College Football Top 25 Power Rankings: Week 4
The 2020 college football season is about to heat up. The SEC begins play this weekend. The Big Ten has a schedule and is set to resume play in a month. These power rankings are about to get much more interesting.
Here’s where things stand as we enter Week 4 of the season. Note: I won’t incorporate the Big Ten into these power rankings until the week before their conference schedule begins.
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1. Clemson Tigers (2-0, 1-0)
Last game: Defeated The Citadel, 49-0
Trevor Lawrence padded his Heisman Trophy resume with four touchdowns. But the bigger story was The Citadel covering and the under 55.5 hitting despite the Tigers scoring 49 points in the first half. What an unbelievably bad beat.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (0-0, 0-0)
Next game: at Missouri, Sept. 26
Can Mac Jones build off an impressive finish to 2019? He should get off to a good start against an under-manned Mizzou roster.
3. Oklahoma Sooners (1-0, 0-0)
Next game: vs. Kansas State, Sept. 26
The Sooners probably had a nice laugh watching their in-state rival, Oklahoma State, struggling to beat Tulsa at home. They should have their way with a K-State team looking to bounce back from an embarrassing loss to Arkansas State.
4. Georgia Bulldogs (0-0, 0-0)
Next game: at Arkansas, Sept. 26
Kirby Smart hasn’t named a starting quarterback, but there are rumors that freshman D’Wan Mathis could get the nod. It’s uncertain whether USC transfer J.T. Daniels is fully recovered from offseason knee surgery. Whoever starts should enjoy a favorable matchup against a lousy Razorbacks defense.
5. LSU Tigers (0-0, 0-0)
Next game: vs. Mississippi State, Sept. 26
It’ll be really interesting to see how LSU starts the season after losing so much on-field and coaching talent. Going up against Mike Leach’s Air Raid to open the season could be a challenge.
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-0, 0-0)
Last week’s ranking: 7
Last game: Defeated South Florida, 52-0
The Irish certainly silenced the critics with a resounding win over the Bulls. Ian Book scored three times on the ground. A road trip against Wake Forest shouldn’t be much of a challenge.
7. Florida Gators (0-0, 0-0)
Next game: at Ole Miss, Sept. 26
I took Florida at +700 to win the SEC shortly after Jamie Newman opted out for Georgia. An impressive performance from Kyle Trask would go a long way in boosting my confidence in that futures bet.
8. Texas Longhorns (1-0, 0-0)
Next game: at Texas Tech, Sept. 26
After thumping UTEP two weeks ago, the Sam Ehlinger show heads to Lubbock to face a Red Raiders team that struggled mightily to beat Houston Baptist.
9. Auburn Tigers (0-0, 0-0)
Next game: vs. Kentucky, Sept. 26
The Tigers open as 8-point home favorites against the Wildcats. Auburn’s front seven will need to reload quickly after losing Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson to the draft. They’ll face an experienced Kentucky offensive line.
10. Texas A&M Aggies (0-0, 0-0)
Next game: vs. Vanderbilt, Sept. 26
The Aggies enter the season as nearly a 30-point favorite against Vandy. Anything less than a cover could be concerning for this experienced bunch.
11. Miami Hurricanes (2-0, 1-0)
Last game: Defeated Louisville, 47-34
The Hurricanes won the game of the week in impressive fashion, putting up almost 500 yards on the road. A +3 turnover margin proved to be the difference in what was otherwise a shootout. The Hurricanes now face an intriguing sandwich spot. They host Florida State next week before traveling to Clemson October 10. Will the Canes look ahead?
12. Central Florida Knights (1-0, 0-0)
Last game: Defeated Georgia Tech, 49-21
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel put up 417 yards and 4 touchdowns in UCF’s impressive season-opening win. They should be able to carry the momentum into this week’s road contest against East Carolina.
13. Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-0, 0-0)
Last week’s ranking: 11
Last game: Defeated Tulsa, 16-7
The Pokes needed a 13-point fourth-quarter rally to unseat Tulsa at home last weekend. It wasn’t an ideal start for a team many thought was a dark horse to win the Big 12. Spencer Sanders is in a medical boot after suffering an ankle injury. But Mike Gundy said he’ll practice this week. They’ll need Sanders to get healthy quickly as they host West Virginia this weekend.
14. North Carolina Tar Heels (1-0, 0-0)
Next game: at Boston College, Oct. 3
The Tar Heels were supposed to host Charlotte last weekend, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19. They’ll now have two weeks off to prepare for Boston College. But you have to wonder if rust will be a problem for UNC when they take the field next.
15. Cincinnati Bearcats (1-0, 0-0)
Last game: Defeated Austin Peay, 55-20
The Bearcats cruised but failed to cover as 36.5-point favorites. Next week the Bearcats have an intriguing matchup against a ranked Army team.
16. Virginia Tech Hokies (0-0, 0-0)
Next game: vs. North Carolina State, Sept. 26
The Hokies will finally take the field against a Wolfpack team that squeaked past Wake Forest, 45-42, last weekend. Virginia Tech should be the better team, but N.C. State could benefit from having a game under its belt.
17. Memphis Tigers (1-0, 0-0)
Next game: at SMU, Oct. 3
The Tigers will be off for a while after canceling their game against UTSA last weekend. They’ll have plenty of time to prep for a Mustangs offense that put up 65 points on North Texas Saturday.
18. Pittsburgh Panthers (2-0, 1-0)
Next game: vs. Louisville, Sept. 26
The Panthers held Syracuse’s abysmal offense to 171 total yards. However, Pitt’s offense wasn’t overly effective. The Panthers will need a bit more offensively when they host Louisville this weekend.
19. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (2-0, 1-0)
Last game: Defeated Georgia State, 34-31 OT
Kudos to the Ragin’ Cajuns for avoiding the ultimate letdown spot on the road against a conference opponent after knocking off Iowa State the week prior. The team has a potential look-ahead spot coming up at home against Georgia Southern before traveling to conference rival Appalachian State in two weeks.
20. Kentucky Wildcats (0-0, 0-0)
Next game: at Auburn, Sept. 26
Does Kentucky have enough skill-position talent to keep up with the big boys? We’ll find out Saturday.
21. Tennessee Volunteers (0-0, 0-0)
Next game: at South Carolina, Sept. 26
The Vols are waiting to see whether offensive tackle Cade Mays will be deemed eligible to play. If he is, it fortifies an already strong offensive line. The question will be whether quarterback Jarrett Guarantano is the man to lead this offense in Jeremy Pruitt’s third season.
22. Louisville Cardinals (1-1, 0-1)
Next game: at Pittsburgh, Sept. 26
Turnovers did the Cardinals in last weekend’s disappointing loss to Miami. They’ll need to get off the mat and be much more disciplined on the road against a fearsome Pitt defense.
23. Army Black Knights (2-0)
Next game: at Cincinnati, Sept. 26
Army’s game against BYU was postponed. But the week off gave the Black Knights a chance to prepare for a steep test against Cincinnati.
24. BYU Cougars (1-0)
Next game: vs. Troy, Sept. 26
The Cougars will get back on the field against a Troy team that walloped Middle Tennessee State, 47-14, last weekend.
25. Marshall Thundering Herd (2-0, 0-0)
Last game: Defeated Appalachian State, 17-7
Let’s give a tip of the cap to Marshall, who likely wouldn’t have cracked these power rankings if not for this bizarre season. The Thundering Herd bent but didn’t break all game long, holding App State to just 4-of-13 on third down.
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