Did we all have the wrong SEC game circled?
The immediate focus for most college football fans was on September 28 and the matchup between Georgia and Alabama in a rematch of last year’s SEC championship. But October 19, when the Bulldogs travel to Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium to face Texas, might end up being the game that shapes the the College Football Playoff race.
Georgia is a clear No. 1 heading into Week 3 of the college football season. The Bulldogs built on a 34-3 blowout victory against Clemson with a 48-3 victory against Tennessee Tech in Week 2. Through two weeks, quarterback Carson Beck has looked like a top NFL draft prospect, completing over 70 percent of his passes for seven TDs and no interceptions.
Speaking of great QB play, Quinn Ewers and Texas impressed in a 31-12 victory at Michigan in Week 2. The Longhorns look the part of a team that could crash the SEC championship game one year after their first College Football Playoff appearance.
The Ewers vs Beck matchup in October will have massive Heisman Trophy implications.
No. 2 Ohio State shut out Western Michigan 56-0 in Week 2. The Buckeyes have a very easy schedule to start the season, with now-unranked Iowa being the first real challenge on the schedule in October.
Sporting News Top 25 for Week 3 features five SEC schools in the top 10. Alabama, Ole Miss and Tennessee are 2-0 through two weeks, with Tennessee being perhaps the most impressive team of that group.
Oregon, which survived in a 37-34 shootout against Boise State in Week 2, is ranked No. 5.
And then there is Notre Dame, which plummeted nearly out of the top 25 altogether following a devastating loss at home to Northern Illinois. The Irish sit at No. 23 and will likely be left out of the College Football Playoffs, even if they somehow manage to win out.
Here is a closer look at The Sporting News top 25 rankings:
Sporting News Top 25 rankings for Week 3
| RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD | PREVIOUS | WEEK 2 RESULT |
| 1 | Georgia | 2-0 | 1 | Beat Tennessee Tech 48-3 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 2-0 | 2 | Beat Western Michigan 56-0 |
| 3 | Texas | 2-0 | 3 | Beat Michigan 31-12 |
| 4 | Alabama | 2-0 | 4 | Beat South Florida 42-16 |
| 5 | Oregon | 2-0 | 6 | Beat Boise State 37-34 |
| 6 | Ole Miss | 2-0 | 7 | Beat Middle Tennessee 52-3 |
| 7 | USC | 2-0 | 10 | Beat Utah State 48-0 |
| 8 | Penn State | 2-0 | 9 | Beat Bowling Green 34-27 |
| 9 | Miami, Fla. | 2-0 | 13 | Beat Florida A&M 56-9 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 2-0 | 12 | Beat NC State 51-10 |
| 11 | Missouri | 2-0 | 14 | Beat Buffalo 38-0 |
| 12 | Utah | 2-0 | 9 | Beat Baylor 23-12 |
| 13 | Kansas State | 2-0 | 15 | Beat Tulane 34-27 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 2-0 | 16 | Beat Houston 16-12 |
| 15 | Oklahoma State | 2-0 | 17 | Beat Arkansas 39-31, 2 OT |
| 16 | Arizona | 2-0 | 18 | Beat Northern Arizona 22-10 |
| 17 | LSU | 1-1 | 21 | Beat Nicholls 44-21 |
| 18 | Clemson | 1-1 | 23 | Beat Appalachian State 66-20 |
| 19 | Michigan | 1-1 | 8 | Lost to Texas 31-12 |
| 20 | Louisville | 2-0 | 26 | Beat Jacksonville State 49-14 |
| 21 | Nebraska | 2-0 | 25 | Beat Colorado 28-10 |
| 22 | Memphis | 2-0 | 27 | Beat Troy 38-17 |
| 23 | Notre Dame | 1-1 | 5 | Lost to Northern Illinois 16-14 |
| 24 | Washington | 2-0 | 28 | Beat Eastern Michigan 30-9 |
| 25 | Iowa State | 2-0 | 35 | Beat Iowa 20-19 |
READ MORE: College Football Week 3 Bracketology
READ MORE: Oregon survives wild upset bid from Boise State
READ MORE: Michigan has an offensive problem
