Ohio State Holds No. 1 in Week 4 AP Poll as Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and USC Enter Top 25
Buckeyes receive overwhelming support while Notre Dame tumbles and three programs rejoin the rankings after notable upsets
Ohio State remained the AP top-ranked team in the country in Week 4, holding the No. 1 spot in the poll released Sept. 14 after a weekend of upsets and signature wins across college football.
The Buckeyes collected 55 first-place votes from the panel of roughly 60 writers and broadcasters who comprise the AP Top 25, with Penn State at No. 2 and LSU at No. 3. Miami climbed to No. 4 after its victory over ranked South Florida, and Georgia moved up to No. 5 following an overtime road win at Tennessee. Penn State received five first-place votes, Miami three and Oregon one.
Week 4's poll showed limited churn at the very top but substantial movement elsewhere. Oregon dropped two spots to No. 6. Florida State rose three places to No. 7, Texas slipped one to No. 8, and Illinois remained at No. 9. Texas A&M made the biggest leap among ranked teams, jumping six spots to No. 10 after a late-game win over previously ranked Notre Dame.
Notre Dame experienced the largest fall, tumbling 16 spots to No. 24 following its defeat. Other notable climbs included Alabama to No. 14 (up five), Mississippi to No. 13 (up four) and Utah to No. 16 (up four). Oklahoma moved up two spots to No. 11, Iowa State rose to No. 12, Texas Tech to No. 17 and Indiana to No. 19.
Three teams entered or re-entered the top 25 this week. Georgia Tech returned at No. 18 after a walk-off victory against then-No. 12 Clemson, which fell out of the rankings. Vanderbilt reappeared at No. 20 after upsetting No. 11 South Carolina on the road, and USC rejoined the list at No. 25 following a convincing road victory at Purdue. Several previously ranked teams, including Clemson and South Carolina, fell off the list after their losses.
The full Top 25 showed a mix of stability and volatility, reflecting a week in which midweek and weekend results reshaped perceptions of depth across conferences. Rounding out the poll were Michigan at No. 21, Auburn at No. 22, Missouri at No. 23 and Notre Dame at No. 24.
Looking ahead to the slate of games that could affect next week's rankings, No. 19 Indiana is scheduled to host No. 9 Illinois in a Big Ten matchup that could further reorder the conference standings. Other matchups with ranking implications include No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 21 Michigan at unranked Nebraska and No. 17 Texas Tech at No. 16 Utah.
The AP Top 25 is determined weekly by votes from sports writers and broadcasters across the nation. The Week 4 poll reflects results through the most recent weekend of play and will be updated after the coming week's games.