now looking at inconsistent as a descriptor. The good news is they get a pathetic Minnesota offense in Raleigh Saturday, so I would expect a much better defensive performance. Drake Maye needs to take care of the ball if they want to avoid another dog fight, the Golden Gopher have a stout D.
  23. UCF (2-0)
    • Listen, did UCF look great against Boise St this weekend? Absolutely not, but they pulled out a win on a cross-country trip and ultimately I think it was a great building block. They get another easy one with Villanova coming in before the Big 12 season kicks off. Nobody is going to want to go to Orlando this year, and they look the part of a team that’s going to pick someone off nobody expects them to.
  24. Iowa (2-0)
    • Iowa is Iowa, they just win games. It’s ugly as can be, but they’re 2-0 and well on their way to 3-0. They play great D, and with McNamara can at least threaten a little more this year on Offense. The Big Ten West is wide open with Wisconsin and Illinois both dropping games to unranked Power-5 teams early, so the Hawkeyes are quietly well positioned to play in a Conference championship game.
  25. Kansas (2-0)
    • Kansas picked up a really nice win over Illinois this past weekend in convincing fashion. With Daniels healthy at QB they are electric on that side, and there’s some early signs the defense has taken a step in the right direction. If they can just keep Daniels healthy they have legit spoiler potential in the Big 12. They get Oklahoma and K-State at home, with Texas on the road. 9 or 10 wins is well within reach.

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