Projected AP Top 25 College Football Rankings After Week 4
The projected AP Top 25 college football rankings for Week 4 face major shakeups following a chaotic Saturday. High-profile matchups reshaped the poll as Florida defeated Ole Miss, Texas narrowly escaped Tennessee, and upsets struck Louisville and Penn State.
Chaos reigned across college football on Saturday when six matchups featured teams ranked inside the AP Top 25. The fallout from these contests promises a dramatic restructuring of the latest poll. Voters must account for a wave of upsets, statement wins, and narrow escapes that completely altered the trajectory of the season’s first month.
The Swamp Roars and Texas Survives
Florida delivered one of the day’s defining results by taking down Ole Miss in The Swamp. Meanwhile, Texas faced a ferocious upset bid from Tennessee in Austin.
Out west, Oregon continued its ongoing dominance over USC. The Ducks secured another victory against the Trojans despite playing without quarterback Dante Moore.
LSU also made a statement by dominating Texas A&M. The blowout loss proved fatal to the Aggies’ ranking, knocking them completely out of the Top 25 alongside Louisville, which stumbled in an upset defeat.
Projecting the New Lower Tiers: Nos. 25 Through 21
Kentucky enters the projected rankings at No. 25 with a 3-1 record following a 45-21 win over South Alabama. The Wildcats’ lone loss came against a clearly quite good Alabama squad, and head coach Will Stein’s team has handled business against South Alabama and Texas A&M.
Missouri slips to No. 24 after the hard-fought road loss to Mississippi State. Eli Drinkwitz’s squad proved they will not be an easy out in the SEC. Houston lands at No. 23 after scraping out a 42-28 road win against a 1-3 Georgia Southern team, bouncing back from a previous loss to Texas Tech.
Michigan sits at No. 22 despite a 20-19 loss to Iowa.
Penn State rounds out this tier at No. 21 after suffering a 24-20 defeat against Wisconsin. Playing their first Power Four opponent of the season, Matt Campbell’s Nittany Lions dropped their first game, suggesting early-season rankings may have overvalued the roster following a coaching change.
Climbing the Polls: Nos. 20 Through 16
Oklahoma State debuts in the projected rankings at No. 20 with a 3-1 record after pulling away from West Virginia in a 41-24 hostile road victory. Eric Morris’s squad benefits from an early-season win over Oregon that continues to appreciate in value, offsetting an earlier loss to Tulsa.
SMU occupies the tier below as they lick their wounds following a tough loss to Louisville, preparing to face Missouri State.