AL.com Top 25: Alabama football and others have therapeutic Week 3

Anybody who consumes a quarter of the sport we call college football will tell you that the season is long.

Not every week is going to give you Valhalla-like elation, and not every week is going to involve character-building suffering.

Take the journey from Week 2 to Week 3 for some schools.

Notre Dame, who had the upset of the season so far last week vs. Northern Illinois bounced back to put up 66 points on in-state rival Purdue.

Alabama took out some early season frustrations and silenced a few doubters with a resounding 42-10 victory over Wisconsin. SEC rival Tennesse took a more…’aggressive’ method for the third-straight week as they beat up on Kent State, winning 71-0.

I don’t know what Tennesse’s opponents this season have done so far to deserve this, but it’s clear Tennessee is working some aggression out. We just need to pray for whoever they play next.

Oh, it’s Oklahoma.

Then, you’ve got Florida and Florida State.

At this point in the season, I think fans of both fanbases don’t need therapy or prayer, they just need more money for the potential buyouts of both head coaches.

With that, let’s rank some teams.

1. Georgia: So, that Kentucky game was weird, and in no way a sign of vulnerability, right?
2. Ohio State: Marshall, I know you’ve pulled off a historic upset recently, but next week probably won’t see a repeat.
3. Texas: *tries to tamp down excitement about Arch Manning*…*fails*
4. Oregon: It’s about time the real Oregon Ducks showed up!
5. Alabama: No, it’s not vintage Wisconsin, but it’s still a great signature win for the Kalen DeBoer era.
6. Penn State: Speaking of signature wins, it’s been a while since James Franklin had one.
7. Ole Miss: It may be another week or two before we see the Rebels play someone with a pulse.
8. Utah: Personally, I think College Gameday should’ve gone to Utah-Oklahoma State this coming week.
9. Miami: This is the most normal team in the ACC, I guess that goes to show how normal the ACC currently is.
10. Missouri: The Tigers hurdled a potential trap game vs. Boston College, still in good playoff position.
11. Oklahoma State: We may be in for a ‘weird Oklahoma State’ year this time next week with a win over Utah.
12. Tennessee: If you’re reading this, Tennessee just scored again.
13. Kansas State: Any hopes Arizona had of making a Big 12 run may have been ended by the Wildcats that wear purple and white.
14. Michigan: Only in college football do you get a week off after losing to Texas, and next week you face USC. What a sport.
15. USC: Oh hey, this is a convenient ranking!
16. Nebraska: *Looks at Dylan Raiola Heisman odds*…I’m just looking!
17. Boise State: The current G5 clubhouse leader, with a lot of company sitting there.
18. Notre Dame: If you’re reading this, Notre Dame just scored again.
19. Louisville: Georgia Tech and Notre Dame in back-to-back weeks will tell us a lot about Louisville as a playoff contender.
20. Clemson: Next Saturday’s showdown with NC State should be filled with fireworks.
21. LSU: LSU games just can’t ever not be normal, huh.
22. Northern Illinois: They still have the best win for a G5 team this season….for now.
23. Memphis: Yes, Florida State is bad. But that was an impressive win by the Tigers.
24. Arizona State: We’ve reached the quarter-pole of the season and Arizona State is one of my favorite stories of the season so far.
25. Iowa State: Look, Iowa State might not make the Big 12 title game, but they will surely stop a few others from making it along the way.