South Carolina on the rise in college football Power Rankings after Week 3

College football Power Rankings: South Carolina rising, Georgia falling after Week 3.

Anyone who has played sports at any level in the last 15 years has likely had a coach attempt some version of Al Pacino's speech from Any Given Sunday. The scene from that film is iconic, a go-to clip for JumboTrons across the country.

At this point, Pacino's message might be overplayed. The inches are everywhere around us. But I'll be darned if it doesn't ring true. For example, just look at the Georgia-South Carolina game, in which one fraction of an inch allowed the Gamecocks to retain possession in the waning moments of the fourth quarter and close out a 38-35 win. “If we had a credit card we might have slipped it in there," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said. It's too early to tell if that margin will keep the Dawgs from getting into the inaugural College Football Playoff, but it just might.

Georgia falls this week in the Power Rankings, while South Carolina rises. One play, one coaching decision, one tenth of a second (see: the play clock in the first overtime of Florida's 36-30 victory over Kentucky) is all it takes. As Pacino's character, Tony D'Amato, says: "That's football, guys. That's all it is."

• STAPLES: South Carolina resets SEC East with win; Punt, Pass & Pork

1. Oregon Ducks

PREVIOUS: 1

RECORD: 3-0

Last game: Beat Wyoming, 48-14Next game: Saturday at Washington State

2. Florida State Seminoles

PREVIOUS: 2

RECORD: 2-0

Next game: Saturday vs. Clemson

3. Oklahoma Sooners

PREVIOUS: 3

RECORD: 3-0

Next game: Saturday at West Virginia

4. Alabama Crimson Tide

PREVIOUS: 4

RECORD: 3-0

Last game: Beat Southern Miss, 52-12Next game: Saturday vs. Florida

5. Auburn Tigers

PREVIOUS: 6

RECORD: 2-0

Last game: Beat San Jose State, 59-13Next game: Thursday at Kansas State

6. Baylor Bears

PREVIOUS: 9

RECORD: 3-0

Last game: Beat Buffalo, 63-21Next game: Saturday at Iowa State

7. Texas A&M Aggies

PREVIOUS: 8

RECORD: 3-0

Last game: Beat Rice, 38-10Next game: Saturday at SMU

8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

PREVIOUS: 11

RECORD: 3-0

Next game: Sept. 27 vs. Syracuse (in East Rutherford, N.J.)

9. LSU Tigers

PREVIOUS: 10

RECORD: 3-0

Next game: Saturday vs. Mississippi State

10. Ole Miss Rebels

PREVIOUS: 12

RECORD: 3-0

Last game: Beat Louisiana-Lafayette, 56-15Next game: Sept. 27 vs. Memphis

11. Stanford Cardinal

PREVIOUS: 14

RECORD: 2-1

Last game: Beat Army, 35-0Next game: Sept. 27 at Washington

12. Michigan State Spartans

PREVIOUS: 13

RECORD: 1-1

Next game: Saturday vs. Eastern Michigan

13. Missouri Tigers

PREVIOUS: 17

RECORD: 3-0

Last game: Beat UCF, 38-10Next game: Saturday vs. Indiana

14. South Carolina Gamecocks

PREVIOUS: 24

RECORD: 2-1

Last game: Beat Georgia, 38-35Next game: Saturday at Vanderbilt

15. BYU Cougars

PREVIOUS: 23

RECORD: 3-0

BYU’s schedule is setting up for a dream season, and quarterback Taysom Hill is Little Nemo riding his bed into Slumberland. I’m a believer. This will not, under any circumstances, come back to haunt me.Last game: Beat Houston, 33-23Next game: Saturday vs. Virginia

16. Georgia Bulldogs

PREVIOUS: 5

RECORD: 1-1

Next game: Saturday vs. Troy

17. Arizona StATE Sun Devils

PREVIOUS: 16

RECORD: 3-0

Next game: Sept. 25 vs. UCLA

18. UCLA Bruins

PREVIOUS: 20

RECORD: 3-0

Last game: Beat Texas, 20-17Next game: Sept. 25 at Arizona State

19. Kansas StATE Wildcats

PREVIOUS: 19

RECORD: 2-0

Last game: Beat Iowa State, 32-28Next game: Thursday vs. Auburn

20. USC Trojans

PREVIOUS: 7

RECORD: 2-1

Last game: Lost to Boston College, 37-31Next game: Sept. 27 vs. Oregon State

21. Wisconsin Badgers

PREVIOUS: 18

RECORD: 1-1

Last game: Beat Western Illinois, 37-3Next game: Saturday vs. Bowling Green

22. Ohio State Buckeyes

PREVIOUS: 21

RECORD: 2-1

Last game: Beat Kent State, 66-0Next game: Sept. 27 vs. Cincinnati

23. Oklahoma State Cowboys

RECORD: 2-1

Last game: Beat UTSA, 43-13Next game: Sept. 25 vs. Texas Tech

24. Penn State Nittany Lions

RECORD: 3-0

Next game: Saturday vs. Massachusetts

25. East Carolina Pirates

RECORD: 2-1

Next game: Saturday vs. North Carolina

Next five: Nebraska, Clemson, Mississippi State, Duke, Utah