AP Week 3 Top-25 Rankings: Coach Prime, Colorado Keep Climbing; Alabama Nearly Falls Out Of Limelight
The AP Top-25 rankings are here, and only Colorado could make the No. 18 slot look impressive.
Everyone's on watch for Alabama and Nick Saban's downfall this season and Georgia seems to be the only team worth their salt in the SEC (get mad all you want).
Two weeks ago, Colorado wasn't a sniff near the rankings. Then they appeared in Week 2. Now, Coach Deion and the Buffaloes jumped up four spots, from 22 to 18.
Before Week 2, the narrative surrounding Deion was divisive, of course.
Post-game comments in Week 1 rubbed people the wrong way. But what really drove up the animus was the millions of critics expecting Deion and CU to be humbled now that Prime's coaching with the "big boys," but were ultimately wrong.
BOULDER, CO - SEPTEMBER 09: Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Folsom Field September 09, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
This week, they were wrong again.
Prime put Nebraska and its former NFL coach Matt Rhule in timeout — defeating the Huskers, 36-14.
People primed Week 2 as a "back to earth" moment for Deion.
The AP Poll begs to differ, propping Colorado into the top 20. Defeating TCU was no stroke of luck, and winning over Nebraska was a flash of their dominance. Bet against Deion and Shedeur Sanders on the football field? No thanks. Colorado's the real deal.
Nearly falling out of the top 10 was Alabama — dropping seven places from last week's No. 3 spot (10).
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - SEPTEMBER 09: Jonathon Brooks #24 of the Texas Longhorns reacts after rushing for a first down during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 09, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Alabama's defeat is not just an unfolding of things to come for the Crimson Tide (two years in a row of missing the playoffs?) but also a praise of Texas and Steve Sarkisian's turnaround campaign in the works this year. And Quinn Ewers, who slung a pretty ball on Saturday: throwing for 349 yards passing and three touchdowns (63 completion percentage).
Texas took a leap: going from 11 to a top-five spot (4) after Week 2's primetime 34-24 win, on the road, in Tuscaloosa. Not since Burrow's LSU Tigers has a team gone on the road to defeat Alabama at home. That was four years ago.