During a Week 4 slate filled with ranked matchups, some upsets occurred. That led to a shakeup in the college football rankings, and USA Today has released the latest Coaches Poll Top 25 after the jam-packed weekend.
From a rankings standpoint, the most notable result came in Gainesville where Florida took down Ole Miss, which knocked the Rebels out of their No. 6 ranking in the coaches poll. But USC also suffered a key loss, falling to Oregon at home after coming in at No. 12 last week.
$19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage
As a result, there has been some big-time movement in the rankings as the college football season rolls along. Here is the full USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings after the Week 4 slate of games.
1. Texas
It wasn’t easy, especially at the end, but Texas picked up a huge SEC road win on Saturday against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium. That helped the Longhorns stay put atop the college football rankings as the No. 1 team in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Defense was the name of the game for Texas in what became a grind-it-out game on offense. Colin Simmons shined, tying a program record with five sacks while also recording a forced fumble as part of the effort.
2. Georgia
Once again, Georgia flexed its muscle in a big way in Saturday’s game against Oklahoma. The Bulldogs’ defense dominated in the 41-13 victory, forcing four Sooners turnovers, including two fumbles and an interception from OU quarterback John Mateer.
As a result, UGA held strong as the No. 2 team in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Kirby Smart’s group continues to roll through the early part of SEC play as they get ready for a home matchup against Vanderbilt in Week 5.
3. Notre Dame
In the rivalry game against Purdue, Notre Dame didn’t leave any room for doubt. Fueled by a 28-point second quarter, the Fighting Irish cruised past the Boilermakers 49-10 to stay squarely in the Top 5 of the USA Today Coaches Poll.
CJ Carr went 14-of-22 for 237 yards and three touchdowns in the effort, along with a rushing touchdown. Notre Dame is now 4-0 to start the year and will hit the road next week to take on North Carolina.
4. Miami (+1)
In another non-conference tuneup before ACC play gets going in full swing, Miami again cruised against Central Michigan. The Hurricanes got the 52-3 victory as their high-powered offense continued to roll.
Darian Mensah went 23-of-27 for 338 yards and three touchdowns while Malachi Toney had six catches for 120 yards and a score to lead the receiving game. A huge matchup awaits in Week 5 as Miami takes on Clemson in primetime.
5. Indiana (-1)
Northwestern didn’t make things easy for Indiana during Friday night’s game in Bloomington as the Wildcats kept things close against the reigning national champions. Ultimately, the Hoosiers got the 29-23 win to stay undefeated at home under Curt Cignetti.
Lee Beebe Jr. had a monster game after Turbo Richard went down with an injury, taking 24 carries for 203 yards and a touchdown to lead the charge. IU will hit the road this week and head to Rutgers on Saturday night.
6. Ohio State (+1)
Illinois didn’t have an answer for Jeremiah Smith in Saturday’s Week 4 matchup against Ohio State. The Buckeyes star had four touchdowns in the resounding 42-19 victory at The Horseshoe, and they stayed in the Top 10 in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll.
Smith had 12 receptions for 217 yards and a career-high four touchdowns to lead the charge for Ohio State. The Buckeyes now have an intriguing matchup awaiting in Week 5 as they head to Iowa, which got a monster win on Saturday at the buzzer against Michigan.
7. Alabama (+1)
Keelon Russell shined in his first SEC home game as Alabama dominated South Carolina on Saturday night. As a result, the Crimson Tide remained in the Top 10 of the USA Today Coaches Poll after Week 4, moving up one spot in the latest college football rankings.
Russell went 21-for-27 for 365 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores to Ryan Coleman-Williams, who had five catches for 98 yards. Alabama is now 4-0 on the year heading into a key showdown with Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State in Week 5.
8. Florida (+14)
Florida’s high-powered rushing attack was on full display in Week 4 in a huge victory over Ole Miss. As a result, the Gators are now in the Top 10 of the latest USA Today Coaches Poll, making a huge leap up the Top 25 ranking after their performance, jumping 14 spots.
Jadan Baugh continues to thrive in Buster Faulkner’s offense and led the charge against the Rebels on Saturday. UF is off to a strong start to the Jon Sumrall era and now find themselves at No. 8 in Sunday’s poll.
9. BYU
BYU was idle in Week 4, but the Cougars are still in the Top 10 of the USA Today Coaches Poll after Ole Miss’ loss to Florida. They are 3-0 to start the year as they get ready to enter the heart of Big 12 play starting with this week’s game against TCU.
Last time out, LJ Martin led the way as BYU cruised past Colorado State on the road in Week 3. He had 176 rushing yards and three touchdowns as the Cougars continued their impressive start to the year.
10. Texas Tech
In the second quarter, Sam Houston made things interesting against Texas Tech. But the Red Raiders kicked things into gear in a big way to get the 49-14 victory and stay in the Top 10 of the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Austin Romaine had a huge game with two pick-sixes, which occurred on consecutive throws, to lead the Texas Tech defense. On offense, Cameron Dickey ran for two touchdowns as the Red Raiders put up 470 total yards.
11. LSU
LSU bounced back after the loss to Ole Miss last week and put together a complete performance against Texas A&M. The Tigers defeated the Aggies 35-6 on Saturday night, but still find themselves out the Top 10 of the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Sam Leavitt went 17-of-23 for 312 yards and two touchdowns while clearly hobbling throughout the game, and two receivers had 100-yard games. Jackson Harris had 163 yards and two touchdowns while Winston Watkins had 107 yards.
12. Ole Miss (-6)
Fresh off its huge win over LSU, Ole Miss struggled to contain Florida’s high-powered rushing attack in a 52-28 loss in Gainesville on Saturday. As a result, the Rebels dropped six spots in this week’s USA Today Coaches Poll.
Trinidad Chambliss had 298 passing yards and a touchdown, as well as two rushing touchdowns, as part of the effort. Ole Miss will now enter its bye week before hitting the road again for a Week 6 game at Vanderbilt.
13. Utah (+2)
Utah got out to a strong start against Iowa State on Saturday and didn’t look back en route to the 31-17 victory over the Cyclones. The Utes then jumped up two spots in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll to now sit at No. 13 in the college football rankings.
Wayshawn Parker had a monster game, taking 18 carries for 174 yards and two touchdowns to lead the charge. Devon Dampier was also impressive, going 18-for-27 for 206 yards and two touchdowns while adding 21 rushing yards.
14. Iowa (+3)
It came down to the literal final second, but Iowa came away victorious against Michigan. The Hawkeyes got their first road victory over the Wolverines since 2010 and now are inside the Top 10 of the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Hank Brown found Reece Vander Zee on the final play with two seconds left for a walk-off touchdown to stun Michigan and send Iowa to the win. The Hawkeyes needed all three phases to get the job done, but they did just that and will now turn their attention to Ohio State this week.
15. Oregon (+1)
Oregon picked up a huge victory in Week 4, taking down USC at the Coliseum on Saturday night, even after losing Dante Moore to injury. The Ducks now move up one spot to No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Moore left the game via ambulance after taking a scary hit from a USC defender. Dylan Raiola then took over at quarterback and shined, going 19-of-25 for 289 yards and two touchdowns as the Ducks got their third win over the Trojans under Dan Lanning.
16. Mississippi State (+11)
Kamario Taylor continues to shine this season as Mississippi State moves up 11 spots in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs are now at No. 16 in the college football rankings after a victory over Missouri on Saturday.
Taylor went 27-of-38 for 360 yards and three touchdowns to lead the charge. MSU also got a big night from Fluff Bothwell, who had 25 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown, including the game-tying score in the fourth quarter.
17. Tennessee (-4)
Tennessee made things interesting in the final minutes of Saturday’s game against Texas at Neyland Stadium. However, the Vols could not pull off the upset, and they’re now down four spots to No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Faizon Brandon left at one point with an injury, but later returned to the game – his first SEC start. He went 17-for-29 for 145 yards and a touchdown as both defenses stole the show in the grind-it-out matchup.
18. USC (-6)
Early on, USC looked like it could be in position for a big home victory against Oregon. However, the Trojans could not get the win and eventually fell to the Ducks 41-27 and dropped six spots in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Jayden Maiava went 23-of-42 for 326 yards and two touchdowns in the effort while King Miller led the rushing attack with 74 yards on the ground. USC is now 4-1 on the season as the heart of the Big Ten schedule arrives.
19. SMU (+6)
SMU was one of the big movers in this week’s USA Today Coaches Poll. The Mustangs moved up six spots to No. 19 after a 34-24 victory over Missouri State on Saturday in their bounce back from a loss to Louisville.
Kevin Jennings had a monster day to lead the SMU offense, going 33-for-39 for 464 yards and three touchdowns. Yamir Knight was again his top target with 11 catches for 164 yards and a touchdown in the effort.
20. Houston (+6)
Fresh off a loss to Texas Tech, Houston bounced back well in a resounding victory over Georgia Southern. The Cougars are now back in the Top 25 of the USA Today Coaches Poll, sitting at No. 20 in the latest college football rankings.
Conner Weigman was efficient as he went 17-for-22 for 239 yards and four touchdowns, which went to four different receivers. Houston is now 3-1 on the year with Big 12 play getting underway again with this week’s game against UCF.
21. Duke (+7)
Duke didn’t leave any room for doubt in a non-conference matchup against William & Mary. The Blue Devils dominated on both sides of the ball en route to the 62-7 victory to get back in the Top 25 of the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Duke now finds itself at 4-0 to start the year, including a victory over Illinois as part of the non-conference schedule. Manny Diaz’s group will have a bye this week before returning to action against Georgia Tech in Week 6.
22. Penn State (-8)
Penn State suffered one of the upsets in Week 4 as Wisconsin came all the way back from a 17-point deficit to pull off the victory at Beaver Stadium. As a result, the Nittany Lions fell eight spots in the USA Today Coaches Poll, but stayed inside the Top 25.
The Penn State offense struggled against Wisconsin, totaling just 233 yards in the effort. Rocco Becht went 12-for-29 for 114 yards while also adding a rushing attack as the Nittany Lions suffered their first loss of the season.
23. UCLA (+14)
Through the first few weeks of the year, UCLA continues to impress as the Bob Chesney era gets underway in Westwood. The Bruins made quite a statement in Week 4 with a dominant win over Maryland to move up 14 spots to No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Wayne Knight continues to find success in the UCLA backfield after following Chesney from James Madison. He took 10 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown – one of four rushing scores for the Bruins in the 54-3 drubbing.
24. Michigan (-6)
Saturday’s game against Iowa came down to the final seconds, but Michigan found itself on the wrong end of a buzzer-beater. The Wolverines fell to the Hawkeyes at home for the first time since 2010, but stay in the USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25 after Week 4.
Bryce Underwood completed 17 of 28 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns in the effort as he faced Iowa’s staunch defense. Michigan is now 3-1 on the year heading into next week’s road trip to Minnesota.
25. Missouri (-4)
Despite the loss to Mississippi State, Missouri still finds itself in the USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25. The Tigers now sit at No. 25 in the latest college football rankings, down four spots from where they sat a a week ago.
Austin Simmons went 23-for-39 for 295 yards and three touchdowns as Missouri looked to get the SEC victory over Mississippi State. The Tigers had a lead going into the fourth quarter before Kamario Taylor and the Bulldogs rallied for the win.
Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State 126; Kentucky 123; Boise State 112; Pittsburgh 97; Virginia Tech 84; Nebraska 67; Wake Forest 48; Louisville 42; Wisconsin 39; Cincinnati 35; Auburn 22; Washington 20; James Madison 17; Virginia 15; Texas A&M 14; Northwestern 12; North Dakota State 11; Massachusetts 9; New Mexico 7; Minnesota 7; Oklahoma 6; Clemson 5; Arizona 3; Western Michigan 2; UTSA 2; West Virginia 1
Leave a Reply