College Football Rankings 2019: Overview of Week 3 Standings for NCAA's Top 25

The Week 3 college football slate is the least intriguing of the young season. 

There are zero matchups between programs in the AP Top 25, and most of the top teams are heavy favorites. That would lead some to believe that not much change will occur in the rankings when Sunday rolls around. 

As we have witnessed plenty of times in the past, some of the most unexpected results pop up in weeks like this. 

In fact, a pair of Top 10 teams fell on October 14, 2017, which was the last time no Top 25 sides played each other, per Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press. 

Week 3 Rankings

AP Top 25

1. Clemson (2-0)

2. Alabama (2-0)

3. Georgia (2-0) 

4. LSU (2-0)

5. Oklahoma (2-0) 

6. Ohio State (2-0)

7. Notre Dame (1-0) 

8. Auburn (2-0) 

9. Florida (2-0) 

10. Michigan (2-0) 

11. Utah (2-0) 

12. Texas (1-1)

13. Penn State (2-0) 

14. Wisconsin (2-0) 

15. Oregon (1-1)

16. Texas A&M (1-1) 

17. UCF (2-0) 

18. Michigan State (2-0) 

19. Iowa (2-0) 

20. Washington State (2-0) 

21. Maryland (2-0) 

22. Boise State (2-0) 

23. Washington (1-1)

24. USC (2-0) 

25. Virginia (2-0) 

No. 1 Clemson and No. 2 Alabama headline the list of seven ranked sides facing road tests in Week 3. 

The Tigers' trip to Syracuse looks much less threatening than it did a week ago since the Orange were blown out by No. 21 Maryland.

Dino Babers' side challenged the defending national champion in the last two years, as it upset the Tigers at home in 2017 and lost by four in 2018.

Trevor Lawrence and the Tigers do not want its first ACC opponent of 2019 to hang around, especially since the Orange have played them tough in the past, per The State's Matt Connolly. 

Richard Shiro/Associated Press

"The last time the team went to Syracuse I wasn't on the team, but they beat us, so we're going to have some motivation going into the game," Lawrence said. "Definitely kind of want to leave no doubt this game."

Alabama does not have the same familiarity with South Carolina, who it last played in 2010 because of the cross-divisional scheduling quirks in the SEC. 

A year ago, the Crimson Tide racked up five double-digit victories over unranked SEC sides, including a 62-7 triumph over Ole Miss in its conference opener. 

Nick Saban's team also avoided any upset alerts on the road by cruising past the Rebels, Tennessee and Arkansas. 

There is a better chance for a program further down the rankings to succumb to an upset, with No. 19 Iowa and No. 24 USC the most likely candidates. 

The Hawkeyes visit a charged Jack Trice Stadium that will be more energetic than usual due to the presence of ESPN's College GameDay.

Iowa State had a week off to prepare for Iowa after going to triple overtime with Northern Iowa, which is something head coach Matt Campbell believes is a good thing, per The Gazette's Ben Visser:

"I think what's great in our situation, we got a chance to play a game, then we get a chance to evaluate who we are. There are so many areas on this year's football team that we're still trying to figure out. That happens in a lot of seasons—you have guys and you think you know who you got, and you get out there and maybe it's not what I thought, or maybe that is better than what I thought."

Even though the Cyclones are carrying a positive mindset into Saturday, they still have to deal with an Iowa offense that outscored opponents 68-14 in the first two contests. 

Hawkeyes defensive end A.J. Epenesa could be the difference-maker if he gets to Brock Purdy on a few occasions, like he did in Week 2 against Rutgers.

Pro Football Focus College Football pointed out the impact the edge-rusher had: 

USC entered the Top 25 following a win over then-ranked Stanford, but the trip up to Provo, Utah, could be difficult. 

The BYU Cougars played Utah tough for a half in their opener and then went to Neyland Stadium and knocked off Tennessee. 

USC head coach Clay Helton hopes his team can avoid a letdown in a matchup that occurs six days before a Pac-12 clash with Utah, per Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times. 

"We won a big game last week, but now a mature team ... puts that last game aside," Helton said. "Let's focus on this game. We're not here to win one big game. We're here to have a great season." 

The Trojans lost four of their six road games in 2018, with the victories occurring against a pair of below-.500 teams. 

If any upsets happen, Iowa State, California and Mississippi State could slide into the AP poll Sunday, as they were the top teams that received votes outside the Top 25. 

Cal owns a win over Washington and is likely to defeat North Texas at home, while Mississippi State could move to 3-0 versus Kansas State. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com