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AP Top 25 Poll - Week Three

UNC wont be showing up any time soon

NCAA Football: Louisville at North Carolina Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

North Carolina didn’t receive any votes in last week’s AP Top 25 Poll, and following Saturday’s loss to Louisville, that streak continues. There’s no telling how long it will take the Tar Heels to sniff this list, but they have to win a game first.

1. Alabama (58)

2. Oklahoma (2)

3. Clemson (1)

4. USC

5. Penn State

6. Washington

7. Michigan

8. Ohio State

9. Oklahoma State

10. Wisconsin

11. Florida State

12. LSU

13. Georgia

14. Louisville

15. Auburn

16. Virginia Tech

17. Miami (Fla.)

18. Kansas State

19. Stanford

20. TCU

21. Washington State

22. South Florida

23. Tennessee

24. Florida

25. UCLA

*()=First Place Votes

Where is UNC?

North Carolina did not receive any votes from the Associated Press again. Following their 35-47 loss to Louisville this weekend, UNC will face Old Dominion. Hopefully the Tar Heels can get a big win here in order to right the ship and put them back on the map for future polls. Beating Old Dominion won’t exactly launch them onto the list, but it will set them up to face better ACC opponents in the weeks that follow. The Tar Heels are -7.5 point favorites to beat the Monarchs.

Biggest Losers

  • Ohio State fell six spots since last week after their crushing loss to Oklahoma on Saturday night. Urban Meyer and his crew have to seemingly tip their cap to the Sooners, who beat them 31-16. The team ranked no. 2 last week, but have fallen all the way to no. 8 following the loss.
  • Stanford was looking like a powerhouse in the making following their 62-7 victory over Rice last week. The game made them the no. 14 team in the country, but that all came to a halt when the Cardinal went up against no. 6 USC. The loss pushes Stanford down to no. 19 on the list.
  • Notre Dame got off to a nice start to the season to earn the team the no. 24 spot on the list. Unfortunately, the team went on to get beat by Georgia and fell off the list entirely.

Biggest Winners

  • Oklahoma went into their game against Ohio State ranked as the nation’s no. 5 team. It might not truly be a David versus Goliath upset, but it’s still a big win for the Sooners. They jump to no. 2 on the list with this win.
  • USC will face Texas this week after two wins in a row to begin the season. Last week, the Trojans were the no. 6 team, but they welcome the Longhorns as the no. 4 team in the country. This game will give them the opportunity to solidify their status among the very best.
  • Two wins to begin the season have launched UCLA into the national conversation as the no. 25 team in the country. The Bruins beat Texas A&M and Hawaii to enter the conversation, and their upcoming game against Memphis in Tennessee will be a test for them.
  • Thanks to their win against the Tar Heels this Saturday, Louisville has jumped from no. 17 on the list to no. 14. They were the favorite to win anyway, but Lamar Jackson’s performance is likely giving voters confidence in what this team can do going forward.

On the Outside Looking in

Utah remains the first team to sit on the outside of the Top 25 list. The Spartans held on to beat BYU in what turned into a one-score game right down to the end. If Utah keeps playing like this, they should make the list soon.

South Carolina has now beaten NC State and Missouri to keep themselves in the conversation. Their easy handling of the Tigers on Saturday make it look like we could see more from them moving forward.

Colorado is also remaining in the conversation, thanks to a tough defense that has limited their opponents to six points per game. The Buffaloes ran the ball wild and quarterback Steven Montez accumulated 299 yards on 19 completions.

Top 25 Conference Breakdown

  • ACC: 5 teams
  • American: 1 team
  • Big Ten: 4 teams
  • Big 12: 4 teams
  • Pac-12: 5 teams
  • SEC: 6 teams

Top 25 Games this Week

  • No. 14 Louisville will meet no. 3 Clemson in Kentucky at 8:00 PM ET on ABC
  • No. 24 Florida welcome no. 23 Tennessee at 3:30 PM ET on CBS

Upset Alert

  • No. 3 Clemson could be in trouble against Lamar Jackson’s attack when they take on no. 14 Louisville. The tigers only have a -2.5 point lead over the Cardinals.
  • No. 25 UCLA is enjoying their new status on the AP Top 25 List, but it might not last with Memphis looking for an upset. The Bruins only have a -3.0 point lead over the Tigers.
  • No. 18 Kansas State could run into trouble against Vanderbilt because they only hold a -3.0 point lead over the Commodores.