Highlights from the poll …
*** No adjustments on the high with Georgia entrenched within the No. 1 spot, adopted by Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Oklahoma.
There are 5 Pac-12 groups on my poll for the primary time since who-knows-when.
The convention won't have a playoff-caliber workforce — that continues to be to be seen — however the outcomes to date recommend the presence of serious depth.
Let’s go team-by-team.
*** We slotted USC into the No. 7 place after one other blowout victory, this one over Fresno State.
The Trojans haven’t confronted a high-level opponent, so their rating relies largely on optics. They give the impression of being darn good, unstoppable on offense and opportunistic on protection.
And therein lies one of many points with poll formation this early within the season: The schedules aren’t balanced. Some groups have confronted first-rate opponents; others haven’t.
*** Subsequent up is No. 13 Washington State, which is 3-0 and owns a highway win over Wisconsin.
WSU’s resume is similar to Washington’s in that every has defeated a Huge Ten opponent. I don’t know if Wisconsin is healthier than Michigan State, or vice versa. However the Cougars gained on the highway and the Huskies had been at house — that distinction can't be ignored.
Washington is No. 16, its first look on my poll since a minimum of the 2021 preseason version.
And for what it’s value, I didn't have Michigan State ranked practically as excessive as its No. 11 place within the AP ballot — the Spartans had been twenty first on my poll.
*** Utah is subsequent, within the No. 19 spot, three under UW.
The Utes may very effectively be the very best workforce within the Pac-12 and end within the high 10. Definitely, they've been spectacular within the two video games for the reason that loss at Florida.
However for the second, their poll place is tied to the Gators, who misplaced at house to Kentucky in Week Two, then escaped South Florida this weekend.
We slotted them No. 18, one forward of Utah.
*** Subsequent, within the No. 20 place, is Oregon.
The Geese walloped BYU on the identical day Georgia picked aside South Carolina.
Clearly, the Bulldogs are on a special degree. And now that the Geese have a end result towards an FBS workforce that’s not Georgia, we've extra readability on their high quality.
They're one spot forward of BYU, which is one forward of Baylor. In spite of everything, the Cougars beat the Bears in Week Two, and head-to-head matchups carry important weight this early within the season, when every workforce’s pattern dimension is small.
*** Oregon State dropped off the poll after holding the No. 23 spot final week — the Hotline was one of many few voters to incorporate OSU.
And we gave the Beavers critical consideration once more this week however in the end opted towards together with them due to the schedule: Are both of their FBS victims, Boise State or Fresno State, any good?
The Bulldogs, who pushed OSU to the brink in Week Two, had been overwhelmed soundly at USC on Saturday. In the meantime, the Broncos have wins over New Mexico and Tennessee-Martin.
Sure, the Beavers had been spectacular towards Montana State, however outcomes are each fluid and relative. Whereas one workforce hammers an FCS opponent, one other could possibly be recording a victory over an FBS workforce that creates a stronger resume than existed the earlier week.
Which brings us to our top-25 poll admission for the week: Oregon State may very effectively warrant a loftier rating than USC.
The disparity in how we’re treating every workforce this week is basically rooted in a subjective evaluation and partly within the comparative scores towards Fresno State.
And the excellent news is that with the matchup in Corvallis on Saturday night, we’ll have readability by the shut of Week 4.
To the poll …
1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Ohio State
4. Michigan
5. Oklahoma
6. Clemson
7. USC
8. Arkansas
9. Oklahoma State
10. Kentucky
11. Mississippi
12. Florida State
13. Washington State
14. Cincinnati
15. Tennessee
16. Washington
17. Texas
18. Florida
19. Utah
20. Oregon
21. BYU
22. Baylor
23. Penn State
24. North Carolina State
25. Kansas
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