College Football HQ

Kirk Herbstreit ranks top five college football teams after Week 3

Alex Weber|
Kirk Herbstreit speaks on the set of ESPN College GameDay
Kirk Herbstreit speaks on the set of ESPN College GameDay | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Miami (FL) HurricanesLSU TigersPenn State Nittany LionsGeorgia BulldogsOhio State Buckeyes

ESPN college football analyst and College GameDay star Kirk Herbstreit announced on Monday his top five teams in the country following a theatrical Week 3 slate.

A pair blockbuster showcases featured shootouts in the 40s, a particular rarity in the Georgia-Tennessee series, while results from across the nation forced some changes in the college football heirarchy. Amid the wreckage of three weeks (and the appetizer from Week 0), here are the top five teams in the sport as we head for Week 4, per Herbstreit:

  1. LSU Tigers
  2. Penn State Nittany Lions
  3. Ohio State Buckeyes
  4. Miami Hurricanes
  5. Georgia Bulldogs

Herbstreit certainly strayed a bit from the national current by hurtling LSU all the way up to No. 1 despite a couple f pedestrian performances, by their standard, since starting the year with a win at Clemson which also looks weaker than previously thought. Nonetheless, Kirk likes the battle-tested Tigers up top for now.

Down at No. 2, Penn State holds steady after blasting through their first three complete cupcake matchups with relative ease. For perhaps the most talented roster in the country, the start wasn't flawless, but at 3-0 with dominant victories heading into Big Ten play, Kirk Herbstreit sees no motivation for moving the Nittanys down.

Elsewhere, Ohio State remains within the reach of the tip top holding that impressive win over Texas to kick off their national title defense. And Miami continues to rise. South Florida looked like a legitimate threat and Mario Cristobal's squad erased all doubt with a 49-12 drubbing of the Bulls, who remain College Football Playoff hopefuls.

Georgia rounds out the top five after a stunner in Knoxville that took a battle axe to the knees of Tennessee fans. Good night, that loss is tough to swallow for Volunteer fans parched for a home victory with GameDay aside in Neyland to shatter the nine-year losing streak to the Dawgs. Oh well, Kirby Smart and Gunner Stockton just willed UGA to a decade's worth of wins over the orange.

That's five respectable choices from Herbstreit, who will be in Coral Gables for the Miami home game vs. Florida this coming weekend.

Read more on College Football HQ

Published
Alex Weber
ALEX WEBER

Born and raised in the state of Kentucky, Alex Weber has published articles for many of the largest college sports media brands in the country, including On3, Athlon Sports, FanSided, SB Nation, and others. Since 2022, he has also contributed for Kentucky Sports Radio, one of the largest team-specific college sports websites in the nation. In addition to his work in sports journalism, Alex manages content for a local magazine named ‘Goshen Living’ and coaches cross country and track.

Share on XFollow alexhweber