Rivalries and top 25 matchups ruled a loaded Week 4. Teams that dropped out of the rankings included No. 20 Auburn and No. 21 Utah.
Ohio State (4-0) remains No. 1 despite being idle this week. The Buckeyes will visit Washington (2-0) on Sept. 27 at 3:30 p.m. on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
LSU (4-0, 1-0 SEC) follows at No. 2 after an easy 56-10 rout over SE Louisiana. The Tigers visit No. 15 Ole Miss (4-0, 2-0 SEC) in a Magnolia Bowl showdown on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Miami (Fla.) (4-0) held on to its No. 3 spot with a 26-7 win over in-state rival Florida. The Hurricanes’ defense held the Gators to just 141 yards. They open ACC play against No. 9 Florida State (3-0) on Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) was idle this week and stayed at No. 4 in my rankings. The Bulldogs will host No. 16 Alabama (2-1) in a thrilling SEC opener on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) stays at No. 5 after a dominant effort against in-state rival Oregon State. The Ducks are back on the road on Saturday, this time against No. 6 Penn State (3-0) at 7:30 p.m. on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
Penn State (3-0) stands still at No. 6 after taking the week off to prepare for its Big Ten opener. College GameDay will come to Happy Valley for the Nittany Lions’ battle with No. 5 Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
Texas (3-1) remains at No. 7 following a shutout 55-0 win over Sam Houston, where quarterback Arch Manning looked sharp with 309 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. The Longhorns are off this week, but open SEC play at Florida (1-3) on Oct. 4 at 3:30 p.m. on either ABC or ESPN.
Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 SEC) jumped into the top 10 to No. 8 after a 24-17 win over then-No. 20 Auburn. The Sooners’ defense was terrific, with nine sacks on former OU quarterback Jackson Arnold. They are off this week, but host Kent State (1-3, 0-1 MAC) on Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. on SEC Network.
Florida State (3-0) stays put at No. 9 after running all over Kent State last weekend. They open ACC play on Saturday at Virginia (3-1, 1-0 ACC) at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Texas A&M (3-0) held on to the final spot in my top 10 despite not playing this past weekend. The Aggies open SEC play against Auburn (3-1, 0-1 SEC) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) shot up to No. 11 after a 34-10 road win over then-No. 21 Utah. The Red Raiders will visit Houston (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) on Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Iowa State (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) stayed at No. 12 with the week off. The Cyclones will host Arizona (3-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Indiana (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) moved up to No. 13 after a 63-10 blowout win over then-No. 8 Illinois. The Hoosiers’ first Big Ten road test comes this Saturday as they visit Iowa (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) at 3:30 p.m., streaming exclusively on Peacock.
Michigan (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) slid up to No. 14 after opening conference play with a thrilling 30-27 win over Nebraska. The Wolverines return to action on Oct. 4 against Wisconsin (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at noon on FOX.
Ole Miss (4-0, 2-0 SEC) swapped spots with Michigan and drops to No. 15 after defeating rival Tulane, 45-10. The Rebels host No. 2 LSU (4-0, 1-0 SEC) in the Magnolia Bowl on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Alabama (2-1) dropped to No. 16 due to having the week off. The Crimson Tide open SEC play at No. 4 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Georgia Tech (4-0, 1-0 ACC) remains at No. 17 after a 45-24 win over Temple. The Yellow Jackets’ first road test is Wake Forest (2-1, 0-1 ACC) on Saturday at noon on ESPN.
Illinois (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) plummeted to No. 18 after getting embarrassed by Indiana, 63-10. The Fighting Illini continue Big Ten play with No. 23 USC (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) on Saturday at noon on FOX.
Mississippi State (4-0) stayed at No. 19 after a 38-10 win over Northern Illinois. Competition gets tough, with No. 20 Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC) coming to town for the SEC opener on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. on SEC Network.
Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC) is next at No. 20 after a 56-24 win over UAB. The Volunteers head to Starkville to take on No. 19 Mississippi State (4-0) on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. on SEC Network.
South Florida (3-1) slid up to No. 21 following a 63-14 rout over South Carolina State. The Bulls open conference play with Charlotte (1-3, 0-1 American) on Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Vanderbilt (4-0, 1-0 SEC) moved up to No. 22 after putting up 70 points on Georgia State this past weekend. The Commodores host Utah State (3-1, 1-0 Mountain West) on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. on SEC Network.
USC (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) rose to No. 23 after a 45-31 win over Michigan State after dark. The Trojans have an early start at No. 18 Illinois (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) on Saturday at noon on FOX.
Missouri (4-0, 1-0 SEC) comes back into the top 25 at No. 24 after a strong SEC-opener against South Carolina, a 29-20 win. The Tigers host UMass (0-3) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
TCU (3-0) enters the ranking at No. 25 following a 35-24 win over SMU to win the Iron Skillet. The Horned Frogs are 2-0 against ACC teams this season. They open Big 12 play at Arizona (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) on Friday at 9 p.m. on FOX.