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Not as many teams fall out of the rankings this week, but Week 4 proved to be pivotal with six of our Top 25 teams taking losses.
Some questions for this week: how much does Texas A&M move up after a big win over Arkansas? Is Tennessee finally a contender after a needed win over Florida? Also, how much to Michigan State and Georgia fall after horrifying losses in Week 4? Check out below!
1. Louisville — ACC, 4-0
LW: 1 — Result: W, 59-28 vs. Marshall
Don't worry, this game wasn't as close as that score may indicate. Marshall scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to close the gap some, but Louisville had complete control of this game while the starters were out there. Louisville will get another chance to make a huge statement with their game at Clemson next week.
2. Alabama — SEC, 4-0
LW: 2 — Result: W, 48-0 vs. Kent State
Business as usual for Alabama against a non-conference opponent. One big problem from this game, though, was that running backs Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough both suffered injuries. The injuries appear to be relatively minor, and the Tide should have a relatively easy game next week against Kentucky to let the two heal if they need it.
3. Ohio State — Big Ten, 3-0
LW: 3 — Result: DNP
Ohio State had the week off. They get Rutgers and Indiana in back-to-back weeks before a huge test against Wisconsin.
4. Houston — AAC, 4-0
LW: 4 — Result: W, 64-3 vs. Texas State
This is what a Top 5 team should be doing against opponents like Texas State. Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. looked great, and as long as Houston keeps handling easy competition, they should be able to stay in the Top 5. Any close calls with that weak of a schedule, though, could knock them down the board.
5. Clemson — ACC, 4-0
LW: 5 — Result: W, 26-7 vs. Georgia Tech
Clemson got their first win in Bobby Dodd Stadium since 2003. For a Thursday game on the road, this seemed like an upset in the making, but Clemson absolutely dominated Georgia Tech's option attack. The Tigers slowed down a little in the second half, but this is still a big win for them.
6. Michigan — Big Ten, 4-0
LW: 8 — Result: W, 49-10 vs. Penn State
This game was never in question, as Michigan jumped out to a 28-0 lead at halftime. Penn State may not be a great team, but this was a good litmus test for Michigan; after three weeks of "meh" non-conference opponents, they impressed against a decent enough conference foe.
7. Stanford — Pac-12, 3-0
LW: 6 — Result: W, 22-13 vs. UCLA
This score looks hilarious when you consider that Stanford needed a game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left to take the lead. They then got a strip-sack on the ensuing Hail Mary attempt to score again.
This is a good road win against a decent opponent, but Stanford isn't exactly lighting it up on offense so far this year, even with Christian McCaffrey playing well. They still have some stuff to figure out.
8. Texas A&M — SEC, 4-0
LW: 10 — Result: W, 45-24 vs. Arkansas
Texas A&M has gone from unranked to start the season (in most polls) to a Top 10 team now. The first half against Arkansas was close, but the Aggies were able to pull away in the third quarter to secure the win. Will this be the year they get over the Alabama hump in the SEC West? We will have to wait a few weeks to see.
9. Wisconsin — Big Ten, 4-0
LW: 12 — Result: W, 30-6 vs. Michigan State
Wisconsin flat-out destroyed Michigan State on the road. Turnovers were the name of the game here, as a fumble returned for a touchdown to start the second half really powered the Badgers. Wisconsin also had three interceptions, and they didn't have to do much on offense to get this win.
10. Washington — Pac-12, 4-0
LW: 9 — Result: W, 35-28 vs. Arizona
This was almost a trap game for Washington, as it took them overtime to be a game Arizona team on the road. Washington will get Stanford at home next week, which is when we will find out if the Huskies are actually for real.
11. Tennessee — SEC, 4-0
LW: 14 — Result: W, 38-28 vs. Florida
How quickly things changed for Tennessee on Saturday.
They started out in a 21-3 deficit at halftime. Fans booed as they left the field, and some even left the game. Of course, college football is a turbulent game, meaning that Tennessee was able to rally back and finally beat Florida for the first time in over a decade. Despite awful-looking games against App. State and Ohio, Tennessee is still undefeated with impressive wins over Virginia Tech and Florida.
12. Florida State — ACC, 3-1
LW: 15 — Result: W, 55-35 vs. USF
The first quarter of this game took forever, as Florida State and South Florida thought it would be a jolly ol' time to score four touchdowns in the first five minutes of the game. Imagine turning on a game and seeing it was already 14-14 with 10 minutes left in the first quarter.
Dalvin Cook rushed for a career-high 267 rushing yards, which is huge considering he did not look like himself for the first few games of the season. FSU will have UNC next week to see if they can continue their rehab from the awful Louisville game.
13. Nebraska — Big Ten, 4-0
LW: 13 — Result: W, 24-13 vs. Northwestern
Nebraska got a big win at home over North.... oh wait, this game was on the road. Nebraska fans just redded-out Northwestern's stadium again.
Yikes, Northwestern.
14. Baylor — Big 12, 4-0
LW: 16 — Result: W, 35-24 vs. Oklahoma State
Once again, Baylor is essentially the last-man standing in the Big 12, and they got a good win over Oklahoma State to keep it that way. This game wasn't quite the shootout that I had expected, but Baylor quarterback Seth Russell looked great with 387 passing yards and four touchdowns. Looks like he has fully recovered from the neck injury that ended his 2015 season.
15. Michigan State — Big Ten, 3-1
LW: 7 — Result: L, 6-30 vs. Wisconsin
Oh Michigan State... this was bad. All the good will on offense that was built up in the Notre Dame game was just completely zapped, which now begs another question: how bad is Notre Dame's defense
Answer: really bad.
16. Ole Miss — SEC, 2-2
LW: NR — Result: W, 45-14 vs. Georgia
I have some reservations about ranking Ole Miss this highly with two losses already
17. North Dakota State — MVC, 3-0
LW: 17 — Result: DNP
NDSU maintains their spot in the rankings after a week off. They will need to impress against Illinois State next week, though, as they will be graded just like any other Top 25 team facing FCS opponents.
18. Miami — ACC, 3-0
LW: 20 — Result: DNP
Miami was off this week, and luckily for them, it gave them an extra week to prepare for Georgia Tech and the option.
19. Western Michigan — MAC, 4-0
LW: 21 — Result: W, 49-31 vs. Georgia Southern
ROW THE BOAT.
Your Big Ten West champs are still on the path to what could be an undefeated season for them. However, one of their biggest tests will be next week, as they play at rival Central Michigan in was is a gigantic showdown for the MAC.
20. Utah — Pac-12, 4-0
LW: NR — Result: W, 31-27 vs. USC
Utah finds themselves undefeated thanks to a big come-from-behind win against USC on Friday. It may not seem like much, but it is a big win considering that USC derailed Utah's 6-0 start from last season.
Utah is still a bit of an unknown, but we will know a little more about them next week when they head to Cal for a big in-conference match up.
21. San Diego State — MWC, 3-0
LW: 24 — Result: DNP
San Diego State moves up thanks to some teams ahead of them losing. They play South Alabama next week.
22. Arkansas — SEC, 3-1
LW: 18 — Result: L, 24-45 vs. Texas A&M
Oh, Arkansas... you had so many chances. This game went off the rails for the Razorbacks after they got stood up on the goal-line following a mystifying play call. Your offensive line is enormous, Bielema, why did you try to go to the perimeter?
In the grand scheme of things, a loss to a Top 10 team isn't bad, but the Hogs really missed out on a chance to establish themselves as a contender.
23. Florida — SEC, 3-1
LW: 19 — Result: L, 28-38 vs. Tennessee
A tale of two halves saw Florida go from greatest team in the world in the first half, to... well, not the greatest team in the world. The Gator offense just couldn't get anything going in the second half, and special teams mistakes by Antonio Callaway certainly didn't help their cause.
24. North Carolina — ACC, 3-1
LW: 22 — Result: W, 37-36 vs. Pitt
I'm probably going to get some flak for ranking North Carolina over Georgia, so I'll explain that really quickly: Georgia has looked terrible for three consecutive weeks.
With that out of the way, whether North Carolina stays ranked will solve itself next week. The Tar Heels head to Tallahassee for a game against Florida State, and that is the game where we will see if quarterback Mitch Trubisky has progress from his season-opening debacle against Georgia.
25. TCU — Big 12, 3-1
LW: NR — Result: W, 33-3 vs. SMU
TCU's defense finally showed up! Sure, it was at SMU, but it's still something!
TCU has Oklahoma at home next week in what will be a huge contest for the Big 12. A TCU win will establish them in the eyes of many as a fringe-Playoff contender, but a loss will go a long way in completely eliminating the Big 12's Playoff hopes altogether.
DROPPED FROM THE RANKINGS: Georgia (11), LSU (23), Oregon (25)
