New AP Top 25 Rankings Drop for Week 4: Who Rose and Fell in College Football Poll

Last week saw the coronation of a new No. 1 team in the college football rankings, and while AP top 25 voters weren’t faced with that decision this time around, they were confronted with some seismic changes at the top of the poll moving into Week 4.

That was inevitable, given LSU and Ole Miss played each other as top-ten teams, but pollsters faced another critical decision near the top of the rankings after a playoff hopeful out of the SEC failed its assignment and lost to an unranked foe at home.

Who’s Rising: Ole Miss

New AP Top 25 Rankings Drop for Week 4: Who Rose and Fell in College Football Poll — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Where they were: No. 8
Where they are now: No. 4

Tensions were high, to say the least, in Oxford on Saturday night for Lane Kiffin’s homecoming with team he left Ole Miss for, but Trinidad Chambliss stayed behind and was the engine of a revenge-minded Rebels offense that built an early lead and held off the Tigers’ comeback bid to secure a win that propels them into SEC title contention.

Who’s Falling: LSU

Where they were: No. 7
Where they are now: No. 10

What was supposed to be sweet vindication for Lane Kiffin instead became a lot of high-definition closeups of his puzzled reaction as his old team gave him a taste of his own medicine. LSU’s defense can take it places and its offense has a lot of playmakers, but still struggles to protect its quarterback against quality rushers, a weakness that could spell trouble against future SEC fronts.

Who’s Rising: Florida

Where they were: Unranked
Where they are now: No. 21

AP pollsters were reticent to rank the Gators last week, but movement near the bottom of the rankings after Houston and Virginia lost, combined with Florida’s own impressive win at Auburn behind Jadan Baugh’s 162-yard, 3-TD game to move to 3-0 warranted a proper entry into the top 25 this week.

Who’s Falling: Texas A&M

Where they were: No. 9
Where they are now: No. 23

Losing to an unranked opponent at home signaled a punishment was coming, and voters meted it out to the Aggies after falling to Kentucky, throwing a wrench into their early playoff hopes, and raising legitimate questions around whether this offense under Marcel Reed’s leadership can move the ball consistently, and if their defense can get a lot more physical, to endure the SEC gauntlet.

Rankings: ESPN Top 25 | Coaches Poll

AP Top 25 Rankings for Week 4

First-place votes in parentheses

Texas (58)
Georgia (3)
Notre Dame
Ole Miss (3)
Indiana (4)
Miami (1)
Ohio State
Alabama
BYU
LSU
Texas Tech
USC
Penn State
Tennessee
Utah
Louisville
Iowa
Michigan
Missouri
Oregon
Florida
SMU
Texas A&M
Mississippi State
Houston

How did we do? Our AP Top 25 poll prediction

Teams Receiving Votes, But Not Enough

AP voters put these teams on their ballots, but didn’t get enough support to break into the Top 25 poll itself.

Washington 107, Kentucky 98, West Virginia 93, Oklahoma 91, Oklahoma State 50, Boise State 48, Virginia Tech 46, Western Michigan 27, Duke 20, Tulsa 18, Arizona 12, Pittsburgh 10, UCLA 10, James Madison 7, North Dakota State 6, Kansas State 3, Nebraska 2

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