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John Makuch's Top 25 in CFB - Week Three

Date: September 16, 2022

By: John Makuch

Will Levis Dives for the endzone.

James Gilbert/Getty Images

Week Two of the college football season was absolutely electric and was filled with exciting matchups and surprising upsets that make this sport as fun to watch as it is.

 

There may be some shocks in these rankings, but the teams with the best resumes as well as clean records are to be rewarded.

 

1. Ohio State (2-0)

Ohio State scores a TD.

Ohio State Athletics

The Buckeyes picked up a dominant win over Arkansas State and that offense still looks electric.

 

C.J. Stroud has begun his Heisman campaign with a 351-yard outing and four touchdowns. Marvin Harrison Jr. stepped up in a huge way and caught three of those touchdowns for 184 yards. The Buckeyes may just be unstoppable offensively, and they appear to be the clear team to beat right ahead of Georgia.

 

2. Georgia (2-0)

 

Georgia’s defense is still outstanding, and their offense is looking pretty solid as well. Their win over Samford is expected, but their dominance remains impressive.

 

The Bulldogs begin their SEC play against the Spencer-Rattler-led South Carolina Gamecocks who are hungry after a tough loss. Georgia faces a bit of a test early in the season, but they should be able to keep their run rolling against the Gamecocks.

 

3.       Alabama (2-0)

 

Is this still the elite Alabama we thought we would see in 2022? Or are the Longhorns that much better than they were last year? That will take time to truly find the answer, as these early Power 5 games can always be close no matter the opponent.

 

The Tide will have to focus on their passing game as well as work on that secondary unit, but this is still Alabama. The Tide have to earn their place at number one, and that may happen once SEC season rolls around, but we learned a lot more about Texas than we did Alabama on that day.

 

4. Clemson (2-0)

 

The Clemson Tigers had another tune-up game against Clemson, and the offense had some solid efficiency, although it does not look as explosive as it can be.

 

D.J Uiagaleli had a great day with a 21/27 completion ratio for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Questions have surrounded the Tigers over their quarterback situation, but those may be shut down soon.

 

Clemson is still waiting for its first true test, but for now, they still deserve their spot this high due to their roster talent and dominance.

 

5. Michigan (2-0)

 

The Wolverines have made their decision at quarterback with J.J McCarthy and it was warranted after their matchup against Hawaii. He went 11/12 for 229 yards and three touchdowns in an outstanding performance.

They have one of the easiest matchups of the year against UConn with yet another opportunity to flex their muscles.

 

6. Kentucky (2-0)

 

Coach Mark Stoops has revitalized this Kentucky program to new heights they would have never imagined not long ago. Now, this program is a great offensive unit with a fired-up defensive front.

 

Taking down a really good Florida team in The Swamp, the hardest place to play in college football, is a difficult task that the Wildcats made look easy. This team has potential for a Playoff run as well with the Georgia game being at home this season, however, they have two tough road games against Ole Miss and Tennessee.

 

7. Oklahoma St. (2-0)

 

The Cowboys grabbed a win against a Power 5 opponent in Arizona State in the dominant fashion a top 10 team would. The Sun Devils were unable to hold the Oklahoma State offensive unit led by quarterback Spencer Sanders, who threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns.

 

They have an easy game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff next week, so Oklahoma State will most likely hang around this spot for a while.

 

8. Oklahoma (2-0)

 

The Sooners have had two tune-up games against non-Power-5 squads and their matchup against Kent State was solid. The first quarter was not a fun one for Oklahoma, but for the rest of this game the Sooners shut out Kent State after giving up a field goal in the first quarter and put on an offensive onslaught.

 

Dillon Gabriel looks as if he will add just fine to the legacy of Oklahoma quarterbacks, and Marvin Mims picked up two touchdowns as he picks up right where he left off last season.

 

9. USC (2-0)

 

This offense looks like it can score at will, and their defense looks like those Oklahoma defenses of the Lincoln Riley era. If there are any expectations to be set for the Trojans, just look at Oklahoma the past five or so seasons, because these teams look similar.

 

Against Stanford, the duo of Mario Williams and Jordan Addison looked unstoppable, but defensively, The Cardinal had a decent time exposing the USC defensive unit.

 

10.    BYU (2-0)

Students rush the field after an upset win over Baylor.

Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo

The conclusion of the BYU v Baylor matchup was ugly, to say the least, but the Cougars found a way to get it done. Jaren Hall has become a new Zach Wilson for this unit, and their receiving core has looked solid.

 

While their win against Baylor was not clean by any means, a win is a win. BYU continues its difficult schedule against the Oregon Ducks next week and will have an opportunity to have arguably the best resume in college football after three weeks of play.

 

11. Arkansas (2-0)

 

The Arkansas Razorbacks have not given themselves a break in terms of strength of schedule. They began their season against a Cincinnati team that came off a Playoff appearance, and then took down a South Carolina squad that looks tough to beat this season.

 

K.J. Jefferson impressed yet again, as did Spencer Rattler on the other side. This dominant win over an SEC opponent is a great boost to the resume, and their matchup against Missouri State next week is a break they need in terms of difficulty.

 

12. Miami (2-0)

 

Miami had a very rough first half against Southern Miss as it looked like the Hurricanes were on upset alert. Tyler Van Dyke had a rough interception, but the rest of his game was great. He threw for 261 yards and a touchdown while the Miami run game grinded out 174 yards on the ground.

 

This team gets a major matchup against Texas A&M in College Station that could prove how great they are. While the Aggies are low in the AP, and are not in this top 25, a road win against a team such as A&M would shoot them up the rankings depending on the score.

 

13. Michigan State (2-0)

 

Michigan State defeated Akron 52-0 in a matchup that allowed the offense to flex on the Zips. Payton Thorne looked good in a 212-yard effort while Jalen Berger ran for 107 yards and three touchdowns. Jarek Broussard picked up two touchdowns of his own with 81 yards.

 

The Spartans get a Power 5 matchup on the road in Washington which could put this team on upset alert.

 

14. Tennessee (2-0)

 

Tennessee gets its own matchup against Akron after some exciting games for the Volunteers. Their matchup against Pittsburgh was one of the most exciting matchups of the whole week with their overtime victory.

 

Hendon Hooker is coming hard for the title of the best quarterback in the SEC with a 325-yard effort and two touchdowns. This Tennessee team looks to truly shock the world, not just the SEC.

 

15. Utah (1-1)

 

Utah proved that they are still a force to be reckoned with after putting up 73 points against Southern Utah in Week 2.

 

Cameron Rising still looks to be a great quarterback and the physicality of this team was seen on every play. They have a late-night matchup against a solid San Diego State team as the Utes look to prove they still belong.

 

16. NC State (2-0)

 

NC State found themselves ranked high early on in the season, and after their close win at East Carolina, questions came up as to if they deserved their high ranking.

 

However, nothing in the Charleston Southern game showed that they deserved to be any lower, as this offense looked just as good as advertised in a 55-point scoring affair.

 

They have a Big-12 matchup against Texas Tech, which is coming off a win against Houston, so this is a matchup the Wolfpack can use to truly prove themselves.

 

17. Baylor (1-1)

 

Baylor could have potentially entered the top five if they were to make a field goal in overtime against BYU, but one team had to lose that matchup, and Baylor took the loss.

 

Now the Bears will need to win out and win the Big 12 if they have any hope of making the Playoff. The offensive unit will have to start clicking, and special teams are a major area of concern as of this moment for Baylor.

 

18. Ole Miss (2-0)

 

Ole Miss added to their tune-up schedule with a 59-3 victory against Central Arkansas. Jaxson Dart only threw the ball 15 times but expect the Rebels to throw the ball more often as the season goes along.

 

They take on an ACC opponent at Georgia Tech, and that is a matchup where the air game needs to get going. They should not have a hard time, but before the SEC schedule begins, this matchup is where they can continue to see how good they are in their passing game.

 

19. Florida (1-1)

 

Florida’s win against Utah was quickly discounted after their defeat at the hands of the Kentucky Wildcats. The nation had all the expectations for the Gators after they defeated the Utes at home, but now they sit with one loss near the bottom of the top 25.

 

If Florida had defeated Kentucky, they would most likely find themselves near that top-six spot. For now, the Anthony Richardson-led Gators appear to be a team that was a one-game flash in the pan, but they have plenty of season left to prove that statement wrong.

 

20. Penn State (2-0)

Penn State player celebrates a TD.

Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

The Nittany Lions dominated Ohio in their last matchup, and they looked ready for Power 5 action. Sean Clifford has impressed through the air with 495 yards and five touchdowns through two games.

 

PSU has a matchup in Jordan-Hare against the Auburn Tigers, and if they pick up an SEC victory, they will put themselves on a path to slowly move up the rankings. They still do not appear better than Michigan, Ohio State, or Michigan State, but picking up wins such as one against Auburn will change that.

 

21. Wake Forest (2-0)

 

The impressive story of Sam Hartman continued as the Demon Deacons blew out Vanderbilt, 45-25. Hartman aired it out for 300 yards and four touchdowns while A.T. Perry looked to rise his NFL stock with a 142-yard affair.

 

Wake takes on a tough opponent in Liberty this week, and could begin a similar run to the one they had last year.

 

22. Marshall (2-0)

 

The Marshall Thundering Herd defeated a Notre Dame squad that had playoff hopes this season, but Marshall completely shut that down. This team also looks as if it can compete with any team in the country, and loves to grind out games through the run and tough defensive play.

 

The Herd ran the ball 50 total times with 31 carries going to Kahlan Laborn for 163 yards and a touchdown. For this team to make the playoff, absolute chaos and unprecedented losses at the top would need to happen, but they definitely deserve to be ranked after this win.

 

23. Kansas (2-0)

 

Kansas is definitely a team that one would not expect to find their place here, but here they are. This selection goes based on what Kansas has done, and disregards its past unsuccessfulness.

 

The Jayhawks just won a solid conference game against West Virginia and are sitting at 2-0 to start the year. They now have a matchup against Houston, who found themselves ranked previously, and that is the test of the Jayhawks.

 

Rewarding wins against Power 5 teams will be important in this top 25, and early on, teams will get their chance to prove they belong. At the very least, if the Jayhawks are 3-0, they should definitely find themselves in even the AP Top 25.

 

24. Kansas State (2-0)

 

Kansas State and the Wildcats have always been one of the most underrated programs in college football, but their home-field advantage is as well. Manhattan is dangerous to play in, and Missouri struggled to handle the pressure.

 

This defense forced two interceptions and held an SEC squad to just 12 points. There are concerns with K-State’s passing game, but this team did rush for 235 yards and four touchdowns.

 

A few upsets by the Wildcats could shoot this team up the rankings, and their matchup against Oklahoma in two weeks could be just that.

 

25. Texas (1-1)

 

The Texas Longhorns may have in fact deserved a place in the top 25 before the season even began. This squad looked great with Quinn Ewers and probably would have defeated Alabama had he been able to stay in the game.

Hudson Card also had his own injury, and the team was unable to tap into their offensive potential. Bijan Robinson and Xavier Worthy are two of the best weapons in college football, and even with Card, this team is still dangerous offensively.

 

The Longhorns still have to continue to prove themselves, but they could be a real threat for the Big-12 Crown.

 

On the bubble: Texas A&M, Notre Dame App State, Iowa State, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Oregon State, Oregon, Florida State

John Makuch can be reached at john.makuch@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Sports, Football, College Football

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