College Football Rankings: ESPN Reshuffles the New Top 25 Poll for Week 4

It’s moving day in the college football rankings after an action-packed weekend across the country with consequential games in the SEC, the Big 12, and the ACC that force voters to rearrange who they have in the top-ten nationally to close out September.

Where does that leave things in the ESPN rankings coming into the fourth weekend of the 2026 season? Their decisions were nothing short of controversial this time last week following Texas’ win over Ohio State. What changed this time around?

College Football Rankings: ESPN Reshuffles the New Top 25 Poll for Week 4

25. Pittsburgh

Rankings change: Up 4

The Pitt ground game powered through for 3 touchdowns and stacked up 245 rushing yards to win an ugly game against Syracuse, but it’s enough to stay undefeated after three games and build an early 1-0 mark in ACC play.

24. Auburn

Rankings change: Down 1

It wasn’t quite enough in a shootout at home against Florida, as the Tigers’ offense looked sloppy until a 15-point fourth quarter, rushing for just 102 yards, and the front line allowed 4 sacks in the second half, not an ideal start to SEC play in the trenches with a brutal four-game stretch with three on the road at Tennessee, Georgia, and Ole Miss, with a home date against LSU thrown in.

23. Louisville

Rankings change: Up 5

An important early test against ranked SMU in conference play, as Keyjuan Brown ran for a personal-best 163 yards and two touchdowns to help put up 41 points and stay undefeated with a winnable schedule ahead now with no projected ranked teams remaining the rest of the way.

22. Mississippi State

Rankings change: Up 5

It’s time for college football fans to get acquainted with Kamario Taylor. The MSU quarterback led a furious rally at South Carolina, recovering from an early 16-0 deficit by throwing for 251 yards and 4 TDs and winning a second-straight road game against a Power Four opponent after routing Minnesota the week before. Taylor is a 68 percent passer with 7 scores and no turnovers this season.

21. Nebraska

Rankings change: Down 1

Jamal Rule ran around for 119 yards and scored twice to propel the Cornhuskers to a 3-0 mark after beating North Dakota at home and have rushed for at least 240 yards in three straight games and goes to Michigan State to open Big Ten play next Saturday.

20. Michigan

Rankings change: Up 2

Interesting times for the Wolverines, who trailed UTEP at home early on, but a 28 point third quarter helped them pull away in a 52-17 decision, as Bryce Underwood had 2 scores and no turnovers while Michigan added 3 TDs on the ground but no 100-yard rusher.

19. BYU

Rankings change: Down 1

LJ Martin was the engine of the Cougars’ offense against Colorado State, powering through for 176 yards on the ground and scoring 3 touchdowns in a 41-23 result to keep the Big 12 hopefuls undefeated heading into a road test at TCU.

18. USC

Rankings change: Down 6

Yes, the Trojans won on the road against Rutgers, but this defense just isn’t there. They let by far too many big gainers from a team that was 0-2 and lost to UMass. A 42-35 result against that caliber of team is another signal that the results aren’t there on that side of the ball, regardless of how many points Lincoln Riley’s offense can put up on the other side.

17. Texas Tech

Rankings change: Down 1

The defending Big 12 champion didn’t quite look the part early on in a home test against league insurgent Houston, trailing by a touchdown at halftime, but a gutsy comeback on offense and the Red Raiders’ defenders coming through with a clinching tackle on the goal line preserves their undefeated record.

16. Florida

Rankings change: Down 1

The Gators moved into a commanding 3-0 position among SEC teams with an impressive road win against Auburn, leading touchdown drives of 67, 65, 75, 69, and 75 yards. Next up is a home date against the Rebels.

15. Utah

Rankings change: Up 4

Devon Dampier had over 250 yards passing with 2 touchdowns and Braden Pegan had a season-high 122 receiving yards to put away Utah State by a 33-0 count and the Utes have outscored non-conference opponents by a 142-24 count with a trip to Iowa State up next.

14. Oklahoma

Rankings change: Down 3

Another very disconcerting offensive performance from the Sooners, eking out a 14-6 win against New Mexico, with John Mateer throwing 2 interceptions and the OU ground game mustered just 1.8 yards per carry on 61 total rushing yards. Not good enough as they go against Georgia’s defense on the road next week.

13. Ole Miss

Rankings change: Up 4

Call it revenge or catharsis, but the Rebels looked impressive putting away LSU in Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford, building a 24-7 halftime lead behind an elite effort from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, and the defense held off the Tigers’ comeback bid, tipping Sam Leavitt’s final pass in the end zone. Ole Miss goes to undefeated Florida next. But behind the Tigers in these rankings? It’s another puzzling decision the ESPN algo has to answer for.

12. Texas A&M

Rankings change: Down 4

Another shocking upset of this young college football season, as the AP No. 9 ranked Aggies took a 10-point loss against unranked Kentucky. A statement for UK and its new staff, to be sure, but a troubling performance from playoff hopeful A&M after getting pushed around in the trenches at home.

11. Penn State

Rankings change: Up 3

Rocco Becht completed 11 passes, 2 of which were touchdowns, and the Nittany Lions rumbled for 304 yards on the ground with another 5 scores to pound Buffalo, averaging over 42 points per game against overmatched teams, but going into the Big Ten opener at home against Wisconsin up next.

10. Tennessee

Rankings change: None

The Vols piled up almost 300 rushing yards to put away Kennesaw State at home before opening up SEC play next week against Arch Manning and the Longhorns on Rocky Top.

9. Oregon

Rankings change: Up 4

Eager to prove some doubters wrong, the Ducks came off last week’s loss to Oklahoma State by pummeling Portland State at home, racking up an 84-0 decision with a 12 touchdown performance heading into Big Ten play with a trip to USC next Saturday.

8. LSU

Rankings change: Up 1

Not exactly what Lane Kiffin was hoping for in his return to Ole Miss, and now it’s back to the drawing board to patch some holes on an offense that struggled to move the ball early and needed 17 unanswered points in the second half to make it a game. LSU, now 2-1, heads into a home date against Texas A&M next Saturday.

7. Alabama

Rankings change: None

Kalen DeBoer must be very thankful for the weather delay, as the Crimson Tide recovered after the break to finally pull away from a tough Florida State team, turning a shaky early showing into another strong comeback, as Keelon Russell had 320 yards and 3 TDs and ran for a 57-yard score. Bama had 249 yards on the ground total.

6. Miami

Rankings change: Down 1

Darian Mensah has taken apart two existing ACC records for the most consecutive completions, hitting 24 in a row to beat Wake Forest on the road, and the Hurricanes quarterback had 35 straight dating back to last weekend, and was good for 88 percent of his throws in the win.

5. Indiana

Rankings change: Up 1

Something of a slow start against Western Kentucky at home, including a scoreless first quarter, but the Hoosiers recovered with Josh Hoover at the helm, throwing 2 touchdown passes to come out with a 38-0 win.

4. Notre Dame

Rankings change: Down 1

The Irish played it a little close at home against Michigan State early on, and the offense accounted for just 10 second half points as CJ Carr was held out of the end zone passing, but he ran for a score and the Domers ran for 2 other TDs heading into a two-week road trip against Purdue and North Carolina.

3. Georgia

Rankings change: Up 1

As expected, the Bulldogs overwhelmed Arkansas on the road in the SEC opener, punishing the Hogs’ defense with a powerful ground attack that ripped through for 6 yards per carry in a 45-17 demolition heading into next week’s home tilt against Oklahoma and its tough defense.

2. Texas

Rankings change: None

Controversy reigned last week after the ESPN model docked the Longhorns a place despite beating Ohio State, even after they put Texas to No. 1 a week before that game, and at No. 2 they stay after smashing up UTSA. Now, Arch Manning heads to Rocky Top, where his uncle Peyton made his name.

1. Ohio State

Rankings change: None

Yes, the ESPN algorithm still likes the Buckeyes as the best team in college football despite last week’s 1-point loss against Texas, preferring Ohio State by a series of other metrics, which the model should like even more after they smacked around Kent State for a while.

AP Top 25 Movers: College Football Teams Going Up, Down in Week 4

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