College Football Top 25: Week 4

Hi there. I apologize for not posting as I normally would. I have a lot on my plate and it will probably be like that for a while. Anyways, it seems like every week we have a complete mix-up in the rankings, so there will be a lot of new teams in this ranking, as many upsets occurred. Here are my rankings going into the first weekend of October:

  1. Alabama (4-0) (PREV: 1)

Alabama destroys Southern Miss, which means they need a real test to prove they deserve to still be the top team. That comes this week, where the top two Heisman favorites meet in Tuscaloosa. Matt Corral and the Ole Miss Rebels will give the Tide possibly their biggest test of the season.

  1. Georgia (4-0) (PREV: 2)

Georgia visited Vanderbilt and blew them out 62-0. 62 to 0! The Bulldogs haven’t faced a real challenge since Labor Day Weekend against Clemson, but Arkansas comes to Athens this week in a top-10 matchup.

  1. Oregon (4-0) (PREV: 3)

Oregon blew out a winless Arizona team in Eugene. Now, the defending Pac-12 champions look ahead to a Stanford team that has given the conference trouble. I’m curious on why Oregon gave up 19 points to Arizona, by the way.

  1. Oklahoma (4-0) (PREV: 4)

It took a last-second field goal for Oklahoma to pull away and beat West Virginia in Norman. Is Spencer Rattler not the player we all hoped he would be? Probably, but we’re only heading into Week 4, so let’s not get carried away. They have a tough road game on Saturday, as they kick off against Kansas State at noon in Manhattan.

  1. Penn State (4-0) (PREV: 7)

Penn State takes Iowa’s spot in the top 5 because Penn State didn’t have to rally to take care of business at home. The Nittany Lions have a tough opponent this weekend as they host Indiana.

  1. Iowa (4-0) (PREV: 5)

Iowa had to rally to take down Colorado State on Saturday, trailing at the half 14-7. They scored on three drives in the second half, preventing the Rams from scoring in the second half. They have a tough road game as they face Maryland on Friday night.

  1. Cincinnati (3-0) (PREV: 6)

Cincinnati had their bye week, but they have to visit Notre Dame in their toughest game of the season. Desmond Ridder is extremely confident that the Bearcats will pull off the upset. I’m eager to find out if Ridder is right.

  1. Arkansas (4-0) (PREV: 17)

Arkansas pulled off a major upset on Saturday as they handled Texas A&M 20-10. Wide receiver Treylon Burks reeled in six catches for 167 yards and a touchdown, with KJ Jefferson leading the offense. Their toughest matchup yet comes on Saturday when they visit Athens to take on Georgia.

  1. Notre Dame (4-0) (PREV: 12)

Notre Dame proved all the doubters wrong as they upset Wisconsin at Soldier Field in Chicago. Not only did Notre Dame upset Wisconsin, but they blew them out. I couldn’t keep track of how many times they scored late in the game. The Fighting Irish have another test this Saturday as they host Cincinnati.

  1. Florida (3-1) (PREV: 11)

How did Florida bounce back from a devastating loss to Alabama? They handly beat Tennessee 38-14. Emory Jones finally had a good game, with two touchdown passes and a career-high 144 yards rushing. The Gators visit Kentucky on Saturday.

  1. Ohio State (3-1) (PREV: 10)

Ohio State destroyed Akron on Saturday, who was probably their easiest opponent of the season. However, they must watch out for Rutgers, a team off to a solid start *before losing to Michigan).

  1. Ole Miss (3-0) (PREV: 14)

Ole Miss had last week off, which helps them have lots of time to prepare for their biggest game at Alabama. Matt Corral must have another terrific performance if the Rebels want to pull off the upset.

  1. Texas A&M (3-1) (PREV: 8)

Texas A&M did not look like the team we usually see when these two teams meet, especially in Arlington. Isaiah Spiller ran for 95 yards and a touchdown, but they’re still without Haynes King. They go back to College Station to take on Mississippi State on Saturday.

  1. BYU (4-0) (PREV: 15)

Baylor Romney had himself a solid game, going 20-for-25, passing for 305 yards and three touchdowns. BYU is one of the hottest teams in America, with three Pac-12 wins and a win against USF. I’m concerned about the Cougars giving up 27 points to USF, but then again, they’re still one of the hottest teams in college football. They visit Utah State tonight to try and continue their streak.

  1. Michigan (4-0) (PREV: 19)

Is Michigan back? Probably not, but is Jim Harbaugh’s job safe? Probably. They beat a good Rutgers team that nearly came back towards the end. They have a tough battle this week as they visit Madison to take on Wisconsin. 

  1. Coastal Carolina (4-0) (PREV: 18)

The Chanticleers might have the best chance to go undefeated this season, as their schedule is relatively weak. They destroyed UMass 53-3, their easiest opponent of the season. They take on UL Monroe tomorrow, which should be an easy win.

  1. Michigan State (4-0) (PREV: 21)

Michigan State is 4-0, but don’t let the record fool you. They went into overtime and edged a bad Nebraska team in East Lansing. The defense stepped up when the Spartans needed them to, but their offense has to improve after last week.

  1. Clemson (2-2) (PREV: 9)

Clemson drops to 18 after being upset by NC State in Raleigh. Their offense looks horrific, and their schedule doesn’t get better as they face ACC rival Boston College. The Tigers are on red alert right now. I think #18 is generous of me.

  1. Oklahoma State (4-0) (PREV: N/A)

Oklahoma State upset then-ranked Kansas State in Stillwater to start 4-0 this season. Spencer Sanders played well, going 22-for-34, passing for 344 yards and two touchdowns. They host Baylor tomorrow, which is a big game for the Cowboys.

  1. Fresno State (4-1) (PREV: 24)

Fresno State really should be 5-0, but Oregon had other plans during Week 1. The Bulldogs are undefeated since the loss and edged winless UNLV at home. Jake Haener passed for 378 yards and five touchdowns, and Charles Williams ran for 102 yards and a touchdown. They take a flight to Honolulu as they play Hawaii tomorrow. 

  1. UCLA (3-1) (PREV: 23)

UCLA is back after dropping a game to Fresno State. They beat rival Stanford 35-24, with Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Zach Charbonnet leading the way. While it’s clear that Oregon is the top Pac-12 team, it’s also clear that UCLA is here to stay. The Bruins host Jayden Daniels and Arizona State tomorrow night.

  1. Baylor (4-0) (PREV: N/A)

Baylor is ranked after capping off a 4-0 start with an upset win against Iowa State. The Bears weren’t excellent on either side of the ball, but they did enough to edge the Cyclones 31-29. They travel to Stillwater to take on the ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys.

  1. Auburn (3-1) (PREV: 22)

It took three unanswered touchdowns in the second half for Auburn to come back and beat Georgia State. I’m not impressed by Bo Nix and the offense, which has not looked the same since falling to Penn State. They need to wake up because they visit LSU tomorrow in a huge SEC game.

  1. Wake Forest (4-0) (PREV: N/A)

Wake Forest is ranked, and they can thank their outstanding defense last Friday as they beat Virginia. Quarterback Sam Hartman passed for 270 yards and three touchdowns, more than enough to take the Cavaliers down. They host Louisville tomorrow, a team that can certainly give the Deacs trouble.

  1. NC State (3-1) (PREV: N/A)

NC State’s only loss comes from Mississippi State, but the reason they are ranked comes from the win that made students storm the field in Raleigh. Devin Leary passing for four touchdowns helped the Wolfpack upset Clemson in overtime. They get an easier matchup as they face Louisiana Tech next.

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