College Football Rankings for Week 3: Clemson & ASU Take a Hit; New G5 School Enters

Week 2 of college football had its own twists and upsets—this sport is as unpredictable as it gets. Even the hunters looked like prey. A few upstarts answered the call, knocking off teams in the Top 25. Former No. 12 Arizona State fell to Jeff Lebby’s squad, and No. 13 Florida’s loss to a Group of Five opponent put Billy Napier in the hottest seat he’s ever faced. Even SMU went down after going toe-to-toe in arguably the game of the week against Dave Aranda’s Baylor. Sherrone Moore’s Michigan also stumbled in a ranked showdown against Brent Venables’ Sooners. With all that wreckage, it’s time to reset and break down the new Top 25 heading into Week 3.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes didn’t just win; they staged a full-on demolition derby. Ohio State dismantled Grambling State 70–0, and it looked unfair from the jump. Julian Sayin completed 15 straight passes like he was playing 7-on-7 drills, ending the night with 300+ yards and four touchdowns in just one half. Wideout Jeremiah Smith snagged 119 yards and two scores with ease. Add in Bo Jackson and Isaiah West pounding the rock, plus Riley Pettijohn housing a defensive score, and this was a flex on every level. But hold up—there’s still borderline stress about their pass rush and some sloppy special teams execution.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State pitched a 34–0 shutout over FIU, but it wasn’t a clean sheet. Drew Allar and the crew started shaky with dropped passes and blocked kicks, and the special teams looked like a clown show. Still, Allar found his rhythm late, tossing two touchdowns to settle nerves. Kaytron Allen stole the night with 144 yards and a 67-yard house call that iced it. Defensively, the Lions did what they do best: wreck quarterbacks. Sacks, turnovers, and a suffocating secondary made FIU look like it forgot its playbook.

3. LSU Tigers

Brian Kelly’s Tigers handled Louisiana Tech, 23–7, but boy was it a slow night in the office. The center went down on the first snap, and LSU’s offense never looked comfortable. Garrett Nussmeier threw a pick, the kicking game went sideways, and red zone trips looked like traffic jams. A 98-yard touchdown drive was the lone flash of brilliance. Freshman Harlem Berry brought some juice with the run game, but the defense had to bail the team out. A win’s a win.

4. Miami Hurricanes

Carson Beck made it rain at Hard Rock. Miami stomped Bethune-Cookman 45–3, and Beck went surgical—22 of 24, 267 yards, and two touchdowns. He even broke a school record with 15 straight completions. Mark Fletcher Jr. bullied his way to 86 yards and two touchdowns, while CJ Daniels caught both Beck TDs like clockwork. The U’s defense? Diabolical. They allowed just a field goal, forced turnovers, and held Bethune-Cookman under 200 yards. Corey Hetherman’s squad is looking like the ACC’s big boss early.

5. Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia beat Austin Peay 28–6, but if you expected fireworks, you got sparklers instead. Gunner Stockton dinked and dunked his way to 227 yards, but the offense looked like it was stuck in neutral—short passes, no big-time plays, and O-line injuries causing headaches. Two fumbles added to the mess. Luckily, the defense bailed them out. CJ Allen flew around like a missile, and the Dawgs held Austin Peay under 200 yards. Add a clutch goal-line stand, and Georgia limped to victory. It’s 2-0, but Bulldog fans want more bite.

6. Oregon Ducks

Dan Lanning’s Ducks threw a party at Oklahoma State. Final score: 69–3. Dante Moore spread the ball like butter, completing 16 of 21 for 266 yards and three TDs. Oregon racked up 631 total yards, split almost evenly between run and pass. The defense wasn’t just solid; it was savage—two pick-sixes back-to-back turned this into a dunk contest. Only five penalties all game showed discipline, too. Oregon looks like a playoff contender.

7. Texas Longhorns

Arch Manning had his “I’m him” game. After the Week 1 loss to Ohio State, Texas bounced back by smacking San Jose State 38–7. Manning threw four touchdowns and ran one in for dessert—all before halftime. Freshman tight end Jack Endries was the breakout star, catching two touchdowns and lining up all over the field like a chess piece. Steve Sarkisian’s squad looked angry and ready to fight, proving they aren’t rolling over after one loss.

8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (DNP)

The Irish sat on a bye in Week 2, licking wounds from their 27–24 loss to Miami. Marcus Freeman knows the D-line has to get pressure with just four, after Miami exposed them. The O-line also needs to wake up before they face Mike Elko’s Texas A&M, fresh off a 44–22 win. Notre Dame has no room for error, and next week’s game will define whether they’re a playoff threat or just window dressing in the rankings.

9. South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks beat South Carolina State 38–10, but this was Vicari Swain’s show. The return man took two punts to the house, one for 65 yards and another for 42 after a block. Add in Jaron Willis scooping up a fumble for a touchdown, and special teams scored 21 points by themselves. QB LaNorris Sellers barely cracked 120 passing yards, so the offense still looks stuck in first gear. But 2-0 is 2-0, and Shane Beamer will take it.

10. Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois embarrassed Duke 45–19 in their house. Luke Altmyer sliced through the Blue Devils for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns, while Hank Beatty went off for 128 and a score. The Illini backfield joined the party too, and the defense forced five turnovers like it was a robbery. Duke’s miscues—muffed punts, fumbles—gifted Illinois short fields, and the Illini cashed in every time. A road statement win like this plants Illinois as a sleeper in the Top 10 conversation.

11. Clemson Tigers

Clemson’s free fall continues. Once ranked No. 4, they’ve slid to 11 after barely beating Troy 24–16. Down 16–3 at halftime, Dabo Swinney’s squad looked cooked. The offensive line was Swiss cheese, and the defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed. Then Adam Randall lit the fire with a 36-yard run, finishing with 112 yards. Cade Klubnik found Bryant Wesco Jr. for two touchdowns, and Nolan Houser kicked the dagger field goal. The defense locked down Troy in the second half, but the questions remain.

12. Oklahoma Sooners

Brent Venables’ Sooners made a statement by handling Michigan 24–13. John Mateer was unstoppable—392 passing yards and three total touchdowns, moving chains with his arms and legs. The defense harassed Michigan freshman QB Bryce Underwood all night, forcing him into 9-of-24 passing misery.

13. Florida State Seminoles

FSU looked like a video game team, torching East Texas A&M 77–3. 11 different players had receptions, and Tommy Castellanos threw for 237 yards and three scores. Duce Robinson stole the show with 173 receiving yards and a jaw-dropping one-handed TD grab. Gavin Sawchuk added three touchdowns, and the defense gave up just 8 first downs. This was FSU’s highest-scoring game under Mike Norvell, and it screamed, “We’re back.”

14. Iowa State Cyclones

Cardiac Cyclones! Iowa State came back from 13 down to stun Iowa 16–13. Rocco Becht bombed a 75-yard touchdown to Jaylin Noel and set up Kyle Konrardy’s clutch 54-yard field goal with six seconds left. The defense flipped tempo with Jeremiah Cooper’s pick, and suddenly, Iowa State is 3-0.

15. Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies beat Utah State 44–22. Marcel Reed threw three touchdowns before leaving hurt, but Miles O’Neill kept the train moving. Le’Veon Moss and the receiver duo of Mario Craver and KC Concepcion combined for fireworks. The defense racked up 6 sacks and bullied Utah State to 72 rushing yards. Despite injuries, A&M flexed its depth. Next week against Notre Dame is a must-watch—two Top 15 teams throwing down.

16. Alabama Crimson Tide

After getting embarrassed by Florida State in Week 1, Alabama rebounded with a 42–0 shutout of Louisiana-Monroe. Ty Simpson went 17-for-17 with 226 yards—perfection. Kevin Riley averaged 6.6 yards a tote, and the defense only allowed 43 yards total. Yeah, it was ULM, but Bama needed this confidence boost. The Kalen DeBoer hot seat talk cools… for now.

17. Ole Miss Rebels

Ole Miss escaped Kentucky 30–23 after QB Austin Simmons threw two early picks and spotted the Wildcats 10 points. But Simmons rallied, hitting Harrison Wallace for a 55-yard bomb that flipped the game. RB Kewan Lacy was the hero, running like a bulldozer all game. Kentucky’s late push fell short, and Lane Kiffin’s crew moves to 2-0.

18. Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee crushed ETSU 72–17, flexing 717 total yards. Joey Aguilar tossed three TDs, Star Thomas scored three on the ground, and Chris Brazzell went off for 125 yards and two scores. Neyland was rocking, and the Vols looked untouchable. But next week? Georgia. Now we’ll see if Tennessee’s fireworks show is for real.

19. South Florida Bulls

Here come the G5 crashers. USF pulled the upset of the week, taking down No. 13 Florida 18–16 in Gainesville after already blasting Boise State in Week 1. QB Byrum Brown keeps balling, but the wild card was Nico Gramatica’s clutch last-second field goal. Add the Florida ejection drama, and this was a roller coaster win. Coach Alex Golesh has Tampa praying again. From nobodies to ranked in two weeks? That’s a Cinderella glow-up.

20. Michigan Wolverines

Michigan got roughed up by Oklahoma 24–13. Freshman Bryce Underwood was made to feel like he didn’t belong at this stage all game. The Sooners’ special team was giving too many chances to Sherrone Moore. The Wolverines’ offense just couldn’t cash in, struggling to both pass and run the ball, especially after losing key lineman Giovani El-Hadi to injury. Still, their playoff hopes aren’t cooked yet—a home bounce-back chance looms next week.

21. Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana crushed Kennesaw State 56–9 to jump to 2–0. QB Fernando Mendoza looked sharp with 245 passing yards and four touchdowns, three of which went to Elijah Sarratt. The Hoosiers dominated the ground game too, rolling up 313 rushing yards and three more TDs. Their defense held Kennesaw out of the end zone, locking down the second half.

22. Utah Utes

So far, it’s hard to argue that there are 20 teams better than Utah. In their September 6 home opener, the Utes dismantled Cal Poly 63–9. QB Devon Dampier threw for 192 yards and three scores, while Utah racked up 519 yards of offense and converted a wild 14 of 16 third downs. Their defense? Nasty as always, holding Cal Poly to just 220 yards and forcing two turnovers. Utah looks loaded.

23. Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Red Raiders’ portal moves are paying off in spades. Texas Tech blasted Kent State 62–14, with Behren Morton tossing three first-half touchdowns before backup Will Hammond piled on with two more. Reggie Virgil, Coy Eakin, and Adam Hill all popped off with explosive plays, while the defense smothered Kent State and even scored on a Skyler Gill-Howard pick-six. At 2–0, Tech’s feeling hot, but bigger tests are coming.

24. Auburn Tigers

Auburn looked sharp in a 42–3 beatdown of Ball State. QB Jackson Arnold fired three touchdowns with 251 yards through the air, while Jeremiah Cobb bulldozed his way to 120 rushing yards and two scores. The defense locked Ball State down cold, hardly giving up anything all day. The Tigers look balanced and ready to make some noise this season.

25. Arizona State Sun Devils

The preseason Big 12 favorites got humbled on the road in Starkville, falling 24–20 to Mississippi State. Blake Shapen carved them up early as the Bulldogs raced to a 17–0 lead, but Sam Leavitt sparked a second-half comeback that almost flipped the script. Just when ASU thought they sealed it with a late field goal, Shapen dropped a 58-yard bomb to Brenen Thompson with 30 seconds left. Kenny Dillingham’s crew was gutted, and suddenly, their margin for error is thin.