College Football Power Rankings: Week 3 (2021)
Week 2 was an interesting one. Most high-profile teams played the prototypical ‘cupcake’ matchup – a low-level FBS or FCS opponent designed to fill the schedule, be a confidence booster, and above all be an easy W on the schedule. For some teams, however, it was rivalry week, and those games surely didn’t disappoint.
We’ve got five newcomers to the top 25 power rankings this week and one huge omission that I’ll be sure to highlight later in this article. Conference play is right around the corner, so let’s dive into Week 3’s edition of power rankings before the madness begins.
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College Football Power Rankings Week 3
* (NS) = neutral site; (NR) = not ranked in last week's power rankings
Big Movers
Iowa Hawkeyes
I had questions about the Iowa offense coming into the year, but this team is for real. They notched their sixth straight victory in the Cy-Hawk Game over Iowa State and played so well on defense that the Cyclones benched Brock Purdy. The Hawkeyes have a real shot at winning the Big Ten if they keep this up.
Oregon Ducks
What a win for the Ducks, one of the biggest wins this program has had in the last few years. Sure, beating Ohio State on the road says a lot about the Buckeyes and how their defense isn't at its expected level of dominance, but it also says a lot about Oregon. This team has come a long way from the Chip Kelly days where they stood little chance in these types of games because they had no defense. This is a team that has legitimate playoff aspirations.
Ole Miss Rebels
They beat an FCS school, but this was just further validation that the Rebels are not only for real but that they're going to put up a boatload of points this year. Matt Corral has already thrown for over 600 yards without a pick to go along with six touchdowns this season. Those numbers aren't a fluke in a Lane Kiffin offense.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Yikes. The Irish needed a touchdown in the last minute of the game on their home field against... Toledo? Couple that with needing overtime to defeat a Florida State team who just lost to Jacksonville State at home, and you're looking at a Notre Dame team that is seriously hurting from the departure of so many key players and their defensive coordinator from last year. I wouldn't be surprised if this team ends the season unranked.
Newcomers
Arkansas Razorbacks
It's been a really long time since Arkansas had any say in the SEC standings, but they look great. While everyone else obsessed over Texas's performance against Louisiana in Steve Sarkisian's first game as head coach, the Razorbacks got to work and kicked the Longhorns right in the teeth. Are they on the level of Alabama and Georgia? No. But are they worthy of being ranked? I think they are.
Michigan Wolverines
These last two games have really shown what Jim Harbaugh wants to do with this Michigan team - run the football. The Wolverines ran the ball on 78.6% of their offensive snaps against the Washington Huskies and finally looked like the rough and tough team everyone expected to be when Harbaugh took over. There's still a long way to go, but Michigan has to be happy with their start to the year.
Auburn Tigers
They've played Akron and Alabama State, but 122 points in two games is 122 points in two games. The Tigers have a massive road test in Happy Valley next week, which should give us a clearer view of if this Auburn team is for real.
Kentucky Wildcats
Don't sleep on the Wildcats. The biggest travesty, in my opinion, from this week's AP Top 25 poll was the omission of Kentucky. They're coming off a thrashing of Louisiana-Monroe and a strong showing in a win over Missouri. Chris Rodriguez Jr. has already run for 331 yards on the year, too, so don't sleep on the Wildcats making some noise in the SEC this year.
Central Florida Knights
It was only a matter of time before Gus Malzahn propelled the Knights back into the discussion for the best Group of Five team. UCF's offense has put up 99 points in two weeks, and Dillon Gabriel looks to be exactly what Malzahn wants in a quarterback. I don't think this team is as good as the squads McKenzie Milton led, but they'll keep climbing these rankings as long as they keep scoring.
Random Musings
Iowa State Cyclones
This team is the biggest omission from my power rankings. They're ranked 14th in the AP Poll, but I'm sorry - they're not one of the 25 best teams in college football. They played uninspiring football against Northern Iowa and got absolutely run off their own field by Iowa. I've been bearish on this team all year, especially on Brock Purdy, and they're just not a team I consider to be a good one right now.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State lost at home for the first time since 2017, and no Buckeyes fans - the season isn't over. But if the defense keeps playing as it has through the first two games, Ohio State's playoff hopes will be on life support.
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Mike Wagenman is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @mjwags23.