Steppe’s Week 3 AP ballot: Texas moves up to No. 2, Tennessee enters Top 10

IOWA CITY — The most impressive win through two weeks of the 2024 college football season belongs to Texas, and it might not even be close.

The Longhorns went into the Big House and delivered a 31-12 win over reigning national champion (and 10th-ranked) Michigan. The game was not as close as the final score suggested, as Texas had a 24-3 lead at halftime and a 31-6 lead for most of the fourth quarter.

It’s clear this Michigan team is not at the same level as the 2023 national champion team and the 2021 and 2022 College Football Playoff teams. (I was less bullish on Michigan through the first two weeks than many of my fellow voters were for a reason.) Still, putting up 31 points without any turnovers is quite the feat against a Michigan defense that has defensive lineman Mason Graham, cornerback Will Johnson and other future NFL talent.

The only other 2024 win that might be close in impressiveness is No. 1 Georgia’s 34-3 win in Atlanta over then-No. 14 Clemson in Week 1. As a result, the Longhorns moved up from No. 3 to No. 2 on my ballot this week (behind only Georgia).

Elsewhere on my ballot, Tennessee looked like a top-10 team as Nico Iamaleava and Co. routed a ranked NC State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic — a neutral-site game in the state of North Carolina. The Volunteers are No. 10 this week on my ballot.

Oklahoma slid a couple spots after its unconvincing win against a Houston team that was coming off a 20-point loss to UNLV. The Sooners will soon face much stiffer competition in the SEC than the 0-2 Cougars presented on Saturday.

Notre Dame took the biggest tumble on my ballot (11 spots from No. 4 to No. 15) after the its 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois — a MAC team that has not defeated a ranked team since 2003 and has never defeated a top-10 team.

Saturday’s result in South Bend, Ind., also was why Texas A&M, despite winning this week, fell off my ballot. When the Aggies’ one loss was to a top-five Notre Dame team, that doesn’t look so bad. When the loss is to a team that proceeded to lose at home to a MAC team, the Aggies’ resume takes a hit, too.

As for other teams falling off my ballot, it is hard to justify ranking Iowa after its second-half collapse at home against Iowa State. The same goes for Kansas after its loss to Illinois, which has not won nine-plus games in a season since 2007. SMU also dropped off my ballot after its loss to BYU.

Here is my full Week 3 ballot. This week’s poll will be released at 1 p.m. Central time.

John Steppe’s Week 3 AP ballot

Others warranting consideration: Syracuse, Northern Illinois, South Carolina, Washington

Week 3 AP Poll

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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