College Football Power Rankings: Texas continues to tumble amid struggles, Miami rises to No. 1 spot

CBS Sports Graphic

Week 3 of college football action reminded us why we love this sport: wild finishes, questionable decisions and rankings that age faster than bananas. Luckily, the CBS Sports Power Rankings is still ahead of the curve on several overvalued and undervalued teams.

We also have a new No. 1 heading into Week 4. Miami sits on the throne following its second victory against a ranked team, following yet another potent offensive performance complemented by a revamped, smothering defense.

Meanwhile, Texas continues to tumble as Arch Manning’s field anxiety drags the offense into the darkness, effectively diminishing Ohio State’s season-opening win against the Longhorns in the process. As a result, the Buckeyes fall to No. 2.

Even so, the SEC has proven to be the deepest conference in the country. The league is apparently playing on rookie mode and is 35-3 against nonconference opponents through three weeks. That’s the second-best winning percentage by a conference since 2000.

So what does it all mean? Basically, the Power Rankings are spinning up like an old dial-up modem. Clemson in the top 15? That feels like we’re forcing it. Texas in the top 10? Not with that offense. Tennessee, despite an overtime loss to Georgia, still seems undervalued with that potent offense. Indiana might deserve more love, though their schedule so far looks like a cupcake convention.

Bowl projections: Texas, Notre Dame fall out of College Football Playoff spotlight, Texas A&M emerges

Brad Crawford

Penn State, Missouri, and Texas Tech? Call us when you actually play somebody. South Carolina was overhyped and got exposed (even without LaNorris Sellers), while Georgia Tech wasn’t even invited to the party until it kicked the door down with a walk-off win over Clemson.

Many others ranked South Carolina in the top 11, but the Power Rankings placed the Gamecocks 10 spots lower heading into last week’s loss to Vanderbilt. Georgia Tech? Well, perhaps we should have bought that stock earlier in the season.

Biggest Movers

Texas A&M

South Florida

Rk	Teams		Chg	Rcrd
1	Miami (Fla.)	The Hurricanes leap to No. 1 with a second win against a top 15 opponent and their largest win against an AP Top 25-ranked team since 2001. Carson Beck (340 yards) led the way in a 576-yard performance, the program’s best production against a ranked team since 1998, in a 49-12 victory against USF. Next up: Billy Napier’s gator bait.	2	3-0
2	Ohio State	Ohio State won the battle for the state with a 37-9 win against Ohio. Jeremiah Smith had 153 receiving yards and two total touchdowns. The Buckeyes have won 61 games by double digits since 2019. They’re revving up, but with Texas’ issues growing, the season-opening win looks slightly different.	1	3-0
3	Georgia	Georgia’s defense left a lot of tape for Kirby Smart to chew up and spit out in the film room, but a win is a win, even if Tennessee deserved the victory, as Smart said after the 44-41 overtime win. Quarterback Gunner Stockton likely silenced a lot of critics in his first 300-yard game, completing 8 of 10 passes to tie the game in the final 3 minutes of regulation. The SEC race still goes through Athens.	3	3-0
4	LSU	Brian Kelly loves to crash out once a year in press conferences, but let’s face it: there are issues on offense for the Tigers. How in the heck does a team only score 20 points despite forcing five interceptions on defense? LSU averaged 2.1 yards per carry until a 51-yard run on the final play of the 20-10 victory against Florida. QB Garrett Nussmeier ranks 90th nationally in quarterback rating. That defense? It’s special and may finish the season in the top five.	—	3-0
5	Oregon	Oregon will lose a Big Ten game at some point this century, but not this week. The Ducks drilled Northwestern 34-14 and moved to 10-0 in conference games since joining the league in 2024. Dante Moore threw his first interception of the season, and the Ducks gave up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter after going up 34-0, but it was still a great day along the shore of Lake Michigan.	—	3-0
6	Penn State	We’re still waiting for Penn State to play a team with a pulse. The Nittany Lions beat Villanova 52-6 and made gamblers everywhere upset by allowing ‘Nova to score and cover the 48.5-point spread as time expired. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen each scored for the 17th time, the most by a duo in the Big Ten since 2000. Next up is a bye week before facing Oregon in a monstrous showdown.	4	3-0
7	Illinois	Illinois is the boa constrictor of college football, slowly strangling prey with strong-armed body slams in the trenches and a methodical offense capable of lulling you to sleep while also scoring at will. The Illini knocked off Michigan 38-0, while Luke Altmyer threw for two more touchdowns and has yet to be picked off. We can’t wait for the trip to Indiana this week. Finally, a worthy opponent for the Hoosiers, who have been feasting on fawn.	—	3-0
8	Florida State	Florida State rested up during its bye week and will host Kent State on Saturday. You can hit the snooze button this week, Seminoles fans. The showdown against Miami on Oct. 4 could be epic.	—	2-0
9	Texas A&M	The most entertaining game in a week of epic finishes, the Aggies rallied to beat Notre Dame 41-40 for their first ranked road win since 2014. Mario Craver was phenomenal, becoming the first player since 2022 to eclipse 200 receiving yards, and has emerged as a household name after starting the season with three straight 100-yard performances. And how about quarterback Marcel Reed extending plays and making big plays with his arm, including the game-winning throw on fourth down at the 11-yard line? These Aggies are for real.	NR	3-0
10	Oklahoma	It’s never easy traveling to the East Coast, kicking off early in the day and playing in an unfamiliar environment, but the Sooners handled the weird road trip to Temple well. The Sooners picked up a 42-3 win against a well-coached K.C. Keeler squad. John Mateer, the Heisman Trophy favorite, threw for 282 yards and rushed for 63 more while scoring two total touchdowns. Next up is the return of Jackson Arnold, who leads Auburn against his former team in Norman this week.	—	3-0
11	Utah	FBS teams hate traveling to Laramie because of how difficult Wyoming has proven to be at War Memorial Stadium, but the Utes passed the test with flying colors with a 31-6 victory. The Utes started slow with a 3-0 lead at halftime but cranked things up in the second half as dynamic quarterback Devon Dampier threw for 230 yards and rushed for 86 more. The Utes host Texas Tech in a battle of Big 12 heavyweights this week. The winner gets the leg up in the title race.	1	3-0
12	Tennessee	It’s difficult to see the light in the haze of a heartbreaking overtime loss, but the Vols might be the second-best team in the SEC after losing to Georgia in overtime. The Vols started hot, then traded jabs before missing a field goal and losing in overtime to the Bulldogs. Joey Aguilar was fantastic, scoring five total TDs and throwing for 371 yards and four scores. Amazingly, the Vols have led Georgia in the last seven meetings – and have lost all of those games.	5	2-1
13	Ole Miss	Is it a quarterback controversy or an embarrassment of quarterback riches when your backup is only the third in the last 30 years to throw for 350-plus yards and score two rushing touchdowns? Trinidad Chambliss led the Rebels to a 41-35 win against Arkansas in place of hobbled starter Austin Simmons. Lane Kiffin has decisions to make, but either way, the Rebels will be fine. Next up is Tulane, the favorite in The American. Sneaky great matchup, by the way.	3	3-0
14	Texas	Yes, Arch Manning is objectively and completely mediocre. Will he improve? Maybe. Will he get worse? Probably not. Does it matter? Yes. The Longhorns’ stock continues to tumble after a 27-10 victory against UTEP because the offense is just … meh. Manning was 11-of-25 passing for 114 yards and one touchdown with an interception. Texas fans booed him. That will continue if he struggles in the SEC. The good news is Sam Houston is next. Wait … Is that good news?	5	2-1
15	Georgia Tech	You’re a fool if you bet against Brent Key. He’s 16-6 as an underdog at Georgia Tech, and the early leader for ACC Coach of the Year won yet again with an insane 24-21 victory against overrated Clemson. Aidan Birr was downright chill as time ticked down on the clock before he kicked a record-breaking 55-yard field goal to clinch the win as time expired. Haynes King continues to be the most underrated quarterback in the country, recording the third 200-yard passing and 100-yard rushing game of his career.	NR	3-0
16	Vanderbilt	The ‘Dores are just beating people down. Vandy marched into Columbia and drilled then-No. 11 South Carolina (we had them No. 21 in the Power Rankings last week). The Gamecocks lost QB LaNorris Sellers in the first half, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Vandy snapped its 31-game road losing streak against AP-ranked teams.	NR	3-0
17	Alabama	Alabama’s receivers came back to life in a 38-14 shellacking of Wisconsin. Ryan Williams recorded the first 150-yard, two-touchdown game of his career. Ty Simpson became the first Alabama quarterback in the last 30 years to complete more than 80% of his passes while throwing for 350 yards and four touchdowns.	7	2-1
18	Missouri	Is Ahmad Hardy the best running back in the country? He ran for 250 yards and three touchdowns on only 22 carries, and did so without touching the ball in the fourth quarter of a 52-10 blowout of Louisiana. He’s run for 100-plus yards in every game this season. Hardy ranks second in rushing yardage (462) and is averaging 8.1 yards per carry.	1	3-0
19	Auburn	The Power Rankings still have an issue with Auburn’s herky-jerky passing offense, but Jackson Arnold continues to lead a fantastic rushing attack. The Tigers beat South Alabama 31-15, the program’s first three-game winning streak in six years. They did what they needed to do to set up an undefeated showdown in Arnold’s return to Oklahoma this week.	4	3-0
20	Texas Tech	Joey McGuire is 3-0 for the first time at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders defeated Oregon State 45-14 and Behren Morton threw for 442 yards and four touchdowns as one of the country’s more explosive offenses continues to march. Next up is Utah, which will reveal a lot about where the richest roster in the Big 12 stands.	—	3-0
21	Notre Dame	The Power Rankings still love the Irish despite an 0-2 record. Losses on the final possessions against No. 1 Miami and No. 9 Texas A&M still count as losses, but it’s clear the potential is there for a double-digit winning season with great offensive production in both games and a strong defensive performance against the Hurricanes on the road.	8	0-2
22	Tulane	Tulane won the Darian Mensah Bowl with a 34-27 victory against Duke as the former Tulane quarterback returned to New Orleans and lost to his former team. The Green Wave and USF are the leaders in the Group of Six to snag a spot in the College Football Playoff. Tulane can gain the advantage this week against Ole Miss.	1	3-0
23	Mississippi State	The Bulldogs followed up their upset of Arizona State with a 63-0 win against Alcorn State. Jeff Lebby has already surpassed his win total from last season with a 3-0 start this fall. Next up is Northern Illinois.	2	3-0
24	Michigan	Michigan recorded its fourth-largest win over the last 80 years with a 63-3 blowout of Central Michigan. Keep your eyes on CBS this week with Nebraska hosting the Wolverines. This is a defining moment early in the season for both programs.	1	2-1
25	South Florida	The Bulls hang on loosely following a 37-point loss at Miami, the program’s worst loss as a ranked team. Byrum Brown still threw for 274 yards. Remember, USF and Tulane do not meet in the regular season, setting up the possibility of both programs running through the season with undefeated conference records before meeting in the American Championship Game.	14	2-1