After a week of both close games and blowouts, there are many changes in the AP Top 25 Poll. The biggest difference this week is that Washington, USC, Oregon and Utah have stacked up at the backend of the Top 10. While, Colorado has fallen out.
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:
Kansas St., Kentucky, Colorado, Louisville, UCLA, Maryland, TCU, Tulane, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Air Force, Clemson, Texas A&M
AP TOP 25 Poll
25. Fresno State Bulldogs (4-0)
Previous Ranking: NR
Week 4 Result: 53-10 W Kent State
What’s next: vs. Nevada 9/30 7:30 P.M. PST
Finally, a Group of 5 team enters the rankings after Tulaneʻs exit in Week 3. This time it is Fresno State. The Bulldogs are off to a 4-0 start with two wins coming against Power 5 programs. Led by UCF transfer Mikey Keene at quarterback, the Bulldogs are picking up right where they left off last year and continue to climb. Currently, Fresno State looks like the favorite to win the Mountain West Conference, which could lead them right to a New Yearʻs Six bowl. – Owen Patterson
24. Kansas Jayhawks (4-0)
Previous Ranking: NR
Week 4 Result: 38-27 W BYU
What’s next: @ Texas 9/30 12:30 PM PST
Welcome back to the top 25, Kansas! The Jayhawks scored an impressive win in their Big 12 opener against BYU, 38-27. While Kansas was well-outclassed in the air, their rush defense locked down, allowing nine rushing yards to the Cougars. The Jayhawks are 4-0 to start the season again, but it will not get any easier from there. They take on the tough task of trouncing Texas in one week’s time. Perhaps they have another miracle in them like they did two years ago? – Max Crider
23. Missouri Tigers (4-0)
Previous Ranking: NR
Week 4 Result: 34-27 W Memphis
What’s next: @ Vanderbilt 9/30 1 PM PST
Mighty Mizzou makes their first appearance in the AP Top 25 poll since 2019. However, that season did not end as well as it started. Following a 5-1 start to 2019, the Tigers lost five in-a-row to finish 6-6. The Tigers are hoping for better in 2023, and they have the talent to contend in a wide-open SEC East (except for Georgia). Missouri has a deep roster of wide receivers led by Luther Burden and a talented quarterback in Brady Cook. Expect Missouri to hang around for a while. – Owen Patterson
22. Florida Gators (3-1)
Previous Ranking: 25 (moved up 3)
Week 4 Result: 22-7 W Charlotte
What’s next: @ Kentucky 9 AM PST
Graham Mertz was great again for Florida against Charlotte. The Wisconsin transfer went 20/23 passing for 259 yards. Ricky Pearsall went over 100 receiving yards on six catches including a wild one-handed reception. Saturdayʻs win keeps Florida on track as they prepare for the four-straight SEC East games. – Owen Patterson
21. Tennessee Volunteers (3-1)
Previous Ranking: 23 (moved up 2)
Week 4 Result: 45-14 W UTSA
What’s next: vs. South Carolina 4:30 p.m. PST
After losing to Florida one week ago, the Volunteers are back up to number 21 in this weekʻs poll. Tennessee played their best game of the season on Saturday against UTSA. Tennessee ran for 303 yards on the Roadrunners, led by Dylan Sampsonʻs 139 yards and two touchdowns. The Vols meet South Carolina next week in a very interesting matchup. – Owen Patterson
20. Ole Miss Rebels (3-1)
Previous Ranking: 15 (dropped 5)
Week 4 Result: 24-10 L Alabama
What’s next: vs. LSU 9/30 3PM PST
Ole Miss incurred a five-spot drop following the loss at Alabama. A normally high-powered offense was severely limited on Saturday. The Rebels gained just 56 rushing yards, by far the lowest total since Lane Kiffin became the head coach in 2020. An all-around disappointing performance will have to be put behind them quickly as Ole Miss prepares for 13th-ranked LSU next weekend. – Owen Patterson
19. Oregon State Beavers (3-1)
Previous Ranking: 14 (dropped 5)
Week 4 Result: 38-35 L Washington State
What’s next: vs. Utah 9/29 6PM PST
The Beavers lost a close matchup to the WSU Cougars on the road in what was being called the Pac-2 Championship game. WSU got the upper hand but the run game for the Beavs looked dominant. The trio of Deshaun Fenwick, Damien Martinez and DJ Uiagalelei combined 37 carries for 243 yards and 4 touchdowns. They have an even tough opponent on the schedule next week. I would expect OSU to make some noise in the Pac-12 this season but right now its a bit tough. – Dacota Haynes
18. Miami Hurricanes (4-0)
Previous Ranking: 20 (moved up 2)
Week 4 Result: 41-7 W Temple
What’s next: Bye
The Canes jumped two spots in the rankings as they cruised to a 41-7 victory over Temple. Tyler Van Dyke continued his stellar play as he tossed three touchdowns with no turnovers. He’s completed nearly 75% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and 1 interception so far. Miami now has the 8th ranked offense in the country and will host Georgia Tech at home next weekend. – Alex Twist
17. Duke Blue Devils (4-0)
Previous Ranking: 18 (moved up 1)
Week 4 Result: 41-7 W Connecticut
What’s next: vs. Notre Dame 9/30 4:30 PM PST
The Blue Devils played 59 minutes and 48 seconds before Connecticut’s Ta’Quan Roberson punched it in from two yards out… to make it 41-7. As expected, Duke dominated all facets of play and improved to 4-0 on the season. Riley Leonard and his group will face perhaps their toughest test of the year next week: a very angry Notre Dame team. The Fighting Irish got walked off by Ohio State with a second to go in a game that perhaps had national championship implications. Are the Blue Devils for real or have they hit their ceiling? – Max Crider
16. Washington State Cougars
Previous Ranking: 21 (moved up 5)
Week 4 Result: 38-35 W Oregon State
What’s next: Bye
The Cougars pulled off an impressive victory over OSU when the two teams remaining in the Pac-12 went to War against each other. Now the Cougars find themselves ranked this high for the first time since 2018. Josh Kelly was a man on mission as he caught three touchdown passes. Next week, the Cougars have a bye but then they’ll face UCLA afterwards. – Dacota Haynes
15. North Carolina Tar Heels
Previous Ranking: 17 (moved up 2)
Week 4 Result: 41-24 W Pittsburgh
What’s next: Bye
The Heels faced little opposition while on offense against Pittsburgh. It was a back-and-forth affair throughout the first half but North Carolina pulled away early in the second half. The final would be 41-24 in a game where Drake Maye threw a left-handed touchdown that would put his group up for good. Heading into their bye week, this UNC team is averaging 35.8 points per game and is an early contender to make the ACC Championship. After their week off, they host another 4-0 ACC team: Syracuse. – Max Crider
14. Oklahoma Sooners (4-0)
Previous Ranking: 16 (moved up 2)
Week 4 Result: 20-6 W Cincinnati
What’s next: vs. Iowa State 9/30 4 PM PST
Led by stifling defense and offense led by Dillon Gabriel to Andrel Anthony who led the Sooners with 117 yards. Oklahoma was not very impressive against a weak Cincinnati team in their first year in the Big 12, but a win is a win. They deserve to be a top 15 team and rightfully so. – Kyle Thibideau
13. LSU Tigers
Previous Ranking: 12 (dropped 1)
Week 4 Result: 34-31 W Arkansas
What’s next: at Ole Miss 9/30 3 PM PST
LSU drops one spot after defeating Arkansas in another nail-biter in the Golden Boot series. The Tigers were ranked behind Alabama this week, but donʻt get too angry Tiger fans, LSU can overtake Bama next week as long as LSU survives Ole Miss. The defensive line showed out on Saturday night, but oddly the defensive backs played the worst, allowing Arkansas to stay in the game by completing deep ball after deep ball. – Owen Patterson
12. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-1)
Previous Ranking: 9 (dropped 2)
Week 4 Result: 24-10 W Ole Miss
What’s next: at Mississippi State 9/30 4:30 PM PST
Alabama survived at home on Saturday, beating Ole Miss 24-10. The Crimson Tide will not be in the kind of shootouts we have seen in recent years, instead Alabamaʻs defense and line of scrimmage advantage will keep the Tide in championship contention. – Owen Patterson
11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1)
Previous Ranking: 9 (dropped 2)
Week 4 Result: 17-11 L Ohio State
What’s next: at Duke 9/30 4:30 PM PST
Notre Dame is coming off it’s first loss of the season in one of the best games of the season so far. A heart breaking defeat to Ohio State in the final seconds hurt, but didn’t crush their championship hopes. The ninth ranked Fighting Irish is still in playoff contention but has no room for error. – Jeff Scoggins
AP Top 25 poll
Top 10
10. Utah Utes (4-0)
Previous Ranking: 11 (moved up 1)
Week 4 Result: 14-7 W UCLA
What’s next: at Oregon State 9/29 6 PM PST
A defense effort wins the game for Utah, with star quarterback Cameron Rising still out due to injury. Nate Johnson did not look good but he was good enough to win the game and that is what matters in the pac-12 and in college football. Jaylon Glover was the bright spot on offense for Utah and was the main reason, aside from the defense that they won against a top 25 team in the UCLA Bruins who were 22. Utah moves up to number 10 with the Irish last-second loss. – Kyle Thibideau
9. Oregon Ducks (4-0)
Previous Ranking: 10 (moved up 1)
Week 4 Result: 42-6 W Colorado
What’s next: at Stanford 9/30 3:30 PM PST
The Ducks came out and dominated Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes on both sides of the ball. Throughout the game, Bo Nix was as consistentas were used to seeing from him. The win was a step in the right direction for Oregon as they had their most complete game against a ranked opponent. – Dacota Haynes
8. USC Trojans (4-0)
Previous Ranking: 5 (dropped 3)
Week 4 Result: 42-28 W Arizona State
What’s next: at Colorado 9/30 9 AM PST
The Trojans fell outside of the top five through no fault of their own, as they took care of Arizona State 42-28. But understandably they haven’t played anybody up until this point. They’ll have somewhat of a test next game against Colorado, but we won’t see what USC is really made of until they face Notre Dame in week seven. – Alex Twist
7. Washington Huskies (4-0)
Previous Ranking: 8 (moved up 1)
Week 4 Result: 59-32 W California
What’s next: at Arizona 9/30 7 PM PST
A no-contest against California will move the Huskies up one spot, to the the number seven spot, in the associated press poll. The defense did not look amazing like they did against Michigan State the previous week which is somewhat concerning against a Cal team that is in rebuilding mode. Michael Penix threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns while they had two receivers over 100 yards in Ja’Lynn Polk and Rome Odunze. They will need to fix the defense against a better opponent, the Arizona Wildcats. – Kyle Thibideau
6. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0)
Previous Ranking: 7 (dropped 1)
Week 4 Result: 31-0 W Iowa
What’s next: at Northwestern 9/30 9 AM PST
Shutting out an Iowa Hawkeye offense at home will cause the Nittany Lions to jump one spot into the sixth spot in the associated press poll. This is a stifling Iowa defense they faced and a better Iowa offense with Cade McNamara under center. Drew Allar had to spread the ball around, as he connected with nine receivers for 166 yards and four touchdowns. Kaytron Allen rushed for 72 yards in the blowout. The offense might have to be better all around but they will thank the defense for this win. – Kyle Thibideau
AP Top 25 poll
5. Florida State Seminoles (4-0)
Previous Ranking: 4 (dropped 1)
Week 4 Result: 31-24 W Clemson
What’s next: Bye
FSU barely escaped Death Valley with a win after holding on in overtime. The turning point came at the end of the 3rd quarter, when the Noles sacked Cade Klubnik and returned the fumble for a touchdown to tie the game. The Noles haven’t looked great the past two games, but they’ve finally broken their seven-game losing streak against the Tigers and should be favored to win every game for the rest of the regular season. – Alex Twist
4. Ohio State (4-0)
Previous Ranking: 6 (moved up 2)
Week 4 Result: 17-14 W Notre Dame
What’s next: Bye
An impressive win over the number ninth-ranked Notre Dame Irish puts Ohio State at the number four spot in the AP Top 25 poll. They did not look good at all, with an average offense at best led by Emeka Egbuko. Trevon Henderson also ran for over 100 yards and a TD in the win. The offense got a wake-up call and the defense held it’s own. Kyle McCord held his own in an impressive game-winning drive for the Buckeyes to avoid a loss. – Kyle Thibideau
3.Texas Longhorns (4-0)
Previous Ranking: –
Week 4 Result: 38-6 W Baylor
What’s next: vs. No. 24 Kansas 9/30 12:30 PM PST
Texas has been looking better and better every week. Which isn’t a good sign for any future opponents. Most didn’t fully trust that they were a top team including myself, but with every strong showing to stay undefeated week to week it’s becoming hard to deny them their flowers. It’s still a long season left but the Longhorns are looking good sitting at number 3 spot. Next week will be against 24th ranked Kansas before the Red River Showdown against Oklahoma. If they get caught looking past Kansas for the Sooners it could be a trap game. – Jeff Scoggins
2. Michigan Wolverines (4-0)
Previous Ranking: –
Week 4 Result: 31-7 W Rutgers
What’s next: at Nebraska 9/30 12:30 PM PST
Despite being without Jim Harbaugh, Michigan has made it halfway through a ridiculously tough non-conference schedule. It’s a joke by the way. The Wolverines, having wins over East Carolina and UNLV, are ranked ahead of Texas and Florida State, each with top 10 wins on their resume. – Owen Patterson
1. Georgia Bulldogs (4-0)
Previous Ranking: –
Week 4 Result: 49-21 W UAB
What’s next: at Auburn 9/30 12:30 PM PST
The Bulldogs bullied UAB and retained their top spot in the AP Top 25 Poll. Georgia will play their first road game, yes, first road game, of the year against Auburn in Week 5. For now, Georgia better enjoy having to do absolutely nothing to stay number one except reap the benefits of being back-to-back national champs. – Owen Patterson
TL//DR: These AP Top 25 Poll are based on the official website. The summaries are brought to you by our staff.
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