AP TOP 25 TAKEAWAYS

Bulldogs haven’t lost a step

Two weeks into the season, and it’s already tempting to start pondering another Georgia-Alabama game in Atlanta with big stakes.

The loudest statements are made on the road, and No. 3 Georgia made quite a racket Saturday. The Bulldogs coasted past No. 24 South Carolina in a game that was supposed to represent the Bulldogs’ toughest test in the East Division.

If that’s the case, just pencil in Georgia for the SEC Championship

Game on Dec.

1. The Bulldogs have their annual rivalry game against

No. 7 Auburn in November, and that trip to Death Valley to face No. 11 LSU in mid-October could prove tricky. But if Saturday was any indication, Georgia has a gear that few will be able to match.

The Bulldogs come with waves of talent and speed everywhere. Receiver Mecole Hardman here. Running back D’Andre Swift there. Cornerback Deandre Baker (above) returning a pick for six. Safety Richard LeCounte hitting everything.

Any thought Georgia might take a step back — even just a small one — after its breakout 2017 should be dismissed. The Bulldogs are looking more and more like what they strive to be: Alabama East.

Around the country

It was a good day for the American Athletic Conference, with Houston throttling Arizona, USF outlasting Georgia Tech and East Carolina trouncing North Carolina. The American again looks to be the best of the non-Power Five conferences, and victories like that can help when it comes time for the selection committee to pick the best Group of Five league champion.

• The SEC West has posted five nonconference victories against Power Five teams (two from the ACC, two from the Big 12 and one from the Pac-12) by a combined score of 178-84.

• Kansas snapped the secondlongest road losing streak in college football history at 46 games, beating Central Michigan 31-7.