Week 3 of college football gave us chaos, upsets, and straight-up surprises—and when the AP Poll dropped on September 14th, it only fueled the debate. Ohio State, Penn State, and LSU stayed locked in as the top 3, while Mario Cristobal’s stacked Miami slid up to No. 4 after beating semi-Cinderella USF. Georgia needed overtime to beat Tennessee but still landed at No. 5, and Texas A&M made the loudest jump of the weekend after their thriller at Notre Dame, leaping into the top 10.

Oregon dropped two spots to No. 6 despite handling Northwestern, and the rest of the top 10 rounded out with Florida State, Texas, Illinois, and the Aggies. The SEC flexed hard once again, putting 11 teams in the rankings for the 2nd straight week—including newcomers Vanderbilt, who bullied South Carolina, and Georgia Tech, who booted preseason No. 4 Clemson out after that upset win. Southern Cal also made its season debut, while South Florida, Clemson, and South Carolina all dropped out.

But the loudest talking point? Notre Dame is at No. 24 with a 0-2 record. The Irish just became the first team since 1988 to start 0-2 and remain ranked, and it feels off. Sure, both losses were heartbreakers to top-10 squads, by a combined 4 points, but come on—0-2 can’t be more impressive than teams cruising at 3-0, right? Before we dive into who got snubbed, here’s the rundown on how these rankings work. AP voters—over 60 journalists from the Associated Press and other outlets—are supposed to judge teams based on actual results, not reputation, preseason hype, or hometown love. So, technically, it’s about who’s out here balling.

Let’s talk about two programs putting in the work, stacking wins, and still catching shade from the voters:

Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0)

Nebraska just pulled off its most dominant three-week stretch in nearly a decade, but if you looked at the AP Poll, you’d think they were running YMCA drills instead of steamrolling opponents. The Huskers went 3-0, thrashing Cincinnati 20-17, Akron 68-0, and Houston Christian 59-7. The Huskers outscored their last two opponents 113-7. And guess what? They still only managed nine votes in the AP Poll—good for the 34th-highest slot.

It’s wild when you put Nebraska’s numbers side by side with half the teams that got love. They’re averaging 545 yards a game, splitting the load almost perfectly—366 passing, 178 rushing. Through 3 games, they’ve stacked 147 points while holding opponents to just 8 per game. Dylan Raiola is literally playing the best football of his life. Patrick Mahomes’ clone is 72-of-94 for 829 yards, 8 touchdowns, and zero picks. Even the backup, TJ Lateef, is no slouch either—11-of-12, 254 yards, all while coming off the bench.

Week 1 against Cincinnati was a thriller. Raiola dropped 243 yards and 2 TDs, and Malcolm Hartzog Jr. sealed the game with a clutch end zone pick in the final 34 seconds. In Week 2, they demolished Akron, pouring in 728 total yards, 494 passing, and 234 rushing. Raiola threw 4 TDs, while Emmett Johnson ran wild for 140 yards and 3 total TDs. Week 3 against Houston Christian? The Huskers led 38-0 by halftime and sat out starters in the second half.

The disrespect stings even more when you see who’s ranked above them in the “receiving votes” section. South Carolina—fresh off getting stomped by unranked Vanderbilt—pulled 82 votes. Also, they barely made it out alive against Virginia Tech in Week 1, a team that had just fired its head coach. Like, how are the Huskers sitting here with a +3 turnover margin, a 62% third-down conversion rate, and a defense giving up just 202 yards per game, but voters shrug and go, “Nah, let’s put the 0-2 Irish at 24 instead”?

Special teams? On point. Kyle Cunanan is 4-for-4 on field goals, including long bombs, while punt and kick returns are lighting up the scoreboard. They’re not just winning. They’re dominating all three phases of the game. According to many, Nebraska might not be a Top 25 program yet, but receiving just 9 points is crazy work based on how the team is performing right now. With the Big 10 opener next, the Cornhuskers will get their chance to prove it’s real against No. 21 Michigan next week.

Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-0)

What a glow-up for Mississippi State. Last season, the Bulldogs went 2-10, and a 0-8 SEC wipeout left them buried deep at 103rd in offense and 114th in defense. But this year? They’re sitting pretty at 3-0, and it’s all thanks to head coach Jeff Lebby’s up-tempo offense and QB Blake Shapen’s arm magic. Three games, three wins—including a 24-20 thriller over No. 12 Arizona State on the road—and the Bulldogs are sitting at…29th in the AP Poll. 67 votes. Beating a top-15 squad and following it up with a 63-0 shutout doesn’t buy you a Top 25 spot.

In Week 1, they rolled over Southern Miss 34-17, with Shapen and tight end Seydou Traore connecting for a huge 55-yard gain. Week 2? Mississippi State had its biggest win since 1991 over a nonconference top-15 opponent. They upset No. 12 Arizona State in a thriller, coming back from a late deficit with a 58-yard game-winning TD pass to Brenen Thompson with just 30 seconds left. Fans stormed the field, and Shapen turned into an overnight hero.

In Week 3, Mississippi State demolished Alcorn State 63-0—their first shutout since 2017. By halftime, they’d scored 42 points—their biggest half burst since 2013. The offense averaged nearly 10 yards per play, dropping bombs of 75 and 42 yards. Shapen threw for 173 yards and two TDs, while Fluff Bothwell ran wild with 282 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Their line owned the trenches like champs. Defensively, they let up just 155 yards and forced turnovers left and right. It was a complete annihilation, leaving no doubt they’re a force.

Yet, despite knocking off top teams and running the show on both sides, the AP Poll still ranked them at 29th with 67 votes. Smells like bias or maybe just plain cluelessness. Their first signature win since 1991 should’ve been a wake-up call. Yet somehow, Mississippi State is sitting behind the USF and South Carolina teams in the pecking order.

End of the day, both Nebraska and Mississippi State are 3-0, blowing out opponents, pulling off statement wins, and putting up stats that scream Top 25. Next week will tell us a lot. Nebraska gets Michigan, Mississippi State keeps flexing that new identity, and voters are going to have a hard time explaining away more Ws. Until then? Huskers and Bulldogs, welcome to the Disrespect Club.