The third USA Today coaches college football poll continues to place the Oklahoma Sooners at the top of the college landscape. The Sooners led the poll for the third straight week, earning 44 of 59 first place votes. Alabama was second with eight first place votes, and LSU was third with seven. Boise State and Florida State rounded out the top five, matching the top set in the AP rankings.
Oklahoma will be gearing up this week for their huge top-5 matchup with Florida State in Tallahassee next Saturday. The Sooners will have two weeks to prepare for the trip after taking this weekend off.
The Big 12 continued to be heavily represented, with Oklahoma State at No. 7 and Texas A&M at No. 9. The Cowboys manhandled Arizona Thursday night and will play an intrastate matchup with Tulsa on Saturday. Like OU, the Aggies were off this week. They'll take on Idaho before locking horns with OSU in a probably top-10 game on September 24.
Texas rose to No. 21 after surviving BYU behind their revamped defense and kiddie corps on offense. The Longhorns will be in LA this week to seek revenge for the spanking UCLA handed them a year ago. Baylor hung in at No. 24 in their own off week, giving the Big 12 half of their league in the poll, while Missouri dropped out.
TCU also landed on the poll, at No. 23 after their strong performance away to Air Force. The Frogs were one of just three ranked teams with a loss, joining No. 14 Oregon and No. 25 Mississippi State. Houston was third among others receiving votes.