College football rankings: Resilient Colorado moves up after miracle finish

Following Colorado’s 43-35 double overtime win against Colorado State, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, summed up his team’s performance in one word: Resilience.

They had to have it. After entering the game as a 22-point favorite, the Buffs were down 11 in the fourth quarter and without their best playmaker on either side other ball in Travis Hunter, who was forced to leave the game due to injury.

[Travis Hunter taken to hospital after roughness penalty knocks him out of the game]

With 2:06 to play, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders took the field with his team trailing by eight and started a drive from his own 2-yard line. And then Sanders did what winners do in winning time.

He drove the Buffs 98 yards in seven plays and stood up against immense pressure on a two-point conversion attempt to tie the game and force OT — where he did it again.

Sanders finished the day 38-for-47 passing for 348 yards with four TDs and an interception. He is the most important player at Colorado, and that can be said definitively now as he willed the Buffs back without Hunter.

The Buffaloes are 3-0 with everything in their season left to play for.

Here are my Top 25 rankings after Week 3.

1. Georgia (3-0)

Defeated South Carolina, 24-14

The Bulldogs looked vulnerable for the first time this season and needed to overcome a 14-3 deficit in the second half at home to knock off the Gamecocks.

Daijun Edwards rushed for 120 yards on 18 carries in his season debut.

2. Michigan (3-0)

Defeated Bowling Green, 31-6

Despite three interceptions thrown by Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, the Wolverines completed their nonconference slate 3-0 without head coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline. 

3. Ohio State (3-0)

Defeated Western Kentucky, 63-10

The Buckeye defense rock-bottomed the Hilltoppers with seven tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two INTs and two defensive TDs in the win.

4. USC (3-0) 

Idle. 

Caleb Williams and the Trojans play Arizona State on Sept. 23.

5. Texas (3-0)

Defeated Wyoming, 31-10

Texas RB Jonathon Brooks rushed for 164 yards in the win against the Cowboys.

6. Penn State (3-0)

Defeated Illinois, 30-13

The Nittany Lion defense forced five turnovers, including four INTs in their win in Champaign. 

7. Florida State (3-0) 

Defeated Boston College, 31-29

The Seminoles held a 31-10 lead until the fourth quarter, but barely escaped with the win despite BC committing a school–record 18 penalties for 131 yards.

8. Washington (3-0)

Defeated Michigan State, 41-7

Michael Penix Jr. threw for 473 yards with four TDs in the Huskies’ win against the Spartans.

9. Utah (3-0) 

Defeated Weber State, 31-7

The Utes rushed for 231 yards and moved to 3-0 despite playing without the services of QB Cam Rising for a third straight game.

10. Oregon (3-0) 

Defeated Hawaii, 55-10

The Ducks averaged 58 points in their first three games. Next up? Deion Sanders and Colorado come to Eugene. 

11. LSU (2-1)

Defeated Mississippi State, 41-14

Wideout Malik Nabers had 13 catches for 239 yards with two TDs.

12. Notre Dame (4-0)

Defeated Central Michigan, 41-17

ND QB Sam Hartman threw for 330 yards and RB Audric Estime rushed for 176 yards in the win.

13. Alabama (2-1)

Defeated South Florida, 17-3

Alabama quarterbacks Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson combined to complete 10 of 23 passes for 107 yards and were sacked five times in an ugly win in Tampa.

14. Colorado (3-0)

Defeated Colorado State, 43-35, 2OT

Playing without injured star Travis Hunter, the Buffs erase a 28-17 deficit in the fourth quarter, winning in overtime to remain unbeaten heading into next week’s matchup at Oregon.

15. UCLA (3-0)

Defeated North Carolina Central, 59-7

The Bruins led the Eagles 35-0 at the end of the first half.

16. Oklahoma (3-0)

Defeated Tulsa, 66-17

Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel passed for 421 yards and five TDs with an INT in the win.

17. Ole Miss (3-0) 

Defeated Georgia Tech, 48-23

Rebels QB Jaxson Dart accounts for 387 total yards and three TDs in the win.

18. Oregon State (3-0) 

Defeated San Diego State, 26-9

The Beavers have allowed an average of 11 points a game with a matchup with undefeated No. 23 Wazzu on tap next Saturday.

19. Duke (3-0)

Defeated Northwestern, 38-14

Duke QB Riley Leonard completed 15 of 20 passes and accounted for 316 total yards with two rushing TDs.

20. Iowa (3-0)

Defeated Western Michigan, 41-10

The Hawkeyes scored the most points in a game since defeating Maryland 55-14 in 2021.

21. North Carolina (3-0)

Defeated Minnesota, 31-13

UNC QB Drake Maye completed 29 of 40 passes for 414 yards with two TDs and two INTs in the win.

22. Miami (3-0)

Defeated Bethune-Cookman, 48-7

The Hurricanes put up 569 yards of offense and held the Wildcats to just 165 on Thursday night.

23. Washington State (3-0)

Defeated Northern Colorado, 64-21

Wazzu QB Cam Ward completed 20 of 26 passes for 327 yards with four TDs in the win.

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24. Clemson (2-1)

Defeated Florida Atlantic, 48-14

The Tigers created four turnovers in the win and held a 34-0 lead at halftime.

25. Tennessee (2-1)

Lost to Florida, 29-16

The Vols haven’t won in Gainesville since 2003.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube.

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