3 teams destined to fall out of the AP Top 25 in Week 3 and who’ll replace them

Another wild weekend of college football is in the books, and in its wake we have another batch of rankings to pore over. The AP Top 25 ahead of Week 3 featured some major risers (hello, USF!) and fallers (fare thee well, Florida) as teams look to establish themselves as conference contenders in the early stages of the 2025 season.

But if we know anything about the AP poll, it's that it is extremely subject to change. Chaos is the natural state of this sport, and every week there are bound to be teams that rise and fall that we didn't see coming — especially with such an intriguing weekend on tap, featuring South Florida traveling to Miami, Texas A&M at Notre Dame and more. So let's try and see it coming right now: Here are three teams we predict won't be ranked come Sunday afternoon, as well as who will replace them.

3. Michigan

Replacement: USC

No, I'm not predicting Michigan to drop a second straight game at home to Central Michigan this weekend. Getting that disclaimer out of the way now to avoid any chance of being Cold Takes Exposed come Sunday morning.

But the Wolverines dropped all the way to No. 23 in this week's AP poll after a 24-13 loss at Oklahoma that wasn't really as competitive as the final score makes it seem, so they don't necessarily need to lose to fall out of the rankings entirely. They just need to be leapfrogged by a couple of other teams who make loud statements on Saturday, which doesn't seem like too much to ask.

Especially considering that this Michigan team once again seems to be lacking in the way of offensive firepower, even with Bryce Underwood flashing his considerable talent under center. The skill talent around him, however leaves a lot to be desired, and the most likely outcome in the Big House this weekend is a ho-hum win that won't grab too much attention — and which could open the door to a team like USC, which has rampaged through a tissue-soft start to its non-conference schedule.

Sure, the Trojans' trip to Purdue on Saturday won't be anywhere near the test that Michigan just faced in Norman. But if Jayden Maiava keeps slinging it like this, the style points might speak more loudly than the strength of schedule. Plus, you know the voters would love nothing more than proclaiming USC back, particularly given the Wolverines' limited ceiling right now.

2. Indiana

Replacement: Georgia Tech

Speaking of tissue-soft starts to non-conference: All due respect to Curt Cignetti and the job he's done so far at Indiana, but what exactly have the Hoosiers done this season to warrant a spot in the top 25? Fernando Mendoza and Co. sleepwalked through Old Dominion to open the year and only led Kennesaw State 21-6 at halftime before turning on the afterburners.

All of which should leave Indiana, at No. 22 in the country, vulnerable to being jumped by a team that can claim a marquee win. And why can't that team be the Yellow Jackets, who have the opportunity to hand Clemson its second loss of the season on Saturday afternoon?

We know that Brent Key excels at getting his team ready to play in its biggest games, and star QB Haynes King should be ready to rock after missing this past weekend's tune-up against Gardner-Webb. Georgia Tech's running game is a bear to play against, and they're always tough to beat at home. Clemson, meanwhile, was down 16-0 at one point against Troy, hardly the response Dabo Swinney was looking for after that dispiriting loss to LSU in Week 1. If Cade Klubnik (and, really, OC Garrett Riley) can't get his act together in time, the Tigers might watch this season fully go off the rails before it even leaves the station.

1. Ole Miss

Replacement: Arkansas

Tired: It feels like every week, there's one upset that comes absolutely out of nowhere to shake up the college football world. Wired: It feels like every year, Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss finds a way to stub its toe in a spot that absolutely nobody predicted. Inspired: The Rebels, having just held off Kentucky this past Saturday, are about to turn around and lose at home to an Arkansas team that's more dangerous than you might realize.

Granted, this will be the Hogs' first real test of the season, having beaten up on Alabama A&M and Arkansas State to open their year. But Arkansas QB Taylen Green has been putting up downright goofy numbers so far (561 yards passing on nearly 10 yards per attempt, plus 192 yards and another score on the ground), finally unlocking every bit of his athleticism in year two under OC Bobby Petrino. Even hinting at this comparison is sacrilege, but there are times when the 6-foot-6, 230-pounder looks like Vince Young in the open field.

In other words, he's exactly the sort of player who can light you up if you don't take him seriously, and this is a funky spot for Ole Miss as they come back to Oxford before a marquee matchup with LSU in a couple of weeks. Maybe this Rebels team is different, but Austin Simmons has shown enough chinks in the armor that I think Arkansas could shock the world on Saturday.