Big victories have LSU rising on national scene

After smashing Miami and edging Auburn, LSU has risen to No. 2 in Mark Podolski’s top 10. Plus, check out this week’s top games, including Texas A&M visiting Alabama.

LSU started the season barely ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. Three weeks into the 2018 season, the Tigers might not be the most impressive team in the country, but what they’ve accomplished so far is impressive.

A season-opening throttling of the Miami Hurricanes raised eyebrows, but a 22-21 win at Auburn on Sept. 15 earns LSU this week’s No. 2 ranking.

Ohio State also was impressive in its come-from-behind win against TCU, and moved up to No. 3. Here’s one man’s Top 10 for the week, plus a watch list and top games to watch this weekend:

Top 10

parenthesis) (last week’s ranking in 1. ALABAMA 3-0 (1) » Defeated Ole Miss, 62-7 2. LSU 3-0 (9) » Defeated LSU, 22-21 3. OHIO TCU, STATE 40-28 3-0 (5) » Defeated 4. GEORGIA 3-0 (2) » Defeated Middle Tennessee, 49-7

5. CLEMSON 3-0 (4) » Defeated Georgia Southern, 38-7 Defeated 10. PENN STATE 3-0 (NR) » Defeated Kent State, 63-10 Defeated WATCH LIST » TCU, Washington, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Michigan

Top games to watch Sept. 21

Penn State at Illinois, 9 (FS1)

Sept. 22

Georgia at Missouri, noon (ESPN)

Nebraska at Michigan, noon (FS1)

Notre Dame at Wake Forest, noon (WEWS)

Ohio at Cincinnati, noon (ESPNU)

John Carroll at Mount Union, 1:30

Clemson at Georgia Tech, 3:30 (WEWS)

Texas A&M at Alabama, 3:30 (WOIO)

Tulane at Ohio State, 3:30 (Big Ten Network)

TCU at Texas, 3:30 (WJW)

Texas Tech at Oklahom State, 7 (FS1)

Michigan State at Indiana, 7:30 (Big Ten Network)

Stanford at Oregon, 8 (WEWS)

Wisconsin at Iowa, 8:30 (WJW)

Arizona State at Washington, 10:30 (ESPN)

BUTCH DILL — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LSU players celebrate after they defeated Auburn, 22-21, on a last-second field goal on Sept. 15.