If you come at the king, as they say, you best not miss.

On a Saturday that threatened to completely upend college football’s power dynamics, Tennessee took its shot at defending SEC champion Georgia, but its kick sailed wide right as time expired. In Atlanta, Georgia Tech‘s field goal team sprinted onto the field as the final seconds ticked off the clock and used a 55-yard kick to send Clemson tumbling from the ACC’s throne.

It was proof that the SEC still runs through Georgia. It was a revelation that the ACC might, too.

In Knoxville, Tennessee led by 14 early but could never quite put Georgia away. Joey Aguilar threw for 371 yards and four touchdowns, and he chewed up just enough yardage on a final drive to give Max Gilbert a shot at the game winner. Instead, a false start flag pushed the kick back 5 yards, and Gilbert’s boot never came close to the uprights. Georgia’s unrelenting attack proved too much in overtime, and Josh McCray rumbled into the end zone for a 44-41 win that offered a reminder that these Bulldogs still bite.

Georgia ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns, punishing Tennessee’s defensive front throughout. Gunner Stockton threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns, including a score-tying dagger with 2:32 remaining to London Humphreys, the latest UGA player to be named after a member of an uppity fraternity hell-bent on getting the guys from Kegger House kicked off campus in an ’80s comedy. The performance had the feel of a coming-of-age moment for Stockton. After waiting his turn behind Carson Beck, Stockton was given the reins of the offense in last year’s playoff loss to Notre Dame, and he had done little to convince fans he was the right man for the job in Georgia’s first two games of 2025. Saturday was different. Following a sluggish first quarter, Stockton made one big throw after another with a nearly flawless second half before celebrating the win by, we assume, driving his F-150 out to his high school sweetheart’s house, holding a stereo over his head, and blaring Bon Jovi’s “Slippery When Wet” album.

If Stockton proved his toughness against Tennessee, Haynes King only added to his legend against Clemson.

play

Georgia Tech kicks game-winning FG to spark wild celebrations

Georgia Tech races its kicker onto the field, and Aidan Birr nails a 55-yard field goal to take down Clemson.

Georgia Tech opened with a 13-0 lead in the first half in Atlanta, but just as Georgia had done against the Vols, Clemson refused to go down without a fight. The Tigers roared back, took a 14-13 lead in the third quarter, coughed it up, then tied the score at 21 with 3:26 to play in the fourth. That’s when King took over.

On the final game-winning drive, King converted a pair of third downs with his legs, ping-ponging off defenders and taking on tacklers repeatedly, enduring the type of physical punishment typically reserved for a “Saw” movie. The effort set up a fire drill for the kicking team in the final seconds, as Georgia Tech was without a timeout. Aidan Birr sprinted onto the field and delivered the most significant shot by a man named Birr yet to have a musical written about it by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

King finished with 211 passing yards, 104 rushing yards and a touchdown, and he was beaten up enough that he has already met the deductible on his health insurance by Week 3.

The 24-21 win was Georgia Tech’s seventh against a ranked ACC foe under coach Brent Key, and it established the Yellow Jackets as a contender in the ACC, alongside the league’s other powers: Miami, which knocked off No. 18 USF with ease 49-12 on Saturday, and Florida State, which was off this week.

The bigger question is what the loss means for Clemson. Dabo Swinney’s crew is now a 50-yard touchdown run in the final 90 seconds against Pitt and a walk-off 57-yard field goal against SMU away from having lost seven of its past eight games against Power 4 foes — though if that field goal were missed it would have just pushed that game to overtime. Suddenly, the idea that Clemson’s decade-long run as the class of the ACC might be over isn’t simply the ramblings of Tyler from Spartanburg. Had Georgia lost Saturday, it would’ve been less a king dethroned than Napoleon regathering his forces while serving out an exile on Elba.

Clemson’s fall from the throne, however, has an air of finality to it, as if Swinney hadn’t simply been exiled from atop the ACC, but had packed up his bags and moved to Boca Raton, where he’ll wear his socks too high, play a lot of pickleball and complain about early-bird special portion sizes at Denny’s. Clemson is a team without an offensive identity, with a QB who often looks flustered in critical situations, and faces, for the fifth year in a row, an uphill battle against a narrative that Swinney’s magic has worn off.

If Tennessee’s fate doesn’t seem so bleak, the outcome Saturday had to feel every bit as existentially fraught. The Vols had every opportunity to alter their fate, and instead, the losing streak to Georgia reached a decade. Even seeing Nico Iamaleava‘s UCLA team fall to 0-3 with a loss to New Mexico isn’t enough to ease that pain. That it didn’t have to be this way is a practical truth, but for everyone in the stands at Neyland Stadium, it might as well have been a blowout. It all was a reminder that a little hope is as dangerous as a second round of Fireball at The Hill.

If Saturday wasn’t a complete reshuffling of the deck in the SEC and ACC, though, it was a reminder that all power is fleeting, that every team’s grasp of the ring loosens, and that eventually, the next big thing simply becomes “the thing.”

Georgia Tech stormed the castle.

Georgia held the line for another week.

There will be more battles ahead, and we’ll be lucky if they’re half as good as what we saw Saturday.

More:
Texas A&M wins thriller
Trends | Under the radar
Heisman five | Game-day takeaways

Aggies upend Irish

Coach Marcus Freeman had a clear message to his defense after Saturday’s rollicking, frenetic and ultimately debilitating 41-40 loss to Texas A&M: “Not good enough.”

Notre Dame surrendered 488 yards of offense to the Aggies, including a 13-play, 74-yard touchdown drive in the final 2:53 that won the game for A&M and sent the Irish to 0-2 on the season.

It was a wild, back-and-forth game that had four lead changes and two ties in the second half alone, and the game ultimately turned on a botched PAT try that was mishandled by holder Tyler Buchner, who, ironically, was Notre Dame’s starting QB the last time it started 0-2 in 2022.

Marcel Reed, meanwhile, led Texas A&M to its biggest road win in more than a decade by throwing for 360 yards, including the game winner to Nate Boerkircher with 13 seconds to play.

Reed, alongside Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson, TCU’s Josh Hoover and Texas Tech’s Behren Morton, are all off to exceptional starts, and there’s not a single other QB in the state of Texas whose early production is also worth mentioning here. Nope. Can’t think of anyone.

Week 3 vibe check

Each week, big plays, big upsets and big wins shape the narrative in college football, but dozens of smaller stories can have just as significant an impact in the long run. We try to keep tabs on the more subtle shifts in the sport here.

Trending down: Losing interestingly

Florida losing football games is hardly news anymore, but Saturday’s 20-10 defeat at the hands of LSU was more disappointing because no one did anything particularly stupid in the process of losing. Of course, Florida’s downward spiral began five years ago against LSU when Marco Wilson threw a shoe, and it reached a new depth last week against USF when Brendan Bett spit on a Bulls O-lineman. Saturday’s defeat offered none of that — no DJ Lagway giving Brian Kelly a wedgie, no Billy Napier forgetting to call a late timeout, because he was eating a bowl of spaghetti on the sideline, not even a missed field goal because the kicker tried using a 9-iron instead of his foot. Frankly, it’s like Florida’s not even trying to be bad anymore.

Trending up: Spite songs

Oklahoma couldn’t bring its band to Philadelphia for its game against Temple, ostensibly because that many oboes couldn’t fit into the Sooner Schooner without risking the whole thing sinking while attempting to ford the Schuylkill River, so the fine folks at St. Joseph’s University stepped up to help out.

The St. Joe’s band playing “Boomer Sooner” at a Temple game.

What a world. pic.twitter.com/lDlmmIkxhC

— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) September 13, 2025

It wasn’t an entirely benevolent gesture, however. The St. Joe’s band just wanted to troll its Big Five rival, Temple.

It wasn’t the only school to throw a little salt in the wound by employing an “enemy of my enemy is my friend” philosophy on Saturday either. After Georgia Tech knocked off Clemson, the stadium blared “Sandstorm,” the song famously employed by Tigers rival South Carolina. Not to be outdone, UMass blasted the entirety of Creed’s “Human Clay” in the locker room before the game in hopes the players would just quit and go home before having to play Iowa.

Trending down: Scheduling up

Indiana closed out another gauntlet of a nonconference schedule on Friday, narrowly escaping Indiana State 73-0. The Hoosiers are now 6-0 in nonconference regular-season games under Curt Cignetti, who urges you not to Google any of those opponents. Just be sure they’re all really good.

Trending up: Burnt ends

A sizable portion of the field at Wake Forest was covered in smoke during the first half Thursday night after a BBQ food truck caught fire just outside the stadium because, we assume, someone finally realized vinegar-based sauce is trash, and it all needed to go.

A food truck has caught fire at the NC State-Wake Forest game pic.twitter.com/KqdFMhSiYc

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 12, 2025

In the second half, it was NC State on fire, as the Wolfpack erased a seven-point halftime deficit for a 34-24 win. NC State is now 3-0 and perfectly poised for another of its patented 9-4 and fourth in “others receiving votes” seasons in 2025.

Trending down: Sleeves

Biff Poggi, the former Charlotte coach and what happens when you let your grandfather shop at Hot Topic, was patrolling a sideline as an FBS head coach again Saturday, filling in at Michigan for the suspended Sherrone Moore (though we can’t rule out that he was on Central Michigan‘s sideline in a CMU hat, glasses and a fake mustache). Turned out, the Wolverines didn’t miss a beat, dismissing Central Michigan 63-3 behind three touchdowns from QB Bryce Underwood. Poggi’s role, however, may have been minimal.

Biff Poggi isn’t taking credit for Bryce Underwood’s big game.

“I have a Labrador retriever who could coach that guy,” Poggi said. “He’s unbelievable.” pic.twitter.com/xdTdwBTwQu

— Austin Meek (@byAustinMeek) September 13, 2025

Frankly, if Michigan doesn’t have Poggi’s Labrador coach the team against Nebraska next week, Moore should be suspended another three games.

Trending up: Renewing rivalries

Delaware and UConn renewed a rivalry Saturday that had been dormant since the last time people unironically listened to Limp Bizkit, and the Blue Hens made up for lost time, knocking off the Huskies 44-41 in overtime behind Nick Minicucci‘s 13-yard walk-off touchdown run. The game marked the first time Delaware, a first-year member of Conference USA, hosted an FBS team since 1989, and it was the first meeting between the two former Atlantic 10 members since 1998. The win will surely be remembered as one of the watershed sporting events in the state’s history right alongside the 2003 FCS national championship and the time Mike Brey won six straight games of beer pong in a random Dewey Beach backyard while on his way to The Starboard.

Trending up: Ball confusion

Of all the things that have been thrown around Lane Kiffin over the years — clipboards, golf balls, insults — Saturday’s game against Arkansas offered a new one.

pic.twitter.com/Xj9ds8fCAy

— Mr. Salmons (@MrSalmons) September 14, 2025

We assume this was John Calipari’s fault, but it had little impact on the outcome, as Ole Miss survived a tight game (41-35) without starting QB Austin Simmons. Afterward, Kiffin also used the basketball to beat Bobby Petrino in a rousing game of S-A-B-A-N.

Trending up: A Beamer in Blacksburg

Virginia Tech was demolished at home by Old Dominion 45-26 on Saturday in what feels like the last straw for Brent Pry as coach with the Hokies falling to 0-3.

Meanwhile, with LaNorris Sellers injured midway through Saturday’s game, South Carolina was beat by Vanderbilt at home 31-7.

Could that combo be the first steps to Virginia Tech bringing Shane Beamer home?

Beamer was interested in the job when his father, Frank, retired after the 2015 season, but the Hokies never seriously considered him. Then Virginia Tech tried to lure him before hiring Pry in 2022, but he wasn’t interested. Now, perhaps the timing is right if Beamer sees an easier path to the playoff in the ACC and the Hokies are willing to shell out any amount of cash for a little goodwill from a frustrated fan base.

On the other hand, Beamer is in a good place at South Carolina for the near term, and Virginia Tech may actually be converting Lane Stadium into a Spirit Halloween Store by the end of the week, too.

Under-the-radar game of the week

Two FCS powers collided Saturday, with Montana erasing a nine-point deficit in the final five minutes to beat North Dakota 24-23.

Montana QB Keali’i’ Ah Yat delivered a 28-yard touchdown pass with 1:35 to play that proved the difference in the game.

play

Keali’i Ah Yat airs it out for a 28-yard touchdown pass

Keali’i Ah Yat airs it out for 28-yard touchdown pass

The win establishes the Grizzlies as an FCS championship contender, and it also settles a longtime debate between Montana and North Dakota about who has to house-sit for Canada during hockey season.

Under-the-radar play of the week

Samford knew it faced an uphill battle in a game against Baylor, so the Bulldogs emptied the vault and went to the one play no one could stop late in the first quarter Saturday.

“LOLLIPOP BALL! That ball was in the air forever.”

Breaking out the trick plays 👏 pic.twitter.com/8vKFYfwSA2

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 13, 2025

The touchdown — um, pass? — from C.J. Evans to Torrey Ward pulled Samford to within seven at the time, and earned plaudits from Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who called it “the finest bit of passing offense I’ve seen in all my years.”

Sadly, the throw didn’t inspire Samford to more offensive fireworks, as Baylor rolled to a 42-7 lead.

Heisman five

play

John Mateer takes it 51 yards to the house for OU

John Mateer takes it 51-yards to the end zone for the Sooners vs. the Owls.

You have to hand it to Arch Manning. Even amid all the hype and publicity he has already gotten, he wants to ratchet things up even further by attempting to become the first Heisman winner who once completed 5-of-16 throws for 69 yards and a pick in the first half against UTEP. Don’t worry, those Texas fans weren’t saying “boo.” They were saying “Booooo-k your ticket to New York for the Heisman.”

1. Oklahoma QB John Mateer

Mateer had 325 total yards and a pair of touchdowns in Oklahoma’s 42-3 win over Temple, and afterward housed three Jim’s cheesesteaks, repaired the Liberty Bell and added the words “Texas sucks” to the Declaration of Independence before skipping town.

2. Utah QB Devon Dampier

Dampier racked up 316 total yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 31-6 win over Wyoming. The Utes were 9-of-15 on third down in the game and 1-of-1 on fourth. For the season now, Utah is 32-of-46 on third, 3-of-3 on fourth and has kicked two field goals. Add it all up, and with Dampier leading the offense so far, the Utes have gotten a first down or points on 80% on down sets that reach third down.

3. Miami QB Carson Beck

In two games vs. ranked opponents this year (Notre Dame, USF), Beck has racked up 545 passing yards and six total touchdowns, enough success that police say they’re going to finally follow up on some leads about his missing Lamborghini.

4. Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed

The Aggies are 3-0 thanks to Reed’s heroics against Notre Dame. Reed threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns — the latter coming on fourth-and-goal with 13 seconds to play — to beat the Irish. After the game, Jimbo Fisher noted that if he had a QB who could do that, he would be $75 million poorer right now.

5. Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy

Missouri is 3-0 after a dominant 52-10 win over Louisiana, and the Tigers probably deserve a good bit more hype as a potential playoff contender. But if Missouri is flying under the radar, its running back shouldn’t be. Hardy carried 22 times for 250 yards and three scores Saturday, his third straight game to start the season with over 100 yards on the ground. A year ago, while at Louisiana-Monroe, Hardy ran for 172 yards and a score against the Cajuns, bringing his career total vs. Louisiana to 422 yards rushing. Rarely is that much damage done to Louisiana by one person who isn’t on spring break.

Game-day notes

Sandwiched between scoring drives of 76 and 75 yards, Clemson’s offense totaled negative-7 yards on back-to-back three-and-outs after halftime Saturday. Those four series tell the story of the 12th-ranked Tigers’ stale, trick-or-treat offensive showing in a 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech, one that could tank Clemson’s College Football Playoff hopes. Concerns around the Cade Klubnik/Garrett Riley-led offense were already there headed into Week 3 with the Tigers entering Saturday ranked 120th in total offense and 129th in rushing yards nationally, while Klubnik sat 60th in yards per play among Power 4 quarterbacks through two games. Veteran running back Adam Randall (16 carries, 86 yards) injected some energy into the Tigers’ rushing attack, but Klubnik’s turnovers on Clemson’s opening series of each half — including a red zone interception after halftime — were costly, and Riley’s offense ultimately pieced together only three drives of five or more plays across nine total offensive series. The loss, which dropped the Tigers’ playoff odds to 5%, per ESPN Research, is a potential backbreaker for a once-promising season. Klubnik, Riley and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney will have questions to answer about the offense that has now scored the program’s fewest points through three games since 1999.

Georgia Tech, meanwhile, has announced itself as a legitimate playoff contender, helped in part by a favorable schedule the rest of the way. Haynes King‘s barreling, third-quarter touchdown run at the end of a 13-play, 90-yard scoring, followed by a bold “Philly Special” playcall on the subsequent 2-point conversion from offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, flashed the blend of toughness and creativity that can make the Yellow Jackets so dangerous (and so fun). Coach Brent Key is now 12-6 in one-score games at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets were far from perfect Saturday, but they project as favorites in the majority of their games before a Nov. 28 meeting with Georgia. The question has to be asked: Could King, Key and Georgia Tech make a run at a spot in the 12-team playoff field this fall? — Eli Lederman

For the past two weeks, Georgia’s defense heard about how well it was playing, especially after carrying the offense in last week’s closer-than-expected victory over FCS program Austin Peay.

But in Saturday’s 44-41 victory in overtime at No. 15 Tennessee, the No. 6 Bulldogs looked lost at times on defense.

The high-flying Volunteers scored touchdowns on their first three possessions. Quarterback Joey Aguilar connected on his first 14 pass attempts for 213 yards and two scores.

“They grew up,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “I mean, look, defense, for two weeks has heard about how good they are. They got punched in the face.”

On Aguilar’s 72-yard touchdown to Chris Brazzell II in the first quarter, cornerback Ellis Robinson IV was beaten on a 50-50 ball when he mistimed his jump. Brazzell was wide open on a 14-yard touchdown that gave the Volunteers a 21-7 lead.

Late in the third quarter, cornerback Daniel Harris was in position to make a play on a deep pass, but he was beaten on Brazzell’s 56-yard touchdown catch.

“In the past, we’ve played them well, we didn’t give up big plays,” Smart said. “Today, we didn’t do that, and it’s not all on the corners. We didn’t have a guy in the middle of the field. We misjudged the ball. I mean, they’re correctable things, which is a good thing, and we really weren’t beat. We just misplayed it.”

Georgia’s defense made some adjustments, and the Volunteers didn’t score on five straight possessions, which allowed the Bulldogs to erase the two-touchdown deficit and take the lead.

Georgia will get a week off to make corrections before hosting No. 19 Alabama on Sept. 27. The Bulldogs have to generate more pressure on the quarterback, and inexperienced defensive backs like Robinson and Kyron Jones are going to have to continue to grow.

“We have to improve, and that’s the goal,” Smart said. “We want to be on an elevating trajectory, not flat.” — Mark Schlabach

While other high-profile action played out elsewhere, Ole Miss and Arkansas treated the country to eight combined first-half touchdowns in the Rebels’ 41-35 win Saturday night. Per ESPN Research, the game marked only the fourth SEC contest in the past 20 years in which both teams scored at least four touchdowns before halftime.

Ferris State transfer quarterback Trinidad Chambliss powered Ole Miss’ offensive outpouring. Starting in place of the injured Austin Simmons, Chambliss went 21-for-29 with 353 passing yards and joined Archie Manning, Chad Kelly and Jordan Ta’amu as the fourth passer in program history to record 350 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a game. Simmons doesn’t look like he’ll be out much longer, and even entered to throw a touchdown before halftime. But Chambliss’ dominant debut is evidence that the Rebels have a genuine insurance policy behind Simmons in the near and/or long term in 2025.

The good news for Arkansas: The Razorbacks have eclipsed 500 yards of offense in each of their three games and will have a chance to impact the 12-team playoff field this fall. The bad news: That’s primarily because seven of their final nine games are against teams currently ranked inside the AP Top 25, starting with Notre Dame on Sept. 27. That slate might not bode especially well for the Hogs’ own postseason aspirations, but Arkansas has a playmaking quarterback in Taylen Green and an offense capable of putting a dent in the hopes of a playoff contender sometime between now and late November, just as the team showed in an impressive performance on the road at Ole Miss in Week 3. — Lederman

It’s three weeks into the season and Notre Dame has dropped out of the playoff conversation with an 0-2 start following its home loss to Texas A&M on Saturday.

In what was a wild, entertaining evening of college football, Georgia’s overtime win at Tennessee was overshadowed by what unfolded later in South Bend because the Aggies’ win had the bigger, more immediate impact on the playoff race.

And it’s going to last all season for the Irish, who no longer have any margin for error and have lost all control of their path to the playoff.

“The future’s uncertain,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “I don’t know what’s the playoff number, and it doesn’t matter. We need to focus on getting better.”

So what does it mean for Texas A&M?

This list is fluid — and will continue to be early in the season. It is a ranking based on what each team has done to date — not last year or what it might do in the coming weeks. Here’s the latest prediction of what the selection committee’s top 12 would look like if it were released today.

Jump to:
Ranking | Bracket

Projecting the top 12

Why they could be here: The season-opening win against Texas remains one of the best nonconference wins in the country, but the Longhorns continue to have questions on offense against far less elite defenses. The Buckeyes entered this week No. 1 in ESPN’s strength of record metric and are ranked in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency — traits of past top-four playoff teams.

Why they could be lower: The committee does track when teams play FCS teams, and the 70-0 drubbing of Grambling doesn’t help Ohio State’s résumé. Saturday’s win against Ohio also doesn’t do much for the Buckeyes during a week in which Miami, Georgia and LSU all played tougher teams.

Need to know: Even if Texas doesn’t live up to the preseason hype and ranking, the selection committee will continue to respect Ohio State’s win against the Longhorns all season — as long as Texas doesn’t come unraveled. It will be a moot point if Ohio State locks up a CFP spot by winning the Big Ten, but it would enter the conversation and help the Buckeyes when it comes to how high they can be seeded for an at-large bid. The top four teams now get the top four seeds — regardless of whether they are a conference champion.

Toughest remaining game: Nov. 1 vs. Penn State. ESPN’s FPI gives the Buckeyes a 64.8% chance to win.

Why they could be here: The Canes added to their résumé with a win against South Florida, which should still be the Group of 5’s top contender for a playoff spot. Coupled with the season-opening win against Notre Dame, Miami has one of the best combinations of eye test and résumé in the country.

Why they could be lower: The committee could be more impressed with the SEC wins, period. Georgia’s overtime road win against Tennessee could trump Miami’s home win against the Irish, and LSU’s two Power 4 wins against Clemson and now Florida could also usurp the Canes in a debate.

Need to know: Saturday’s win against the Bulls was a critical head-to-head tiebreaker that would be used in the committee meeting room if the teams finish with similar records. Even if they lock up spots as their respective conference champions, Miami would keep the edge — and the higher seed — on Selection Day, which could mean the difference in hosting a first-round home game.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 4 at Florida State. ESPN’s FPI gives the Canes a 54.3% chance to beat their rival.

Why they could be here: The win against Tennessee in the SEC opener was the Bulldogs’ first statement victory, and it now lifts them above other contenders that have played well but against weaker teams. Ohio State’s defense, though, continues to keep the Buckeyes at the top, and Miami’s two wins against ranked teams — Notre Dame and South Florida — give it an edge in ESPN’s strength of record metric, which is similar to what the committee uses.

Why they could be higher: The committee considers the difficulty of playing overtime games on the road, and the former coaches and players in the room would also recognize the growth of quarterback Gunner Stockton in that unforgiving environment. Stockton completed 23 of 31 attempts for 304 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for a score.

Need to know: It’s possible this instant classic could get a replay in either the SEC championship game or the playoff — or both. The selection committee doesn’t try to avoid rematches when it’s ranking the teams, so it’s possible for Georgia and Tennessee to play as many as three times.

Toughest remaining game: Sept. 27 vs. Alabama. This game is at home, and the Bulldogs have an off week to prepare for it, but the Tide have shown continuous improvement since their season-opening loss to Florida State.

Why they could be here: The Tigers’ season-opening win at Clemson took another hit after the Tigers lost to Georgia Tech on Saturday, and the true value of beating a beleaguered Florida team at home is yet to be determined. Still, those combined wins outweigh what most of the contenders below them have accomplished. LSU’s defense has been a highlight, as the Tigers were No. 11 in the country in defensive efficiency heading into Week 3. They shut out the Gators in the second half, and quarterback DJ Lagway threw five interceptions.

Why they could be lower: The Tigers still haven’t flashed that wow factor, continuing to do just enough to win while overcoming mistakes. LSU had only 10 first downs (compared with 22 by Florida), was held under 100 yards rushing, and was 4-of-14 on third downs. LSU ranks behind several other contenders listed below in ESPN’s game control metric.

Need to know: LSU should be undefeated heading into its Sept. 27 game at Ole Miss, which will be one of three critical road trips that will define the Tigers’ season. LSU also travels to Alabama and Oklahoma. The win against the Gators gives them a much-needed cushion, but they can’t go 0-3 on the road against those teams — and that doesn’t count the Oct. 18 trip to Vandy, which just beat South Carolina.

Toughest remaining game: Nov. 8 at Alabama. ESPN’s FPI gives the Tide a 77.6% chance to win.

Why they could be here: The road win at Notre Dame was the first statement playoff victory under coach Mike Elko, and it gives the Aggies one of the best nonconference wins of the season. It’s arguably better than the Canes’ victory against the Irish because Texas A&M did it on the road. It wasn’t a flawless performance, but it was enough to boost the Aggies into the conversation.

Why they could be lower: It’s hard to tell how good a win is against Notre Dame this year, considering they’re 0-2. Texas A&M’s other two wins were against UTSA and Utah State, which won’t help their résumé.

Need to know: The selection committee compares results against common opponents. Though it’s not an overriding factor, the group would at least consider how Miami and Texas A&M looked in their wins against the Irish if the members were comparing the Aggies and Canes side-by-side during the ranking process.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 25 at LSU. The Aggies also have a very difficult trip to rival Texas in the regular-season finale, but right now, the Tigers look like a tougher matchup on the road.

Why they could be here: With wins against Montana State, Oklahoma State and Northwestern, the Ducks have yet to be tested against ranked competition, but they haven’t had any scares. They shut out Northwestern for the first three quarters of their Big Ten opener and continued to look dominant even when scoring fewer than 60 points. Most of the teams ranked above them, though, have a more impressive win.

Why they could be higher: The Ducks are passing the eye test, albeit against weaker competition. They didn’t have any penalties in the win against Northwestern, and quarterback Dante Moore has thrown only one interception this season.

Need to know: Oregon doesn’t play Ohio State or Michigan during the regular season, so Penn State and Indiana (maybe USC?) will be the Ducks’ biggest obstacles to returning to the Big Ten title game. Even if the Ducks lose at Penn State, though, they could face the Nittany Lions again in the Big Ten championship (if Penn State can knock Ohio State out of it).

Toughest remaining game: Sept. 27 at Penn State. ESPN’s FPI gives the Nittany Lions a 50.8% chance to win — and it’s the only game on the Ducks’ schedule they’re not favored to win.

Why they could be here: The Noles had a bye, and the committee typically doesn’t shift teams that don’t play — unless it results from movement around them. The season-opening win against Alabama continues to shine, as the Tide has rebounded with back-to-back convincing wins. It also helps separate FSU from other contenders who didn’t earn a nonconference win against a top-25 opponent.

Why they could be lower: The win against Bama is all they’ve got now. The 77-3 blowout of FCS East Texas A&M won’t help them, and while the bye week isn’t a penalty, other teams had an opportunity to enhance their strength of record.

Need to know: Florida State doesn’t play Georgia Tech during the regular season, but it has a tricky trio against Miami, Clemson and at rival Florida. If the Noles can go 2-0 against the SEC, it would be a significant boost to their at-large hopes if they don’t win the ACC — assuming the Gators and Tide finish above .500 and have respectable seasons.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 4 vs. Miami. The Nov. 8 trip to Clemson looks less daunting after the Tigers lost a second game.

Why they could be here: The preseason rankings and hype are irrelevant in the committee meeting room but the weak nonconference schedule is not. Wins against Nevada, Florida International and Villanova are keeping the Nittany Lions behind teams that have played against better opponents. The offense found a groove during a dominant second half against the Wildcats, and the defense did not allow a touchdown until the final play of the game.

Why they could be lower: Penn State’s nonconference win doesn’t include a Power 4 opponent, and questions linger about whether the offense is productive enough to beat Oregon. Expectations for quarterback Drew Allar were high entering this season, but he has only four passing touchdowns in three games against weaker opponents. He has completed less than 60% of his passes in each of the past two games. The Nittany Lions rank No. 65 in offensive efficiency — and the selection committee will expect more.

Need to know: The Nittany Lions have a bye week before hosting Oregon on Sept. 27.

Toughest remaining game: Nov. 1 at Ohio State. It’s the only game on the schedule that ESPN’s FPI doesn’t favor the Nittany Lions, as Ohio State has a 64.8% chance to win.

Why they could be here: There was no hint of a letdown at Temple a week after beating Michigan. The committee has always shown an appreciation for star power, and OU has it in quarterback John Mateer, who has resurrected the Sooners’ offense. Oklahoma’s lopsided win against an overmatched Temple team won’t do anything to boost the Sooners’ résumé, but it assured Oklahoma of a 3-0 start heading into Saturday’s SEC opener against Auburn.

Why they could be higher: Mateer has changed the outlook of this team, and the win against Michigan is one of the better nonconference victories in the country. The Wolverines rebounded and whalloped Central Michigan 63-3, reiterating the potential of freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who was smothered by OU’s defense.

Need to know: Oklahoma started 3-0 last year with a win against Temple, too, but then lost four of its next five games. The win against Michigan and play of Mateer indicate this season could be different, but the season-defining stretch begins against rival Texas on Oct. 11. The back half of the Sooners’ schedule is loaded with seven straight games against opponents that entered Week 3 ranked.

Toughest remaining game: Nov. 1 at Tennessee. Given how tough the Vols played in their overtime loss to Georgia, this should be another slugfest between two talented teams. ESPN’s FPI gives the Vols a 74.6% chance to win.

Why they could be here: The Vols’ game was so close that Georgia coach Kirby Smart said afterward he almost felt like he should apologize: “I don’t think we should have won that game. I thought they outplayed us in a lot of ways.” The committee will not penalize the Vols for losing an overtime game at home to one of the SEC’s best teams, but it will wonder about allowing 44 points, 502 yards, and having 10 penalties and two turnovers. The committee will still respect the season-opening win against Syracuse, which has won each of its past two games against weaker opponents.

Why they could be lower: The lack of a true statement win, plus the loss, could drop them behind the Illini. Considering the offensive showing, though, it’s hard to make a case for Texas ahead of Tennessee. The committee would consider that the Vols lost at home, while Texas lost at Ohio State. Tennessee’s win against Syracuse, though, is better than anything on the Longhorns’ résumé so far.

Need to know: The Vols have a realistic path to the SEC championship, where they could meet Georgia again. Tennessee doesn’t play LSU or Texas. It can’t go 0-2 against Alabama and Oklahoma, but the Vols get the Sooners at home.

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 18 at Alabama. ESPN’s FPI gives the Tide a 63.6% chance to win, but it’s the only other game on the schedule that the Vols aren’t projected to win.

Why they could be here: The Illini are 3-0 heading into their Big Ten opener at Indiana, including a road win at Duke. Illinois had no trouble against winless Western Michigan, but that won’t change its status in the committee meeting room this week. It didn’t help Illinois that Duke lost to Tulane, an outcome that somewhat devalues that win — at least for now.

Why they could be higher: Illinois is a legitimately talented, veteran team that continues to take care of business with veteran quarterback Luke Altmyer. The Illini entered the week ranked No. 12 in offensive efficiency, another stat that would jump out at the committee.

Need to know: Saturday’s game at Indiana will be an under-the-radar matchup that might impact the CFP because both teams could be competing with each other for an at-large bid. The winner could knock out the loser with the head-to-head tiebreaker. It’s possible for both to get in, but it’s hard to imagine the Big Ten getting five teams in the 12-team field (Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, Indiana and Illinois).

Toughest remaining game: Oct. 11 vs. Ohio State. Illinois gets the Buckeyes at home, but ESPN’s FPI gives Ohio State a 74.5% chance to win.

Why they could be here: The Longhorns have won back-to-back games since their season-opening loss at Ohio State, but questions about the offense remain. Running backs CJ Baxter and Quintrevion Wisner missed all or parts of the game because of injuries, and quarterback Arch Manning had another underwhelming passing performance with one touchdown and an interception. He accounted for two rushing touchdowns, but this was hardly a smooth performance. Texas was just 5-of-16 on third downs and 2-of-5 on fourth downs. Meanwhile, rival Oklahoma is soaring offensively with quarterback John Mateer, and the Sooners’ win against Michigan is better than anything Texas has earned.

Why they could be lower: It has been Arch Maddening for Texas fans, who booed their quarterback after an interception in the red zone. That throw was part of 10 straight incompletions at one point. Manning completed just 5 of 16 passes (31%) in the first half for 69 yards.

Need to know: The Longhorns have one more tuneup game, on Saturday against Sam Houston, before opening SEC play on Oct. 4 at Florida.

Toughest remaining game: Nov. 15 at Georgia.

Bracket

Based on the rankings above, the seeding would be:

First-round byes

No. 1 Ohio State (Big Ten champ)
No. 2 Miami (ACC champ)
No. 3 Georgia (SEC champ)
No. 4 LSU

First-round games

On campus, Dec. 19 and 20

No. 12 South Florida (American champ) at No. 5 Texas A&M
No. 11 Iowa State (Big 12 champ) at No. 6 Oregon
No. 10 Tennessee at No. 7 Florida State
No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 8 Penn State

Quarterfinal games

At the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential and Allstate Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

No. 12 South Florida/No. 5 Texas A&M winner vs. No. 4 LSU
No. 11 Iowa State/No. 6 Oregon winner vs. No. 3 Georgia
No. 10 Tennessee/No. 7 Florida State winner vs. No. 2 Miami
No. 9 Oklahoma/No. 8 Penn State winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Joe Gibbs Racing completed a clean sweep of the first round in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs as Christopher Bell charged to a victory Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Bell went from fourth to first on the final restart and led the last four laps at the 0.533-mile oval, ending a 24-race winless streak with his fourth victory of the season.

“It wasn’t pretty there at the end, but we got her done,” said Bell, who led only 12 laps in his 13th career victory. “We just know that any given week, it could be us, and it hasn’t been for a long time. But Bristol, baby, tonight it’s us.”

He joined JGR teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe as playoff winners with the first round concluding at Bristol. Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Berry were eliminated from the 10-race championship run.

“Just so excited about the start to the playoffs,” team owner Joe Gibbs said.

Bell finished 0.343 seconds ahead of Brad Keselowski, who was trying to end a 51-race winless streak.

“Just the story of our season,” Keselowski said. “Just a 50-50 shot on the restart, and I got the lane that couldn’t launch. Just frustrating. We had a great car, great strategy and on the last restart, we just rolled the dice and didn’t get anything good.”

Zane Smith finished third, followed by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano.

There were a season-high 14 caution flags for 137 laps as drivers and teams struggled to get a handle on a new right-side tire with excessive wear that required more pit stops.

The playoff drama spiked with 40 laps remaining when a fire erupted under Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Ford. His team was able to extinguish the flames, but Cindric lost several laps in the pits and re-emerged outside the top 30.

His 30th-place finish still was good enough for the 12th and final transfer spot into the second round.

“Moving on,” Cindric said after finishing 30th. “I believe in this team. I believe in myself. I have not been driving as well as I am now in the Cup Series.”

Bowman ran as high as second after rebounding from a spin on the 100th lap. He would have bumped Cindric with a victory but finished eighth and came up 10 points short of advancing.

“I don’t think you can really point at something that cost us,” said Bowman, who benefited from a pit crew overhaul after sufferin through some disastrous stops in the past two races. “Our back was against the wall coming in here. We knew it was going to be a tough thing to do.”

Seeking his first Cup victory, Ty Gibbs led a race-high 201 of 500 laps but bungled while trying to reach the pits for his final green-flag stop, losing major time in his No. 54 Toyota.

First out

With smoke billowing from the cockpit and flames shooting out from his right-front tire, Berry made an eye-catching exit as the first driver eliminated. The Wood Brothers Racing driver qualified 10th and ran as high as third before a fire erupted on his No. 21 Ford.

“Man, just so disappointing,” Berry said. “That was going to be a lot of fun. We were moving forward. It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but it hasn’t been because of performance. We executed well and ran well, just haven’t had the finishes.”

Berry, whose playoff debut began with a crash on the first lap of the Southern 500, finished last in all three races of the first round. “I don’t think you could ever script three last-place finishes in the ways that we’ve gotten them,” he said.

Uncharacteristic outburst

Bell is typically low-key, but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver blasted his team and its strategy with a vulgarity-laced tirade after finishing seventh in the prior race at Gateway. Bell, who is winless in 24 races and without a top five since July, said he was frustrated after watching teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe win the first two races of the playoffs.

“If I was consistently leading laps and in position to win, then I would never have been frustrated,” Bell said. “But the fact of the matter is I haven’t been in position to win races, I haven’t led laps. My teammates are leading it seems like almost every lap, and they’re getting the results. It’s less about winning races and more about being in position to do well, and we haven’t had that.”

Up next

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will open the second round Sunday, Sept. 21 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It’s the first Cup race at the 1.058-mile oval since June 2024 and the first playoff race in Loudon, New Hampshire, since September 2017.