AP Top 25 college football poll reaction: What’s next for each ranked team?
The AP Top 25 college football poll is out after another wild weekend of games.
But what happens from here? We break down what’s next for each ranked team.
Previous ranking: 1
Week 4 result: 39-22 win over Kent State
What’s next: at Missouri (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Georgia knows now what it’s like not to completely blow out a team after winning a sloppy decision over Kent State on Saturday. The next two games are on the road against Missouri and Auburn, two teams the Bulldogs will again be big favorites against, and their offense continues to put up big numbers. Sophomore tight end Brock Bowers has emerged as one of the top playmakers in college football for the Dawgs, who have gained more than 470 yards in all four games. — Chris Low
Previous ranking: 2
Week 4 result: 55-3 win over Vanderbilt
What’s next: at Arkansas (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET)
The Crimson Tide’s offensive line couldn’t generate running lanes and couldn’t keep pressure off the quarterback against Texas earlier this month. Oh, and it committed way too many penalties. But the past two weeks there has been a noticeable improvement in all three areas, first against Louisiana Monroe and then against Vanderbilt. Against the Commodores, Alabama ran for more than 150 yards and didn’t allow a single sack of Bryce Young. But this Saturday’s road trip to Arkansas will reveal whether that progress was real as the Hogs boast one of the best defenses in the SEC in terms of creating pressure on the backfield. — Alex Scarborough
Previous ranking: 3
Week 4 result: 52-21 win over Wisconsin
What’s next: vs. Rutgers (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Ohio State had no problems with Wisconsin, winning by a large margin and dominating most of the game. The Buckeyes remain undefeated and have the offense playing at an elite level. Quarterback C.J. Stroud is still among the Heisman favorites and continues to put up big numbers. Ohio State has Rutgers, Michigan State and Iowa next on the schedule. If any of those teams are going to try to compete with the Buckeyes, they’ll have to figure out how to stop this offense. — Tom VanHaaren
Previous ranking: 4
Week 4 result: 34-27 win over Maryland
What’s next: at Iowa (Saturday, noon ET)
The Wolverines are 4-0 and have to go on the road to play Iowa in a rematch of last season’s Big Ten Championship game. Michigan got its first test of the season against Maryland where quarterback J.J. McCarthy said he didn’t have his best performance. McCarthy and the offense leaned on running back Blake Corum to help win against the Terps and they will likely need Corum to have another big game against the Hawkeyes. McCarthy said he is going to learn from his mistakes against Maryland and use it to improve the offense going forward. — VanHaaren
Previous ranking: 5
Week 4 result: 51-45 2OT win over Wake Forest
What’s next: vs. NC State (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET)
The concern for Dabo Swinney shifts from the offense to the defense, which couldn’t get to Sam Hartman or stop the Wake Forest quarterback, who carved up the Tigers for an ACC-record six touchdown passes. First-year coordinator Wes Goodwin must evaluate both personnel and scheme before hosting Devin Leary and NC State in a game that could decide the ACC’s Atlantic Division. The good news is Clemson can lean more on its own quarterback, D.J. Uiagalelei, after his best passing performance since his first start in 2020. — Adam Rittenberg
Previous ranking: 7
Week 4 result: 17-14 win over Oregon State
What’s next: vs. Arizona State (Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET)
After a tough battle in Corvallis that kept their undefeated season on track, the Trojans get to come down a bit and face what’s likely their easiest conference opponent of the season when they host Arizona State. Against the Sun Devils, whose lone win is against Northern Arizona, USC’s offense should have no trouble getting back on track while the defense will continue to sustain its ridiculous takeaway rate (14 in four games). — Paolo Uggetti
Previous ranking: 8
Week 4 result: 31-23 win over Northern Illinois
What’s next: at Ole Miss (Saturday, noon ET)
The Wildcats are going to take a 4-0 start to the season every time. But Saturday’s win over Northern Illinois lacked the kind of dominant effort you’d expect from a top-10 program nationally. One potential area of concern is the running game, which managed 103 yards on 34 carries against the Huskies. The good news: Chris Rodriguez, the leading returning rusher in the SEC, will make his debut on Saturday against Ole Miss after being suspended to start the season. — Alex Scarborough
Previous ranking: 11
Week 4 result: 38-33 win over Florida
What’s next: at LSU (Oct. 8)
The Vols were able to shake their Florida hex — barely. They almost blew a big fourth-quarter lead, but held on to win Saturday over the Gators to move to 4-0. Given Tennessee’s woes against Florida over the years, nobody was complaining. It was a huge win for the Vols, but they have some issues on defense to correct in a hurry, especially in the secondary. The good news is that they have an open date this weekend before going to LSU. They hope to get star receiver Cedric Tillman back for that game, and quarterback Hendon Hooker can also use a week off after taking several big hits in the Florida game. — Low
Previous ranking: 9
Week 4 result: Open date
What’s next: at Baylor (Saturday, TBD)
The Cowboys travel to Waco to face Baylor in a rematch of last season’s Big 12 championship game, a key game as the Big 12 race starts to take shape. OSU beat Baylor in Stillwater last year 24-14 before losing a heartbreaker, coming up just inches short on a goal-line stop in the 21-16 loss at AT&T Stadium. The good news: The Cowboys are coming off a bye week and had a chance to get ready to face a Bears team that just ended Iowa State’s 11-game home streak in conference play. — Dave Wilson
Previous ranking: 12
Week 4 result: 41-10 win over UConn
What’s next: at Clemson (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET)
OK, so you survived a closer-than-expected season-opener against East Carolina and then took care of business against Charleston Southern, Texas Tech and UConn. But now comes the real test — which could define the rest of season — with Saturday’s road game at No. 5 Clemson. Devin Leary is playing well at quarterback and could attack a Tigers’ secondary that didn’t look sharp in a close win at Wake Forest on Saturday. — Scarborough
Previous ranking: 14
Week 4 result: 33-14 win over Central Michigan
What’s next: vs. Northwestern (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET)
James Franklin had imposed orders to try and improve on the running game coming into the season. After churning out over 200 yards rushing in each of the past two weeks — including 245 yards in a road win at Auburn last week — Penn State ran for 166 yards on Saturday in a 33-14 win against Central Michigan. Freshman Kaytron Allen led the way with 111 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. The Nittany Lions welcome Northwestern to State College next week, which is followed up by a bye prior to a trip to the Big House and a date with Michigan on Oct. 15. — Blake Baumgartner
Previous ranking: 13
Week 4 result: vs. Arizona State
What’s next: vs. Oregon State (Saturday, TBD)
From a national perspective, the Week 1 hiccup against Florida still lingers, but the Utes are just as strong a conference-title favorite as when the season began. They’ll get an important test this week with Oregon State coming to Salt Lake City before back-to-back games against the L.A. schools (UCLA, Oct. 8; USC, Oct. 15) to start October. — Kyle Bonagura
Previous ranking: 15
Week 4 result: 44-41 win over Washington State
What’s next: vs. Stanford (Saturday, TBD)
After a hard-fought win over Wazzu, things get easier for the Ducks over the next few weeks. Oregon welcomes Stanford to town next week, and it will be interesting to see whether Dan Lanning’s team and quarterback Bo Nix can keep up the recent offensive production. They’ve now scored 40 points or more in their last three games after only mustering a field goal against Georgia. — Uggetti
Previous ranking: 16
Week 4 result: 35-27 win over Tulsa
What’s next: vs. Kentucky (Saturday, noon ET)
The constants for Ole Miss this season had been running the ball with a vengeance and playing stout defense. The Rebels still ran the ball well Saturday in a win over Tulsa but were outscored 13-0 to end the game. It hasn’t been the toughest of schedules for Ole Miss to this point, but that changes this weekend when unbeaten Kentucky visits Oxford. A win over the Wildcats could send the Rebels on their way to a 7-0 start. They play at Vanderbilt on Oct. 8 and then come back home to face Auburn on Oct. 15. — Low
Previous ranking: 18
Week 4 result: vs. Stanford
What’s next: at UCLA (Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET)
After starting the season with four straight home games, the Huskies travel to UCLA to begin a stretch that includes just one home game (Arizona, Oct. 15) through the end of October. There is a case for UW as the most impressive team in the conference to this point, and a win against undefeated UCLA would further establish the Huskies as a conference-title favorite. — Bonagura
Previous ranking: 17
Week 4 result: 31-24 win over Iowa State
What’s next: vs. Oklahoma State (Saturday, TBD)
After starting Big 12 play with a gritty, physical win at Iowa State, Baylor might have to raise its game even further now, returning home to face Oklahoma State. Then again, quarterback Blake Shapen already raised his game. He enjoyed maybe the best performance of his career against Iowa State, going 19-for-26 for 238 yards and three scores. The Baylor defense will have its hands full against a high-flying OSU offense, but Shapen and the Bears passing game could land some blows, too. — Bill Connelly
Previous ranking: 23
Week 4 result: 23-21 win over Arkansas
What’s next: at Mississippi State (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET)
The Aggies’ running game got going on Saturday against Arkansas as Devon Achane had a 63-yarder en route to a 159-yard day on 19 carries. They’ll need his help controlling the ball as the passing came continues to be a work in progress with a trip to Starkville against Mike Leach’s offense coming off a 409-yard, 6-TD performance by QB Will Rogers against Bowling Green on Saturday. — Dave Wilson
Previous ranking: 6
Week 4 result: 41-34 loss to Kansas State
What’s next: at TCU (Saturday, noon ET)
OU managed to trip up at home against Kansas State once again, but the tests have just begun for the Sooners. They will make two straight trips to the DFW region — first to TCU to face the unbeaten Horned Frogs, then to Dallas to face a Texas team that also suffered a Week 4 upset. Dillon Gabriel and the Sooner offense was mostly fine against KSU, but Brent Venables’ defense got lit up for the first time. How will it respond against a TCU offense averaging 46 points per game? — Connelly
Previous ranking: 19
Week 4 result: vs. Wyoming
What’s next: vs. Utah State (Thursday, 8 p.m. ET)
The Cougars remain at home again next week for an in-state game against Utah State before heading to Las Vegas on Oct. 8 to play Notre Dame. If BYU can win out, a New Year’s Six bowl could be within reach, but the margin for error remains small. — Bonagura
Previous ranking: 10
Week 4 result: 23-21 loss to Texas A&M
What’s next: vs. Alabama (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET)
The Razorbacks will be upset after letting a win over Texas A&M get away in a game they could’ve finished. There’s no time to stew on it, however, with Alabama coming to town. Sam Pittman has worked wonders in a short time in Fayetteville, but the Hogs haven’t beaten the Tide since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa, and last won when Houston Nutt beat Mike Shula 24-23 in 2006. — Wilson
Previous ranking: unranked
Week 4 result: 34-7 win over Michigan State
What’s next: vs. Purdue (Saturday, noon ET)
Minnesota responded quite well in its first road test of the season and its first test without senior wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell, who suffered a season-ending injury last week against Colorado. The Golden Gophers racked up 508 total yards — their third straight week going over 500 total yards offensively. Senior QB Tanner Morgan threw for 268 yards with three touchdowns and connected with 10 different receivers, with six of them hauling in at least two passes. Morgan found junior wide receiver Daniel Jackson for a pair of scores. Off to their second 4-0 start under PJ Fleck and first since 2019, the Golden Gophers host Purdue next week before traveling to Illinois on Oct. 15 after their bye. — Baumgartner
Previous ranking: 21
Week 4 result: 51-45 2OT loss to. No. 5 Clemson
What’s next: at Florida State (Saturday, TBD)
The Demon Deacons won the ACC Atlantic Division in 2021 despite a Clemson loss, so there’s still plenty out there for Sam Hartman and his teammates. The defense is the immediate concern after allowing a combined 87 points in the past two games, both at home. Wake Forest now heads to Florida State to face a confident Seminoles team, which hasn’t beaten the Deacons since 2017. The status of starting cornerback Caelen Carson, who missed the Clemson loss with a leg injury, will be worth monitoring. — Rittenberg
Previous ranking: unranked
Week 4 result: 44-14 win over Boston College
What’s next: vs. Wake Forest (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Jordan Travis continues to impress at quarterback for the Seminoles. With some questions about his health last week after suffering a leg injury against Louisville, Travis not only started against Boston College but was sharp, completing 16 of 26 passes for 321 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. But now the junior from West Palm heads into the treacherous part of the schedule with games against Wake Forest, NC State and Clemson in consecutive weeks. — Scarborough
Previous ranking: 24
Week 4 result: 45-24 win over Rhode Island
What’s next: vs. Georgia Tech (Saturday, TBD)
Coach Pat Narduzzi said going into the season he wanted his team to be a much better running team. Israel Abanikanda has made that a reality, with at least 125 yards rushing over the past three games. Next up is Georgia Tech, a team that has struggled across the board. While the running game is improving week after week, the Pitt passing game remains a work in progress and something that the Panthers will need to work on once the ACC schedule becomes more challenging. — Adelson
Previous ranking: unranked
Week 4 result: 41-34 win over Oklahoma
What’s next: vs. Texas Tech (Saturday, noon ET)
Chris Klieman recorded his third career victory over Oklahoma in four tries behind the heroics of senior quarterback Adrian Martinez. Martinez ran circles around the Sooners’ defense to the tune of 148 rushing yards and a career-high four touchdowns on 21 carries as the Wildcats secured the victory. The Nebraska transfer led an offense that churned out 277 rushing yards and Saturday was the 10th time in Martinez’s career he had run for multiple touchdowns in a game. With last week’s home loss to Tulane now a memory, Kansas State hosts Texas Tech — an 37-34 overtime winner over Texas — next week before a trip to Ames beckons on Oct. 8. — Baumgartner
Dropped out: Miami, Texas, Florida
AMES, Iowa — No. 14 Iowa State‘s secondary will be without longtime starters Jontez Williams and Jeremiah Cooper for the rest of the season because of knee injuries.
Coach Matt Campbell announced Tuesday that Williams damaged the ACL in his right knee late in the Cyclones’ 39-14 win over Arizona on Saturday. Cooper tore his ACL in practice last week. The two have combined for 55 starts.
Williams, an Associated Press All-Big 12 second-team pick in 2024, had one interception and two pass breakups this season. He was hurt with three minutes left against Arizona as he dove in an attempt to knock a ball away from a receiver.
“So that’s a situation that really stinks for the kid,” Campbell said. “But man, just how he’s handled it has been uber impressive. And a great human. He’ll be back ready to rock and roll next year.”
Cooper has made 36 starts since 2022 and was an AP All-Big 12 first-team pick at safety in 2023. He switched to cornerback full time this season and had an interception and three pass breakups through four games.
Tre Bell, a transfer from Lindenwood, made his first start for the Cyclones in Cooper’s place against Arizona. Quentin Taylor Jr., who played 26 snaps against Arizona, would be in line to make his first start when the Cyclones (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) visit Cincinnati (3-1, 1-0) on Saturday.
Inspirational thought of the week:
I hear your laugh
And look up smiling at you
I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch
And the tractor rides
Look now, the sky is gold
I hug your legs
And fall asleep on the way home
I don’t know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you’re not scared of anything at all
— “The Best Day,” Taylor Swift
Here at Bottom 10 Headquarters, located beneath the pile of regret RSVP cards at Rece Davis’ house because his daughter scheduled a fall wedding, now that October has arrived, we know exactly where you will all have been this week. Standing in line with us, waiting for the store to open at midnight Oct. 3 to sell us the first copies of Tay-Tay’s new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
Yes, this week the World’s Most Famous Chiefs Fan Not Named Ant-Man drops her new batch of songs, but we also know that as the Bottom 10 faithful camp out on the sidewalk, they will be listening to another playlist of sweet tunes. I’m speaking of the fight songs of Sam Houston, We Have a Problem on Thursday night. Then, the Charlotte 1-and-3’ers, San No-sé State and Colora-duh State on Friday night. All programs that are in their own “Era” of writing “Bottom 10’s Version” of their “Reputation” for “Evermore.”
And while we watch those games, at some point we will realize that it isn’t “1989” and we no longer have to be in line to buy a new record. Or buy records at all. We can download them to our phones. Or as we call them here in the B10CU, the Bottom 10 Cinematic Universe, our pocket computers.
With apologies to the Taylor University Trojans, former Nebraska wide receiver Nate Swift and Steve Harvey, here are the post-Week 5 Bottom 10 rankings.
The Bearkats kruised through their skheduled open date and now koncentrate on krossing the Rio Grande for a kontest kounter to New Mexiko State, who were just konquered by New Mexiko in Albukuerkue.
Have you seen that meme of Cookie Monster drumming his fingers on the table, impatiently waiting to go bonkers on a yet-to-arrive tray of cookies? Yeah, that’s us, waiting for the Oct. 11 Pillow Fight of the Week of the Year of the Century Mega Bowl, when the Minutemen travel to face State of Kent, who are 1-3 after taking the week off. But before that, UMass hosts Western Not Eastern Michigan, while Kent will be getting run over by the Sooner Schooner like a snake trying to cross an Oklahoma freeway.
In Westwood, they said bye to their coach, then they had a bye week, then they lost at Bottom 10 Wait Listers Northworstern, then they raced USC back to Los Angeles, both wondering why they said bye to having all those games closer to home in the league they said bye to too.
Speaking of the Artist Formerly Known But Soon To Be Known Again As The Pac-12, the Beavers became the nation’s first five-loss team after a near-win over undefeated Houston Not Sam Houston. Now they travel east to face Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina, where I once camped with the Boy Scouts and had all of our food stolen by actual beavers.
There are those who might try to convince you that Penn State’s White Out didn’t work the night they played Oregon, but it did. Watch James Franklin’s postgame news conference when he was asked about his record against top-10 teams. He totally used virtual Wite-Out to paint over the word “narrative” and change it to “factual.”
I was roasted over mesquite, and rightfully so, for omitting Oklahoma State from these rankings one week ago after it lost to Living On Tulsa Time at home and then fired Mike “I’m a man! I’m 58!” Gundy. It was a mistake. I was in denial. But I was snapped out of that trance of disbelief by all of the DMs and texts from Stillwater phone numbers saying that I had to have Oklahoma State in here this week or lose all credibility, including one from what my caller ID listed as “Gundy, M.”
The Spartans Not Trojans are one of a whopping four Mountain West teams stuck at 1-3, but won, er, lost out for this spot over the other three because: A. They actually played a game last weekend; 3. They lost the Pillow Fight of the Week to neighbor and fellow Bottom 10 Waiting Lister Stanfird by one point; and fifthly, they can probably sneak up on New Mexico this weekend because the Lobos have spent all week with upset tummies after spending a week eating from college football’s new greatest rivalry trophy, the Chile Roaster.
I feel very strongly that we as a nation aren’t making a big enough deal out of this new chile roaster trophy for New Mexico-New Mexico State. pic.twitter.com/ls0s5X1ETA
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) September 28, 2025
The Other Other Huskies are one of a whopping six #MACtion team stuck at 1-and-something, but won, er, lost out for this spot over the other five because: 1. They actually played a game last weekend; C. They lost to San Diego State, which isn’t terrible, but the final score of the game was 6-3; and secondly, we wanted a chance to hype this week’s Pillow Fight of the Week, when they host My Hammy of Ohio, which is now 1-3 after beating Lindenwood, a school you’ve never heard of unless you are a big Pierre Desir fan.
The Red Wolves are one of a not-as-whopping but still not small three Fun Belt teams stuck at 1-and-something, but won, er, lost out for this spot over the other two because: I. They actually played last weekend; IV. They lost to our old friends and former Bottom 10 stalwart ULM (pronounced “uhlm”); and XL. That Week 2 loss to now-head coach-less Arkansaw by 42 points is aging about as well as that bottle of gas station chardonnay that I accidentally left under the seat of my truck all summer.
My hometown team is one of a totally-not-whopping-but-still-seems-like-a-lot-for-one-conference-after-only-one-month-of-football three Just American teams stuck at 1-and-something, but won, er … OK, yeah … I’m tired of this bit too. Almost as tired as the Niners fans will be of watching US(not C)F run up and down the field on Friday night. The good news? Shortly after the game ends, they can ease their pain by listening to Tay’s new album.
Waiting list: State of Kent, UTEPid, Muddled Tennessee State, Northworstern, FA(not I)U, Bah-stan Cawledge, Clempson, Flori-duh, Georgia State Not Southern, Colora-duh State, No-vada, Stanfird, My Hammy of Ohio, South Alabama Redundancies, Give Me Liberty Or Give Me 1-4, Akronmonious, Baller State, a college football world without Sam Pittman in it.
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