AP Top 25: 3 teams ranked way too high, 3 teams ranked way too low

We're getting into the good stuff! That's right, the Associated Press has spoken, and there is a new No. 1 team in the country. That would be the Texas Longhorns, whose 1,540 points narrowly edged out previous No. 1 Georgia by 22 points. It helped that Texas got 35 first-place votes, whereas Georgia only got 23. Clearly, the AP Top 25 Poll is a "what have you done for me lately" poll?

Personal biases aside, I have no problem with the Associated Press voting Texas No. 1 over Georgia. The Longhorns dismantled UTSA, while Georgia needed a full four quarters to beat a one-win Kentucky team. These things happen, but a win is a win is a win, after all. However, there are teams in this latest poll who either got too much love, or not enough. Georgia and Texas feel properly ranked.

Here is what the latest AP Top 25 Poll looks like. There were some major changes across the board.

1. Texas Longhorns (3-0) (1,540 points, 35 first-place votes)
2. Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) (1,518 points, 23 first-place votes)
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) (1,461 points, 5 first-place votes)
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) (1,358 points)
5. Ole Miss Rebels (3-0) (1,316 points)
6. Tennessee Volunteers (3-0) (1,188 points)
7. Missouri Tigers (3-0) (1,127 points)
8. Miami Hurricanes (2-0) (1,094 points)
9. Oregon Ducks (3-0) (1,093 points)
10. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0) (1,050 points)
11. USC Trojans (2-0) (1,008 points)
12. Utah Utes (3-0) (912 points)
13. Kansas State Wildcats (3-0) (836 points)
14. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-0) (742 points)
15. Oklahoma Sooners (3-0) (649 points)
16. LSU Tigers (2-1) (537 points)
17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-1) (477 points)
18. Michigan Wolverines (2-1) (447 points)
19. Louisville Cardinals (2-0) (418 points)
20. Iowa State Cyclones (2-0) (354 points)
21. Clemson Tigers (1-1) (291 points)
22. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0) (266 points)
23. Northern Illinois Huskies (3-0) (151 points)
24. Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0) (137 points)
25. Texas A&M Aggies (2-1) (82 points)

And here is every unranked team that received at least one vote from the Associate Press this week.

• Memphis Tigers (77 points)
• Boise State Broncos (62 points)
• Syracuse Orange (62 points)
• UNLV Rebels (54 points)
• Boston College Eagles (47 points)
• Washington State Cougars (30 points)
• Arizona Wildcats (15 points)
• Iowa Hawkeyes (15 points)
• Indiana Hoosiers (13 points)
• California Golden Bears (11 points)
• Liberty Flames (10 points)
• Toledo Rockets (9 points)
• UCF Knights (6 points)
• South Carolina Gamecocks (3 points)
• North Carolina Tar Heels (3 points)
• Arizona State Sun Devils (3 points)
• BYU Cougars (2 points)
• Pittsburgh Panthers (1 point)

In my opinion, there are a few teams that may not deserve their new rankings. Here are three teams who got too much love from the AP, as well as three others who need a bit more.

No. 12 is way too high for the Utah Utes

I am quickly falling out of favor when it comes to my preseason pick to win the Big 12. The Utah Utes are only as good as the often-injured Cam Rising allows them to be offensively. While Zach Wilson's kid brother looked pretty good vs. the in-state rival Utah State Aggies, that was a team USC beat the brakes off the previous week. Utah may be 3-0 on the year, but the Utes are not the 12th best team.

In a way, I feel like the Associated Press needs to see someone be definitively better than the Utes on a weekly basis to overtake them as the top team for the presumptive No. 4 seed in the expanded College Football Playoff. Will it end up being Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Iowa State or somebody we don't even really have eyes on yet? For now, I am simply waiting for Utah to fall apart.

The Utes have a huge game next week vs. the No. 14 Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater.

No. 8 is way too low for the Miami Hurricanes

I feel like I am splitting hairs here because I feel the AP ranked more teams too high than others too low. While No. 8 seems about right for the ACC favorite Miami Hurricanes, I think they are better than Missouri and might be better than at least one of the other SEC teams ranked ahead of them. Getting up to No. 6 might be a tad too high, but the team has looked consistently strong through three weeks.

Cam Ward may be the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, or at least be on the shortlist of candidates who could be receiving an invitation to New York City in early December. While I don't trust Mario Cristobal to navigate this team to perfection in ACC play, the Hurricanes feel like a well-run operation from a talent standpoint. In essence, this team might be able to drive itself like it did for Larry Coker.

A suitable challenger may emerge in ACC play in due time, but for right now, Miami feels so far ahead.

No. 18 is way too high for the Michigan Wolverines

I don't care that they are the defending national champions, this Michigan Wolverines team isn't good. Yes, they have a stout defense and a quality rushing attack, but the quarterback play we have seen out of them through the first three weeks wishes it could be festering garbage. The Wolverines have already gotten smoked by Texas at home, and I have a bad feeling this team might win seven games.

Without question, I am taking the USC Trojans to clobber them next week. I also potentially see losses on the horizon vs. Ohio State, Oregon and maybe even vs. a potentially underrated Illinois team. Simply put, Michigan can only win one way. If the Wolverines are forced to get into a shootout, they are not coming out of it alive every single time. Davis Warren or Alex Orji, it does not even matter.

Michigan is going to need a miracle go to 9-3 with its increasingly harder regular-season schedule.

No. 14 is way too low for the Oklahoma State Cowboys

Admittedly, I am still trying to sort out the upper quartile of the 16-team Big 12. Right now, I feel we have the right four teams occupying it in Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Utah. Unfortunately, I have no idea which team will rise to the top of the league and beat presumably one of those three in Arlington. To me, I think we are sleeping on Mike Gundy's Cowboys just a bit right now.

The combination of Alan Bowman and Ollie Gordon II could prove too much for other worthy adversaries in conference play. Truth be told, if Oklahoma State holds serve and beats an undefeated Utah team at home next weekend, we might see the Pokes pushing closer to the top 10. We will need the SEC to beat itself up to eventually get to that point, but I view Oklahoma State's 3-0 better today.

Should Oklahoma State split its dates with Kansas State and Utah, the Cowboys will get to Arlington.

No. 15 is way too high for the Oklahoma Sooners

Make it make sense! What have you honestly seen out of the Oklahoma Sooners in the past three weeks that leads you to believe this should be the No. 15 team in the country? Their wins are over a god awful Temple team, as well as close calls from an atrocious Houston squad and a Tulane team that is breaking in a new coaching staff. I am afraid Brent Venables will get devoured in SEC play.

Next week's signature game will be a homecoming of sorts for former Oklahoma star quarterback Josh Heupel. His Tennessee Volunteers are going to do unspeakable things to Oklahoma in this game. The Vols have a tremendous pass rush, and Oklahoma cannot even block a phone number. I had this team going 8-4 at best this season. In all fairness, I nearly had OU as a mediocre 6-6 team.

It would not shock me if Oklahoma falls out of the top 25 entirely next week after a Tennessee loss.

No. 10 is way too low for the Penn State Nittany Lions

Even though they did not play this week, we need to stop sleeping on the Penn State Nittany Lions. Yes, the home scare at the hands of Bowling Green raised some alarm bells, but I would take Penn State over most of the teams the Nittany Lions will be going up against this season. Outside of Ohio State, I think they match up pretty favorably with the rest of the best in the Big Ten.

Simply put, they are better than Oregon right now. It is a bit of a flip of the coin if you want to say they are better than Missouri. I may take Miami over them right this instant, but that is not by a huge margin. Penn State still gives off the vibes of a top-seven team in the country, but their latest ranking in the most recent AP Top 25 Poll does not accurately reflect that. They just need to win more games.

After presumably clobbering Kent State, Penn State's date with Illinois could be a real test for them.