College Football Rankings: Predicting AP Top 25 Poll After Week 4
Week 4 of the college football season didn't provide the greatest set of matchups on paper, but that's why they play the games. This weekend featured four games between ranked teams, a few notable upsets and a number of games where teams in the AP Top 25 were taken down to the wire.
No. 6 Tennessee handled No. 15 Oklahoma in the primetime ABC matchup. The Vols, led by former Sooners quarterback and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel, handed OU a loss in its first conference game as an SEC member. The Sooners benched quarterback Jackson Arnold as he struggled to handle the Tennessee defense's onslaught. Backup Michael Hawkins Jr. fared better, but not well enough to complete a comeback.
No. 18 Michigan can expect to climb back up the rankings after bludgeoning No. 11 USC with the run game in a 27-24 win. New quarterback Alex Orji was just 7-for-12 for 32 yards , while the Wolverines ran the ball 46 times for 290 yards and three touchdowns.
No. 12 Utah scored a significant win in the Big 12 race without starting QB Cam Rising, handing No. 14 Oklahoma State its first loss. No. 24 Illinois made a statement on Friday night, beating No. 22 Nebraska in Lincoln behind four touchdown passes from Luke Altmeyer.
No. 8 Miami kept its impressive start rolling with a 50-15 win at South Florida. No. 21 Clemson continues to pour it on opposing teams after its Week 1 embarrassment against Georgia, beating NC State 59-35. No. 23 Northern Illinois falls from the ranks of the unbeaten, and had its College Football Playoff hopes take a likely fatal blow with a loss to Buffalo. No. 7 Missouri and No. 25 Texas A&M both got real scares from unranked opponents.
Ahead of Sunday's release of the updated AP Top 25 poll, here is our projection of the Week 4 rankings. (Note: these projections were made with some late games still undecided.)
Which teams should be higher or lower in our projections? Sound off in the comments below.
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This story was originally published September 22, 2024, 12:20 AM.
