College Football Rankings 2017: Projected Week 3 AP Top 25

With several key games canceled, there is a lot of speculation this week. Here is how the AP Top 25 should look when it is released for Week 3 on Sunday.

Hurricane Irma put Florida on high alert, and college football was the furthest thing on people’s minds as the storm approached. Only one Florida-based team played on Saturday, as Florida Atlantic went to Camp Randall Stadium to face No. 9 Wisconsin. As a result, four games featuring AP Top 25 teams were canceled.

It seems absurd to penalize teams for not playing due to a hurricane. But it must also be noted that two of the four are 0-1 teams in the standings, and already hanging tenuously on to their place in the rankings.

Saturday evening still offered multiple showdowns between Top 25 opponents. No. 2 Ohio State hosted No. 5 Oklahoma in a top-five battle. No. 6 USC welcomed No. 14 Stanford in an interdivisional Pac-12 rivalry game. No. 3 Clemson, the defending national champion, took on No. 13 Auburn at home. It all allowed for plenty of shakeup in the AP Top 25 projections heading into the Week 3 release tomorrow.

As we head into Week 3, there are still plenty of questions begging to be answered across the country. Florida teams were not the only ones who will leave pollsters pondering where they belong in the national hierarchy. At the risk of writing off No. 20 Washington State prematurely, who is currently tied 10-10 against Boise State at halftime, click ahead to see our early projections for how the AP Top 25 should look when it is released for Week 3 on Sunday.

Honestly, not playing this week might just be the best possible thing for Florida. It will hurt in the polls, but it offers a chance to refocus and see what is truly important. It could renew focus once play resumes for the Gators. As it was, though, Florida has already been hurt in the polls.

After falling 33-17 against then-No. 11 Michigan in Week 1, the Gators fell five spots in the AP Top 25. The home opener against FCS Northern Colorado would have been a decent morale boost for a reeling Florida team, but it would have done little to really tell us much about where the Gators should be right now.

Jim McElwain’s team has no clear direction at quarterback, flipping between Feleipe Franks and Malik Zaire during the Wolverines game. It made little difference, as both proved ineffective without any run game to offer balance. The Gators finished with just 11 rushing yards as a team on 27 carries, stifled by the Wolverines at the line all day long.

Pollsters will probably look at some of the performances around the country and question whether the Gators really deserve a vote at this point. They won’t drop completely out of the AP Top 25, but Florida will likely drop a few spots after losing out on a chance to claim an easy victory.

The Mountaineers ran away with a 56-20 victory in their home opener against East Carolina. A win over the Pirates could be enough to vault Dana Holgorsen’s team back up into the AP Top 25 after everything that transpired in the bottom half of the rankings this weekend. The close loss to the Hokies doesn’t look so bad, as Justin Fuente‘s team moved to 2-0 in an easy win over FCS Delaware.

If they keep winning, it only bolsters West Virginia’s case for climbing back up into the polls. The offense is doing its part as well. Will Grier threw for 352 yards and five touchdowns a week after torching Virginia Tech for 371 yards and three scores. Justin Crawford led West Virginia in rushing with 118 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries for his second straight 100-yard game.

If the Mountaineers don’t slip back up into the AP Top 25, they will likely be the first team out among those also receiving votes. A win over FCS Delaware State seems inevitable next week, and a 2-1 West Virginia team would definitely climb in.

On Saturday, No. 25 Tennessee probably did enough to keep itself in the AP Top 25. It could be close, though, based on the results in other games featuring teams right behind the Volunteers among those also receiving votes in the Week 2 poll. After romping over FCS Indiana State at home, though, Butch Jones’ team should remain ranked heading into Week 3.

The Volunteers took the lead immediately, as Ty Chandler returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown. John Kelly rushed for 80 yards, but it was Carlin Fils-aime that punched in Tennessee’s two rushing touchdowns. The Sycamores managed just 215 total yards of offense, and their only touchdown came on a short drive after Tennessee fumbled away their opening drive of the third quarter.

It wasn’t a spectacular performance by the Vols, but it was a big enough victory to keep them among the AP Top 25 for another week. Now they turn their focus toward a trip to face Florida in a battle of SEC East contenders as well as teams vying to remain in the polls.

Against Hawaii on Saturday, Josh Rosen picked up right where he left off in the comeback victory over Texas A&M in Week 1. The quarterback went 22-of-25 for 329 passing yards and five touchdowns, leading UCLA to a decisive 56-23 victory over the Rainbow Warriors. Nearly perfect against Hawaii’s overmatched secondary, Rosen bolstered his Heisman candidacy against the Mountain West visitors.

When coupled with the victory over the Aggies, the Bruins have two solid wins to start their 2017 campaign. They are one of just three FBS teams that have never scheduled an opponent from the FCS, and their win over Hawaii was the first defeat of the year for the 2-1 Rainbow Warriors. Texas A&M, meanwhile, rebounded from their collapse with a closer-than-comfortable win over FCS Nicholls.

Add it all up, and the 2-0 Bruins should squeak in toward the bottom of the AP Top 25 this week. Their trip to Memphis offers another opportunity to consolidate position in Week 3.

South Florida came into Week 2 as the only 2-0 team in the AP Top 25. USF will exit the weekend with the same record after their trip to Connecticut was canceled due to Hurricane Irma’s approach. It might give pollsters time to forget about the Bulls.

That might not necessarily be a bad thing, after the impression they left in getting their first two wins. Both their 42-22 road win against San Jose State and 31-17 win over FCS Stony Brook were underwhelming, and football voters responded by dropping the Bulls two spots in the AP Top 25. A win over Connecticut wasn’t going to tip the needle much higher for Charlie Strong’s team.

Now USF can rest, regroup, and hopefully get a chance to take on Illinois at home in Week 3. Instead of playing three games in 12 days, the Bulls are facing a different strain on their attention. Things are always going to be tough for a Group of Five team, though, and South Florida could drop a spot or two due to the other results around the country.

After jumping up into the AP Top 25 last week, No. 23 TCU locked their position in the rankings in Week 2. In a trip to Fayetteville, the Horned Frogs put up a convincing 28-7 win over Arkansas on Saturday. They could benefit from inaction among teams right above them in the polls to climb a few more spots.

Gary Patterson’s defense looks especially stout this season. The Horned Frogs held Razorbacks quarterback Austin Allen to 138 yards and one touchdown on 9-of-23 passing. They also contained the Arkansas running game, which put up just 129 yards on 31 carries after gaining 236 with four touchdowns against FCS Florida A&M in a Week 1 blowout.

Kenny Hill didn’t look great at quarterback for TCU. The Texas A&M transfer went 21-of-31 but had just 166 yards with an interception. Running back Darius Anderson picked up the slack, running for 106 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Sewo Olonilua had two more rushing scores on his only two carries of the game.

No. 13 Auburn left the Plains and headed northeast to ACC country, where they took on No. 3 Clemson on Saturday. In the battle of Tigers, the visitors took an early lead on Daniel Carlson‘s 24-yard field goal on the opening drive of the game. But Auburn couldn’t find the endzone against the defending national champions, and went into the locker room down 7-6 at halftime.

Auburn’s defense held firm for much of the game, but they got little relief from the offense. Jarrett Stidham went just 13-of-24 for 79 yards. He had neither a touchdown nor an interception as Clemson contained the Baylor transfer all game long. And the running game notched just 38 yards as a team, averaging less than a yard per carry.

The Tigers dropped a spot from their preseason ranking in last week’s AP Top 25 despite a 41-7 win over Georgia Southern in the season opener. They will probably drop five to seven spots, somewhere between No. 18 and No. 20, after falling to what might end up being the No. 2 team in the country after this weekend.

No. 14 Stanford headed for Los Angeles to take on No. 6 USC on Saturday. The Cardinal had won seven out of the past nine contests against the Trojans, but the magic ran dry for David Shaw‘s team when they visited the Coliseum in prime time. After holding serve against the Trojans for the better part of the first half, USC pulled away for a 28-17 halftime victory.

The big problem for Stanford was quarterback Keller Chryst, who fell flat as he completed just 15 of his 28 attempts for 172 yards and two scores. He didn’t toss an interception along the way, but Chryst still didn’t provide enough balance for the tough running game. It wasted a 160-yard, one-touchdown effort by Bryce Love in his fourth straight 100-yard game since taking over for Christian McCaffrey late last year.

The Cardinal probably won’t fall too hard after the 42-24 loss on the road in their Pac-12 opener. With USC looking to jump into the top five of the AP Top 25, Stanford will probably fall four to six spots to somewhere in the No. 18 to No. 20 range.

Hasaan Klugh did have one acrobatic touchdown against the Wildcats defense, but otherwise Kansas State pitched a shutout at home against Charlotte on Saturday. Bill Snyder’s team moved to 2-0 on the year with a stifling defensive performance, holding Klugh and backup quarterback Brooks Barden to 58 yards and two picks on 10-of-25 passing.

The 49ers also managed to put up just 110 yards on 28 carries, averaging less than four yards per attempt. Klugh’s highlight-reel play was the only highlight Charlotte was able to muster in Manhattan in their Week 2 showdown against a Power Five opponent.

Kansas State legitimized its place within the AP Top 25 after another dominant effort. They will turn their attention to next week’s showdown against Vanderbilt in Nashville. If they take down their SEC opponent on the road, the Wildcats could rise into the top 15 of the polls. At this point, K-State looks like a legitimate dark-horse in the Big 12 this season.

Miami came out and easily took down FCS Bethune-Cookman 41-13 in their home opener in Week 1. Mark Walton ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns, Travis Homer chipped in another 108 yards on the ground, and the team rushed for 322 yards all day.  Malik Rosier threw for 217 yards and three scores in his first start and added another 41 yards running the ball.

It was apparently enough to impress pollsters, as the Hurricanes climbed two spots in the AP Top 25. Now they will be sidelined by the approach of Hurricane Irma. In the long run, missing out on a chance to beat a decent Sun Belt team is not going to affect Miami’s chances in the ACC or College Football Playoff races.

They will probably stand pat around No. 16 in the polls after their boost from Week 1 action. Depending on what happens above them, the Hurricanes could ostensibly climb into the top 15. But the annual rivalry game against Florida State will tell a lot more about where Miami stands in the conference and national hierarchy.

After taking down then-No. 22 West Virginia in Week 1, No. 18 Virginia Tech did not need to do much to consolidate its position this weekend. Unfortunately for the Hokies, they also had little shot of bolstering their position in the AP Top 25. They should remain right around No. 18 in the Week 3 release of the polls on Sunday after pitching a 27-0 shutout against Delaware on Saturday.

A little unsettling, though, was the fact that the Hokies managed just 81 yards rushing as a team on 28 total carries. Josh Jackson threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns, but completed just 16 of his 28 passing attempts. It was an underwhelming victory against an FCS opponent.

But it was still a shutout, which does tend to raise pollsters’ perception of teams. The Hokies held Delaware quarterback Joe Walker under a 50 percent completion rate, allowing just 116 yards and nabbing an interception. They also held the Blue Hens to 107 rushing yards on 46 carries. It should be enough to hold firm in the AP Top 25 this week ahead of next week’s trip to East Carolina.

The loss of Deondre Francois is going to have a major impact on the Seminoles. When the quarterback went down against Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in Week 1, it ruined any chance Florida State had of pulling off a comeback against the Crimson Tide. The 24-7 loss resulted in a seven-spot drop in the polls, as Florida State fell from No. 3 to No. 10 after falling to the top team in the country.

They could fall even further this week. A win over Louisiana-Monroe, especially one where true freshman James Blackman excelled in his first start, would have restored confidence in Florida State. Instead, they are left sitting in limbo until they get the chance to play the Miami Hurricanes in a week.

A win over their rivals in Tallahassee would boost the Seminoles back up into the top 10. For now, though, it is likelier that they will hover around the No. 12 to No. 15 range after other teams improved their records over the weekend.

Louisville is going to go as far as Lamar Jackson can carry them this season. The defending Heisman winner accounted for all five Cardinals touchdowns and had another 300 yard passing/100 rushing yard day as he helped Louisville pull away for a 47-35 win at North Carolina on Saturday. But once again the victory was hard to come by for Louisville, as the final score belied the challenge.

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Last week Louisville gained two spots after their close call against Purdue, though, and a first conference victory will probably push the Cardinals further up the AP Top 25. The Cardinals put up over 700 yards of offense on the Tar Heels, and they will now turn their attention to a showdown with last year’s ACC and College Football Playoff champion Clemson.

The duel with the top-five Tigers will be one of the showcase games of Week 3. A win would propel Louisville into an instant favorite in the ACC, especially with question marks at the Florida schools and a head-to-head win over the defending champs.

Against FCS Chattanooga on Saturday, No. 12 LSU racked up an easy 45-10 victory at home. The game was never in doubt for the Tigers, who got 102 yards and two touchdowns from running back Derrius Guice in the win. LSU also had an efficient passing day, as Danny Etling went 8-of-14 for 227 yards and a score.

The Tigers defense locked down on the Mocs in Week 2, holding their FCS opponent under 250 total yards of offense. Chattanooga found it especially hard to gain ground running the ball. The Mocs were held to 2.5 yards per carry as the team finished with 68 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.

It was enough to keep the Bayou Bengals hovering just outside the the top 10 of the AP Top 25 this week. They should remain right around No. 11 or No. 12 in the rankings when they are released on Sunday, but they will have a chance to vault into the single digits next week in their SEC opener at Mississippi State.

Without injured quarterback Jacob Eason, Kirby Smart took No. 15 Georgia to South Bend to face No. 24 Notre Dame. It was the first time the Bulldogs had ever played in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus, and only the second meeting ever between the two historic powerhouses.

Jake Fromm looked just fine in his first-ever start for Georgia, completing 16 of his 29 passes for 141 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He looked confident if not yet totally efficient running the Bulldogs offense. There is still plenty of work to be done developing the raw talent. But he got the job done in South Bend. Perhaps the most dazzling, though, was one where receiver Terry Godwin made a ridiculous one-handed snag of an overthrow.

In the end, Georgia walked away with a 20-19 victory that will knock the Fighting Irish out of the AP Top 25. Sony Michel and Nick Chubb combined for 136 yards on the ground, and the win consolidated Georgia’s position among the top teams in the country. They came back from a 13-10 deficit to walk away victorious from South Bend, and could climb as many as four spots in the polls as a result.

Mike Gundy‘s team is now 2-0, a considerable relief after a controversial loss to Central Michigan kept them from getting through Week 2 unscathed in 2016. Oklahoma State left nothing to question on its road trip to Mobile in Week 2. Playing at South Florida on a Friday night, the Cowboys racked up over 500 yards of offense in a 44-7 blowout.

Mason Rudolph passed for 335 yards on the night, overtaking Brandon Weeden as the school’s all-time leading quarterback in passing yards. He had three solid touchdowns, but also missed on what should have been an easy fourth to Jalen McCleskey right before halftime. In any language, it was an easy touchdown for the taking.

In the end, it didn’t matter that Rudolph missed this throw. But if he wants to build a Heisman campaign or raise his NFL Draft stock, he will need to stop overthrowing wide-open receivers when the chance arises. Oklahoma State needs him to do so as well as the schedule gets tougher if it hopes to keep its high position in the AP Top 25.

Wisconsin seems to have found its new stud running back of the future. Against Florida Atlantic on Saturday, freshman Jonathan Taylor rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns as the No. 9 Badgers pulled away for a 31-14 victory at home. His biggest play came on a first-quarter run for his second touchdown of the game.

Taylor did cough up a fumble, but it was a solitary hiccup on an otherwise solid day by the rookie runner. And the Badgers defense held up its end of the bargain against Lane Kiffin’s team, holding the Owls under 250 yards of total offense.

The Badgers fell behind Big Ten interdivisional rival Michigan in the AP Top 25 last week, and they will probably remain behind the Wolverines this week. But the Big Ten West favorites put themselves in good position to consolidate their place in the top 10. Ahead of their Week 3 trip to BYU, Wisconsin could jump a spot or two in this week’s AP Top 25 after the big win at home.

With a Big Ten win already under their belt after sweating out Indiana’s best challenge, No. 2 Ohio State welcomed No. 5 Oklahoma to Columbus on Saturday. The first half was a close defensive battle, as the Sooners contained J.T. Barrett and stifled the Buckeyes offense. The score remained tied for much of the contest, with the top-five teams deadlocked 3-3 at halftime.

Offense took over in the second half, as the two teams traded quick touchdowns to open the third quarter. But then Oklahoma began to pull away from the Buckeyes, and the defending Big 12 champions went back to Norman with a convincing 15-point win over their hosts.

The loss in a top-five showdown won’t knock Ohio State all the way out of the top 10 of this week’s AP Top 25. But they will fall something between five and seven spots. Look for them to show up tomorrow around No. 8 in the newest poll. No longer the favorite in the Big Ten East, Urban Meyer and his staff will have plenty of work to do to rebound.

Jake Browning had a ridiculously efficient passing game against FCS Montana. The Pac-12 offensive player of the year in 2016 completed 22 of his 26 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns against the Grizzlies on Saturday evening in Seattle. It was a solid statement, but one that will probably do little to push the Huskies further up the AP Top 25.

After Rutgers lost to Eastern Michigan this weekend, Washington’s win in Piscataway looks less impressive. They might even drop a spot or two after the impressive performances below them. With the top-15 duel between USC and Stanford drawing most of the focus in the evening, pollsters had less incentive to follow the action in Seattle.

They will look at the 63-7 score and Browning’s production and figure that they belong right where they entered the weekend. If No. 7 Washington moves in the AP Top 25 this week, it will likely be downward by a spot or two. But it is more likely that Chris Petersen’s team will stand pat in the rankings even as they get leapfrogged by a school or two.

For a while it looked like Cincinnati might get a chance to take down No. 8 Michigan on Saturday. The Bearcats went to the Big House and pulled within 17-14 on the opening drive of the third quarter. After forcing a Wolverines punt on their first offensive series of the second half, Cincinnati could have taken the lead.

Instead, Michigan’s defense clamped down to force three-and-outs on the next four Bearcats series. The Wolverines added a fourth-quarter safety, and Lavert Hill returned a Hayden Moore interception 24 yards for another late defensive score. Moore went just 15-of-40 passing for 132 yards, with a touchdown and two picks.

Michigan jumped three spots last week after knocking off then-No. 17 Florida on the road. The Wolverines should climb up a place or two in the AP Top 25 this week after their decisive win over the American Athletic Conference visitors. They now prepare for next week’s visit from Mountain West challenger Air Force.

Mike Gesicki had two touchdown catches to stake his claim as one of the top tight ends in the country. Saquon Barkley continued to bolster his Heisman campaign with two more touchdowns and over 150 all-purpose yards. But Penn State struggled to put away Pittsburgh until the fourth quarter, and they could drop a spot or two in the AP Top 25 as a result of their offensive sputter.

The Nittany Lions did clamp down on the Panthers Saturday afternoon, but the step up in competition from Akron to Pitt proved to be more than Penn State was ready to handle. Part of it fell to play calling, as Barkley continues to see limited carries and quarterback Trace McSorley continues to struggle with his consistency.

The defending Big Ten champions still look like a legitimate threat to return to Indianapolis out of a deep division. They could also make their way to the College Football Playoff for the first time after being left out last year. But they will need to play better than they did in Week 2 to remain in the national picture, and they will drop out of the top four this week.

After a lackadaisical opener against Western Michigan, No. 6 USC nevertheless opened as a favorite against No. 14 Stanford despite losing seven of the past nine against the Cardinal. The Trojans came out looking for revenge after recent stumbles against Stanford, rolling up a 28-17 lead by halftime.

At the intermission, USC quarterback Sam Darnold was 14-of-17 for 225 yards and three touchdowns. His first incompletion was an interception, though, or else the Trojans might have led by more. By the end of the game, Darnold had racked up 316 yards and four scores on 21-of-26 passing. It was a performance that will undoubtedly restore his position among a growing list of Heisman contenders.

The Trojans got a statement conference win with their 42-24 victory over the Cardinal after struggling to an 18-point win last week. They will vault up into the top five of the AP Top 25 this week thanks to a guaranteed loss ahead of them in the battle between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Oklahoma and could jump over Penn State.

After knocking off UTEP in the season opener at home, No. 5 Oklahoma went on the road to face No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus. The Sooners went back and forth against the Buckeyes for as they remained tied 3-3 at halftime. Then Baker Mayfield went off in the second half to solidify his Heisman candidacy and land the Sooners a statement win out of conference.

They will launch ahead of the Buckeyes and into the top four of the AP Top 25 after the runaway victory in Columbus. Mayfield finished with 386 yards and three touchdowns, while the Sooners defense stymied his counterpart on the Buckeyes offense. J.T. Barrett managed just 183 yards and an interception in the air. He ran for 66 yards but could not find the endzone on the ground either as Oklahoma kept the Buckeyes quarterback bottled up all night.

In their first year after Bob Stoops’ retirement, the Sooners haven’t missed a beat under new head coach Lincoln Riley. The biggest question entering the week is whether Oklahoma will be No. 3 or whether Penn State or USC will finish ahead of them.

Clemson took on No. 13 Auburn at home in one of the four showcase games that pitted two AP Top 25 teams against one another. The defending ACC and College Football Playoff champions have picked up right where they left off despite losing starting quarterback Deshaun Watson and several other key players from last year’s team.

Kelly Bryant looked solid if underwhelming in victory, finishing with 181 yards but no touchdowns on 19-of-29 passing. The new quarterback also ran for 59 yards and two rushing scores. Just as Watson replaced Tajh Boyd, so too does it look like Kelly Bryant is ready to step up as the next great dual-threat Clemson quarterback.

Clemson was down early to Auburn, but they managed to pull away for the 14-6 victory in the duel of Tigers. With the collapse by No. 2 Ohio State at home, the defending champs will climb back up behind No. 1 Alabama as one of the top two teams in the country.

With a workmanlike 41-10 victory over visiting Fresno State, No. 1 Alabama did more than enough to retain its top spot in the AP Top 25 when it is released for Week 3 on Sunday. The Crimson Tide racked up over 300 rushing yards as a team. Quarterback Jalen Hurts led the group with 154 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, while Najee Harris had 70 yards on 13 carries and Damien Harris added another touchdown on the ground.

The Tide defense clamped down on Fresno State. Chason Virgil and Oregon State transfer Marcus McMaryion combined to go 26-of-41 for 216 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The running game put up only 58 yards on 22 carries.

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At this point, Alabama would remain in the top 10 even with a loss on their record. Nick Saban’s team has built up that much credibility. But this victory only bolsters their claim to pole position in the race for the SEC crown and a College Football Playoff berth. Look for them to remain right where they started the season, at No. 1 in every major ranking.