Back Porch Sports’ Scott Hamilton is one of 69 voters in the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll. Here’s how his Week 4 ballot shook out:
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Where’s the beef?: While there is more depth in college football than any other time in history, the top-three teams in these rankings are the same with only one adjustment.
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Texas – already with the best win of the season via its victory over Ohio State – won 20-17 at Tennessee. The Longhorns (4-0, 1-0 SEC) mauled the Volunteers with 10 sacks and forced two turnovers, during a game in which the teams combined for only 483 yards. That was enough for Texas to remain in the top spot. It now gets the week off before preparing for its annual rivalry game with Oklahoma.
The difference between Georgia and Notre Dame is nominal.
Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC) bullied Oklahoma 41-13 in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score. Including last week’s win at Arkansas, the Bulldogs have started SEC with an average winning score of 43-15. Vanderbilt is up next, before a trip to Alabama on Oct. 10.
Notre Dame didn’t have any problem with Purdue, limiting the Boilermakers to 218 total yards (including merely 41 rushing on 31 attempts). It was the Fighting Irish’s 14th straight win by at least 10 points.
The quality of the opponents, however – one a mediocre SEC team, the other a lower-tier Big Ten squad – was enough to merit Georgia and Notre Dame flipping spots this week. The Bulldogs are now second, while the Fighting Irish are third.
The quicker picker-upper: Florida didn’t play around. The Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC) scored 10 quick points and didn’t look back en route to a 52-28 win over then-No. 4 Ole Miss. Paired with a Week 3 win at Auburn, that’s enough to move them up a whopping 13 spots to No. 6 in these rankings.
And while Florida quarterback Aaron Philo was efficient (16 of 23 for 196 yards and a touchdown), it was its ground game that battered the Rebels (3-1, 1-1 SEC). Florida rushed for 302 yards, with Jade Baugh and Duke Clark running for 142 yards and 126 yards, respectively. Baugh also scored three touchdowns.
Ole Miss looked like a team hungover from its much-hyped Week 3 win over LSU. The Rebels (3-1, 1-1 SEC) fell from fourth to 10th.
Plop, plop, fizz, fizz: Six teams fell from these rankings and they did so in clusters.
Penn State, Missouri and Louisville (Nos. 13-15) are gone, as are Washington, Michigan and West Virginia (Nos. 20-22).
Like a rock: Four of the top-11 teams won, but didn’t budge.
Three – No. 7 Ohio State, No. 8 Alabama and No. 11 LSU – secured easy wins against unranked opponents, while No. 9 BYU had Week 4 off.
Good to the last drop: Karma is a Hawkeye.
Iowa (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten) marched 91 yards over the final 1:46 to play in the Big House. The Hawkeyes capped it off with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Hank Brown to Reece Vander Zee after time expired for their first win at then-No. 21 Michigan in 16 years.
Unlike in previous games this season with other opponents, no time was added onto the clock at Michigan.
When there is no tomorrow: When the season is over, the Week 4 game at the Los Angeles Coliseum might be considered a pseudo College Football Playoff elimination game.
Oregon – already on shaky ground in these rankings – did what it had to do and took care of business at then-No. 12 Southern Cal, 41-27. The Ducks (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), who moved up eight spots to 16th, avoid Indiana on its conference schedule. It does have a Nov. 7 game at Ohio State.
By contrast, the Trojans now find themselves in a pretty precarious position. USC is 3-1, 1-1 in the Big Ten with games remaining against the likes of Ohio State and Indiana remaining. And a non-conference schedules of San Jose State, Fresno State, and Louisiana doesn’t bolster the Trojans’ resume, either
Think different: Eight teams in these rankings have different coaches than in 2025. That includes three who have never before been a head coach – two if you don’t include Pete Golding taking over at Ole Miss just before last season’s CFP.
Morgan Scalley was named head coach at Utah after 18 seasons as an assistant under Kyle Whittingham. The Utes (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) won at Iowa State, 31-17, and moved up four spots to 13th.
Kentucky beat South Alabama, 45-21, under first-year coach Will Stein. That win – along with a Week 3 victory at Texas A&M that was never in question – has the Wildcats (3-1, 1-1 SEC) now ranked at No. 22. Stein had spent the previous three seasons as Oregon’s offensive coordinator.
Can you hear me now?: Why not Wake Forest at No. 25?
The Deacons (3-1, 1-1 ACC) locked down a solid road win at then-No. 15 Louisville, 30-27. Wake Forest also had a non-conference Power 4 road victory at Purdue and was competitive in its loss to Miami.
It has only one team currently ranked on its remaining schedule (at No. 19 SMU on Nov. 14). Otherwise, its biggest remaining challenge is a regular-season finale against Duke at home.
Prediction: Deacons’ coach Jake Dickert is either going to be signing a big extension in the very near future, or he’ll be gone from Wake Forest after this season.
Toy chest: The SEC again had the most teams in these rankings with nine, three more than any other conference. A rough weekend saw the Big Ten drop to six teams, with three being booted and UCLA its only the addition. Five teams from the Big 12 made the cut, while the ACC landed four.
Notre Dame, as usual, is the lone independent.
Hamilton’s rankings (last week):
1. Texas (1)
2. Georgia (3)
3. Notre Dame (2)
4. Miami (6)
5. Indiana (5)
6. Florida (19)
7. Ohio State (7)
8. Alabama (8)
9. BYU (9)
10. Ole Miss (4)
11. LSU (11)
12. Texas Tech (10)
13. Utah (17)
14. Iowa (18)
15. Mississippi State (23)
16. Oregon (24)
17. Tennessee (16)
18. Southern Cal (12)
19. SMU (NR)
20. Virginia Tech (25)
21. Oklahoma State (NR)
22. Kentucky (NR)
23. Houston (NR)
24. UCLA (NR)
25. Wake Forest (NR)
Follow Scott Hamilton on X @ScottHsports
