College football rankings: AP top 25 teams moving up, down in Week 4

As we look back on another dramatic week of action across the country, let’s take a turn predicting what teams will emerge as the biggest movers in the AP top 25 college football rankings in Week 4.

Georgia and Tennessee squared off in an SEC rivalry classic that pitted two ranked College Football Playoff contenders against each other, and turned out the game of the 2025 season thus far.

Notre Dame and Texas A&M met under the lights in South Bend in a matchup where defense was decidedly optional, and which may have sunk the Irish playoff hopes just two weeks into the season.

What teams will be on the move in the AP top 25 college football rankings this week? Let’s take a shot at predicting who’s moving up, and who’s going down, in the polls heading into Week 4.

Rankings reflect AP top 25 poll

Moving up: Georgia

College football rankings: AP top 25 teams moving up, down in Week 4 — Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Last week’s ranking: No. 6

Make it nine straight for Georgia over Tennessee after these SEC rivals duked it out in a 44-41 shootout that staked its claim as college football’s game of the year.

And in the process, the Bulldogs gave their offense a huge vote of confidence, coming out of two games where the unit looked at times like it wasn’t really interested.

After throwing for 417 combined yards with 2 touchdowns the first two times out, quarterback Gunner Stockton went off in his road SEC debut, tacking on 304 yards passing with 2 scores, including a gorgeous touchdown to London Humphreys on a fade route on fourth down to tie the game at 38.

Just what the doctor ordered for the reigning SEC champions heading into an idle weekend before hosting Alabama in another monster conference matchup that will have a big impact on the rankings.

Georgia dropped two places in last week’s poll after Oregon’s dominant win over Oklahoma State and following its own lackluster offensive showing against Austin Peay.

This week could find AP top 25 voters reversing that formula, and consider Georgia’s hard-fought win on the road against a ranked SEC rival a more valuable performance than Oregon beating up on Northwestern and propel the Bulldogs back into the top five.

Moving down: Tennessee

Last week’s ranking: No. 15

Joey Aguilar’s first start against an SEC opponent went about as well as it possibly could as Tennessee’s new quarterback went off on Georgia’s expert defense early on, building a 21-7 lead in the first quarter.

That was just the third time a team scored on its first three drives against the Bulldogs since Kirby Smart became head coach in 2016, and Aguilar also became the first SEC quarterback in 20 years to complete his first 14 passes in a game.

Then came Georgia’s 20 unanswered points and, despite Aguilar leading three more scoring drives (1 TD, 2 FGs), kicker Max Gilbert flubbed the would-be game-winner at the end of regulation and the Vols’ defense finally gave way from the 1-yard line.

In an era with 12 playoff teams, an early loss is not as costly as it used to be, but it doesn’t help Tennessee’s cause to have led and lost at home to a ranked SEC opponent.

This game was a chance for the Volunteers to get a more accurate reading of what, if any, gap existed between themselves and the class of the SEC, and this loss shows the selectors, and the AP top 25 voters, that there’s still work to do.

Tennessee will lose votes in the Week 4 rankings, but not more than a few spots as No. 18 USF took an ugly loss at Miami, although likely as low as at least to No. 20.

Moving up: Texas A&M

Last week’s ranking: No. 16

Marcel Reed located tight end Nate Boerkircher on a fourth and goal with seconds left in regulation to take out Notre Dame on the road in a statement win for the Aggies and the SEC, and a signature loss for college football’s reigning national title runner-up.

It was a standout performance for Reed, the Aggies’ dynamic quarterback threat, passing for 360 yards and 2 touchdowns, while tailback Le’Veon Moss ran for 3 more scores, and wide receiver Mario Craver caught a touchdown with 207 yards.

Now, with Tennessee’s loss at 15, Clemson’s at 12, and Iowa State looking listless at 14, we should see AP voters give the Aggies a nice boost within striking distance of the top 10 on the back of a monster victory on the road against a ranked opponent.

Moving down: Notre Dame

Last week’s ranking: No. 8

Oh, Tyler Buchner. If only the backup quarterback and place holder on special teams could’ve handled the snap, then maybe the Irish could have held on.

But his mishandling of that fateful snap put Notre Dame up by just six after a late touchdown, allowing the Aggies a chance to go the length of the field, score, and kick an extra point in a dramatic finish.

On the other hand, the mistake would likely not have been so important if the Notre Dame defense did its job by even remotely containing the A&M receivers.

With that, Notre Dame’s playoff hopes lay in tatters. Destroyed? In a 12-team field just two weeks into the season, it’s hard to close the lid on the Irish, but starting out 0-2 with losses to ranked teams will prove to be a severe demerit in the eyes of the selection committee if it comes to that.

As for this week, the Golden Domers will fall from their lofty No. 8 position in the rankings. Where? It’s within the realm of possibility that the voters drop them entirely with that record, but more likely they’ll fall sharply as voters sacrifice USF to make room for Georgia Tech and keep the Irish ranked.

Moving down: Clemson

Last week’s ranking: No. 12

The preseason predictions industry took another hit after the consensus favorite to repeat as ACC champions and return to the College Football Playoff came out on the wrong end of a very costly loss on the road against unranked Georgia Tech. Unranked for now, that is.

Suddenly, Clemson is an ugly 1-2 and scores of fans and analysts are wondering if Dabo Swinney has finally lost his touch and the good old days are truly over. If they haven’t come to that conclusion already.

Sure, the Tigers can still make a run for the conference title and compete for a playoff bid, but there’s basically no margin for error going forward for a team that was expected to field one of college football’s best and most productive offenses this year.

Making that kind of run looks more unlikely every week watching how poorly Clemson’s offensive operation has performed each time out, including trailing 16-0 against Troy last week, unable to run on LSU, and didn’t lead for a second of game time on Saturday.

Don’t be surprised if AP top 25 voters drop Clemson out of the rankings entirely this week. They’ve shown themselves more than willing to throw a relatively higher-ranked team out of the poll after losing games they’re supposed to win.

But it could be saved by USF, which moved to No. 18 last week after two signature wins but lost a bad one at Miami, and could itself be dropped from the poll as punishment. In which case, Clemson could still theoretically cling to a low top 25 position.

Or... if they decide to rank Vanderbilt after a big win at South Carolina, they could drop both USF and Clemson out to make room for the Commodores and the team that beat Clemson.

Moving up: Georgia Tech

Last week’s ranking: Unranked

Every quarterback dreams of leading a game-winning drive against a ranked rival as an underdog, and Haynes King lived that dream by knocking off Clemson on Saturday.

After the Tigers tied the game at 21-all late in the fourth quarter, King hunkered down, leading a nine-play drive, running on five of them, and putting his kicker in position to drive a stake through Clemson’s heart.

In the process, Georgia Tech moved to a perfect 3-0 on the season and improved head coach Brent Key’s record against ranked opponents to 7-1 during his tenure.

And almost certainly into the AP top 25 rankings this week after checking in just outside the final poll last week, placing 28th on the national ballot after receiving 78 votes.

There’s a logjam at the bottom of the rankings full of teams that won their games, but if voters do drop Clemson or Notre Dame or (most likely) USF out, then there should be room for Georgia Tech somewhere around the bottom half of the poll this week. Not outside looking in, but in.

Who else could move?

-- No. 18 USF, new to the rankings this past week after starting 2-0 and both against ranked competition, will fall at least several spots, and potentially out of the poll, after a gut-check 49-12 loss to the Hurricanes.

-- South Carolina will see a drop from the No. 11 position after a listless showing in a 31-7 loss to Vanderbilt that saw quarterback LaNorris Sellers exit with an injury after taking a big hit.

-- Conversely, Vanderbilt will be getting plenty of votes after earning just 1 last week after smashing up the Gamecocks and improving to 3-0. If voters drop two teams instead of just USF, then we could see the Commodores make the rankings this week.

-- Ole Miss will improve from 17 after a win over Arkansas to move to 2-0 in SEC play and should benefit from movement up in the rankings after losses by Tennessee, South Carolina, and Clemson.

-- No. 19 Alabama is due for some positive movement after pounding Wisconsin at home to improve to 2-1 as Ryan Williams scored twice off 5 catches in a 38-14 rout.

-- Iowa State might lose some votes at No. 14 after a less than inspiring offensive showing in a road win against Arkansas State.

-- Texas could lose some votes after a listless 27-10 win over UTEP in which Arch Manning had just 114 passing yards and was actually booed by some of the home crowd.