Week 3 of the college football season carried some heavy expectations dating back to this summer. Everyone had Sept. 19 circled on their calendar. Thankfully, the slate delivered, especially down in Oxford.
Now, it’s time to see how the top teams in the country stack up against one another. Sunday brought the latest edition of the Coaches Poll via USA TODAY. A new top 25 has been released, giving us an idea of who is viewed highly by coaches.
[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]
Due to some losses, there is a big shake-up inside the top-10. Movement takes place throughout the entire poll, as conference games begin. Let’s check out the full thing below, beginning in Austin.
Texas spent most of the week making headlines. Steve Sarkisian is most concerned about the on-field play, though. And the Longhorns took the field as the No. 1 team in the country per the Coaches Poll.
Walking off, Texas will feel good about its defensive performance. However, Arch Manning did not seem too thrilled. Some work to be done on the 40 Acres before heading up to Knoxville for the first conference game.
Expectations for Georgia were high in Week 3 despite playing an SEC opponent. Many believe Kirby Smart‘s group has still not been tested on the field. Defensive line coach Tray Scott may agree, as he was doing practice drills during timeouts.
Arkansas was no match for Georgia. It’s another blowout victory for them, making it three in as many weeks. Next up will be the SEC home opener inside Sanford Stadium, welcoming OU to town for the first time.
A rivalry was renewed in South Bend on Saturday. Michigan State came to Notre Dame Stadium for the first time in a decade — 2016. Pat Fitzgerald was leading the charge but fortunately for the Irish, his team did not get the job done.
Marcus Freeman went to bed thankful for his defense’s effort. The Spartans finished with just 167 total yards, 44 of which were on the ground. Exactly the type of defense everyone expected out of Notre Dame.
For the second straight week, the Indiana defense pitched a shutout. Howard was on the receiving end in Week 2, and now, Western Kentucky failed to put points on the board in Bloomington. Certainly picking up where they left off in 2025.
Indiana will finally face a power conference foe in Week 4. Northwestern, who is fresh off a huge win over Colorado, will be in Memorial Stadium. A Friday night kickoff, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, only adds to the intrigue.
Miami’s offense continues to be one of the country’s bigger storylines. Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney continue to put up stupid numbers. Mark Fletcher did suffer an injury but appears to be fine.
In the end, 33 points were enough to get past Wake Forest. Miami moves to 3-0 on the season and maintains their spot in the Coaches Poll top-five. We should expect more of the same next Saturday, as Central Michigan will travel to Hard Rock Stadium.
In what many called the game of the year while building up to kickoff, the 60 minutes of football certainly delivered. Ole Miss came out on top, meaning the Rebels were able to spoil Lane Kiffin‘s return to Oxford in a big way.
Outside of Kiffin, one name stood out from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium — Trinidad Chambliss. His Heisman Trophy campaign officially began on Saturday night, shredding up a talented defense, led by Blake Baker.
Ohio State likely felt the need to get a resounding victory before heading into Big Ten play. Unfortunately, Kent State was on the other side. The Buckeyes were never in trouble on Saturday and got back to their dominant ways.
Jeremiah Smith caught five passes for 85 yards. He is now the program’s all-time leader in receiving yards. A pretty impressive record to hold considering the big-name wide receivers to come through Ohio State.
For a few minutes there, Alabama fans were likely having deja vu. Florida State went up by double digits and appeared on track to control the game. It’s exactly what happened last season in Tallahassee, now playing out in Tuscaloosa.
Keelon Russell made sure there was no upset bid, though. Russell threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 56 yards and a score on the ground. A star might be unfolding in front of our eyes.
Some chaos in front of them means BYU is the biggest riser in the top 10. Up for spots to No. 9, they are now the highest-ranked Big 12 team. This comes after a large win over Colorado State on the road in Fort Collins.
The Big 12’s race to Arlington is going to, once again, be fascinating. BYU figures to be right in the mix if not one of the favorites to play in AT&T Stadium. So far, so good for the Cougars three games into the year.
Texas Tech found itself in a tough situation on Friday night. At the time, Houston was ranked and certainly had the confidence they could pull off an upset. The Lubbock crowd made sure no funny business took place, though.
It’s a major box checked for head coach Joey McGuire. There might not be a tougher game on the schedule for Texas Tech, even if we are still in September. Not too bad being rewarded with a top-10 ranking either.
Coaches Poll after Week 3 of 2026 season: No. 11-25
11. LSU Tigers (-4)
12. USC Trojans (-1)
13. Tennessee Volunteers (+1)
14. Penn State Nittany Lions (+1)
15. Utah Utes (+2)
16. Oregon Ducks (+2)
17. Iowa Hawkeyes (+3)
18. Michigan Wolverines (+1)
19. Louisville Cardinals (NR)
20. Texas A&M Aggies (-12)
21. Missouri Tigers (+1)
22. Florida Gators (NR)
23. Washington Huskies (+1)
24. Oklahoma Sooners (-3)
25. SMU Mustangs (-9)
Others receiving votes: Houston 116; Mississippi State 114; Duke 70; West Virginia 55; Kentucky 54; Oklahoma State 36; Pittsburgh 35; Virginia Tech 30; Vanderbilt 29; Boise State 29; Tulsa 20; UCLA 18; Kansas State 18; Western Michigan 17; Nebraska 11; North Dakota State 8; Northwestern 4; Clemson 3; Massachusetts 2; James Madison 2; Arizona 1
Leave a Reply