Week 3 brought two major upsets, three games between teams ranked in the Sportsvival Top 25, and several dominant performances from national championship contenders. Ole Miss earned the biggest victory among the highly ranked teams, while Texas A&M and Virginia suffered damaging losses.
All rankings below are from the Sportsvival Top 25 entering Week 3.
#1 Texas 30, UTSA 6
Texas improved to 3-0, but the Longhorns never completely overwhelmed UTSA. The defense controlled the game and allowed only six points, while the offense did enough to secure a comfortable victory. Texas remains undefeated, but Arch Manning and the offense will need to become more consistent as the schedule gets tougher.
#2 Georgia 45, Arkansas 17
Georgia went on the road and delivered another championship-level performance. The Bulldogs controlled the line of scrimmage, pulled away after Arkansas remained competitive early, and left Fayetteville with a convincing SEC victory.
#3 Notre Dame 27, Michigan State 10
Notre Dame’s defense shut out Michigan State in the second half and limited the Spartans to only 167 total yards. CJ Carr threw for 234 yards, while the Fighting Irish defense recorded four sacks and two interceptions in another complete victory.
#4 Indiana 38, Western Kentucky 0
Indiana recorded its second consecutive shutout and continued to look like one of the most complete teams in the country. The Hoosiers controlled the game from beginning to end, remained unbeaten, and strengthened their position inside the Sportsvival Top Five.
#5 Miami 33, Wake Forest 20
Miami handled its first ACC road test behind another strong performance from quarterback Darian Mensah. Wake Forest kept the game competitive, but the Hurricanes made the necessary plays in the second half and improved to 3-0.
#6 Ohio State 59, Kent State 3
Ohio State responded to its loss against Texas by completely overwhelming Kent State. The Buckeyes dominated on both sides of the ball, built an early lead, and used the second half to get younger players valuable experience.
#7 Ole Miss 32, #8 LSU 24
Ole Miss earned one of the biggest victories of Week 3 by beating LSU in a physical SEC battle. Trinidad Chambliss continued his impressive start to the season, while the Rebels made the key plays late to protect their lead. Ole Miss now has a legitimate shot to move into the Sportsvival Top Five, while LSU will fall after suffering its first loss.
Kentucky 31, #9 Texas A&M 21
Texas A&M suffered the most damaging loss of the weekend, falling at home to an unranked Kentucky team. The Wildcats controlled the second half and prevented the Aggies from completing a comeback. Texas A&M entered the game with playoff expectations, but this loss will send the Aggies tumbling down the rankings.
#10 Alabama 50, Florida State 36
Alabama survived a slow start before its offense took control and put 50 points on the scoreboard. Florida State created some problems and moved the football, but the Crimson Tide had too much firepower over four quarters. Alabama remains unbeaten and should move up following losses by teams ahead of it.
#11 Texas Tech 28, #21 Houston 26
Texas Tech survived a serious challenge from Houston in one of the best games of the weekend. The Red Raiders made the final critical plays in a two-point victory and improved to 3-0. Houston played well enough to remain in the Top 25 conversation, but the Cougars came up just short against a legitimate Big 12 contender.
#12 USC 42, Rutgers 35
USC escaped with a seven-point road victory after Rutgers pushed the Trojans for four quarters. Jayden Maiava and the USC offense produced enough big plays to remain undefeated, but the defense allowed Rutgers to stay within striking distance. The Trojans won, but this was not the type of performance that will move them significantly higher.
#13 BYU 41, Colorado State 23
BYU remained unbeaten by taking control after Colorado State kept the game close early. Running back LJ Martin scored three rushing touchdowns as the Cougars leaned on their physical running game and pulled away in the second half.
#24 Louisville 41, #14 SMU 31
Louisville earned a major ACC victory behind a dominant rushing performance. Keyjuan Brown and Isaac Brown combined for 230 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while SMU quarterback Preston Jennings lost a costly late fumble near the goal line. Louisville should make a major rankings jump, while SMU will fall after its first loss.
#15 Utah 33, Utah State 0
Utah dominated its in-state rival and recorded one of the weekend’s most convincing defensive performances. The Utes controlled the line of scrimmage, allowed no points, and continued to look like a serious Big 12 championship contender.
#16 Tennessee 42, Kennesaw State 9
Tennessee handled its business against Kennesaw State and remained undefeated. The Volunteers controlled the game from the opening quarter, avoided the type of mistakes that lead to an upset, and turned their attention toward a major Week 4 matchup with Texas.
#17 Penn State 55, Buffalo 13
Penn State rolled to another comfortable nonconference victory. The Nittany Lions scored 55 points, created separation early, and continued building confidence under their new coaching staff before the schedule becomes more demanding.
#18 Michigan 52, UTEP 17
Michigan finished its nonconference schedule with an impressive victory. Bryce Underwood completed 19 of 25 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns, while Andrew Marsh caught 10 passes for 105 yards and a score. The Wolverines also recorded 11 tackles for loss and returned an interception for a touchdown.
#19 Oregon 84, Portland State 0
Oregon delivered the most lopsided victory of Week 3, scoring 84 points while shutting out Portland State. The Ducks were dominant in every phase and were able to empty the bench early. The opponent was overmatched, but an 84-point victory will still attract attention from voters.
#20 Iowa 55, Northern Iowa 0
Iowa combined its usual defensive strength with an explosive offensive performance. The Hawkeyes scored 55 points, recorded a shutout, and improved to 3-0. Iowa now heads into Big Ten play with momentum and a defense capable of keeping it competitive against stronger opponents.
#22 Missouri 27, Troy 17
Missouri remained unbeaten, but Troy made the Tigers work for the victory. Missouri struggled to create consistent separation and entered the fourth quarter without complete control. The Tigers finished the job, although the performance may not be strong enough to produce much upward movement.
#23 Oklahoma 14, New Mexico 6
Oklahoma survived an unexpectedly difficult game against New Mexico. The Sooners held the Lobos to six points, but the offense produced only 14 and never put the game away comfortably. Oklahoma earned the victory, but this performance raises serious questions heading into SEC competition.
West Virginia 38, #25 Virginia 27
Virginia became the second Sportsvival Top 25 team to lose to an unranked opponent. West Virginia took control offensively and handed the Cavaliers their first loss of the season. Virginia will likely fall out of the rankings, while West Virginia should receive consideration from Sportsvival voters.
Week 3’s Biggest Takeaways
Ole Miss made the strongest statement of Week 3 by beating LSU, 32-24. The Rebels entered the weekend ranked #7, but their victory over the #8 Tigers gives them a legitimate shot to move into the Sportsvival Top Five.
Indiana and Miami both won and remain unbeaten, so the voting could be close. However, Ole Miss now owns one of the best victories in the country. The Rebels have made a strong argument that they deserve to be included among the top five teams in Sportsvival’s rankings.
Louisville also deserves a significant jump after defeating SMU, while Texas Tech strengthened its position by surviving Houston.
Texas A&M suffered the weekend’s most damaging loss, falling at home to Kentucky. Virginia is also likely to drop out after losing to West Virginia. Oklahoma remained unbeaten, but its narrow victory over New Mexico could push the Sooners out of the Top 25.
Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Miami and Ohio State all won, leaving the top of the Sportsvival rankings mostly intact. Alabama and Texas Tech should also move up following the losses by LSU and Texas A&M.
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