College Football Rankings: Ten Week 3 Games That Could Affect Polls
The college football rankings are everything to the teams who reside in them.
They mean the difference between the Orange Bowl and the Mieneke Car Care Bowl. That is what makes Week 3 of the 2010 season so important.
Are there many games between two ranked teams? No.
But what we do have are games that could have a profound impact on the polls.
Here are 10 of the games that could shake the rankings up like James Bond's martini.
Honorable Mention: Air Force @ Oklahoma
1 of 11
Why it Matters: Oklahoma looked like BCS title contenders last week against Florida State, but narrowly escaped against Utah State the week before.
Air Force shocked the MWC last week, beating BYU 35-14. Now, they are looking for another fancy pelt for their wall.
What it Could Do: For the Sooners, a win proves that the Utah State game was the fluke, provided they win by more than a touchdown. A loss, or a close victory, leaves the questions about Bob Stoops' team unanswered, and would see the Sooners slide a bit in the polls.
For the Falcons, a win means respect and a top 25 spot. A loss means very little, other than the fact that they won't see the top 25 for a few weeks.
What Will Happen: Expect the Falcons to keep it close for most of the game, but for the Sooners to pull away in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma 28, Air Force 17.
10. Wake Forest @ Stanford
2 of 11
Why it Matters: Stanford is 2-0 and looking as good as anyone in the country after two weeks of football.
But the Demon Deacon offense has looked pretty rock solid as well, even if they haven't beaten anybody yet.
What it Could Do: For Stanford, it's just another notch on their belt.
For the Deacs, though, beating the Cardinal at Stanford Stadium in the dead of night (11:15 ET kickoff, anyone?) would be a colossal victory for a team who could use some success against elite competition.
What Will Happen: Expect Luck and Stanford to get another notch on that belt, but not without a fight.
Stanford 35, Wake Forest 21.
9. West Virginia @ Maryland
3 of 11
Why it Matters: A pair of undefeated teams, both of whom have a blowout and an escape on their resumes.
Who's legit? Who's just a pretender?
This game will go a long way toward telling us.
What it Could Do: For both teams, a victory validates their 2-0 starts.
For West Virginia, it proves they can beat a BCS school on the road. For the Terps, it's a chance to show that they're for real in 2010, even if they can't throw the ball.
What Will Happen: These are two teams who love to run the ball, so don't expect a lot of deep pass plays.
However, Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith has already attempted 72 pass plays, so perhaps the times they are a changin' in Morgantown.
West Virginia 21, Maryland 17.
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8. Arizona State @ Wisconsin
4 of 11
Why it Matters: Arizona State is a tough team to beat in the state of Arizona.
But outside it? They've been pretty terrible recently.
Meanwhile, the Badgers look to climb the rankings, and a win over a BCS school with zero losses will help immensely.
What it Could Do: For the Sun Devils, a win would propel them into the Top 25, particularly since they'd have to contain senior quarterback Scott Tolzien and junior running back John Clay to do it.
For Wisconsin, a win coupled with some help from other top 15 schools could see the Badgers claw their way into the top 10.
What Will Happen: Expect the Sun Devils' desert magic to have little to no effect on Wisconsin.
Wisconsin 28, Arizona State 14.
7. Texas @ Texas Tech
5 of 11
Why it Matters: The Red Raiders haven't played anyone of consequence through the first two weeks of the year.
Neither have the Longhorns.
This week will fix that for both teams. And don't think Texas has forgotten about Michael Crabtree's game-winning touchdown catch in 2008.
What it Could Do: For Texas, a win would get it off to a good start in conference play, as well as helping its profile. A loss would most certainly drop them out of the top 10.it
For Tech, a win validates their early season streak, while a loss exposes it as the pretenders they might be.
What Will Happen: Look for Tech to come out gangbusters in the early going, but for the Longhorns to rally and pull away late in the game.
Texas 35, Texas Tech 20.
6. Florida @ Tennessee
6 of 11
Why it Matters: This is one of the most heated rivalries in football, although it's lost some of it's luster in recent years.
Florida's offense has looked shaky in the early going of both of their games this season, and a loss would send them flying down the polls.
What it Could Do: For Florida, a strong performance against the Vols at Neyland means everything's going to be OK. A loss, on the other hand, means all hands on deck, because that ship will sink down the polls.
For Tennessee, a win wouldn't stick them on the polls automatically. Beating the Gators, however, would go a long way to restoring Rocky Top to previous heights.
What Will Happen: Look for Tennessee to capitalize on the Gators' early struggles and jump out to a lead before halftime.
After halftime, though, it'll be all Gators.
Florida 28, Tennessee 21.
5. Clemson @ Auburn
7 of 11
Why it Matters: Auburn looked great in Week 1, but the offense sputtered a bit in Week 2 against Mississippi State.
Clemson, meanwhile, has looked like world-beaters against creampuffs thus far.
What it Could Do: For Clemson, a win validates their wins over North Texas and Presbyterian, and pushes the Tigers into the Top 25. A loss would reveal their true stripes as pretenders.
For Cameron Newton and Auburn, a win cracks the top 15, and possibly the top 10. A loss could see it exit the standings.
What Will Happen: Newton's a more dynamic talent than Clemson has faced this season, and its defense hasn't been all that inspiring.
Auburn 35, Clemson 20.
4. Nebraska @ Washington
8 of 11
Why it Matters: Validation.
For the Cornhuskers, a win on the road in Seattle would be huge, and would give Nebraska a leg up in the title hunt.
For the Huskies, it's a chance to beat a top 10 team and get into the rankings.
What it Could Do: For Washington, a win is a borderline top 15 spot almost instantly. A loss proves that it can't beat elite teams, a suspicion founded in its season opening loss to BYU.
For the Huskers, a win might be enough to get them into the top five, while a loss could send them out of the top 15.
What Will Happen: Washington comes out ready to take on the world.
Nebraska overpowers the Huskies, but not before they put a nasty scare into the Huskers.
Nebraska 24, Washington 21.
3. Baylor @ TCU
9 of 11
Why it Matters: Baylor's gotten off to a fast start behind quarterback Robert Griffin III.
But the Bears have played cupcakes thus far, and TCU is no pushover.
For the Horned Frogs, it's another chance to beat a BCS school.
What it Could Do: For Baylor, a win legitimizes its fast start and bumps it into the top 25. A loss showsthe Bears for what they are: pretenders.
For TCU, a win is another step in the quest to be in the BCS title game, while a loss drops it from the top 10 immediately.
In other words, the stakes are pretty high.
What Will Happen: The Horned Frogs jump out early behind quarterback Andy Dalton, only to watch Baylor rally and tie the game late.
TCU then marches down and kicks the game-winner as time expires.
TCU 27, Baylor 24.
2. Arkansas @ Georgia
10 of 11
Why it Matters: The Razorbacks are 2-0, but haven't played anyone yet. Georgia lost a heartbreaker to the Gamecocks, but get Arkansas at home.
Both teams' rankings could be at stake.
What it Could Do: Because Arkansas hasn't beaten anyone of any consequence yet, a loss against the Bulldogs would, in all likelihood, see ti drop from the top 25.
A win would do wonders for their credibility, and boost the Razorbacks into the top 10.
For Georgia, a win bumps them just inside the top 25 door, while a loss dooms them to another long, hard season.
What Will Happen: Arkansas capitalizes on a couple of early Georgia fumbles to jump out 14-0. But the Bulldogs fight back behind freshman quarterback Aaron Murray, and stun the Hogs.
Georgia 21, Arkansas 20.
1. Iowa @ Arizona
11 of 11
Why it Matters: The first time Arizona has hosted a matchup between two ranked teams since 1998.
The Wildcats are eager to prove themselves legit, and the Hawkeyes pose a formidable challenge.
For Iowa, it's a chance to win on the road over a ranked team, something that never hurts.
What it Could Do: For Iowa, a win propels them into the national title discussion, while a loss drops quarterback Ricky Stanzi and the Hawkeyes out of contention.
For Arizona, the win validates its torrid start to the year, but a loss shows us we may have been too hasty in announcing the Wildcats' arrival.
What Will Happen: This one will be a shootout.
Look for Iowa to win it behind a bit of classic Stanzi magic in the final five minutes of the game.
Iowa 38, Arizona 35.
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