AP College Football Poll 2023: Complete Week 3 Rankings Revealed | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Texas is back.

And it might be for real this time.

While the two-time reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs still sit atop the Associated Press Top 25 poll, no team in college football had a bigger win than the Longhorns on Saturday. They went into Alabama and left with a convincing 34-24 victory over Nick Saban’s powerhouse program.

It was the type of statement that will resonate into the College Football Playoff discussions later in the season.

It also moved Texas up to No. 4 in the newly released AP Poll:

1. Georgia

2. Michigan

3. Florida State

4. Texas

5. USC

6. Ohio State

7. Penn State

8. Washington

9. Notre Dame

10. Alabama

11. Tennessee

12. Utah

13. Oregon

14. LSU

15. Kansas State

16. Oregon State

17. Ole Miss

18. Colorado

19. Oklahoma

20. North Carolina

21. Duke

22. Miami

23. Washington State

24. UCLA

25. Iowa

Texas lost by a single point in dramatic fashion in last year’s matchup against the Crimson Tide, so it was surely thinking about the chance at revenge throughout the offseason.

And it delivered.

Quinn Ewers threw for 349 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, while the Longhorns defense intercepted Jalen Milroe twice. Milroe struggled at times to live up to the sky-high expectations in place as Bryce Young’s successor, which is a credit to the defense he faced.

Alabama’s loss was part of another tough day for the SEC against Power Five competition.

After Florida lost to Utah, LSU lost to Florida State and South Carolina lost to North Carolina in Week 1 of the season, Texas A&M lost to Miami and the Crimson Tide fell in two of Saturday’s marquee games. Vanderbilt also lost to Wake Forest.

Tennessee looked pedestrian against Austin Peay, Mississippi State needed overtime to defeat Arizona, Missouri beat Middle Tennessee by four points and Kentucky struggled against Eastern Kentucky.

Ole Miss, which won at Tulane, was the only SEC team with a truly impressive performance against quality competition, although Auburn did escape a road game against California with a 14-10 victory.

It leaves one wondering if anyone will be able to challenge Georgia in the league, as the Bulldogs cruised past Ball State and likely won’t be challenged until November games against Ole Miss and Tennessee.

Elsewhere, Notre Dame handled NC State on the road in a 21-point win, Oregon barely got past Texas Tech on the road and Washington State knocked the Wisconsin Badgers from the Top 25 with a win.

The Deion Sanders show also continued to roll, as Colorado overcame a slow offensive start and defeated Nebraska with ease.

But the Buffaloes and everyone else are still looking up at the champions.