1. Texas – The Longhorns avoided a potential letdown after their huge comeback against Ohio State, defeating UTSA 30-6 to improve to 3-0. Texas’ defense was the star of the night, holding the Roadrunners to just 143 total yards and no touchdowns. Arch Manning threw two touchdown passes, both to Cam Coleman, while the Longhorns’ rushing attack helped control the game. Now comes another huge challenge as Texas travels to Knoxville to face Tennessee for their first SEC game of the season.
2. Georgia – Kirby Smart’s Dawgs opened SEC play in dominant fashion, cruising past Arkansas 45-17 in Fayetteville. Georgia controlled the game with 254 rushing yards, while the defense completely shut down Arkansas’ ground game, allowing just 17 rushing yards. Chauncey Bowens scored three rushing touchdowns, while Gunner Stockton continued to impress with 147 passing yards, one touchdown pass and 97 rushing yards. Now the Dawgs return home for their biggest test of the season so far, hosting Oklahoma in the second ever meeting between these two programs since the 2018 Rose Bowl playoff semifinal game.
3. Ole Miss – Pete Golding’s Rebels made one of the biggest statements of the season with a 32-24 victory over LSU. Trinidad Chambliss continued his impressive season, throwing for 363 yards and two touchdowns while also scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Now Ole Miss travels to Gainesville to take on a 3-0 Florida team. This will be another major SEC test and an opportunity for the Rebels to show that their win over LSU was more than just one big night.
4. Notre Dame – The Irish continued their impressive start with a 27-10 victory over Michigan State. CJ Carr threw for 234 yards and added a rushing touchdown, while Nolan James Jr. ran for 121 yards and a score. Notre Dame’s defense was once again the difference-maker, holding Michigan State to just 40 yards of offense in the second half and only 44 rushing yards for the game. The Irish have now won 13 straight games, all by double digits. Now Notre Dame travels to West Lafayette to take on Purdue.
5. Ohio State – The Buckeyes responded to their heartbreaking loss to Texas with a dominant 59-3 victory over Kent State. Julian Sayin threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns, while Jeremiah Smith had another impressive performance and broke Ohio State’s career receiving-yards record. Ohio State now opens Big Ten play Saturday against Illinois at home. After the loss to Texas, the Buckeyes will look to carry their momentum into conference play and continue improving on both sides of the ball.
6. Miami – The Hurricanes remained undefeated with a 33-20 road victory over Wake Forest. Darian Mensah was nearly perfect early, completing his first 24 passes and finishing with three touchdown passes. Now Miami returns home to face Central Michigan on Saturday. The Hurricanes will have a chance to work on their second-half consistency before their schedule gets much tougher, including a road trip to Clemson in a few weeks.
7. Indiana – Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers continued their dominant start to the season with a 38-0 shutout of Western Kentucky, improving to 3-0 and finishing nonconference play undefeated. Josh Hoover threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns, while Charlie Becker continued his impressive season with 127 receiving yards and a 79-yard touchdown. Now the Hoosiers begin Big Ten play at home against Northwestern. This will be Indiana’s first real conference test and an opportunity for Cignetti’s team to show that it can carry its strong start into Big Ten play.
8. BYU – The Cougars continued their impressive start to the season with a 41-23 road victory over Colorado State, improving to 3-0. BYU dominated offensively, piling up 559 yards of total offense while controlling the game from the start. BYU now has a bye week before traveling to TCU for another Big 12 conference game on October 3rd. The extra week will give the Cougars time to prepare for a tougher stretch of the schedule, with Iowa State and Notre Dame coming up after TCU.
9. Alabama – The Crimson Tide overcame a 21-6 deficit to defeat Florida State 50-36 and improve to 3-0. Keelon Russell continued his impressive start to the season, throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. Now Alabama returns home to face South Carolina in its SEC home opener. This will be another opportunity for the Crimson Tide to improve defensively while continuing to build around Russell and its explosive offense.
10. LSU – Lane Kiffin’s Tigers suffered their first loss of the season, falling 32-24 to his former team at Ole Miss after trailing 24-7 at halftime. LSU fought back with 17 unanswered points to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but the comeback fell short when Sam Leavitt threw an interception in the end zone late in the game. Leavitt accounted for two touchdowns, while Dilin Jones rushed for 106 yards and a score. LSU looks to bounce back when they return home to face Texas A&M in another important SEC matchup.
11. Texas Tech – The Red Raiders remained undefeated after defeating a good Houston team 28-26 in their Big 12 opener. Texas Tech overcame a 10-0 deficit behind a strong second half, with J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey each rushing for a touchdown. Will Hammond also continued to play well, throwing for 257 yards and a touchdown. However, the defense allowed 458 total yards and will need to improve before the tougher part of the Big 12 schedule. Texas Tech returns home Saturday to face Sam Houston in its final nonconference game.
12. Tennessee – The Volunteers improved to 3-0 with a 42-9 win over Kennesaw State to finish their nonconference schedule. Faizon Brandon threw for 178 yards and a touchdown while adding another score on the ground, and Daune Morris rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown. Now the Vols face their biggest challenge of the season with Texas coming to Neyland Stadium for the SEC opener. This game will give Tennessee its first opportunity to show how it stacks up against one of the nation’s top teams.
