College Football Rankings 2011 Week 3: Winners and Losers from the AP Poll

It was another exciting week in college football, and earlier on Sunday, the AP released their third poll of the year.

As expected, there was some shifting around in the rankings. Hope is still alive for some, whereas for others, it appears to be dying.

That said, here are some winners and losers from the most recent AP rankings.

Winner: Dennis Erickson

With another victory under his belt, Arizona State head coach Dennis Erickson may have revived his career.

Currently his Sun Devils rank No. 22 in the AP poll, and after three consecutive disappointing seasons in The Grand Canyon State, Erickson is back on the rise.

If he keeps it up, Erickson could be a sleeper in the race for Coach of the Year.

Loser: Mississippi State Bulldogs

This was expected to be a big year for Mississippi State football.

But after the defense's terrible performance against the Auburn Tigers, much improvement is needed to regain confidence.

In addition, they still have to play LSU, Arkansas and Alabama of the SEC West, so not only do the Bulldogs have their work cut out for them, the odds are against them even more.

Winner: Baylor Bears

Last week was a bye week for the Baylor Bears, but they moved up one spot in the AP rankings, which gets them a win this week.

After their Week 1 performance, Baylor is trending and expected to be a Cinderella team in the Big 12.

Don't be surprised if they keep it up, but also, don't be disappointed if they falter against teams like Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.

Loser: Texas Longhorns

Last week, Texas was ranked No. 24, and this week, Texas is ranked No. 24.

And it's not so much about their ranking, because although they won, they only beat the BYU Cougars 17-16 at home.

If the Longhorns college football tradition is to get back up to the standards of Texas residents, winning games like this against what's considered an inferior school need to escalate to blowouts.

Otherwise, they remain a few steps back of Oklahoma, among others.

Winner: Kellen Moore

This week Boise State had a bye week and didn't move up or down.

That being said, it doesn't hurt their QB Kellen Moore either, because he's going to be in the Heisman race all season long.

And having that extra week to rest up and recuperate is crucial after a big win over Georgia of the SEC. 

Loser: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame began the year ranked in the Top 20, lost in Week 1, were still ranked and now have fallen from a facade of grace that was suppose to be the 2011 season.

And although the AP usually is more favorable to the Irish, even they aren't too fond of losing close games week after week.

Hence, Notre Dame has been dropped from the rankings, and they have a lot of work to do to get back in it.

Winner: Michigan State Spartans

After a disappointing performance in Week 1 against an FCS school in Youngstown State, despite winning, the Michigan State Spartans have gotten back on track.

They dominated Florida Atlantic of the Sun Belt Conference, which is a step up from the Penguins in Week 1.

Next week, Sparty travels to South Bend, Indiana to play a desperate Notre Dame team.

But don't think for a second that head coach Mark Dantonio won't have his team prepared.

Loser: Ohio State Buckeyes

The Bucks' destroyed MAC school Akron in their first game, and it was a significant confidence booster after all the offseason mishaps.

Well, Ohio State took a step back in Week 2 by barely hanging on to beat Toledo, also of the MAC, 22-17.

If Luke Fickell's team continues to play that way in the Big Ten, they'll be lucky to win three conference games.

Winner: Russell Wilson

After transferring from North Carolina State, where he was more of a dual-threat QB, Russell Wilson has found a comfortable place in the pocket in Madison with the Badgers.

Although Big Ten play has yet to begin, Wilson's play has Badger fans forgetting about the Rose Bowl loss and thinking about how great the future can be.

Russell's playing like he has been a Badger all along, and it's building a confidence in Madison that feels of a conference title repeat.

Loser: Virginia Tech Hokies

The Hokies don't play a ranked school all year, and in addition, they narrowly escaped the East Carolina Pirates of the Conference USA 17-10.

For being the No. 11 ranked team heading in, you would have expected a much better showing from Frank Beamer's team, but all was almost for naught, because now Virginia Tech has dropped two places and is currently No. 13.

If their inferior opponents continue to keep it close, sooner or later, the Hokies will get upset.