Notre Dame dropped 16 spots to No. 24 in this week's AP poll following a 41-40 loss to Texas A&M, which rose six spots to No. 10 on the strength of a 3-0 start. No. 2 Penn State has gone through the first three weeks with ease as it faced non-Power 4 opponents, and No. 4 Miami quarterback Carson Beck showed just how fun it is to play for the Hurricanes.
USF is 2-0 with upset wins over No. 25 Boise State and No. 13 Florida, but the start looks better on paper than it really is. The Bulls have been living off big plays, turnovers and opponent mistakes more than consistent, sustainable football. Against Boise, USF won 34-7, but the box score tells a different story. Boise actually had more first downs and controlled time of possession. They moved the ball well but lost three fumbles that killed scoring chances.
CJ Daniels made a spectacular one-handed touchdown grab and Rueben Bain Jr. had an interception on a thrice-deflected pass in the fourth quarter for the Hurricanes, who outgained Notre Dame 324 yards to 314. Malachi Toney had a touchdown catch and CharMar Brown added a TD run for Miami. CJ Carr, in his first start for Notre Dame, finished 19 of 30 for 221 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception -- plus a rushing score with 3:21 left
