Utah ascends to No. 1 spot in college football Power Rankings after Week 4
The season still feels like it’s just getting started, but except for the few teams who had an early bye week, the regular season is already a third of the way over. We have enough games now that we can really begin phasing out preseason expectations from our analysis.
Some results still require considering preseason projections. For example, Alabama’s Week 1 victory over Wisconsin still seems like a decent win more so because of what was expected of Wisconsin before the season than its three wins since then (though the Badgers have won all three of those handily).
But by now, we have some context around most of the meaningful results of the season. And that gives them greater significance. It also explains the new No. 1 squad in this week’s Power Rankings.
• NADKARNI: Three thoughts on this week's AP Top 25 | Complete AP poll
1. Utah Utes
PREVIOUS: 18
RECORD: 4-0
Next week: Bye week
2. UCLA Bruins
PREVIOUS: 3
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat Arizona 56–30 Next week: Saturday vs. Arizona State
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
PREVIOUS: 2
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat Western Michigan 38–12 Next week: Saturday at Indiana
4. Michigan State Spartans
PREVIOUS: 1
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat Central Michigan 30–10 Next week: Saturday vs. Purdue
5. Ole Miss Rebels
PREVIOUS: 4
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat Vanderbilt 27–16 Next week: Saturday at Florida • BECHT: Most important takeaways from Week 4
6. Baylor Bears
PREVIOUS: 5
RECORD: 3-0
Last week: Beat Rice 70–17 Next week: Saturday vs. Texas Tech (in Arlington, Texas)
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PREVIOUS: 6
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat UMass 62–27 Next week: Saturday at Clemson
8. Georgia Bulldogs
PREVIOUS: 9
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat Southern 48–6 Next week: Saturday vs. Alabama
9. Florida State Seminoles
PREVIOUS: 10
RECORD: 3-0
Last week: Bye week Next week: Saturday at Wake Forest
10. Oklahoma Sooners
PREVIOUS: 11
RECORD: 3-0
Last week: Bye week Next week: Saturday vs. West Virginia • STAPLES: How big Week 4 games were decided
11. TCU Horned Frogs
PREVIOUS: 7
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat Texas Tech 55–52 Next week: Saturday vs. Texas
12. LSU Tigers
PREVIOUS: 8
RECORD: 3-0
Last week: Beat Syracuse 34–24 Next week: Saturday vs. Eastern Michigan
13. Clemson Tigers
PREVIOUS: 12
RECORD: 3-0
Last week: Bye week Next week: Saturday vs. Notre Dame
14. Alabama Crimson Tide
PREVIOUS: 13
RECORD: 3-1
Last week: Beat Louisiana-Monroe 34–0 Next week: Saturday at Georgia
15. Texas A&M Aggies
PREVIOUS: 15
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat Arkansas 28–21 in OT Next week: Saturday vs. Mississippi State • BAUMGAERTNER: Another bitter loss for Ark.
16. Wisconsin Badgers
PREVIOUS: 19
RECORD: 3-1
Last week: Beat Hawaii 28–0 Next week: Saturday vs. Iowa
17. Northwestern Wildcats
PREVIOUS: 17
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat Ball State 24–19 Next week: Saturday vs. Minnesota
18. Stanford Cardinal
PREVIOUS: 20
RECORD: 3-1
Last week: Beat Oregon State 42–24 Next week: Saturday vs. Arizona
19. USC Trojans
PREVIOUS: 21
RECORD: 3-1
Last week: Beat Arizona State 42–14 Next week: Bye week
20. Florida Gators
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat Tennessee 28–27 Next week: Saturday vs. Ole Miss • STAPLES: Florida extends streak over Tenn.
21. West Virginia Mountaineers
PREVIOUS: 25
RECORD: 3-0
Last week: Beat Maryland 45–6 Next week: Saturday at Oklahoma
22. Oklahoma State Cowboys
PREVIOUS: 23
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat Texas 30–27 Next week: Saturday vs. Kansas State
23. Michigan Wolverines
RECORD: 3-1
Last week: Beat BYU 31–0 Next week: Saturday at Maryland
24. Mississippi State Bulldogs
RECORD: 3-1
Last week: Beat Auburn 17–9 Next week: Saturday at Texas A&M
25. California Golden Bears
RECORD: 4-0
Last week: Beat Washington 30–24 Next week: Saturday vs. Washington State
Dropped out: Oregon, Arizona, Georgia Tech, BYU
Next five: NC State, Houston, Duke, Oregon, Iowa
