College football rankings: ESPN reveals top 25 poll for Week 3

Your look at the updated ESPN top 25 college football rankings as we move into the Week 3 schedule of games

They're indeed back. For this week at least, after Texas went into Alabama as touchdown underdogs and came out with an impressive 10-point victory that puts the Longhorns in the thick of the early season playoff chase and in position to make a run for the Big 12 conference title before departing for the SEC. Now it's time to get a look at the updated ESPN top 25 college football rankings heading into Week 3.

• The Football Power Index (FPI) college football rankings and computer prediction model are a measure of team strength that predicts a team's future performance
• Rankings and predictions are based on 20,000 simulations of a team's season, using a combination of analytics, including scores to date, quality of opponents, and a team's schedule

College football rankings: ESPN reveals top 25 for Week 3

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25. Auburn

Week 2 result: def. Cal
Rankings change: Down 3
Auburn projections: 7.3 wins, 4.7 losses, 89.2 percent to become bowl eligible, 2.6 percent to win SEC West, 1.0 percent to make College Football Playoff

24. Cincinnati

Week 2 result: def. Pittsburgh
Rankings change: Up 7
Cincinnati projections: 8.8 wins, 3.4 losses, 96.5 percent to become bowl eligible, 6.2 percent to win Big 12 title, 3.0 percent to make College Football Playoff

23. UCF

Week 2 result: def. Boise State
Rankings change: Down 4
UCF projections: 8.3 wins, 3.8 losses, 95.3 percent to become bowl eligible, 3.5 percent to win Big 12 title, 1.9 percent to make College Football Playoff

22. Tennessee

Week 2 result: def. Austin Peay
Rankings change: Down 10
Tennessee projections: 8.3 wins, 3.8 losses, 11 percent to win SEC East, 3.4 percent to win SEC title, 2.5 percent to make College Football Playoff

21. Kansas State

Week 2 result: def. Troy
Rankings change: Up 4
Kansas State projections: 8.7 wins, 3.5 losses, 7.2 percent to win Big 12 title, 3.6 percent to make College Football Playoff

20. Clemson

Week 2 result: def. Charleston Southern
Rankings change: Down 2
Clemson projections: 6.9 wins, 5.1 losses, 2.7 percent to win ACC title, 0.5 percent to make College Football Playoff

19. Texas A&M

Week 2 result: Lost to Miami
Rankings change: Down 2
Texas A&M projections: 7.0 wins, 5.1 losses, 5.5 percent to win SEC West, 1.8 percent to win SEC title, 0.7 percent chance to make College Football Playoff

18. Syracuse

Week 2 result: def. Western Michigan
Rankings change: Up 9
Syracuse projections: 9.1 wins, 3.2 losses, 9.3 percent chance to win ACC title, 4.4 percent chance to make College Football Playoff

17. Oregon State

Week 2 result: def. UC Davis
Rankings change: Up 7
Oregon State projections: 8.9 wins, 3.4 losses, 8.7 percent to win Pac-12 title, 5.1 percent to make College Football Playoff

16. Utah

Week 2 result: def. Baylor
Rankings change: Down 1
Utah projections: 8.7 wins, 3.5 losses, 8.3 percent to win Pac-12 title, 5.4 percent to make College Football Playoff

15. Miami

Week 2 result: def. Texas A&M
Rankings change: Up 5
Miami projections: 9.9 wins, 2.5 losses, 17.9 percent to win ACC title, 11.2 percent to make College Football Playoff

14. Washington

Week 2 result: def. Tulsa
Rankings change: Up 2
Washington projections: 8.7 wins, 3.6 losses, 10.5 percent to win Pac-12 title, 6.3 percent to make College Football Playoff

13. LSU

Week 2 result: def. Grambling State
Rankings change: Up 1
LSU projections: 8.1 wins, 4.1 losses, 6.2 percent to win SEC West, 3.6 percent to make College Football Playoff

12. Ole Miss

Week 2 result: def. Tulane
Rankings change: Up 1
Ole Miss projections: 8.8 wins, 3.3 losses, 13.0 percent to win SEC West, 5.7 percent to win SEC title, 8.2 percent to make College Football Playoff

11. Oregon

Week 2 result: def. Texas Tech
Rankings change: No change
Oregon projections: 9.7 wins, 2.7 losses, 19.0 percent to win Pac-12 title, 14.6 percent to make College Football Playoff

10. Michigan

Week 2 result: def. UNLV
Rankings change: Down 3
Michigan projections: 9.8 wins, 2.4 losses, 17.9 percent to win Big Ten East, 14.8 percent to win Big Ten title, 14.6 percent to make College Football Playoff

9. Notre Dame

Week 2 result: def. NC State
Rankings change: Down 3
Notre Dame projections: 9.9 wins, 2.1 losses, 22.1 percent to make College Football Playoff, 5.1 percent to win national title

8. Oklahoma

Week 2 result: def. SMU
Rankings change: Down 4
Oklahoma projections: 10.6 wins, 2.0 losses, 34.3 percent to win Big 12 title, 26.7 percent to make College Football Playoff, 6.7 percent to win national title

7. Penn State

Week 2 result: def. Delaware
Rankings change: Up 3
Penn State projections: 10.3 wins, 2.0 losses, 26.9 percent to win Big Ten East, 22.9 percent to win Big Ten title, 24.5 percent to make College Football Playoff, 5.5 percent to win national title

6. Texas

Week 2 result: def. Alabama
Rankings change: Up 3
Texas projections: 10.9 wins, 1.7 losses, 44.3 percent to win Big 12 title, 45.1 percent to make College Football Playoff, 11.9 percent to win national title

5. Florida State

Week 2 result: def. Southern Miss
Rankings change: Up 3
Florida State projections: 11.0 wins, 1.7 losses, 54.4 percent to win ACC title, 40.6 percent to make College Football Playoff, 10.6 percent to win national title

4. USC

Week 2 result: def. Stanford
Rankings change: Up 1
USC projections: 10.6 wins, 2.2 losses, 49.9 percent to win Pac-12 title, 37.1 percent to make College Football Playoff, 10.4 percent to win national title

3. Georgia

Week 2 result: def. Ball State
Rankings change: No change
Georgia projections: 11.1 wins, 1.7 losses, 41.4 percent to win SEC title, 37.8 percent to make College Football Playoff, 11.5 percent to win national title

2. Ohio State

Week 2 result: def. Youngstown St.
Rankings change: No change
Ohio State projections: 10.8 wins, 1.7 losses, 41.4 percent to win Big Ten title, 37.8 percent to make College Football Playoff, 14.9 percent to win national title 

1. Alabama

Week 2 result: Lost to Texas
Rankings change: No change
Alabama projections: 9.9 wins, 2.7 losses, 37.8 percent to win SEC title, 26.0 percent to make College Football Playoff, 9.3 percent to win national title

You're probably wondering: Why is Alabama ranked at No. 1 this week? That's because the FPI model, which projects results by simulating games 20,000 times, forecasts that the Tide is still the best team on a per-game scoring margin metric, expecting Bama to be 26.3 points better than an average team, the most nationally.

Texas, which beat Alabama, is forecasted to be 22.8 points better than an average team, the sixth-best projected margin nationally, hence the No. 6 ranking here. And Georgia? The near-consensus No. 1 team in the polls is 24.5 points better than an average team, according to the index, third-best nationally.

Looking for the official rankings? You can find those here. AP top 25 voters dumped Alabama down 7 spots this week to No. 10 in the latest poll, and promoted Texas to No. 4 from No. 11 after its statement upset over the Crimson Tide.

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