Week 3: Games Played Through Sept. 18, 2021
| TEAM | POINTS | FIRST-PLACE VOTES | LAST WEEK’S RANK | |
| 1. | Alabama (3-0) | 826 | 46 | 1 |
| 2. | Georgia (3-0) | 782 | 6 | 2 |
| 3. | Oregon (3-0) | 699 | 4 | |
| 4. | Oklahoma (3-0) | 642 | 3 | |
| 5. | Iowa (3-0) | 594 | 6 | |
| 6. | Penn State (3-0) | 521 | 10 | |
| 7. | Texas A&M (3-0) | 486 | 7 | |
| 8. | Clemson (2-1) | 440 | 5 | |
| 9. | Cincinnati (3-0) | 416 | 8 | |
| 10. | Ohio State (2-1) | 337 | 9 | |
| 11. | Florida (2-1) | 327 | 11 | |
| 12. | Notre Dame (3-0) | 277 | 12 | |
| 13. | Ole Miss (3-0) | 214 | 15 | |
| 14. | Iowa State (2-1) | 119 | 14 | |
| 15. | Michigan (3-0) | 93 | N/A | |
| 16. | BYU (3-0) | 77 | N/A |
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Arkansas (60), Coastal Carolina (54), Michigan State (45), Wisconsin (27), North Carolina (10), UCLA (5), Virginia Tech (4), USC (3), Fresno State (2), West Virginia (2), Maryland (2), Auburn (2), TCU (2), Oklahoma State (1), Kansas State (1), Liberty (1), Wake Forest (1).
To see how individuals voted in this week’s poll, click here.
The Top 10 teams in the poll each won Saturday, and all remained among the top teams again. Even No. 11 Florida didn’t budge after losing by two points to No. 1 Alabama.
The Crimson Tide led the poll (46 first-place votes), followed by No. 2 Georgia (six first-place votes). Oregon moved into the third slot, past this week’s No. 4 Oklahoma. Penn State jumped from No. 10 to No. 6 after beating previously unbeaten Auburn in a SEC-Big Ten prime-time Saturday matchup.
UCLA and Virginia Tech dropped out of the poll after losses and were replaced by Michigan and BYU at No.15 and No. 16, respectively. The Wolverines and Cougars are in the poll for the first time this season.
The SEC led all conferences with five teams, followed by the Big Ten with four, the Big 12 with two and Independents with two. The ACC, American and Pac-12 had one each.
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE:
Southern Mississippi at No. 1 Alabama
No. 2 Georgia at Vanderbilt
Arizona at No. 3 Oregon
West Virginia at No. 4 Oklahoma
Colorado State at No. 5 Iowa
Villanova at No. 6 Penn State
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (Arlington, TX)
No. 8 Clemson at North Carolina State
No. 9 Cincinnati is idle.
Akron at No. 10 Ohio State
Tennessee at No. 11 Florida
No. 12 Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin (Chicago)
No. 13 Mississippi is idle.
No. 14 Iowa State at Baylor
Rutgers at No. 15 Michigan
USF at No. 16 BYU
ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL: The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Sunday of the 2021 season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 7 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 5. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a computer program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings, and The JBoy Show is the official Media Partner of the poll.
ABOUT THE FWAA: Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at http://www.footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.
The Fifth Down 