CFB Power Rankings – Week 4

/ Kolton McKinnies
  1. Georgia (3-0)
    • At halftime this week most of the College Football world was shocked at what they were witnessing as the Dawgs were down 14-3 at home to S. Carolina. However, the second half version of Georgia that we saw was absolutely worthy of a #1 ranking, as they smushed the Gamecocks 21-0. It certainly made you pump the brakes a little and gave the rest of the Country some hope that the gap is much smaller than it has been in the past though. The offense isn’t as explosive, and Spencer Sanders was able to put up some numbers on this D. They have another cupcake with UAB up next, so for now they’re still you’re #1 for the foreseeable future.  
  2. Michigan (3-0)
    • If the Wolverines had just played anyone with a pulse they may have an argument for #1 after Georgia played around with S. Carolina this weekend. But, alas, they have played nobody and frankly seem to be sleep walking through these games. JJ McCarthy had 3 picks against a bad Bowling Green team so they certainly have some question marks. The schedule is laughably easy though, with Rutgers, Minnesota, Nebraska, IU, Sparty and Purdue the next 6 games. They will be 9-0 on Nov. 11th when they head to Happy Valley. That’s honestly when the season starts for Michigan.
  3. Notre Dame (4-0)
    • The Irish started slow but with the huge matchup with Ohio St looming that’s not shocking. They dominated in the end a bad CMU team. This is the most balanced team in the Country, with a dominant running game and a QB that is putting up monster numbers as he has in his past. Hartman has a chance this weekend to put himself at the top of the Heisman race if he can lead ND to a W over the Buckeyes. This is a massive game that I have been predicting ND to win the whole year, so it’s about to get real.
  4. Florida St (3-0)
    • The Seminoles barely survived a trip to a really bad BC team but at the end of the day a win is a win. Sometimes you don’t bring your best against bad competition, but hopefully this was a learning lesson that didn’t cost them too much. They have a massive game @ Clemson on Saturday, so of course the look ahead factor was there but they escaped and that’s all that matters. Now they get a chance to cement themselves as a top-5 team if they can go to Clemson and pull out a win.  
  5. Penn St (3-0)
    • It was ugly but Penn St went on the road and got a Conference win over Illinois who is slightly above average at best. Allar didn’t look great for the 1st time this year, but the defense was rock solid and as they continue to look like one of the more complete teams in the Country. Allar can beat you, the running backs can torch you and the defense is shutting people down. They have Iowa this weekend in Happy Valley who they should handle, and a couple more cupcakes before they head to Columbus to really see how they stack up.
  6. Texas (3-0)
    • It was a sleepy performance from the Longhorns against Wyoming but they pulled away late and ultimately we won’t remember this game at all. You expect a college team to have a letdown after a massive win, but to still come away with a comfy win is a great sign these Longhorns belong in the elite category. They are massive favorites this weekend @ Baylor, who has struggled thus far including a loss to Texas St so anything but a comfy W would be a disappointment for this Texas team.  
  7. USC (3-0)
    • A bye week doesn’t tell us anything obviously, but this weekend represents a tiny step up in competition with Arizona St. Now, the Sun Devils have looked pretty rough, but it’s still a Conference opponent on the road. The line just shocked me but 33.5 it is, so clearly this one should be over quickly once again. The real tests start the following week, as they get into the meat of their Pac-12 schedule by heading the circus that is Boulder, CO.
  8. Oregon (3-0)
    • The Ducks got another comfy win and now things get fun again as they welcome Deion Sanders and Colorado to Eugene on Saturday. This one should be a shootout, as the line is 71.5 and surprisingly Oregon is favored by 3 touchdowns over a ranked team. Clearly the books aren’t buying the Buffs hype, but Bo Nix and Co. are going to need to put up a ton of points to win by that much I imagine. Sanders is a legit QB and Colorado has legit weapons, so this will be a fun measuring stick game for a couple of contenders in the Pac-12.
  9. Washington (3-0)
    • Washington quietly is making a convincing argument for the Pac-12 favorite as Michael Penix Jr looks incredible and you could argue they have the best defense besides Utah in the Conference. They went to East Lansing and absolutely punked Sparty. Washington has 5 games left against ranked opponents, but this weekend they get an ok Cal team at home. Should be another W in dominant fashion.
  10. Ohio St (3-0)
    • Well the Buckeyes finally showed their explosiveness in their mashing of W. Kentucky, but forgive me for not being overly impressed. W. Kentucky has a horrible defense, but nonetheless it at least showed McCord has some firepower. I am going to continue to ride the ND train, and I’ve already put my bets in for both the +3.5 and ML on the Irish. I don’t think this team has the beef in the interior to slow Etienne down, and then you have the play action over the top with Hartman slinging it as well as anyone right now. They will need McCord to play out of his mind to win this game.
  11. Utah (3-0)
    • I continue to assume Rising will be back at QB but I’m not sure they belong this high without him. They get a dangerous UCLA team this weekend and without Rising I’m not sure if this offense has the firepower to keep up. So far they’ve been able to ride their defense and running game, but UCLA is dangerous. If I’m a Ute fan I’m real nervous is Rising is ruled out once again. If he’s back though I’ll take the Utes with ease.
  12. LSU (2-1)
    • LSU looks like the clear favorite in the West right now as they went to Starkville and pummeled Mississippi St. They left zero questions, as they dominated in every aspect the entire game. The defense looks good, and the Jayden Daniels-Malik Nabers connection is firing. They welcome an Arkansas team who is reeling after a home loss to BYU so things should continue to look very good for a sleeping giant in the SEC. With Georgia looking less dominant and Bama spiriling, you can envision a run from LSU that takes them to 12-1 and the CFP.
  13. Oklahoma (3-0)
    • The Sooners are finally gaining my respect, as the defense looks much improved and offensively Dillon Gabriel is playing incredibly well. They haven’t had a very tough stretch but they are 3-0 only allowing 28 points total in those 3. They go to Cincy who just lost to Miami (Oh) so I don’t expect this train to slow down anytime soon. We need the red river shootout in a couple weeks to have both teams undefeated, just have to take care of business and the whole sports world will be tuned in.
  14. Oregon St (3-0)
    • Again the Beavers won with ease and they continue to look dangerous as they enter Pac-12 play. DJ Uiagalelei has looked pretty good thus far, but he’ll have to be at his best this weekend as they head to Wazzu. Cam Ward and the Cougar offense have been dialed in and have already knocked off Wisconsin so this is a real litmus test for the Beavers to find out how legitimate they are as contenders.  
  15. Ole Miss (3-0)
    • The Rebels continue to roll along and Jackson Dart is looking the part, but this weekend represents by far the biggest challenge of the season. If they truly are a top-15 team they can go to Tuscaloosa and give Alabama everything they can handle. Obviously Texas was already able to go there and win, but I’m not sure Ole Miss has quite enough defensive ability to make things difficult for Milroe. Alabama obviously hasn’t looked great on offense though, so if Dart and this O-line can control things on that side, it’s anybody’s ball game. That’s all you can ask for if you’re an Ole Miss fan.
  16. Duke (3-0)
    • The Dukies are the quietest surprise team of the season, and while Colorado and Deion are getting all of the attention, I don’t think there’s been a more impressive start in the Country than what Duke has done thus far. Riley Leonard looks much improved, and the defense has been rock solid. They get 0-3 Uconn this weekend so they should stroll to 4-0 and are a legit contender in the ACC, which looks like a battle for who gets to play FSU in the title game.
  17. Miami (FL) (3-0)
    • Speaking of the ACC, the Hurricanes have also been impressive to start, with Tyler Van Dyke playing much better this year and an improvement frankly at all levels. They get one last cupcake with Temple this weekend and then GA Tech next weekend, so we should see them cruise to 5-0. That would set them up with a massive road test with North Carolina.  
  18. Alabama (2-1)
    • The Tide drop for me this week after that egg in South Florida, but I really think Milroe is the best they have, at least he can make some plays with his legs. There’s more wrong here than many thought, as the O-line has problems as they’re giving up sacks and can’t run the ball. The defense looks good, but thus far I’ve been vindicated, this isn’t the Alabama of old, and 18 frankly may be too high. But they get Ole Miss in Tuscaloosa, so if there’s ever a time for a bounce back this is it.
  19. Colorado (3-0)
    • The brakes were pumped a little on the Colorado hype train when they had to come from behind in dramatic fashion to beat Colorado St in dramatic fashion. It’s a rivalry game so crazy things can happen, but with Travis Hunter getting hurt and them struggling so much in the trenches, I don’t see them winning at Oregon this week. Sanders is legit and they’ll put up points, but Bo Nix may drop 50+ on em.
  20. UNC (3-0)
    • The Tar Heels won with ease over Minnesota on Saturday, in what was a disrespectful 7.5 point spread if you’d seen the two teams play. Drake Maye continues to play well other than the INT’s, but the defense has had its moments this year where it looks improved. They play @ Pitt this weekend who has looked awful to begin the year, so anything but 4-0 is a massive disappointment.
  21. Syracuse (3-0)
    • The Orange only got 2 votes in the AP poll, but if you’ve watched this team play they look really dangerous with Garrett Shrader playing the way he is. Through their first 2 games they outscored opponents 113-7 and then went on the road and beat a decent Purdue team by 15 points. Shrader has been electric, with almost 1,000 combined passing and rushing yards thru 3 and 10 TD’s. People need to stop sleeping on the Orange, they are a legit contender in the ACC. They get Army this weekend so 4-0 is chalked up, then they get Clemson, UNC and FSU so it’s about to get real.
  22. Iowa (3-0)
    • Well it’s been a fun start to the season for Iowa but now they have to go to Happy Valley and play an elite Penn St team. Nobody is really expecting this to be a close game, but if their defense can give Allar problems they could have a shot. I still think with McNamara they have more firepower on offense, not hard when last year’s team is the measuring stick, but a 15 point spread is an awful lot with this defense. If they put up a fight they’ll probably hang in this top-25.
  23. Florida (2-1)
    • Very impressive weekend for the Gators, as they absolutely shit pumped Tennessee in the Swamp (as you profited from if you’re tailing). Now loosing the 1st game with Mertz on the road in Utah looks much less rough. If they can run the ball like that with those 2 backs and the defense keeps flying around, they have a shot to pick some people off. They have a cupcake this weekend, but then they go to Kentucky in a game they have to win if they truly are a top-20 ish team.
  24. Mizzou (3-0)
    • 2nd biggest win of the weekend has to go to Mizzou, as they walked off K-State with a 61 yard FG to cap off an electric W. I’m not totally convinced they’re a top-25 team, but they played like it on Saturday so they get to be here this week. Brady Cook had a really good game against a pretty good K-State defense and the Luther Burden III was one of the better WR’s I’ve seen all season. Cook is hobbled though and they get a 3-0 Memphis team on Saturday who looks feisty. It could be short lived, but they deserve it nonetheless after that huge W.
  25. Kansas (3-0)
    • I’m still riding with Kansas even though they kind of slept walked through Nevada on Saturday. I still think this is an electric offense with Jalon Daniels and Devin Neal running the show. The defense is awful, but in the Big 12 they don’t have many dominant defenses so they are going to just get in shootouts and hope they can get it done. One of those is probably going to be Saturday as they host BYU. The Cougars just went to Arkansas and won, so I’m a little surprised Kansas is an 8.5 point favorite, but just take the over 54.5 and enjoy a fun one.

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