College Football Rankings 2012: Teams That Will Move Up After Key Road Wins

After an opening week in which most of the favored teams took care of business, Week 2 provided a couple of upsets that shook up the rankings. That's what teams currently ranked outside the Top 10 are hoping for as they look to make their move.

The easiest way to make a statement to the voters is going on the road and picking up a victory over a tough opponent. Several teams have an opportunity to do exactly that in Week 3. Let's look at three that will get the job done and move up the rankings next week.

No. 14 Texas

Texas has started the season with victories over Wyoming and New Mexico. With that being said, the Longhorns better have used those prep games wisely, because the level of competition is about to pick up significantly as they face off with fellow unbeaten squad Ole Miss.

The most impressive player for Texas has been sophomore quarterback David Ash. He's completed 74 percent of his passes and thrown three touchdowns, asserting himself as the clear No. 1 ahead of Case McCoy on the depth chart.

Ash's improvement gives the Longhorns a terrific chance to make some noise in the Big 12. Going on the road against an SEC foe is always a tricky test, but Texas' play on offense gives them the edge against the Rebels.

No. 18 Florida

There have been some concerns raised about the Gators this season. The team hasn't looked dominant through the first two weeks. Florida beat Bowling Green from the MAC by 13 and needed a second-half comeback to upend SEC newcomer Texas A&M.

Although many people expected Florida to win those games with relative ease, especially the Bowling Green game, the bottom line remains that this team is 2-0. Getting a couple of close games under its belt should help in the long run, including against Tennessee.

Senior running back Mike Gillislee has been outstanding in the first two games, scoring four touchdowns and totaling more than 230 yards. Led by his game-breaking ability, the Gators will score a narrow victory over the Volunteers in Neyland Stadium.

No. 25 BYU

BYU is a team fans should be watching closely. The Cougars are 2-0 heading into road games against Utah and Boise State. If they are able to win both, the schedule for the rest of the regular season is very promising aside from a trip to South Bend to face Notre Dame.

The Cougars have showcased a balanced offense and stout defense in wins over Washington State and Weber State. So far, they don't look like the type of one-dimensional team that has typically played the role of BCS spoiler in the past.

Fans should get a better chance to see if they can hold up starting with Saturday's clash against Utah. The Utes are coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss to Utah State and won't be able to regroup fast enough to knock off BYU.