Dan Mullen releases Top 25 college football rankings after Week 3
Through three weeks of college football, the rankings have seen some shifts. Although there’s a new No. 1 in the AP Top 25, ESPN analyst Dan Mullen kept his top team the same in his updated Top 25 rankings.
Ohio State was once again Mullen’s No. 1 team after Week 3. The Buckeyes were off after back-to-back dominant victories heading into this week’s matchup against Marshall to close out the non-conference slate. As a result, they stayed atop Mullen’s rankings.
However, there was some movement farther down Mullen’s rankings. Texas came in as the No. 2 team, taking Georgia’s as the Bulldogs dropped multiple spots after their close win over Kentucky.
The Longhorns cruised to victory over UTSA, although they saw quarterback Quinn Ewers go down with an oblique injury. That opened the door for Arch Manning to come in, and he put on a show to help lead UT to the win and into the No. 1 spot in the AP poll.
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But Texas still has some work to do to get to No. 1 in Dan Mullen’s rankings. Here’s where he has them after Week 3.
1. Ohio State
Ohio State was idle last week after a 2-0 start to the season. The Buckeyes won their first two games with a combined score of a combined score of 108-6 after reloading on the recruiting trail this year.
Ohio State will wrap up the non-conference portion of its schedule this week against Marshall at Ohio Stadium. From there, Big Ten action will begin with Michigan State looming in Week 5.
2. Texas
After a huge road win against Michigan in Week 2, Texas didn’t miss a beat against UTSA. The Longhorns flew to a 56-7 victory behind Arch Manning – who shined off the bench in Quinn Ewers’ place.
Manning turned plenty of heads with his 223 passing yards and four touchdowns to go with 53 rushing yards and rushing score. With Ewers’ injury, he could get some run this week in the non-conference finale against Louisiana-Monroe.
3. Alabama
After a scare in Week 2 against USF, Alabama faced a big test. The Crimson Tide went to Wisconsin for a high-profile matchup with the Badgers – and it’s safe to say Kalen DeBoer’s group passed with flying colors.
Alabama came away with a resounding 42-16 victory behind a huge day from Jalen Milroe. There’s plenty of buzz about the Tide, and it led to a jump up in Mullen’s rankings.
4. Tennessee
After sitting behind Joe Milton last year, Nico Iamaleava has risen to the occasion as the leader of Tennessee’s high-powered offense. The Vols continued to dominate en route to a 71-0 win over Kent State last week, but a big test is looming.
SEC play begins this week, which means Tennessee will head to Oklahoma. Iamaleava will take the big stage under the lights in Norman – and it could be an opportunity for Tennessee to make a case to be even higher in Dan Mullen’s rankings next week.
5. Georgia
Last week’s No. 1 team, Georgia didn’t have an easy road to victory in Lexington. Kentucky took the Bulldogs down to the wire, but Kirby Smart’s group prevailed to come away with the 13-12 win.
Georgia’s defense stood strong against Kentucky, keeping the Wildcats out of the end zone to help lead the charge. It was a close call for UGA, and it led to a fall down Dan Mullen’s Top 25 rankings.
6. Ole Miss
After entering the year with high expectations, Ole Miss has taken care of business through the first three games of the year. The Rebels have a potential Heisman Trophy contender in Jaxson Dart and have only allowed nine points so far.
Ole Miss played its first road game of the year last week against Wake Forest and came away with a 40-6 victory. Dart continued to impress, throwing for 377 yards and two touchdowns in the effort as the Rebels improved to a resounding 3-0 entering the non-conference finale.
7. Oregon
Oregon got off to a slow start through the first two games of the year. But the Ducks turned on the jets in the rivalry game against Oregon State and came away with the 49-14 victory.
Dillon Gabriel continued to showcase the efficiency that makes him a strong fit in Will Stein’s offense. He completed 20 of 24 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns before Dante Moore took over – and the offense as a whole looked like it found its stride.
8. Miami
After striking gold on the recruiting trail this offseason, Miami is rolling to start the year. The Hurricanes take a 3-0 record into Saturday’s game against USF, led by quarterback Cam Ward.
Ward looked the part of one of the top players in the transfer portal this year, and his 345 passing yards per game rank No. 3 in the nation entering Week 4. Saturday will mark Miami’s final tuneup before ACC play, and the Hurricanes could be gearing up to make a run in the new-look conference.
9. Penn State
Like Ohio State, Penn State was off last week. That came after the Nittany Lions faced a scare against Bowling Green before ultimately getting the win to reach 2-0 into the bye.
Andy Kotelnicki’s new offense looked strong through the first two games, opening the field more for Drew Allar, Nick Singleton and the rest of the weapons. Their showing through two weeks was enough to stay in the Top 10 of Dan Mullen’s rankings entering Week 3 against Kent State.
10. Kansas State
Facing a tall task in Week 3 against No. 20 Arizona, Kansas State lived up to the billing. The Wildcats put on a show with nearly 400 yards of offense to get the 20-7 victory in Manhattan.
Avery Johnson continued to showcase his dual-threat ability with a big day in the win. He had 156 passing yards and two touchdowns in the air while adding 110 rushing yards to lead K-State in both categories – and help move the ‘Cats into Dan Mullen’s Top 10.
Dan Mullen’s Top 25: Nos. 11-25
11. Missouri
12. Utah
13. Oklahoma State
14. USC
15. Oklahoma
16. Nebraska
17. UNLV
18. Iowa State
19. Syracuse
20. UCF
21. Memphis
22. Arizona State
23. Pitt
24. Northern Illinois
25. Indiana
Week 4 means conference play is starting to wind down across college football. That means the race toward league titles is on – and the rankings are sure to shift even more.