AP Poll Prediction: Projecting Top 25 ranking after Week 3 of college football

Week 3 featured a full slate of college football action with some thoroughly intriguing games, including a heated Top 25 showdown between LSU and Ole Miss. There were some excellent other games, too, and On3 stops to project the updated rankings coming out of the day’s events. Our projections are based on results posted over the weekend, as well as historical moves in the AP Poll. For games that are not yet completed, we are waiting to see the results before updating accordingly and will note that for the corresponding teams. [ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ] This post will be updated following the conclusion of games played late on Saturday night. But for now, let’s dig into the updated projection of the AP Top 25. 25. Washington Huskies (3-0) RESULT: 48-16 win vs. Eastern WashingtonAfter a couple of close victories in the past two weeks, one that caused Washington to fall out of the Top 25 last week, the Huskies finally put together a blowout win. It was easy sledding against Eastern Washington on Saturday. If there was one negative it was that Eastern Washington had some success moving the ball and scored in all four quarters. Still, more often than not they were field goals. Meanwhile, Demond Williams Jr. threw for four scores.NEXT UP: Minnesota 24. Florida Gators (3-0) RESULT: 44-39 win at AuburnFlorida controlled the second half against Auburn but the final score wound up closer than perhaps the game flow might have indicated due to shoddy defending. The Gators will have to find ways to be better against the pass or SEC play will be a real grind. Still, quarterback Aaron Philo looks the part of a man captaining a Top 25 squad. He finished with 204 yards passing and a touchdown, while also adding 22 yards rushing. Jadan Baugh finished with 162 yards rushing and three scores.NEXT UP: Ole Miss 23. Oklahoma Sooners (1-1) OPPONENT: New Mexico (7:30 p.m. ET – ESPN2)This ranking will be updated once Saturday night’s game against New Mexico has been completed… 22. Texas A&M Aggies (2-1) RESULT: 31-21 loss vs. KentuckyKentucky came out with some intent in the contest against Texas A&M, keeping it close in the early going and taking the crowd mostly out of it. Then the third quarter came. The Wildcats poured it on, outscoring the Aggies 21-0 to take charge. As Marcel Reed goes, so go the Aggies, for the most part. And he was shaky on Saturday, missing open targets and throwing two costly interceptions. He tried to lead a fourth-quarter comeback with a rushing touchdown early in the final frame, but it wasn’t enough and Texas A&M fell.NEXT UP: @ LSU 21. Oregon Ducks (2-1) RESULT: 84-0 win vs. Portland StateThere’s only so much you can do to bounce back when you’re taking on an opponent like Portland State, but posting an 84-0 blasting is about as good as it gets, given the circumstances. Oregon was not messing around, taking a 49-0 lead in the first half alone. The bigger concern will be that two offensive stars were missing. Receiver Jeremiah McClellan missed the game after warming up with the team, while starting tight end Jamari Johnson missed the contest. All eyes will be on their status moving forward.NEXT UP: @ USC 20. SMU Mustangs (2-1) RESULT: 41-31 loss at LouisvilleIn one of the most thrilling games of the day, SMU and Louisville battled back and forth throughout the contest. It wasn’t until late in the fourth quarter that Louisville finally put together back-to-back scoring punches to create some separation. For SMU, the loss is a significant setback. Quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for 214 yards and a touchdown but was picked off once. And a brilliant day from running back Kendrick Raphael was squandered. The margin for error for the Mustangs is no next to nothing.NEXT UP: Missouri State 19. Missouri Tigers (3-0) RESULT: 27-17 win vs. TroyIt was a nervy game for Missouri, which saw the game within a score until a field goal extended the lead to 27-17 in the fourth quarter. The score would hold from there, keeping the Tigers unbeaten and in the Top 25 ahead of a tougher stretch in the schedule. Quarterback Austin Simmons and the passing game were limited to just 91 yards, which has to be a concern going forward. Luckily, the Tigers leaned on Jamal Roberts on the ground to the tune of 128 yards and a touchdown to help secure the win.NEXT UP: @ Mississippi State 18. Michigan Wolverines (3-0) RESULT: 52-17 win vs. UTEPMichigan fans had to be sweating after the first half, which resulted in another struggle against an inferior program. After the Western Michigan escape, though, the Wolverines set out to avoid a similar fate in the second half on Saturday. The Wolverines scored 28 points in the third frame to blow the game wide open. By the time the fourth quarter began, the Wolverines had essentially taken complete control. Still, the team will be searching for more even performances — and better starts — moving forward.NEXT UP: Iowa 17. Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0) RESULT: 55-0 win vs. Northern IowaIn one of the few games in the afternoon window that was essentially over by halftime, Iowa laid it on Northern Iowa for the first 30 minutes. Rotating both quarterbacks again, the Hawkeyes were nearly perfect through the air, going a combined 17-of-18 passing for 201 yards and two scores in the first half. Meanwhile, the program piled up 217 yards of rushing in the opening two frames, putting a stamp on the game right away. Xavier Williams scored twice and topped the 100-yard mark in the first half alone. That sets up a meeting of Top 25 teams next weekend in Ann Arbor.NEXT UP: @ Michigan 16. Louisville Cardinals (2-1) RESULT: 41-31 win vs. SMULouisville suffered a tough defeat a few weeks back but bounced right back into the thick of things with a massive win over SMU on Saturday. The Cardinals had an offensive answer at every turn when the Mustangs took the lead. Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz was excellent, doing just enough to keep the Cardinals ahead of the chains. And running backs Keyjuan Brown and Isaac Brown did the rest, pacing the ground game to the tune of 250+ yards on the afternoon.NEXT UP: Wake Forest 15. Utah Utes (3-0) RESULT: 33-0 win vs. Utah StateUtah found the going tough in the opening half, with Utah State doing a decent job at limiting Devon Dampier and the Utes offense. The game certainly wasn’t a blowout by any means, though a late special teams miscue by the Aggies allowed the Utes to punch in one more score before the break to make it 26-0. The second half was a little easier sledding for Utah. A 63-yard touchdown run by Daniel Bray allowed the Utes to really open things up, taking complete command of the contest and helping break Utah State’s spirits.NEXT UP: @ Iowa State 14. Tennessee Volunteers (2-0) OPPONENT: Kennesaw State (7:45 p.m. ET – SEC Network)This ranking will be updated once Saturday night’s game against Kennesaw State has been completed… 13. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0) RESULT: 55-13 win vs. BuffaloPenn State cruised easily in its third and final non-conference game of the season, running up the score on Buffalo early and never looking back. It was 34-6 at halftime and just about everything was working for the Nittany Lions in the contest.The team finished with a very balanced 269 passing yards and 304 rushing yards. Eleven different players toted the rock during the game, with Quinton Martin Jr. topping all runners with 100 yards on the afternoon. James Peoples scored twice on the ground.NEXT UP: Wisconsin 12. Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-0) RESULT: 28-26 win vs. HoustonTexas Tech needed all 60 minutes to put away Houston, getting a good fight in an early season conference matchup that will most likely have Big 12 title implications. Houston quarterback Conner Weigman mostly outdueled Texas Tech gunslinger Will Hammond, who was picked off once while Weigman threw for three scores. In crunch time, though, it was Texas Tech that came up with the big stop on a Houston two-point conversion attempt to tie the game with less than a minute to play. Texas Tech hasn’t overwhelmed most opponents so far, but it remains unbeaten through three weeks.NEXT UP: Sam Houston 11. USC Trojans (3-0) RESULT: 42-35 win at RutgersA couple things are clear after USC’s win over Rutgers on Saturday. First, the cross-country road trips will always be a tricky challenge. Second, USC has enough offense to compete with just about anyone in the country. The playmakers are there and quarterback Jayden Maiava knows how to take advantage. Unfortunately for the Trojans, it’s also clear that the defense hasn’t been fixed. If not for a 99-yard pick-six with Rutgers threatening to take lead early in the second half, this could have been a very different contest. Still, it’s a win. Now onto some big ones against Top 25 teams for USC.NEXT UP: Oregon 10. BYU Cougars (2-0) OPPONENT: at Colorado State (7:30 p.m. ET – CBS)This ranking will be updated once Saturday night’s game against Colorado State has been completed… 9. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) RESULT: 50-36 win vs. Florida StateAlabama found itself in a weird situation, with the game delayed multiple times by inclement weather in the area. Florida State got off to an excellent start and it seemed to take the Crimson Tide a while to settle into the game. Once they did, they were excellent, led by quarterback Keelon Russell. Russell threw for three scores and added another rushing. Best yet for Alabama? The run game showed some serious signs of life, piling up 295 yards and three scores.NEXT UP: South Carolina 8. Ole Miss Rebels (2-0) OPPONENT: LSU (7:30 p.m. ET – ABC)This ranking will be updated once Saturday night’s game against LSU has been completed… 7. LSU Tigers (2-0) OPPONENT: at Ole Miss (7:30 p.m. ET – ABC)This ranking will be updated once Saturday night’s game against Ole Miss has been completed… 6. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) RESULT: 59-3 win vs. Kent StateThe game was never in question and Ohio State bounced back from the Texas loss against an inferior opponent the way you might expect. Kent State didn’t break the goose egg on the scoreboard until late in the fourth quarter, when the game had already thoroughly been decided. Former Florida transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson scored twice on the ground to help complement Bo Jackson (11 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD) in the ground game. Julian Sayin threw for two scores and Jeremiah Smith led the team with 85 yards receiving, becoming the program’s career receiving yardage leader.NEXT UP: Illinois 5. Miami Hurricanes (3-0) RESULT: 33-20 win at Wake ForestThe Hurricanes looked like they were going to blow the doors off the Demon Deacons for most of the first half, but the finishing oomph just wasn’t there from last year’s national runners-up. After going up 31-7, Miami allowed Wake Forest to hang around. Luckily, the defense was up to snuff for the most part when push came to shove late in the fourth quarter. They kept it from becoming a one-score game. Still, the Hurricanes will feel like they got a bit sloppy in this one and good Top 25 programs will look to tighten things up going forward.NEXT UP: Central Michigan 4. Indiana Hoosiers (3-0) RESULT: 38-0 win vs. Western KentuckyIt was a bit of a sluggish day for Indiana, which didn’t score in the first quarter and led only 14-0 at halftime. But good teams find ways to win, and Indiana’s defensive effort was stalwart against Western Kentucky on Saturday. Eventually, a 79-yard Charlie Becker touchdown broke the game open in the third quarter. Josh Hoover had thrown for 275 yards and two scores through the first three quarters, as Indiana took a 31-0 lead and put it on cruise control from there.NEXT UP: Northwestern 3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-0) RESULT: 27-10 win vs. Michigan StateDefense won the day for the Fighting Irish, limiting the Spartans to just 44 yards rushing and 123 yards passing in the contest. The unit also secured two interceptions in the contest, gifting the offense some free possessions to go to work with. CJ Carr didn’t throw a touchdown pass but finished 18-of-24 for 234 yards in the contest. Meanwhile, Nolan James Jr. carried it 26 times for 121 yards and a touchdown. A smooth win all around. Notre Dame will remain near the top of the Top 25 as long as it keeps winning.NEXT UP: @ Purdue 2. Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) RESULT: 45-17 win at ArkansasArkansas was thoroughly outmatched in the contest and didn’t really get going offensively until the fourth quarter. Georgia commanded the game from start to finish, taking a 21-3 lead into the halftime break and cruising from there. Any time you can get your backup quarterback involved in an SEC game it’s a good day. Quarterback Gunner Stockton had a big day running the football, tallying 97 yards on seven carries. Chauncey Bowens scored three times on the ground to pace the effort. Now Georgia gets what was presumed to be a hyped game, though one that has lost a bit of luster thanks to early season results.NEXT UP: Oklahoma 1. Texas Longhorns (2-0) OPPONENT: UTSA (8 p.m. ET – SEC Network+)This ranking will be updated once Saturday night’s game against UTSA has been completed… Remaining Games Top 25 Implications In an effort to get readers the most accurate and up-to-date picture on the Top 25 rankings, On3 is releasing the first version of the rankings after the afternoon window of games. But several games in the night window are likely to affect the rankings going forward. Above we’ve listed the teams that have already completed their games, as well as the teams that are still in action going forward on Saturday. We’ve noted which teams are likely to shift around based on the results of those late night games. Here is the viewing slate for games that could impact the rankings late in the day: Remaining Games with Top 25 Implications Missouri vs. Troy: 7 p.m. ET – SEC NetworkFlorida at Auburn: 7 p.m. ET – ESPNOklahoma State vs. Murray State: 7 p.m. ET – ESPN+Western Michigan at Rice: 7 p.m. ET – ESPN+Washington vs. Eastern Washington: 7:15 p.m. ET – Big Ten NetworkMichigan State vs. Notre Dame: 7:30 p.m. ET – NBCLSU at Ole Miss: 7:30 p.m. ET – ABCBYU at Colorado State: 7:30 p.m. ET – CBSOklahoma vs. New Mexico: 7:30 p.m. ET – ESPN2Virginia vs. West Virginia: 7:30 p.m. ET – ACC NetworkTennessee vs. Kennesaw State: 7:45 p.m. ET – SEC NetworkTexas vs. UTSA: 8 p.m. ET – SEC Network+Boise State vs. South Dakota: 10 p.m. ET – CBS Sports Network