AP College Football Poll 2014: Official Top-25 Rankings, Week 3 Projections
The voters were impressed by the Oregon Ducks' 46-27 victory at home against the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday night. So much so, they vaulted the Ducks ahead of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the latest Associated Press Top 25.
Alabama blew out Florida Atlantic 41-0 but struggled in Week 1 against the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Tide had to sweat out a 33-23 win over the Mountaineers. It's possible that the less-than-impressive victory created some doubt in the minds of voters.
The other major change in the Top 25 involved the Ohio State Buckeyes. After Ohio State had some anxious moments against Navy in Week 1, it lost to Virginia Tech on Saturday 35-21.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
The loss sent the Buckeyes tumbling from No. 8 to No. 22 in the latest poll. Here's a look at the entire Top 25 released on Sunday morning, per ESPN.com.
| AP Top 25 | |||
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
| 1 | Florida State (38) | 2-0 | 1463 |
| 2 | Oregon (16) | 2-0 | 1415 |
| 3 | Alabama (1) | 2-0 | 1334 |
| 4 | Oklahoma (2) | 2-0 | 1303 |
| 5 | Auburn | 2-0 | 1236 |
| 6 | Georgia (1) | 1-0 | 1201 |
| 7 | Texas A&M (2) | 2-0 | 1101 |
| 8 | Baylor | 2-0 | 1043 |
| 9 | USC | 2-0 | 1039 |
| 10 | LSU | 2-0 | 1029 |
| 11 | Notre Dame | 2-0 | 815 |
| 12 | UCLA | 2-0 | 779 |
| 13 | Michigan State | 1-1 | 751 |
| 14 | Ole Miss | 2-0 | 703 |
| 15 | Stanford | 1-1 | 592 |
| 16 | Arizona State | 2-0 | 570 |
| 17 | Virginia Tech | 2-0 | 532 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 1-1 | 391 |
| 19 | Kansas State | 2-0 | 285 |
| 20 | Missouri | 2-0 | 237 |
| 21 | Louisville | 2-0 | 234 |
| 22 | Ohio State | 1-1 | 222 |
| 23 | Clemson | 1-1 | 206 |
| 24 | South Carolina | 1-1 | 199 |
| 25 | BYU | 2-0 | 179 |
Looking Ahead to Week 3
The Biggest Game of the Week - No. 6 Georgia at No. 24 South Carolina
The South Carolina Gamecocks are 1-1, but they haven't looked good yet this season. After losing 52-28 in Week 1 against the Texas A&M Aggies, the Gamecocks scored an unimpressive 33-23 win over the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday.
Needless to say, the Gamecocks' confidence can't be too high heading into a clash with SEC foe Georgia on Saturday.
South Carolina has allowed an average of 482 total yards through its first two games. With Georgia's Todd Gurley coming to the Palmetto State, that number could grow on Saturday. Barring a massive turnaround this week, South Carolina is going to fall below .500 and out of the Top 25.
With only one game pitting ranked teams against each other, there may not be much movement in the rankings—unless there are a few upsets.
Potential Upsets
East Carolina at No. 17 Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech Hokies are coming off a huge upset win over Ohio State. Could they be heading for a letdown against the East Carolina Pirates?
Pirates quarterback Shane Carden has it in him to produce a big-time performance. Carden had five 350-yard passing games in 2013, and that includes a 376-yard, three-touchdown performance against North Carolina.
The Hokies defense will have to be ready for a fast-paced and potentially explosive attack.
No. 21 Louisville at Virginia
The Virginia Cavaliers shocked a few doubters in Week 2 when they pushed the UCLA Bruins to the wire.
Even though the Cavs fell 28-20, their ability to force turnovers and limit highly touted quarterback Brett Hundley to fewer than 300 yards through the air proved how effective the team's defense could be.
Without question, Bobby Petrino's Louisville offense is on another level, but if Virginia can disturb the Cardinals' rhythm on offense, it could have a shot at knocking Louisville from the Top 25.
The Cavs haven't beaten a ranked team since 2011. A year after winning just two games, the roster seems intent upon playing hard for head coach Mike London. A big win over Louisville could go a long way toward establishing more job security.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
