College football rankings for week 3 of the 2021 season have been released. Alabama remains the top-ranked team, while Oregon and Iowa moved into the Top 10.
The Oregon Ducks, who upset the previously 3rd-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 35-28 in Columbus, Ohio, moved up eight spots to 4th in the AP Poll and seven spots to 4th in the Coaches Poll.
The Iowa Hawkeyes also moved into the Top 10 of both polls by virtue of a 27-17 road win over the previously 9th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones in their annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series contest. Iowa moved up five spots to 5th in the AP Poll and five spots to 7th in the Coaches Poll.
The top four teams are the same in both Week 3 polls: Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Oregon. Iowa, Clemson, and Texas A&M are 5th, 6th, and 7th in the AP Poll, respectively. In the Coaches Poll, Clemson is also sixth while Iowa (7th) and Texas A&M (5th) are swapped.
Below is the full AP Poll, USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, STATS Perform FCS Top 25, and FCS Coaches Poll for Week 3 of the 2021 season (first-place votes in parentheses):
AP Poll – Week 3
1. Alabama (63)
2. Georgia (3)
3. Oklahoma
4. Oregon
5. Iowa
6. Clemson
7. Texas A&M
8. Cincinnati
9. Ohio State
10. Penn State
11. Florida
12. Notre Dame
13. UCLA
14. Iowa State
15. Virginia Tech
16. Coastal Carolina
17. Ole Miss
18. Wisconsin
19. Arizona State
20. Arkansas
21. North Carolina
22. Auburn
23. BYU
24. Miami FL
25. Michigan
Others receiving votes: UCF 111, TCU 103, Liberty 52, Michigan State 44, USC 39, Indiana 34, LSU 31, Kansas State 30, Nevada 28, Oklahoma State 27, Texas 23, Maryland 14, Pittsburgh 13, Kentucky 13, Stanford 10, Utah 9, Boston College 8, Arizona 6, Texas Tech 2, Fresno State 2, Toledo 2, Army 1.
Dropped from rankings: USC 14, Texas 15, Utah 21.
FBS Coaches Poll – Week 3
1. Alabama (64)
2. Georgia (1)
3. Oklahoma
4. Oregon
5. Texas A&M
6. Clemson
7. Iowa
8. Cincinnati
9. Florida
10. Notre Dame
11. Ohio State
12. Penn State
13. UCLA
14. Iowa State
15. Virginia Tech
16. Ole Miss
17. Wisconsin
18. Coastal Carolina
19. North Carolina
20. Auburn
21. Arizona State
22. Oklahoma State
23. BYU
24. Arkansas
25. Michigan
Others receiving votes: Miami 137, USC 99, UCF 65, Liberty 63, Michigan State 63, TCU 57, Pittsburgh 52, Kentucky 50, Utah 41, Texas 36, Kansas State 28, Indiana 28, LSU 26, Boston College 22, Nevada 18, Fresno State 13, SMU 10, Rutgers 10, Army 9, Mississippi State 9, Louisiana 9, San Diego State 9, Tulane 6, Maryland 6, NC State 5, San José State 5, Marshall 4, Virginia 4, Air Force 3, Stanford 3, UTSA 1, Memphis 1, Boise State 1.
Dropped from rankings: USC 14, Texas 15, Utah 18, Miami 24.
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 – Week 3
1. Sam Houston (33)
2. South Dakota State (9)
3. James Madison (5)
4. Montana (3)
5. North Dakota State
6. Delaware
7. Eastern Washington
8. Southern Illinois
9. Weber State
10. Jacksonville State
11. North Dakota
12. Villanova
13. Montana State
14. UC Davis
15. Southeastern Louisiana
16. ETSU
17. Missouri State
18. UNI
19. Austin Peay
20. Monmouth
21. Richmond
22. VMI
23. New Hampshire
24. Kennesaw State
25. Central Arkansas
Others receiving votes: Furman (90), Chattanooga (74), Rhode Island (67), Murray State (58), Alabama A&M (56), Jackson State (48), Duquesne (32), Nicholls (29), Stephen F. Austin (11), Samford (7), Merrimack (4), Sacramento State (3), Holy Cross (2)
Dropped from rankings: Holy Cross 24
FCS Coaches Poll – Week 3
1. Sam Houston (25)
2. James Madison (1)
3. South Dakota State (2)
4. North Dakota State
5. Montana
6. Eastern Washington
7. Delaware
8. Weber State
T-9. Southern Illinois
T-9. Villanova
11. Jacksonville State
12. UC Davis
13. Montana State
14. North Dakota
15. Northern Iowa
16. Southeastern Louisiana
17. ETSU
18. Richmond
19. Missouri State
20. Monmouth
21. Austin Peay
22. Chattanooga
23. New Hampshire
24. Central Arkansas
25. Furman
Others receiving votes: VMI 53, Kennesaw St. 41, Jackson St. 19, Nicholls 18, Alabama A&M 17, South Dakota 14, Duquesne 13, Rhode Island 13, Charleston Southern 11, Stephen F. Austin 8, Gardner-Webb 5, Murray St. 5, Southern Utah 3, Florida A&M 2, Yale 2, Princeton 1
Dropped from rankings: VMI (20) Kennesaw St. (23)
Wow, big weeks for Oregon, Iowa, Arkansas, and BYU. All making big jumps in the polls.
I genuinely never thought I’d see a team like Coastal Carolina make it into the top 20 (and especially playing Power 5 teams at home).
Also, I’m surprised Miami (FL) is still in the AP Poll seeing as they barely beat Appalachian State. I remember when Tennessee was #9, beat Appalachian State in overtime, and dropped nine spots.
Haha, Yeah, the polls don’t always make sense.
Another example is Arizona this year. They started the season with no votes, lost to BYU and got 5 votes, and then lost to SDSU this last week and got 6 votes in the AP polls. Make sense if that as you please.
Oklahoma State is somehow in the Coaches Poll at #23.
Somehow their 7 point victory over FCS Missouri State and their 5 point victory over Tulsa, who lost 19-17 to FCS UC-Davis in week 1, don’t appear to be better wins than what Arkansas and BYU have done.
What coaches are voting?!
How did Auburn who wasn’t ranked suddenly get put in the polls after beating perhaps the 2nd worse FBS team in Akron and actually struggle with FCS Alabama State for much of the first half? Further proof the polls are meaningless and biased.
$EC
@Kevin Kelley,
Dan-ke for putting the Stats Perform FCS Poll on. It’s fantastic to see who’s battling to get into the Playoffs after a successful Spring 2020 Season. Go Weber State Wildcats!
That’s where Dame Lillard went to school.