STILLWATER, Okla. — Week 4 of college football featured four games with both teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, highlighting some great matchups across the country.
But some of the best games in the country didn’t feature any of those games. There were multiple overtimes, Hail Marys, and a late-night run to Taco Bell after an unsavory bet on a game.
Below is the ballot I submitted to the Associated Press that will be included in the consensus rankings that will be released Sunday afternoon.
1. Texas
Quarterback Arch Manning made his first start at Texas, and it’s safe to say it went well. The redshirt freshman finished the day completing 15 of 29 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. The Longhorns remain my team to beat.
2. Georgia
The Bulldogs had an off week, but I forgot about the Kentucky game. Let’s see how they bounce back next week in a tough game against Alabama.
3. State of Ohio
Things were a little slow against Marshall – a little – but Ohio State was clearly the better team this week. Will Howard was efficient, completing 16 of 20 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Quinshon Judkins had a great day with 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
4. Tennessee
The Vols have been lurking for some time, but a win over Oklahoma was enough for me to put Tennessee ahead of Ole Miss and Alabama. At this point, the Vols have two wins over AP Top 25 teams at the time they played, which makes their record a little better.
5. Ole Miss
Ole Miss did everything right to cover a 36-point lead against a decent Georgia Southern team. Jaxson Dart threw for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns and remains at the top of my list of Heisman contenders. The Rebels were one of my favorite teams this year, but I demoted them one spot in favor of Tennessee.
6. Alabama
The Crimson Tide had a week off to prepare for next week’s game against Georgia. We’ll know a lot about these two teams next week, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Alabama beat Georgia again. But we’ll let the game play out before making any changes.
7. Miami
Cam Ward has seemingly been a cheat code for Miami this season, throwing for 404 yards and three touchdowns as the Hurricanes wasted no time in blowing out South Florida with a 50-15 victory. Even more impressive, Miami didn’t concede a goal in the second half.
8. Penn State
Of the top teams, Penn State had the least interesting game, but the Nittany Lions kept things in order.
9. Utah
It doesn’t always look pretty, but considering Utah pulled off a win over a ranked Oklahoma State team on the road with a true freshman quarterback, that’s a good sign of where Utah can be this season. Aside from a few late-game slip-ups, Utah’s defense remains strong — even without their starting fullback and starting linebacker.
We won’t even mention the Cam Rising situation.
10. Michigan
After being essentially brushed aside in a “rebuilding” year, Michigan proved the doubters wrong with a home win over a USC team that seemed to be on fire. Offense remains a big problem, but the running game is more than game-winning for the Wolverines — like it was on Saturday.
But my goodness, you can’t expect much from a passing game – 32 yards just isn’t enough.
Retirement: Nebraska, Northern Illinois, UCF
Check in: BYU, SMU, Illinois
Considered (alphabetically): Arizona, Arkansas, Boise State, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, UCF, Washington State
If you can’t see my full ballot below, click here.