With a few weeks of data in the books, the picture in college football is getting a little sharper - at least enough to separate the teams that look legit from the ones still living on reputation. But if there’s one thing this kind of exercise always reminds you, it’s that the numbers can only do so much. The eye test still matters, and at Roll Bama Roll, that’s the lens doing most of the work.
So after sorting through the stats, the models, and a healthy dose of skepticism, here’s how the RBR Blogpoll shakes out for Week 3:
- Miami-FL
- Georgia
- Texas
- Ohio State
- Ole Miss
- Notre Dame
- Indiana
- Alabama
- USC
- Penn State
- BYU
- Louisville
- Tennessee
- LSU
- Texas Tech
- Mississippi State
- Utah
- Iowa
- Florida
- Missouri
- Michigan
- Oregon
- Texas A&M
- Nebraska
- Washington
Miami is still sitting at the top for one simple reason: the Hurricanes look like the best team in the country to these eyes. Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney have been one of the most electric QB-WR pairings around, and while Miami looked a little shakier than expected against Wake Forest, the broader read hasn’t changed much. They haven’t really faced anyone yet, and they won’t until November, but the performance so far has been strong enough to keep them in front.
Georgia stays right behind them, and the reason is pretty familiar by now. Kirby Smart remains the best coach in the sport, and the Bulldogs have handled a soft early schedule the way good teams are supposed to: by flattening everybody in sight. Until that changes, there’s no real reason to bet against them.
Texas lands at No. 3 even though there’s some skepticism baked into that placement. The roster is loaded, but there are more cracks there than plenty of people want to admit. Still, the Longhorns beat Ohio State, and that result carries more weight than anything else on the board so far.
Ohio State checks in fourth after a strange loss to Texas that doesn’t really change how the team is viewed. The Buckeyes still look like a top-five outfit - probably a top-three one - and they have what might be the best collection of players in the country. The expectation here is that they don’t take another loss.
Ole Miss moves in at No. 5 after a revenge win that has the Rebels feeling pretty good about themselves. They’ve got a veteran star quarterback and a lot of swagger right now.
The lingering question is whether that edge lasts now that they’ve gotten past the game that mattered most to them. That part is still unresolved.
Notre Dame holds at No. 6 despite a schedule that hasn’t exactly tested them. They’re beating up on weak opponents and still had to sweat out Michigan State, which makes the read on them a little messy. They’re good enough to stay in this spot, but there’s not much trust attached to it.
Indiana comes in seventh, with Charlie Becker giving the Hoosiers a real weapon at wide receiver. Even so, they’re still in the prove-it phase after last season’s veteran success, and that uncertainty keeps them from climbing any higher for now.
Alabama rounds out the top eight, and that ranking is basically an attempt to reconcile two very different versions of the Tide. For two straight weeks, the defense looked like the best in the country, then Florida State exposed the deep ball issues.
On offense, Alabama has been a mess in the first half and dangerous in the second, with Keelon Russell looking like the best quarterback in football after halftime. That split personality leaves the Tide somewhere in the middle, even if the ceiling is obviously much higher.
Below that, Louisville gets a nod for playing well and taking Ole Miss to the wire, while Mississippi State is making a real move. The Bulldogs are still ironing things out on defense, but some of the offensive numbers are pushing them into “best in the country” territory. Florida also gets some attention for showing signs of life in year one under its new coach.
At the other end of the movement, Texas A&M and Oregon have fallen hard. Neither one has looked like a functioning contender so far, and at this point both are mostly leaning on the reputation they built last season.
In Other News...
Alabama Suddenly Has A Fan Tension Problem It Can't Ignore
Alabamas offense has been under enough scrutiny already, and Ryan Grubb only added to the conversation when he apologized for remarks he made about fans booing after the units struggles. It was the kind of public back-and-forth that tends to linger around a program like this, especially when expectations are high and the margin for patience gets smaller the longer the offense goes through uneven stretches.
There is at least some football business to distract from the noise. Injured offensive players AK Dear and Noah Rogers are expected to be available for the upcoming game against South Carolina, although their exact roles remain unclear, and the October 3 trip to Mississippi State will come in an early kickoff window. Alabama also picked up a recruiting development worth watching, with two committed prospects from other schools decommitting and expected to visit, giving the staff another chance to keep momentum moving while the fan tension around the offense still hangs in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Suddenly Needs More From A Freshman In A Tough SEC Spot
Alabamas defensive front is already dealing with a new test heading into South Carolina, and the ripple effect is pretty clear. Edge defenders Justin Hill and Desmond Umeozulu are both listed out after getting hurt in the previous game, and both are expected to miss multiple contests, leaving the Tide thinner at a spot that usually depends on rotation and disruption.
That opens the door for freshman Xavier Griffin to take on a much bigger role sooner than planned, with the staff now needing him to hold up in a difficult SEC setting. Caleb Woodson could also be used more as a pass rusher as Alabama sorts through the depth chart, but the bigger question is how quickly the young pieces can settle in while the Tide waits for reinforcements. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Pass Rush Faces Its Trickiest Test Yet Against South Carolina
Through three games, Alabama has already shown it can get after the quarterback, joining a small group of SEC teams with at least 10 sacks as the defense settles in under Kalen DeBoer. The early production has been helped by the additions from the NCAA transfer portal, and it has given the Crimson Tide a clearer identity up front as they move deeper into conference play.
South Carolina now offers a different kind of challenge, with LaNorris Sellers giving Alabama a quarterback who can change the game with both his arm and his legs. DeBoer pointed to the need for a strong pass rush, but just as important is keeping lane integrity so the pressure does not open escape routes for a dynamic player who can punish even a small breakdown. [Read more 🡒]