by Sean Szymczak
What was labeled as a “bad” week of college football gave us two upsets, some close calls for heavy favorites, and a few impressive performances.
Despite shaky games from their offenses, Georgia and Michigan remain the top two teams. But the margin continues to shrink. To be honest, I see very little gap between the top 10 teams. A spectacular week 4 slate should finally give some clarity to the hierarchy of college football in 2023.
The Floor Slap’s Week 4 Top 25
- Georgia (3-0)
- Michigan (3-0)
- Georgia and Michigan were not convincing against their home wins against South Carolina and Bowling Green. But neither were a lot of teams in week 3.
- Washington (3-0)
- I’m tempted to put the Huskies at #1. They have just looked so damn lethal on offense. But then again, they played a Michigan State team that was less than a week removed from the scandal surrounding their head coach. I’ll wait until they play Oregon on October 14th to pull the trigger on Washington.
- Florida State (3-0)
- Their 31-29 win against BC wasn’t pretty, but it was a tough-earned conference win on the road. Their sloppiness doesn’t erase what they did to LSU week 1.
- Ohio State (3-0)
- The Buckeyes looked like the best team in the country on Saturday. This weekend against Notre Dame presents a tall task. But a decisive win could catapult them to #1.
- Texas (3-0)
- Their small drop is mainly due to their underwhelming performance against Rice. But it also has a little to do with how dismal Alabama looked. It’s still one of the best wins of the short season, but maybe Alabama isn’t what we’re used to them being?
- USC (4-0)
- I just need to see them play someone semi-respectable.
- Penn State (3-0)
- The elite Nittany Lion defense came up with 5 turnovers, but they only outgained Illinois by 29 yards. Drew Allar also struggled.
- Notre Dame (4-0)
- The Fighting Irish have every chance to beat the Buckeyes at home on Saturday. If their dominance continues, they will have a legitimate case for #1. That’s how razor thin the gap between #1 and everyone else down to #13 is.
- Oklahoma (3-0)
- They are top 10 nationally in scoring offense and scoring defense. Dillon Gabriel has looked spectacular. The Red River Rivalry can’t come soon enough.
- Oregon (3-0)
- Utah (3-0)
- North Carolina (3-0)
- Oregon State (3-0)
- LSU (2-1)
- They looked more like the preseason top-5 team we thought they were vs Mississippi State.
- Alabama (2-1)
- I feel like Saban is terribly mishandling this QB situation. Millroe wasn’t the problem. Their offense just doesn’t have the same playmakers they’re used to. But their defense – healthier than it was against Texas – should be good enough to keep them in any game.
- Ole Miss (3-0)
- Colorado (3-0)
- Colorado State was the better team on Saturday. The resolve the Buffs displayed was impressive, but I feel like it’s only a mater of time until they tumble out of these rankings.
- Iowa (3-0)
- Cade McNamara still isn’t elevating this offense quite as much as I thought he would, but a three-headed backfield of Leshon Williams, Jazziun Patterson, and Kaleb Brown has emerged to help lighten his load.
- Washington State (3-0)
- Miami FL (3-0)
- The hodge-podge of undefeated teams you could conceivably rank really starts here. I feel good about 21-24, but that 25th spot could go to any of the teams listed in “just missed out”.
- UCLA (3-0)
- Duke (3-0)
- Missouri (3-0)
- Syracuse (3-0)
New to Rankings: UCLA (22), Missouri (24), Syracuse (25)
Dropped from Rankings: Tennessee (13), Kansas State (19), Maryland (25)
Just Missed Out: Maryland, Louisville, Auburn, BYU, Kansas, Rutgers, Fresno State, Memphis, Liberty, Florida, Clemson
- One comment – it is way too early to keep 2-1 Tennessee, Florida, and Clemson in the rankings. There are plenty of other teams who have taken care of business and picked up an impressive win of their own. Those teams deserve the recognition.
Biggest risers: LSU (up 6 spots), Oklahoma (up 5 spots), North Carolina (up 4 spots)
Biggest fallers: Texas, Penn State, Utah, Alabama, Colorado (each down 2 spots)
Ranked Teams by Conference
Pac-12: 8
SEC: 5
ACC: 5
Big Ten: 4
Big 12: 2
Other: 1 (Notre Dame)