Week 4 gave us surprising outcomes as we welcome three new schools into this week’s top-25 list.
Texas stayed on top for a second straight week after a blowout win over UL Monroe. Arch Manning started his first game and continued to shine in the spotlight, while Texas’ defense showed it remains elite.
Michigan’s offense finally seemed to find its groove as USC made its first visit back to the Big House in over 60 years. In a game where USC’s defense was expected to make a statement, Michigan’s offense had other plans under new starting quarterback Alex Orji.
And after Nebraska and Northern Illinois suffered losses this past weekend, UNLV joins the list in Week 4. After a big win over Kansas last weekend, the Rebels look to be a top Group of 5 contender seeking to gain one of the 12-team College Football Playoff spots.
Our college football experts give insight on each team based off Week 4 performances.
No. 1 Texas Longhorns
Previous ranking: 1
Steve Sarkisian isn’t shying away from saying his team has national championship ambitions, and the Longhorns continue to play like a team with the talent, toughness and depth to go all the way. Arch Manning was solid in his first career start, a 51-3 blowout of UL Monroe, and Texas’ defense continues to shine.
The Warhawks could not move the ball on this unit and finished the night with 54 passing yards, 57 rushing yards, 8 punts, 2 turnovers and a safety. Texas is now tied with Ole Miss for No. 1 in scoring defense (5.5 points per game) in FBS and tied for sixth in yards allowed per play (3.7). The Longhorns face Mississippi State next and might get QB Quinn Ewers back from his oblique injury in time for their SEC debut. — Max Olson
Previous ranking: 2
Kirby Smart might have gotten just what he wanted with the sluggish (especially on offense) 13-12 win over Kentucky two weeks ago. Giving Smart an extra week to remind his team in practice that it’s still a long way from being a finished product usually doesn’t work out well for the next opponent. That opponent is unbeaten Alabama, which also had a bye week. The best news for the Bulldogs as they travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium is that they should get several of their top defensive linemen back from injury, including Mykel Williams.
Even with the injuries, Georgia has not given up a touchdown in its first three games, but it faces an Alabama offense that has specialized in explosive plays under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer. On offense, Georgia will be without one of its top linemen, All-America guard Tate Ratledge, who underwent ankle surgery and will be out for several games. Georgia has lost eight of the past nine games in this series, all of those with Nick Saban coaching the Crimson Tide. — Chris Low
Previous ranking: 4
The Vols (4-0) have been as complete a team as anybody in the country through four games, with their latest win being a 25-15 road beatdown of Oklahoma on Saturday in a game they led 22-3 going into the fourth quarter. It was Tennessee’s second win over a nationally ranked team away from home this season, and while the Vols didn’t light up the scoreboard against the Sooners offensively, they were again dominant on defense. That’s what separates this team from past Tennessee teams.
The Vols are deep and talented in their defensive front and make plays all over the field on defense. Going back to the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl win over Iowa last season, Tennessee’s defense has given up just one touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava had two fumbles in the game, but also threw a gorgeous 66-yard touchdown pass to Dont’e Thornton Jr. and set up a field goal with a 42-yard strike down the sideline to Bru McCoy. The Vols also played with two backup offensive tackles for much of the game. They get a bye week this coming weekend and then travel to Arkansas on Oct. 5. — Low
Previous ranking: 5
The Buckeyes demonstrated their big-play prowess in a 49-14 rout of Marshall. Ohio State scored four touchdowns of 40 yards or more, tying its most in a game over the past 20 seasons, according to ESPN Research. Ohio State’s top four playmakers all contributed.
Two plays into Ohio State’s opening drive, Emeka Egbuka hauled in a middle screen and scampered 68 yards for the score. Quinshon Judkins followed that up with an 86-yard touchdown run, the third-longest run in Ohio State history. TreVeyon Henderson added a 40-yard touchdown dash. And Jeremiah Smith continued his torrid start with a 53-yard scoring reception. Smith and Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter (1984) are now the only true freshman Buckeyes ever to catch four touchdowns over a three-game span. Led by Smith, Egbuka, Judkins and Henderson, the Buckeyes boast as much offensive firepower as any team in college football. — Jake Trotter
Previous ranking: 3
The Crimson Tide, coming off a bye week, face their first test against a nationally ranked team when Georgia comes to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday. Alabama was banged up in its offensive line to start the season but should be much healthier with the week off. Left tackle Kadyn Proctor missed the first two games with a shoulder injury, but played two weeks ago against Wisconsin. With a healthy Proctor at tackle and Tyler Booker moving back inside to left guard, that’s Alabama’s best combination on the offensive line.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe has accounted for 14 touchdowns (eight passing and six rushing) in his first three games of the season. One of the key matchups will be Georgia’s defense against an Alabama offense that has produced 11 plays of 30 yards or longer through three games. The Tide have won eight of the past nine games in the series. This will be just the fifth time in the past 20 years the two teams have met in the regular season. — Low
Previous ranking: 7
They haven’t exactly faced a murderers’ row — Furman, Middle Tennessee, Wake Forest and now Georgia Southern — but Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels have been merciless in 2024. Following a 52-13 win on Saturday, the Rebels have now outscored foes by a combined 220-22 this season.
Against Georgia Southern on Saturday night, Jaxson Dart threw for 382 yards and four touchdowns; he now has 1,554 yards through four games, the most of any SEC quarterback in the past 20 years. Tre Harris reeled in 11 of Dart’s passes for 225 yards and two scores, and the Rebels more than tripled the Eagles’ yardage 607-194. September has been awfully easy for the Rebs, but now SEC play starts. At some point, Ole Miss might actually face an ounce of adversity. — Bill Connelly
Previous ranking: 6
The Hurricanes are 4-0, just like last season, but they look so much different thanks to Cam Ward. In a 50-15 win over USF, Ward threw for 404 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the first Miami player with at least 300 yards passing in each of his first four games in the past 25 years. Miami has scored 209 points, its most through four games in program history.
The Hurricanes outscored their first four nonconference opponents by 168 points, also their largest point differential through four games in program history. But as Ward said afterward, what happened in these games is not as important as what is to come — the ACC schedule, starting with an old Big East rival, Virginia Tech, on Friday night at home. — Andrea Adelson
Previous ranking: 10
There would be no repeat scare against a MAC opponent for Penn State, which overwhelmed a severely undermanned Kent State team at Beaver Stadium, surging to 28-0 lead behind quarterback Drew Allar and a stifling defense. Penn State piled up a team record 718 yards, surpassing a mark that had stood since 1926 (711 yards). The Nittany Lions shut out Kent State and outgained the Golden Flashes by a team-record 651 yards — the highest for a team against an FBS opponent in the past 20 seasons.
Allar posted his highest first-half passing yards total (250), while finding three different teammates for touchdowns. He was extremely efficient, completing 17 of 21 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns, while backup Beau Pribula and tight end Tyler Warren also threw for scores. Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton both had sacks for a smothering PSU defense. — Adam Rittenberg
Previous ranking: 11
The Ducks’ start to the season may not have looked the part of a team trying to compete for a national title, but it has a testament to their talent and resolve that they were still able to win their first three games of the season before their bye week. An off week was probably much-needed for Dan Lanning’s team as it heads into Big Ten play knowing there’s still plenty to improve.
Dillon Gabriel looked much more comfortable and effective in Oregon’s offense during its win last week at Oregon State, throwing for 290 yards, two touchdowns and only four incompletions, but with the number of weapons Gabriel has, it still feels like the Ducks’ offense is just scratching the surface. A matchup against a 1-2 UCLA team that is in a rebuilding year with a brand-new head coach may also help the Ducks ramp up their confidence as tougher matchups with Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State loom. — Paolo Uggetti
Previous ranking: 14
Perhaps the Cam Rising injury saga took our eyes off of just how talented Utah is across the board? Because through four weeks, the Utes are quite clearly the Big 12 front-runners.
Rising’s injured throwing hand kept the seventh-year passer sidelined again on Saturday at Oklahoma State, but the Utes still had enough to dominate the Cowboys on their way to a 22-19 victory, the program’s first top-15 win since 2018.
That’s because Utah has the Big 12’s leading rusher in Micah Bernard, who totaled a career-best 182 rushing yards in Week 4. It’s also because tight end Brant Kuithe — who had two touchdowns against Oklahoma State — has found the end zone five times through four games. And it’s because Morgan Scalley’s defense once again stands among the nation’s best after delivering another stifling defensive performance Saturday. When Rising returns, there will be no more complete team in the Big 12 than Kyle Whittingham’s Utes. — Eli Lederman
Previous ranking: 9
Survive, advance and hope you figure things out as you go along. For the second straight week, Missouri endured late drama as a double-digit favorite, but the Tigers kept their unbeaten record intact with a 30-27 overtime win over Vanderbilt. Freshman kicker Blake Craig missed three field goal attempts in regulation but hit a 37-yarder in the second OT possession, and Vanderbilt’s Brock Taylor hooked his attempt badly.
Mizzou outgained the Commodores by 118 yards, and running back Nate Noel rushed for 199 yards to pace the Tigers’ attack, but constant red zone failures (and the missed 3-pointers) kept the underdogs within striking distance, and Diego Pavia’s 178 passing yards and 84 rushing yards were nearly enough to pull an upset. Mizzou heads into a bye week at 4-0, but with a trip to Texas A&M looming in Week 6, immediate improvement is a must. — Connelly
No. 12 Michigan Wolverines
Previous ranking: 16
The revamped Wolverines have been desperately searching for an offensive identity. Saturday against USC, they may have finally unearthed it. Propelled by senior running back Kalel Mullings, Michigan pounded the Trojans with a relentless rushing attack on the way to a 27-24, comeback victory. The Wolverines finished with only 32 passing yards, their fewest in a game since 1987, according to ESPN Research. But they unleashed a multifaceted running game, thanks in part to the quarterback change from Davis Warren to Alex Orji, who added 43 rushing yards.
Michigan alone rushed for 199 yards in the first half, the most USC had surrendered in a first half in the Lincoln Riley era. Then, on the 89-yard, game-winning possession, the Wolverines handed off to Mullings eight times, while throwing it only twice. Mullings broke free for a 63-yard run, then finished off the drive with a fourth-and-goal, 1-yard scoring plunge. Going forward, Mullings figures to be the engine of the Michigan offense. And in Orji, the Wolverines have a quarterback built to operate a run-heavy attack. — Trotter
Previous ranking: 19
In its first big test, Louisville delivered, beating Georgia Tech 31-19 behind Tyler Shough and a huge defensive effort. Shough threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, while the defense scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone and racked up seven tackles for loss on the Georgia Tech offense, limiting the Yellow Jackets to just three second-half points.
On one crucial fourth-down drive, Louisville stopped Georgia Tech on fourth-and-goal at the 3 to preserve its lead. Up next for Louisville is a trip to Notre Dame — a team the Cards beat at home a year ago to help them get off to their best start in 10 years. Once again, Louisville will be undefeated headed into its matchup. — Adelson
Previous ranking: 17
Over the span of 15 frustrating games, the takeaway on Cade Klubnik was simple — he was DJ Uiagalelei Part II, another five-star QB who simply couldn’t live up to the hype. It was always something of a lazy take. Klubnik was often quite good, but also often quite bad. The key was consistency.
Does two games count as a trend then? If so, the numbers couldn’t be better. Klubnik’s past two starts against App State and NC State have been otherworldly: 80% completions, 11.7 yards per dropback, 11 total touchdowns and no turnovers. It has been so good, in fact, those fans once complaining about Klubnik, are now daring to imagine a world in which he approaches Trevor Lawrence territory. — David Hale
Previous ranking: 8
On the brink of what could have been the second marquee win of their season — this time at the Big House against Michigan in their Big Ten opener — USC reverted to the worst version of itself. A three-and-out drive with the lead in hand and a defensive breakdown that led to a Kalel Mullings 63-yard run and set up the Wolverines’ go-ahead score left the Trojans ruing a game they thought they should have won.
Despite being down 14-3 at the half, USC flipped the game and took control as it stifled the one-dimensional Michigan offense and forced two key turnovers. USC outgained Michigan, had more first downs and held the ball for longer. In crunch time, its execution was lacking, leaving the Trojans with the realization that any improvement they had made since last season still needs more work if they want to compete against their new conference foes. — Uggetti
Previous ranking: 20
In a perfect world, Notre Dame probably would love to see Riley Leonard take fewer hits and sit in the pocket more comfortably. But this isn’t a perfect world, and so far, the alternative has been pretty appealing, too. In Saturday’s 28-3 win over Miami (Ohio), Leonard ran for 143 yards and two scores — his second straight 100-yard, multitouchdown rushing performance.
Leonard’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Beaux Collins in the second quarter was his first of the year — his first TD throw in nearly a full calendar year, actually (since throwing one against Notre Dame as a member of Duke’s offense on Sept. 30, 2023). If the Irish are going to chase down a playoff bid, Leonard likely needs more balance, but for now, his legs have been more than enough to win. — Hale
Previous ranking: 21
LSU created plenty of adversity for itself with an iffy first half, and once again, a strong second-half pushed the Tigers into the win column. Tied 17-17 at halftime with a wobbly UCLA team, LSU scored on three straight possessions in the second half and rolled, 34-17. Garrett Nussmeier threw for 352 yards with three touchdowns to three different receivers, and more importantly, after allowing a touchdown with two seconds left in the first half, the beleaguered LSU defense held the Bruins to 89 yards and no points after halftime.
Despite an opening-week loss and plenty of wobbly moments — they led Nicholls by only two early in the third quarter and trailed South Carolina by 17 in the second quarter — the Tigers are 3-1 and continue to climb back up the rankings. At some point, however, those shaky first halves will be more costly. — Connelly
Previous ranking: 23
Iowa State did not mess around against Arkansas State, pulling away quickly for an easy 52-7 home win to move to 3-0. Rocco Becht threw for 204 yards and scored three touchdowns, the running game got rolling and the Cyclones topped 50 points for the first time since 2021. Matt Campbell is one victory away from becoming the Cyclones’ all-time winningest head coach, with a struggling 1-3 Houston team up next. He and his staff have built a team that looks ready to be a contender in a chaotic Big 12 race with only three other teams (Utah, BYU and UCF) still undefeated coming out of Week 4. — Olson
Previous ranking: 25
The Illini are off to their first 4-0 start since 2011 and continue to look like one of the nation’s most improved teams. They needed contributions from multiple areas to overcome three deficits at Nebraska and eventually outlast the Huskers in overtime. Illinois’ knack for making the key plays stood out in earlier games and once again showed up in Lincoln. Torrie Cox Jr.’s interception in the end zone stole away a Nebraska touchdown, while quarterback Luke Altmyer found 335-pound lineman Brandon Henderson on fourth down for the game-tying touchdown with 10:36 to play in regulation.
Coordinators Barry Lunney Jr. (offense) and Aaron Henry (defense) have both dialed up excellent playcalls in overtime as Illinois scored easily and then swarmed Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola. Altmyer was excellent, recording four touchdown passes and only six incompletions. Dennis Briggs Jr. and Alec Bryant led an assertive defense that finished with six sacks, eight tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Illinois recorded just its second road win against an AP Top 25 team in the past 15 seasons (both in overtime). — Rittenberg
Previous ranking: NR
The Cougars made an emphatic statement, dominating No. 13 Kansas State 38-9 for the largest win over a Top-15 team in school history, ending a five-game losing streak to Big 12 teams. The Cougars used a stunning two-minute stretch before halftime to take over as Kansas State led 6-3.
The Cougars scored twice, once on a fumble return before intercepting an Avery Johnson pass then a 23-yard touchdown pass to take a 17-6 halftime lead. In the second half, BYU added a 90-yard punt return by Parker Kingston, completing a 6½-minute span when the Cougars scored 31 points and shocked the Wildcats. — Dave Wilson
Previous ranking: 13
Week 4 was the stage for one of the most toothless offensive efforts of the Mike Gundy era, and the Cowboys still nearly completed an improbable comeback before falling short against Utah. Credit for that belongs to Bryan Nardo’s defense, which made stop after stop to keep Oklahoma State in the game long enough for its offense to wake up and mount a late surge over the final 5:37.
But after the Cowboys floundered in their much-anticipated Big 12 opener, there are questions abound for Gundy & Co. What comes next for seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman after his troubling performance? Is there hope for reigning Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon II and a running game that ranks 115th nationally? Can Oklahoma State sort out a run defense that gave up 249 yards and spent 42:26 on the field Saturday? All of that hovers over the Cowboys this week as they pick up the pieces and prepare for a Week 5 trip to Kansas State. — Lederman
Previous ranking: NR
Under first-year coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers have quietly rolled through their first four games by an average margin of 41 points. For the third straight game, Ohio transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke was virtually flawless, completing 16 of 20 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown in Indiana’s 52-14 victory over Charlotte.
Rourke now ranks fourth nationally with a QBR of 92.4. He has thrown eight touchdowns without an interception. The Hoosiers will face tougher tests ahead. But Indiana has a shot this weekend at home against Maryland to start 5-0 for the first time since 1967 — and only the third time in program history. — Trotter
Previous ranking: 12
Kansas State’s road trip to Provo for a late-night showdown with BYU looked like a trap game. That’s how it looked on the field, too. K-State coach Chris Klieman didn’t hesitate to say his team was embarrassed after a lopsided 38-9 loss that got out of control in rapid fashion.
A 6-0 Wildcats lead turned into a 31-6 deficit in a matter of just seven minutes of game time, due to a calamity of errors and turnovers. K-State outgained its opponent 367-241, but failed to turn red zone trips into touchdowns. It was a rough reality check for a team that looked dominant last week against Arizona. The Wildcats have a lot to clean up with another tough Big 12 test up next against Oklahoma State. — Olson
Previous ranking: 15
The Sooners’ offensive frustrations boiled over against Tennessee, with Brent Venables benching Jackson Arnold for freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., but neither quarterback had much time to throw, with the Tennessee pass rush pressuring the Sooners on 49% of dropbacks, according to ESPN Research.
And there was no running game to take any pressure off, with 16 of the Sooners’ 34 rushing attempts gaining zero or negative yards and OU gaining just 222 total yards. The Sooners’ defense held up against the Vols’ acrobatic offense, but it will need help through the Sooners’ first SEC season. — Wilson
Previous ranking: NR
The Rebels were off Saturday following their Week 3 win over Kansas. And while things broke well for UNLV over the weekend — losses from No. 22 Nebraska and No. 23 Northern Illinois, as well as defeats for two of the three teams who received AP Poll votes ahead of the Rebels after Week 3 — Barry Odom and Co. stayed in Top 25 voting, receiving the fourth-most votes among non-ranked teams for a second straight week. UNLV has asserted itself among college football’s Group of 5 contenders, and the Rebels will have opportunities to push on for the program’s first-ever AP Top 25 ranking with matchups against Fresno State and Syracuse over the next two weekends. — Lederman
