AP Top 25 ballots became even tougher to perfect as the dust settled on Week 3 of college football

Georgia Tech offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge (77) throws his hands up in celebration after a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Clemson, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

Stakes heightened, playoff paths sharpened and AP Top 25 ballots became even tougher to perfect as the dust settled on Week 3 of college football.

No. 6 Georgia outlasted No. 15 Tennessee in a 44-41 overtime thriller on Saturday. The Volunteers controlled long stretches of the game before Georgia rallied late, dodged a missed field goal by Tennessee as time expired in regulation and sealed the deal on a 1-yard TD run in OT by Josh McCray, handing a talented Tennessee team its first loss of the season.

Unranked Georgia Tech outplayed No. 12 Clemson for the bulk of the game and won 24-21 on a buzzer-beating 55-yard field goal. Clemson (1-2) is is at risk of suffering a fate similar to Florida, which fell out of the Top 25 last week after losing to South Florida.

It was all downhill for No. 11 South Carolina after it lost quarterback LaNorris Sellers to a concussion right before halftime against Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks failed to find the end zone behind backup Luke Doty and lost 31-7.

No. 2 Penn State, No. 5 Miami, No. 13 Oklahoma, No. 21 Texas Tech, No. 22 Indiana, No. 23 Michigan and No. 25 Missouri moved past opponents with ease and will be safe in this week's poll.

Look for them to move up

After falling just short of the Top 25 last week, Georgia Tech should enter the rankings after beating Clemson. Crimson Tide fans can begin to forget about a nightmarish Week 1 loss to Florida State after Alabama's second straight convincing win. The 19th-ranked Crimson Tide beat Wisconsin 38-14, making a strong case for a higher ranking. No. 16 Texas A&M is on the way up after stunning No. 8 Notre Dame 41-40 in South Bend on Saturday night. Marcel Reed led the game-winning drive, hitting Nate Boerkircher for an 11-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal with 13 seconds remaining. Look for them to drop While Georgia Tech is poised to move up, Clemson’s future isn’t as bright. The Tigers are at risk of falling out of the poll. Expect South Carolina to drop significantly after losing to unranked Vanderbilt. Arch Manning and No. 7 Texas could drop out of the top 10 after a far-from-glamorous 27-10 win over UTEP. No. 18 South Florida is sure to fall after getting blown out by Miami, 49-12. Notre Dame is all but certain to tumble out of the top 10 after falling to 0-2 with the loss to the Aggies. Wild card Tennessee could go either way after its hard-fought loss to Georgia. The Volunteers may have proven to voters they have what it takes to hang with a top Southeastern Conference opponent, but Top 25 teams are rarely rewarded for losses. Knocking on the door Mississippi State earned 52 votes last week after beating Arizona State 24-20. The Bulldogs bolstered their campaign for a Top 25 ranking this week with a 63-0 blowout of Alcorn State that moved them to 3-0. Vanderbilt (3-0), which got one vote after beating Virginia Tech in Week 2, is knocking on the door after blowing out SEC rival South Carolina. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) runs up the field after a catch to score a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) is pressured by UTEP defensive lineman Ashaad Hall (19) as he looks to pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)