AP poll reaction: What's next for each Top 25 team?
The new AP Top 25 college football poll is out.
Week 3 saw some rivalries renewed and some teams hit the road for big-name matchups. However, the week was mostly devoid of upset drama. Georgia battled to a one-point win over Kentucky, Alabama dominated Wisconsin behind five total touchdowns from Jalen Milroe, and Ole Miss easily handled Wake Forest. Oregon State put up a fight against rival Oregon, but the Ducks pulled away in the second half. In the 49-14 win, Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel had over 300 yards of total offenses and three total scores.
What does it mean for the new AP Top 25? Let’s break down the rankings.
Stats courtesy of ESPN Research.
All times Eastern
Previous ranking: 2
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated UTSA 56-7
Stat to know: Arch Manning‘s 67-yard touchdown run was the longest by a Texas QB since Vince Young had an 80-yard scoring run against Oklahoma State in 2005.
What’s next: Saturday vs. UL Monroe, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Previous ranking: 1
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Kentucky 13-12
Stat to know: In the past five seasons, Georgia has been held below 20 points on the road three times — all came against Kentucky (2020, 2022, 2024).
What’s next: Sept. 28 at Alabama, 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN+
Previous ranking: 3
2024 record: 2-0
Week 3 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday vs. Marshall, noon ET
Previous ranking: 4
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Wisconsin 42-10
Stat to know: Since the start of the 2011 season, Alabama is 7-2 vs. Big Ten teams, with all seven of those wins coming by more than 15 points. Saturday marked the second 30-point win among those nine games (defeated Michigan State 38-0 in 2015 season).
What’s next: Sept. 28 vs. Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN+
Previous ranking: 5
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Wake Forest 40-6
Stat to know: Ole Miss is the first team in SEC history to score 150-plus points while allowing fewer than 10 points through its first three games.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Georgia Southern, 7:45 p.m., SEC Network
Previous ranking: 7
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Kent State 71-0
Stat to know: Tennessee has a +178 points differential this season, the best through three games in SEC history and the second-best by any FBS team in the poll era (since 1936).
What’s next: Saturday at Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m. ABC/ESPN+
Previous ranking: 6
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Boston College 27-21
Stat to know: Dating back to last season, Missouri has won three straight games against AP-ranked opponents, its longest winning streak since winning four straight such games in 1976.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Vanderbilt
Previous ranking: 10
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Ball State 62-0
Stat to know: The Canes have scored 159 points this season, the most through the first three games in school history.
What’s next: Saturday at South Florida, 7 p.m.
Previous ranking: 9
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Oregon State 49-14
Stat to know: Dillon Gabriel completed 83% of his passes with two passing touchdowns. It was his third consecutive game throwing for multiple passing TDs on 80% completion. In the last 20 years that is tied for the longest streak in FBS with Justin Fields of Ohio State (2020) and Chase Daniel of Missouri (2008).
What’s next: Sept. 28 at UCLA
Previous ranking: 8
2024 record: 2-0
Week 3 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday vs. Kent State
Previous ranking: 11
2024 record: 2-0
Week 3 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday at Michigan, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Previous ranking: 12
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Utah State 38-21
Stat to know: Utah has won 15 of its past 16 games against Utah State dating back to 1998. The lone Aggies win in that time came in 2012.
What’s next: Saturday at Oklahoma State, 4 p.m., Fox
Previous ranking: 14
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Arizona 31-7
Stat to know: Avery Johnson had 156 passing yards and two touchdowns to go with 110 rushing yards. He is the first Wildcats player with 150 passing yards and 100 rushing yards against a ranked opponent since Adrian Martinez did it against Oklahoma in 2022.
What’s next: Saturday at BYU, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 13
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Tulsa 45-10
Stat to know: Oklahoma State won a true road game by at least 35 points for the first time since 2020 when it beat Baylor by 39.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Utah, 4 p.m., Fox
Previous ranking: 15
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Tulane 34-19
Stat to know: Deion Burks has 21 receptions through three games becoming the first Oklahoma receiver since Kenny Stills in 2012 to have at least 20 receptions through three games.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Tennessee, 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN+
Previous ranking: 16
2024 record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Defeated South Carolina 36-33
Stat to know: This was LSU’s third win under Brian Kelly after trailing by 15 or more points. That has tied UNLV for the most such wins in the FBS since the start of 2022.
What’s next: Saturday vs. UCLA
Previous ranking: 18
2024 record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Defeated Purdue 66-7
Stat to know: The Irish are now 7-1 under Marcus Freeman after a loss. In those games, Notre Dame is averaging 39.5 points per game and beating opponents by an average of three touchdowns.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Miami (Ohio), 3:30 p.m., NBC
Previous ranking: 17
2024 record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Defeated Arkansas State 28-18
Stat to know: Michigan ran for 301 yards Saturday. It’s the Wolverines’ third game with 300 rushing yards in the past three seasons (418 rushing yards vs. Penn State in 2022; 303 rushing yards vs. Washington in 2023).
What’s next: Saturday vs. USC, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Previous ranking: 19
2024 record: 2-0
Week 3 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday vs. Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m.
Previous ranking: 21
2024 record: 2-0
Week 3 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday vs. Arkansas State, 2 p.m., ESPN+
Previous ranking: 22
2024 record: 1-1
Week 3 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday vs. NC State, noon, ABC/ESPN+
Previous ranking: 23
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Northern Iowa 34-3
Stat to know: Nebraska has scored 100 points and allowed 25 or fewer points through three games for the first time since 1999.
What’s next: Friday vs. Illinois, 8 p.m., Fox
Previous ranking: 25
2024 record: 2-0
Week 3 result: Idle
What’s next: Saturday vs. Buffalo, 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
Previous ranking: Unranked
2024 record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Defeated Central Michigan 30-9
Stat to know: Illinois has won three straight games to start a season for the first time since 2011.
What’s next: Friday at Nebraska, 8 p.m., Fox
Previous ranking: Unranked
2024 record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Defeated Florida 33-20
Stat to know: With 310 rushing yards against the Gators, the Aggies now have back-to-back games with over 300 yards rushing for the first time since 2012.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Bowling Green, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
