AP top-25 poll released following Week 3

The eyes of college football turned to Happy Valley on Saturday night, and Penn State proved it belongs in the top 10 of the latest AP poll. The Nittany Lions pulled off a convincing win over Auburn in their annual Whiteout game as the Tigers made a rare trip to Big Ten country.

Florida showed it can compete with Alabama. The Crimson Tide traveled to The Swamp for just the third time sine 2000, and held on for a 31-29 win in the AP top-15 matchup. The Gators staged a late game comeback, scoring 20 second-half points and gashing the Alabama defense for 440 total yards, including 245 yards on the ground and an average of 5.7 yards per carry. For Nick Saban’s squad, it served as the first true road test of the season.

And while the weekend slate seemed primed for a handful of blowout wins for AP top-25 teams, it was anything but that. Oklahoma squeaked by Nebraska. Fresno State gave its case as the top Group of Five team, knocking off UCLA. And Ohio State needed a pick-six to put away Tulsa in the fourth quarter.

Other big-name college football programs struggled, too. Clemson barely put away Georgia Tech, needing a goal-in stand and a fluke safety nearly allowed the Yellow Jackets a second chance. Pump the brakes before crowning Cincinnati as the first Group of Five team to reach the playoff, as the Bearcats held on for a bumpy road win at Indiana.

Michigan blew out Northern Illinois, adding another layer in a Big Ten that looks ripe for the picking. And Michigan State went down to Miami and knocked off the Hurricanes, adding more drama to Manny Diaz’s program.

The AP Poll voters have voted. Here is where the top-25 stands after the some major movement over the weekend. 

The full AP Poll can be found below.

AP Poll (Sept. 19)

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) (59)

No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) (3)

No. 3 Oregon Ducks (3-0)

No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners (3-0)

No. 5 Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0)

No. 6  Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0)

No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies (3-0)

No. 8 Cincinnati Bearcats (3-0)

No. 9 Clemson Tigers (2-1)

No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1)

No. 11 Florida Gators (2-1)

No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0)

No. 13 Ole Miss Rebels (3-0)

No. 14 Iowa State Cyclones (2-1)

No. 15 BYU Cougars (3-0)

No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks (3-0)

No. 17  Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (3-0)

No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers (1-1)

No. 19 Michigan Wolverines (3-0)

No. 20 Michigan State Spartans (3-0)

No. 21 North Carolina Tar Heels (2-1)

No. 22 Fresno State Bulldogs (3-1)

No. 23 Auburn Tigers (2-1)

No. 24 UCLA Bruins (2-1)

No. 25 Kansas State Wildcats (3-0)

Winners, losers in latest AP Poll

Winners

Penn State: The Nittany Lions had their national stage and delivered. They still have Michigan and a trip to Ohio State on the schedule, but Saturday night’s performance showed they should be able to handle anything this season.

Fresno State: The Bulldogs are now 3-1 with their win over UCLA. And they proved Saturday night one of the biggest secrets on the West Coast — Fresno State could be the top Group of Five team in the nation this season.

Michigan State: All seems to be going well in the second year of the Mel Tucker era. The Spartans are now 3-0 and ranked for the first time this season after knocking Miami out of the AP Poll.

Losers

UCLA: The Bruins seemed on their way to being a serious College Football Playoff contender. Now the Pac-12 playoff hopes lie with Oregon. Things are going well for Chip Kelly, but Saturday night was definitely a setback.

Florida: AP Poll voters don’t seem to care very much that hanging with Alabama makes an impact. The Gators were ranked No. 11 last week; they are No. 11 this week.

Miami: The Hurricanes started the season with plenty of promise. A strong showing against Alabama could have put Manny Diaz’s program on a national stage. That hasn’t happened. The loss Saturday to Michigan State is the tip of the iceberg.