B/R Top 25 College Football Poll: Week 3

Although many of the top 25 teams are still playing out of conference, there were plenty of interesting games this weekend.

We welcomed three new teams into the top 25 due to a few upsets.

As the season moves forward, games will get harder and harder as they each team will start to play conference games week in and week out.

With three weeks down, here is the top 25 voted on by 19 B/R writers.

(Special thanks to the voters who make this article happen. Amy Daughters, Amy Lamare, Brian Jones, Carl Stine, David Luther, Ian Berg, Jeremy Hillman, Joe Penkala, Joel Greer, Johnathan Cace, Kevin McGuire, Patrick Runge, Lafe Peavler, Michael Taglienti, Rich Thomaselli, Ryan Teeples, Timothy Bielik,and Matt Shetler)

Others Receiving Votes

Missouri: 23

Ohio State: 21

Arizona State: 20

Illinois: 16

Auburn: 12

Miami: 12

Houston: 9

Florida International: 8

North Carolina: 8

Tennessee: 4

Mississippi State: 4

Vanderbilt: 3

Penn State: 3

San Diego State: 2

Iowa State: 2

Navy: 1

Georgia: 1

No. 25: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Total Points (First Place Votes): 26

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Kansas, 66-24

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs North Carolina

Previous Ranking: N/R

Notes: Georgia Tech decided that they wanted to break some school records on Saturday, and did just that.

The Yellow Jackets broke the school records for most yards in a game with 768 total yards, and for the most rushing yards in a game with 604.

Georgia Tech average over 12 yards per carry in their record-setting game.

No. 24: Michigan State Spartans

Total Points (First Place Votes): 40

Record: 2-1

Last Game: Sept. 17 lost to Notre Dame, 13-31

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs Central Michigan

Previous Ranking: 15

Notes: Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 329 yards and a touchdown, but it was not enough as Notre Dame upset 15th-ranked Michigan State.

Spartans receiver B.J. Cunningham caught 12 passes for 158 yards in the losing effort.

No. 23: Clemson Tigers

Total Points (First Place Votes): 44

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat No. 21 Auburn, 38-24

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs No. 11 Florida State

Previous Ranking: N/R

Notes: Clemson ended Auburn's 17-game win streak with a convincing 38-24 victory in death valley.

Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd blew up Auburn with 386 yards and four touchdowns as Clemson gained 624 total yards.

Clemson won't have much time to celebrate, though, as Florida State rolls into town next weekend.

No. 22: USC Trojans

Total Points (First Place Votes): 58

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Syracuse, 38-17

Next Game: Sept. 24 at Arizona State

Previous Ranking: 24

Notes: USC's Matt Barkley threw for 324 yards and five touchdown passes as the Trojans rolled over the Orange on Saturday night.

Wide receiver Robert Woods continued a great season as he had eight catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.

No. 21: Michigan Wolverines

Total Points (First Place Votes): 78

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Eastern Michigan, 31-3

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs San Diego State

Previous Ranking: N/R

Notes: Denard Robinson once again proved why he is the best dual-threat quarterback in the country as he passed for 95 yards, and ran for 198 yards.

Michigan gained a total of 376 yards on the ground in the win over the Eagles.

No. 20: Texas Longhorns

Total Points (First Place Votes): 97

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat UCLA, 49-20

Next Game: Oct. 1 at Iowa State

Previous Ranking: 25

Notes: The Longhorns looked a lot more like the Longhorns of old as the demolished the Bruins, 49-20 on Saturday.

Colt McCoy's little brother, Casey, got his first career start, and threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Malcolm Brown led the Longhorns in rushing with 110 yards and a touchdown in the win.

No. 19: TCU Horned Frogs

Total Points (First Place Votes): 113

Record: 2-1

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Louisiana-Monroe, 38-17

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs Portland State

Previous Ranking: 23

Notes: The Warhawks led the Horned Frogs at the end of the first quarter 17-14, but wouldn't score again as TCU dominated the rest of the game.

TCU receiver Josh Boyce led the balanced attack with 134 receiving yards and a touchdown as the Horned Frogs had 207 yards rushing and 204 yards passing.

No. 18: South Florida Bulls

Total Points (First Place Votes): 143

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Florida A&M, 70-17

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs UTEP

Previous Ranking: 22

Notes: South Florida quarterback B.J. Daniels had a career day, throwing for 382 yards and four touchdowns in the blowout over Florida A&M.

The Bulls gained 745 total yards in the impressive victory.

No. 17: Baylor Bears

Total Points (First Place Votes): 151

Record: 2-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Stephen F. Austin, 48-0

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs Rice

Previous Ranking: 20

Notes: Robert Griffin III once again proved why he is one of the best quarterbacks in the country as he threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns in the blowout win.

Griffin also had 78 yards rushing as the Bears gained 536 yards of total offense.

No. 16: West Virginia Mountaineers

Total Points (First Place Votes): 198

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Maryland, 37-31

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs No. 2 LSU

Previous Ranking: 17

Notes: West Virginia built a 34-10 lead, but had to hold on to win as Maryland scored 21 unanswered points.

Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith threw for 388 yards and a touchdown while three receivers had over 100 yards.

No. 15: Florida Gators

Total Points (First Place Votes): 223

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Tennessee, 33-23

Next Game: Sept. 24 at Kentucky

Previous Ranking: 16

Notes: Florida's Chris Rainey continued a great start to the season as he ran for 108 yards and had 104 yards receiving as the Gators held of the Volunteers, 33-23.

The Gators took a 30-7 lead late in the third quarter before the Volunteers came back to make the game competitive in the fourth.

No. 14: Virginia Tech Hokies

Total Points (First Place Votes): 237

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Arkansas State, 26-7

Next Game: Sept. 24 at Marshall

Previous Ranking: 14

Notes: Virginia Tech struggled on offense again against an inferior team, but did enough to win. 

Arkansas State actually scored first in the game, but it was the last time the Wolves would see the end zone again.

Quarterback Logan Thomas led the Hokies to their third win of the season, throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns.

No. 13: Arkansas Razorbacks

Total Points (First Place Votes): 259

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Troy, 38-28

Next Game: Sept. 24 at No. 3 Alabama

Previous Ranking: 11

Notes: Troy actually out-gained Arkansas 457 to 454 total yards, but the Razorbacks were able to hold on for the 38-28 victory.

Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson had 303 yards and two touchdowns. Ronnie Wingo Jr. ran 20 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns for the Razorbacks.

No. 12: South Carolina Gamecocks

Total Points (First Place Votes): 263

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Navy, 24-21

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs Vanderbilt

Previous Ranking: 12

Notes: Navy gave South Carolina all they could handle as they ran for 274 yards. The problem was the Gamecocks have a running game of their own in Marcus Lattimore.

Lattimore ran the ball 37 times for 246 yards and three touchdowns as both teams combined for 529 yards rushing.

No. 11: Florida State Seminoles

Total Points (First Place Votes): 267

Record: 2-1

Last Game: Sept. 17 lost to No. 1 Oklahoma, 13-23

Next Game: Sept. 24 at No. 23 Clemson

Previous Ranking: 5

Notes: Florida State's defense did a remarkable job all game long, holding the high-powered Oklahoma offense to just 310 total yards and 23 points.

The only problem was Oklahoma's defense proved to be a little better than expected as the Seminoles were held to 246 total yards.

E.J. Manuel struggled against the Sooners defense, throwing two interceptions before getting injured in the third quarter.

Freshman Clint Trickett came in after Manuel was injured, and proved to be the better quarterback as he threw for 134 yards and a touchdown late in the game.

No. 10: Oregon Ducks

Total Points (First Place Votes): 273

Record: 2-1

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Missouri State, 56-7

Next Game: Sept. 24 at Arizona

Previous Ranking: 13

Notes: After a couple of so-so games, LaMichael James was back to his old self as he ran for 204 yards and three touchdowns.

Oregon gained 681 total yards in the massacre.

No. 9: Nebraska Cornhuskers

Total Points (First Place Votes): 292

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Washington, 51-38

Next Game: Sept. 24 at Wyoming

Previous Ranking: 10

Notes: Although the score was close at the end, the Huskies had no answer for Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez.

Martinez threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns while running for another 83 and a touchdown.

Huskies quarterback Keith Price threw four touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss.

No. 8: Oklahoma State Cowboys

Total Points (First Place Votes): 354

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Tulsa, 59-33

Next Game: Sept. 24 at No. 7 Texas A&M

Previous Ranking: 9

Notes: Oklahoma State defeated Tulsa 59-33 in a game that didn't start until after midnight due to lightning.

Once the game started the Cowboys wasted no time as they built a 45-6 lead in the third quarter.

The No. 1 passing offense in the country was in full effect as Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns.

No. 7: Texas A&M Aggies

Total Points (First Place Votes): 358

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Idaho, 37-7

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs No. 8 Oklahoma State

Previous Ranking: 8

Notes: The Texas A&M defense held Idaho to just 187 total yards as the Aggies beat the Vandals 37-7 on Saturday.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns for Texas A&M.

It will be a much harder test next week as Texas A&M heads Oklahoma State in a huge Big 12 showdown.

No. 6: Wisconsin Badgers

Total Points (First Place Votes): 380 (2)

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Northern Illinois, 49-7

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs South Dakota

Previous Ranking: 7

Notes: Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns as the Badgers destroyed the Huskies in every aspect of the game.

Wisconsin gained 621 yards of total offense while holding Northern Illinois to just 237 in the lopsided affair.

No. 5: Stanford Cardinal

Total Points (First Place Votes): 382

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat Arizona, 37-10

Next Game: Oct. 1 vs UCLA

Previous Ranking: 6

Notes: Arizona kept the score close as they were only down six at the half, but Andrew Luck quickly came out in the second half and ended all hopes for the Wildcats.

Luck threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns as the Cardinal defeated Arizona 37-10.

No. 4: Boise State Broncos

Total Points (First Place Votes): 426 (2)

Record: 2-0

Last Game: Sept. 16 beat Toledo, 40-15

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs Tulsa

Previous Ranking: 4

Notes: Boise State started off slow, but Kellen Moore made sure that was going to be short lived as he tied a career high with five touchdown passes.

Moore ended the day completing 32 of 42 passes and 455 yards as the Broncos racked up 610 total yards.

Toledo kept it close going into the half, but had no answer for Moore and the rest of the Broncos.

No. 3: Alabama Crimson Tide

Total Points (First Place Votes): 440

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat North Texas, 41-0

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs No. 13 Arkansas

Previous Ranking: 2

Notes: Trent Richardson ran for 167 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries Saturday as Alabama destroyed North Texas, 41-0.

Alabama's defense was stingy as ever, giving up only 169 total yards.

No. 2: LSU Tigers

Total Points (First Place Votes): 446 (1)

Record: 3-0

Last Game: Sept. 15 beat Mississippi State, 19-6

Next Game: Sept. 24 at No. 16 West Virginia

Previous Ranking: 3

Notes: Mississippi State came into Thursday's game scoring 30 or more points in five straight games. 

LSU made sure it wasn't going to be six. The Tigers dominated the Bulldogs the entire game, limiting them to just 193 total yards and two field goals.

In the last two games LSU has given up a total of nine points and 288 yards.

No. 1: Oklahoma Sooners

Total Points (First Place Votes): 465 (14)

Record: 2-0

Last Game: Sept. 17 beat No. 5 Florida State, 23-13

Next Game: Sept. 24 vs Missouri

Previous Ranking: 1

Notes: Oklahoma proved why they are the No. 1 team in the country as they went to Tallahassee and beat No. 5 Florida State.

In a very defensive game, Oklahoma was able to create one more turnover in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. The Sooners also held the Seminoles to just 27 rushing yards for the game.

Oklahoma's Kenny Stills lead the Sooners in receiving yards, catching seven passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.