Two big victories have catapulted LSU into the College Football top five, while a local team makes an appearance after a historic win at home.
This Week’s Voters: Geoff Magliocchetti, Justin Weiss, Louis Sklenarik
(All times ET.)
#1. Alabama (3-0)
- Last Week: W 62-7 @ Ole Miss
- Top Performer: WR Jerry Jeudy (3 receptions, 136 yards, 2 TD’s)
- This Week: Saturday vs. #22 Texas A&M (3:30 p.m., CBS)
Even after scoring 62 unanswered points and 516 yards of offense, Nick Saban probably still made the Crimson Tide walk back to Tuscaloosa after allowing the Rebels to score on the first play of game.
#2. Clemson (3-0)
- Last Week: W 38-7 vs. Georgia Southern
- Top Performer: RB Travis Etienne (16 carries, 162 yards, 2 TD’s)
- This Week: Saturday @ Georgia Tech (3:30 p.m., ABC)
Still seeking clarity in their quarterback situation, not a bad problem to have with Trevor Lawrence and Kelly Bryant combining for 262 yards, the Tigers had a nice boost from their running game, earning 309 yards and four scores on the ground in their last test before ACC play opens.
#3. LSU (3-0)
- Last Week: W 22-21 @ #Auburn
- Top Performer: K Cole Tracy (3-3 FG, 1-1 XP, Long 42)
- This Week: Saturday vs. Louisiana Tech (7:00 p.m., ESPNU)
Already armed with a last-second win over Auburn and a neutral site win over Miami, the Tigers might be the top seed if we were talking College Football Playoff rankings this week.
#4. Georgia (3-0)
- Last Week: W 49-7 vs. Middle Tennessee
- Top Performer: DB Deandre Baker (3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT)
- This Week: Saturday @ Missouri (12:00 p.m., ESPN)
On paper, a trip to Missouri might not be too much to worry about, but with potential first-round pick Drew Lock getting a prime opportunity to impress NFL scouts against a strong Bulldogs defense, Saturday’s visit to Columbia has the potential to be a trap game.
#5. Ohio State (3-0)
- Last Week: W 40-28 vs. TCU (@Arlington, TX)
- Top Performer: QB Dwayne Haskins (24-38, 344 yards, 3 carries, 8 yards, 3 total TD’s)
- This Week: Saturday vs. Tulane (3:30 p.m., BTN)
The Buckeyes, coming off a neutral site win against TCU, welcome back embattled head coach Urban Meyer, but will be without star defender Nick Bosa, who fell victim to the Big Ten’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day with abdominal and groin injury that will keep him out indefinitely.
#6. Stanford (3-0)
- Last Week: W 30-10 vs. UC Davis
- Top Performer: CB Alameen Murphy (7 tackles, 1 INT)
- This Week: Saturday @ #17 Oregon (8:00 p.m., ABC)
The Cardinal will need all the help they can get in facing the resurgent Ducks in what could be de facto PAC-12 North Division title game, and they get the vital reinforcement of Bryce Love, who returns from a one-week injury absence.
#7. Oklahoma (3-0)
- Last Week: W 37-27 @ Iowa State
- Top Performer: QB Kyler Murray (21-29, 348 yards, 3 TD’s, 15 carries, 77 yards)
- This Week: Saturday vs. Army (7:00 p.m., Fox Sports Pay-Per-View/SoonerSports.TV)
Still reeling from the loss of Rodney Anderson, the Sooners enjoyed Murray trying to carry the team on his own as they held off the pesky Cyclones.
#8. Penn State (3-0)
- Last Week: W vs Kent State 63-10
- Top Performer: QB Trace McSorley (11-22, 229 yards, 1 INT, 9 carries, 54 yards, 5 total TD’s)
- This Week: Friday @ Illinois (9 p.m., FS1)
Partaking in the Big Ten’s new Friday initiative, the Nitanny Lions surely won’t forget their last visit to Champaign, a 16-14 upset loss that limited Christian Hackenberg to 93 yards passing.
#9. Notre Dame (3-0)
- Last Week: W vs Vanderbilt 22-17
- Top Performer: CB Troy Pride Jr. (7 tackles, 1 INT)
- This Week: Saturday @ Wake Forest (12:00 p.m., ABC)
Another week, another big halftime lead, another eventual nail-biter for the Fighting Irish, who will finally partake in their first road game in the midst of brewing quarterback controversy between Brandon Wimbush and Ian Book.
#10. Virginia Tech (2-0)
- Last Week: Idle (Game vs. East Carolina canceled due to Hurricane Florence)
- Top Performer: N/A
- This Week: Saturday @ Old Dominion (3:30 p.m., CBSSN)
Forced into an unexpected bye week and their opening weekend win over Florida State tarnished through no fault of their own, the Hokies will look to make a statement against the Monarchs before facing Duke and Notre Dame in back-to-back weeks.
#11. Auburn (2-1)
- Last Week: L vs #3 LSU 22-21
- Top Performer: LB Deshaun Davis (13 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack)
- This Week: Saturday vs. Arkansas (7:30 p.m., SEC Network)
It’s been a weird week for the Tigers, who followed up a last-second home loss to LSU with the news of three players announcing their transfer intentions, but relief should come from a reeling Arkansas team that lost by four touchdowns to North Texas.
#12. Washington (2-1)
- Last Week: W @ Utah 21-7
- Top Performer: RB Myles Gaskin (30 carries, 143 yards, 1 TD)
- This Week: Saturday vs. Arizona State (10:30 p.m., ESPN)
There’s no rest for the Huskies, who avoided a disaster in Salt Lake City, as their win over the Utes is followed by another conference test against Herman Edwards and the Sun Devils, who come in reeling from an upset loss to San Diego State.
#13. Wisconsin (2-1)
- Last Week: L vs. BYU 24-21
- Top Performer: LB Ryan Connelly (8 tackles, 1 TFL)
- This Week: Saturday @ #23 Iowa (8:30 p.m., Fox)
There’s probably no team in the nation on a hotter seat in Week 4 than the Badgers, who follow up an upset loss to an independent with a visit to the treacherous fortress of Iowa City.
#14. West Virginia (2-0)
- Last Week: Idle (Game @ North Carolina State canceled due to Hurricane Florence)
- Top Performer: N/A
- This Week: Saturday vs. Kansas State (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
Even with Florence canceling a potential showcase with the Wolfpack, quarterback Will Grier, looking to continue his Heisman campaign, still ranks third in the Big 12 in passing yardage (761)
#15. UCF (2-0)
- Last Week: Idle (Game @ North Carolina canceled due to Hurricane Florence)
- Top Performer: N/A
- This Week: Friday vs. Florida Atlantic (7:00 p.m., ESPN)
With Boise State and Hawaii each going, the Golden Knights’ question to repeat as the Group of Five New Year’s Six representatives (and national champions???) enjoyed a major boost, but a big test awaits them against Lane Kiffin and the Owls.
#16. Oklahoma State (3-0)
- Last Week: W vs. Boise State 44-21
- Top Performer: RB Justice Hill (15 carries, 123 yards, 1 TD)
- This Week: Saturday vs Texas Tech (7:00 p.m., FS1)
With a big win over the Broncos, the Cowboys, averaging just under 600 yards per game, don’t face another currently ranked opponent until Bedlam on November 10, which opens a brutal three-game finale (at Oklahoma, West Virginia, at TCU), but there’s a real possibility they could be 9-0 entering the Sooners matchup.
#17. Oregon (3-0)
- Last Week: W vs. San Jose State 35-22
- Top Performer: LB Justin Hollins (8 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT)
- This Week: Saturday vs. #6 Stanford (8:00 p.m., ABC)
Many a Stanford-Oregon game has decided the PAC-12 North division, and the Ducks have a prime opportunity to reintroduce themselves to the national college football scene in prime time this Saturday.
#18. Mississippi State (3-0)
- Last Week: W 56-10 vs Louisiana
- Top Performer: QB Nick Fitzgerald (14-21, 243 yards, 15 carries, 107 yards, 6 total TD’s)
- This Week: Saturday @ Kentucky (7:00 p.m., ESPN2)
Somewhat of an afterthought in the top-heavy SEC, the Bulldogs have a chance to prove themselves on the road against a Kentucky team still riding high from its Florida win.
#19. TCU (2-1)
- Last Week: L 40-28 vs. Ohio State (@Arlington, TX)
- Top Performer: RB Darius Anderson (12 carries, 154 yards, 2 TD’s)
- This Week: Saturday @ Texas (4:30 p.m., Fox)
Consistency has been the name of the game in Fort Worth, but Saturday’s defeat at the hands of the Meyer-less Buckeyes shows there’s work to be done if the Horned Frogs have any intentions of disrupting the Big 12 power balance.
#20. Boston College (3-0)
- Last Week: W @ Wake Forest 41-34
- Top Performer: WR Jeff Smith (6 receptions, 145 yards, 2 TD’s)
- This Week: Saturday @ Purdue (12:00 p.m., ESPN2)
One of the most underrated stories in college football has to be the Eagles’ return to prominence, as a dangerous offense averaging 578 yards per game (earning 524 against the Demon Deacons), has made them a surprise contender for the ACC Atlantic division, as they’ve now gone 8-2 in their past 10 games.
#21. Michigan (2-1)
- Last Week: W vs. SMU 45-20
- Top Performer: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (4 receptions, 90 yards, 3 TD’s)
- This Week: Saturday vs. Nebraska (12:00 p.m., FS1)
Their loss to Notre Dame looking worse in hindsight, the Wolverines have, to their credit, taken care of business against inferior competition, serving as a rare silver lining in the increasingly woebegone Big Ten.
#22. Texas A&M (2-1)
- Last Week: W 48-10 vs. Louisiana-Monroe
- Top Performer: QB Kellen Mond (16-24, 210 yards. 9 carries, 67 yards, 3 total TD’s)
- This Week: Saturday @ #1 Alabama (3:30 p.m., CBS)
Johnny Manziel isn’t walking through that door, but the Aggies can keep pace with the might Crimson Tide if the dual-threat Mond keeps his early-season momentum going, momentum that almost stole a win from Clemson two weeks ago.
#23. Iowa (3-0)
- Last Week: W vs. Northern Iowa 38-14
- Top Performer: QB Nate Stanley (23-28, 309 yards, 2 TD’s)
- This Week: Saturday vs. #13 Wisconsin (8:30 p.m., Fox)
Newcomers to the Top 25, the Hawkeyes, another potential ray of hope in the B1G, have a chance to make an instant statement on Saturday, looking to kick Wisconsin while they’re down.
#24. Syracuse (3-0)
- Last Week: W vs. Florida State 30-7
- Top Performer: DL Kendall Coleman (3 tackles, 2 sacks)
- This Week: Saturday vs. Connecticut (4:00 p.m., ESPNEWS)
Deserving a little something for their first win over the Seminoles in over three decades, the Orange may have finally found the long-awaited successor to Eric Dungey in Tommy DeVito, whose first extended action went well on Saturday (11-16, 144 yards, 1 TD).
#25. Boise State (2-1)
- Last Week: L @ Oklahoma State 44-21
- Top Performer: QB Brett Rypien (39-56, 380 yards, 3 TD’s)
- This Week: Idle (Next game 9/29 @ Wyoming)
The Broncos get a week to go over their loss to the Cowboys, as they’ll look to fine-tune their defense before Mountain West play opens against another school with a Dallas-like moniker.
Also Received Votes: Duke, USC, Miami (FL), Kentucky