College football week 3

There was elation and heartbreak and a few upsets in college football's third week but the top of the polls are occupied by teams that are supposed to be there. The biggest impact on the polls was Southern California's loss to Stanford but I'm not sold that was an upset.

Here's my top 10.

1) Alabama (3-0) - At full strength, Arkansas wasn't much of a threat to the reigning national champions. With all-conference quarterback Tyler Wilson on the sidelines with a concussion, many expected this game to be ugly. Still, not many saw a 52-0 drubbing that resulted in the Crimson Tide sending unknown walk-ons onto the field and still moving the ball. The Razorbacks could have salvaged some dignity after an upset loss to Louisiana-Monroe but instead allowed Alabama to turn the game into a glorified scrimmage. Wilson accused his teammates of quitting after the scores began to pile on and I don't know many who would disagree.

2) LSU (3-0) - The reigning runner-ups steamrolled their third straight opponent, dropping 63 points on Idaho and probably could have broken 70 if not for a few dropped passes. The Bayou Bengals have  the depth to march into a Nov. 3 match-up in Baton Rouge against Alabama unblemished as they aim for a second straight SEC championship. Even if they lose tothe team that beat them 21-0 in the BCS Championship Game, they have the horsepower to make some noise in Miami.

3) Florida State (3-0) - I was skeptical after the Seminoles opened the season with blowout wins against non-FBS opponents but a 55-0 rout of Wake Forest convinced me to place them in the No. 3 spot. Chris Thompson averaged more than 20 yards per carry against the team that nearly ended his career a year earlier. Florida State has a date with Clemson next week and that game will show if the Tomahawks from Tallahassee are contenders or pretenders.

4) Georgia (3-0) - The Bulldogs are looking for a return trip to the SEC Championship Game and followed up a rout over Missouri in their league opener with a 56-20 win over Florida Atlantic. The Owls don't instill fear into many teams, but Mark Richt's team showed no signs of a letdown after the big win over the Tigers, racking up a school-record 713 yards in the win to jump over Oregon.

5) Oregon (3-0) - The Ducks have piled on some points this season, including 63 over the FCS's Tennessee Tech. Oregon has yet to play a team with some bite so far, with its biggest test being the season opener against the Sun Belt's Arkansas State. Still, points turn heads so they remain in the top 5.

6) South Carolina (3-0) - The Gamecocks are resembling the run-and-gun days of coach Steve Spurrier's years with the Florida Gators and scored 40+ points for the second straight week. Those points came against Conference USA foes, however, and starting quarterback Connor Shaw was injured again. With a brutal conference slate coming up, look for this to be the Gamecocks' peak this season.

7) Stanford (3-0) - The Cardinal proved they don't need Andrew Luck to earn big wins, topping previously unbeaten Southern California 21-14. Heisman candidate Matt Barkley returned to the Trojans with aims of a national championship but the Cardinal earned their fourth straight win over their rival. After a close win over San Jose State in the opener, Stanford brought the pain to Duke heading into the Pac-12 opener.

8) Oklahoma (2-0) - The Sooners were off this week and open Big 12 play Saturday against Kansas State for their first true test of 2012. Oklahoma was tested in its season opener against lowly UTEP but racked up more than 600 yards in a 69-13 rout over Florida A&M in week 2. A win over the Wildcats should vault the Sooners back into the top 5.

9) Southern California (2-1) - The Trojans came into the season off a two-year bowl ban with the AP's top ranking and a chip on their shoulder but ran into a brick wall against an inspired Stanford team. Matt Barkley was sullen when he met with the media after the game and if he channels the Tim Tebow of 2008, he should be able to get Southern Cal back on track.

10) Clemson (3-0) - I was tempted to put Notre Dame here after their win over Michigan State but with starting safety Jamoris Slaughter going down for the season and Sammie Watkins returning to the Tigers, Clemson makes my top 10. The sophomore receiver had a 58-yard touchdown run in Clemson's 41-7 win over Furman and the Tigers look poised to make a run as ACC play begins.