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slntkilla Ballot for 2016 Week 3

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Sept. 12, 2016, 2:07 p.m.

Rank Team Reason
1 Alabama Crimson Tide Decisive victories over Southern California and Western Kentucky have the Crimson Tide looking like a juggernaut early on. A victory against Ole Miss would set Alabama up for back-to-back cupcake games against Kent State and Kentucky before entering the brutal stretch of their SEC schedule.
2 Houston Cougars A 42-0 drubbing of Lamar doesn't really tell us anything about Houston we didn't already know after the Cougars knocked off Oklahoma in week one. Houston is a legitimate team with a prolific offense and solid defense. However, with only one statement game remaining the rest of the season (Louisville on November 17), this is likely the ceiling for Houston barring some unforeseen circumstances.
3 Florida State Seminoles A week-one comeback against Ole Miss has Florida State looking very formidable early in the season. After beating up on a severely hampered Charleston Southern, FSU will play a monster road game against a surging Louisville team. This early-season matchup could shape the future of the ACC Atlantic race.
4 Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio State hasn't played a tough opponent over the first two weeks of the season, but the Buckeyes will now face a tough test on the road against Oklahoma. Having outscored their lackluster opponents 125-13 through the first two weeks of the season, it remains to be seen how good this year's Ohio State team actually is.
5 Michigan Wolverines Michigan finds itself in essentially the same spot as Ohio State for all the same reasons. The Wolverines haven't challenged themselves through the first two weeks, but a home game against 2-0 Colorado is a step in the right direction. If Michigan wants to hold their top-five rating, they will need to earn a comfortable win against an average Power Five opponent.
6 Louisville Cardinals Is Louisville really the second best team in the ACC? Probably not. However, the Cardinals have looked incredible through two weeks, albeit against week opponents Charlotte and Syracuse. How Louisville performs at home against Florida State will speak volumes about whether or not the Cardinals are for real.
7 Clemson Tigers On paper, Clemson should be among the top three teams in the country. However, the Tigers have put together lackluster performances against Auburn and Troy through the first two weeks. A blowout against South Carolina State is to be expected this week. 
8 Wisconsin Badgers Wisconsin followed up its week one win against LSU with a rout of Akron, which surprised nobody. The Badgers get an easy matchup this week against Georgia State before facing an absolutely brutal conference stretch that includes Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, and Iowa. 
9 Texas Longhorns Texas gave us arguably the game of the year in week one against Notre Dame. Following that thrilling win, the Longhorns cruised past UTEP 41-7 in fitting fashion. Now begins the meat of Texas' schedule, which includes back-to-back road games against California and Oklahoma State. 
10 Washington Huskies In previous iterations of my polls, I have always seemed to undervalue Pac 12 teams. I chalk that up to my East Coast viewing habits. That being said, Washington sneaks into the top 10 this week because they have won their first two games handily. With regards to Washington, I'm really looking forward to their Sept. 30 game against Stanford as a real indicator of how good the Huskies are.
11 Stanford Cardinal Stanford didn't really benefit from their early bye week in the polls. There were no major upsets toward the top of the rankings, so the Cardinal sits firmly at 11 behind their Pac 12 cohorts from Washington. Stanford had a nice win in week one against Kansas State, but could get a test against Southern Cal, UCLA and Washington in consecutive weeks.
12 Iowa Hawkeyes I don't like putting Iowa here because I'm still not exactly sure what the Hawkeyes are this season. Sure they beat Miami (OH) and Iowa State handily through the first two weeks, but their upcoming games against against North Dakota State, Rutgers, Northwestern, Minnesota, and Purdue. If Iowa loses any of those games, expect to see them plummet. 
13 Michigan State Spartans Similar to Iowa, Michigan State is still a team shrouded in question marks. A 28-13 win against Furman in week one doesn't really tell much. However, a strong showing against Notre Dame on the road this week will certainly be a fine litmus test for the Spartans. 
14 Texas A&M Aggies Texas A&M has looked very good through the first two weeks of the season. Wins against UCLA and Prairie View A&M have set the Aggies up nicely ahead of a road game against Auburn this week. A win against the Tigers sets up a major SEC game against Arkansas in week four. 
15 Oklahoma Sooners The first one-loss team to enter the poll this week is Oklahoma. The reason: Oklahoma has the best loss in the nation so far against Houston, a game they were relatively competitive in. The Sooners took out their frustrations on Louisiana-Monroe and now prepare for a monster showdown against Ohio State. A win against the Buckeyes gets the Sooners right back into the playoff picture.
16 Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee's victory against Virginia Tech in the Battle at Bristol was well deserved, but not necessarily for great reasons if you're a Vols fan. A 31-0 run in the middle of the game showed the Tennessee offense isn't as woeful as it appeared in week one against Appalachian State, but much of that was the result of Virginia Tech's fumbling problems. The jury is still out on Tennessee.
17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish I really can't knock Notre Dame too hard for losing an insane game against Texas in week one. Bouncing back with a 39-10 win over Nevada was a good look for the Irish, who host Michigan State this week. A win against the Spartans could potentially push the Irish back inside the top 10.
18 Georgia Bulldogs Georgia looked solid during a week-one win against North Carolina, but the Bulldogs nearly lost to Nichols State in week two. As a result, Georgia will have to claw its way back into the top 15 with wins against Missouri and Ole Miss.
19 Ole Miss Rebels Ole Miss rebounded from their week one collapse against Florida State with a comfortable 38-13 win against Wofford. However, a showdown with top-ranked Alabama looms, and it doesn't get easier from there. After the Crimson Tide is Georgia, Memphis, Arkansas, and LSU. 
20 Oregon Ducks A 44-26 win against one of the worst Power Five teams (Virginia) in the nation doesn't really do much for me as far as the polls go. A win against Nebraska this week, on the other hand, would be a nice statement win for the Ducks.
21 Arkansas Razorbacks After a narrow win against Louisiana Tech in week one, the Razorbacks eked out a 41-38 win against TCU in week two. The margins of victory have been close for the Razorbacks, but they will remain in the poll as long as they keep pulling off wins.
22 Colorado Buffaloes Colorado crushed Colorado State in their week-one rivalry showdown, and followed that win with another easy win over Idaho State. The real test comes this Saturday, as the Buffaloes travel to play Michigan in the Big House.
23 Baylor Bears Baylor has rolled through its firs two (easy) games of the season despite all the turmoil surrounding the program. The Bears still have the talent to be a competitive team, but can the players and coaches stay focused during the coming weeks that feature mediocre games against Rice, Iowa State, and Kansas. 
24 Florida Gators Wins against UMass and Kentucky aren't going to bump the Gators up the rankings any time soon. The first major test of the season comes in two weeks on the road against Tennessee.
25 Pittsburgh Panthers Pittsburgh rounds out my top 25, and not just because James Connor's story is inspiring. The Panthers earned a hard-fought win against Penn State in a heated rivalry game. Back-to-back road games against Oklahoma State and North Carolina will tell us a lot about the Panthers.

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