Week 3 of the 2022 college football season is history, and the line between contender and pretender is growing more clear. In week 2, highly-ranked teams such as Notre Dame and Texas A&M fell in stunning upsets. Although no top 10 teams lost in week 3, other highly-ranked teams such as Michigan State and Miami fell to lower-ranked competition. Still, the Michigan football program, and a few others, are emerging as College Football Playoff threats to the Alabama Crimson tide.

While contending teams are dropping like flies every week, Alabama has gotten through unscathed so far. The Crimson Tide may have fallen from first to second in the rankings, but they are still a very popular pick to win it all. The Tide will be a contender as long as Nick Saban is coaching, and this year looks like no exception.

Alabama may be a favorite for the national championship, but other teams have emerged as challengers. Two of the most prominent threats are two of last year's playoff teams, No. 5 Michigan and No. 1 Georgia. These two schools stand above some of Alabama's other competitors, and here are a few reasons why.

3. Georgia, Michigan football can rival Alabama's talent

The key to Alabama's success has been the ability to recruit an insane amount of talent. This year is no different, as the Tide have the most talented team in the nation, according to 247Sports' talent composite. Saban's team boasts 14 former five-star recruits, 59 former four-stars and 11 former three-stars.

If there's any team that can rival Alabama in terms of talent, it's Georgia. The Bulldogs are second on the talent composite, and actually have one more five-star than the Tide. Kirby Smart's team falls behind in terms of four-stars with 52 of them, but 18 three-stars is nothing to sneeze at.

Michigan lags a bit behind both of the SEC schools, sitting at 14th on the talent composite. The Wolverines have only three five-stars and 41 four-stars, but partially make up for it with 41 three-stars. Still, Jim Harbaugh's work in making the College Football Playoff last season shows his team can keep pace with the top dogs of the sport.

All three of these teams have talent up and down their lineup, and a game between any of them will be a showdown to behold.

2. Amazing defenses

Georgia and Michigan may be very different things, but one thing they have in common is outstanding defense. Through week 3, Georgia has the best scoring defense in the country while Michigan has the fourth-best, allowing 3.3 and 5.7 points per game, respectively. Michigan also has the third-best total defense, allowing 194 yards per game.

the Wolverines have yet to play a Power Five opponent, but their defense has been outstanding all the same. Meanwhile, Georgia held Oregon, which just scored 41 on BYU on Saturday, to just three points in the season opener. The Bulldogs also shut down an SEC offense, albeit a weak one, in South Carolina on Saturday.

To be fair, Alabama's defense is also really good. The Tide ‘s defense ranks 10th in scoring and seventh in total yards, allowing 8.7 points and 225.3 yards per game. All three of these teams have incredible defenses and that's part of what makes them so good.

1. Alabama is vulnerable

No team is invincible, and as hard it is to believe, that includes Alabama. The Tide already had a scare this season, barely escaping Texas with a 20-19 win on Sept. 10. The Tide made a lot of mistakes in that game, and against an elite team, they may not be so lucky.

There's still a lot of time left in the season, but Alabama has some issues to solve. Saban can obviously fix these issues, but with SEC play beginning soon, he better work quick. If he doesn't, challengers like Georgia and Michigan football will be able to exploit those issues come the postseason.