College Football Week 4 Power Rankings

Three weeks of games are in the books and there has been a little bit of movement among the top teams as three straight weeks of top ten matchups have rewarded the winners and punished the losers. However, not terribly. The streak of top ten matchups halts but there are still a couple top 25 matchups that will continue to keep the rankings fluid. Texas A&M came close to coming back to knock off #1 Alabama but the Crimson Tide got their revenge. In the other top 25 matchup, UCLA shocked those gathered in Lincoln, Nebraska when they came back in the second half to not only win but destroy the Huskers. There were a few scares for some teams and could losses. Wisconsin fell a little bit due to their tough loss to Arizona State, who jumps into the top 25. While TCU lost to Texas Tech and they fall out along with a 3-0 Michigan State in favor of an impressive Mississippi team who won Austin against Texas and are now 3-0 themselves. 

With Week 4 fasting approaching, here are this week's power rankings:

1)(1) Alabama (vs Colorado State)- It was a wild and earned victory at Texas A&M but unlike last year, they were the better team. They might not be as complete as last year, but still look like a tough team to beat.
2)(2) Oregon (BYE)- 50 plus points in each of their first three games should scare most of college football especially everyone in the Pac-12 as teams might have to outscore them which is no easy task.
3)(3) Ohio State (vs Florida A&M)- They should have little difficulty again this week, but execution is something they can continue to polish up before conference games.
4)(5) Clemson (at NC State)- After a week away, they start their ACC schedule and this is the type of game that could be a trap if they don't come prepare.
5)(4) Stanford (vs Arizona State)- They seemed to struggle against a lesser team in Army at times and now have a confident Arizona State team coming to town in a solid Pac-12 matchup.
6)(7) Louisville (vs Florida International)- Like the first three games, this one should be a similar dissection by QB Teddy Bridgewater and the Cardinals.
7)(8) Georgia (vs North Texas)- Georgia finally gets a bit of a break with an opponent not ranked in the top 10.
8)(9) Florida State (vs Bethune Cookman)- They did not look overly impressive in the first half before exploding in the second half. They might have a full game like the second half this week.
9)(10) LSU (vs Auburn)- They have been very consistent with play so far and get an improved Auburn squad in a game that they will be fired up for.
10)(6) Texas A&M (vs SMU)- They turned it over a couple times and that proved to be the difference as despite one of the best games by QB Johnny Manziel it was not enough and now they must recalibrate and stay focused.
11)(13) Oklahoma State (BYE)- Outside of Oregon, they might have one of the best offenses so far this season. They get a break to rest up this week.
12)(12) South Carolina (BYE)- They rebounded nicely after their loss to Georgia by taking down Vanderbilt and get a bye at a time when their star defender could use it.
13)(17) UCLA (vs New Mexico State)- They seemed like a completely different team in the second half against Nebraska as they hit a switch and kept scoring and continue to impress each week.
14)(11) Michigan (at Connecticut)- They almost let a winnable game slip away and they could that as a lesson for another game this week which they should win easily.
15)(14) Oklahoma (BYE)- They are not doing anything over the top, but slow and steady might be enough until they run into Oklahoma State or Baylor with high powered offenses.
16)(18) Northwestern (vs Maine)- They continue to look sharp and should have a game this week that will allow them to continue to work on execution before facing tougher opponents.
17)(19) Miami (FL) (vs Savannah State)- They return from a bye with a lot of excitement and could use this game to further showcase their improved talent and better discipline.
18)(23) Washington (vs Idaho State)- A solid road win last week as they continue to grow as a team and rise in their conference.
19)(21) Florida (vs Tennessee)- They go from one rivalry game to another after their bye. Based on how they have played to start the year, this week could be another test for Florida as they try to show they can be a dominant team in their conference.
20)(24) Baylor (vs LA-Monroe)- The surging Bears return and could continue to put up a point barrage this week.
21)(20) Notre Dame (vs Michigan State)- They have not looked especially sharp the last two weeks and needed big four quarters where one was not enough and get another Big Ten foe this week.
22)(NR) Mississippi (BYE)- A much deserved bye after a surprising 3-0 including a statement win at Austin against Texas.
23)(NR) Arizona State (at Stanford)- It was a weird ending but the Sun Devils had a solid win as a great way to build up momentum for their clash with Stanford.
24)(15) Wisconsin (vs Purdue)- It was a tough loss last week in a winnable game until the very end and now must regroup for a conference battle with Purdue who has looked better this year overall.
25)(16) Nebraska (vs South Dakota State)- They seemed to have a slight grasp on their game this past week before UCLA rolled them in the second half to once again but a major question mark above their defense.

NEXT 5
1) Michigan State (at Notre Dame)- They are still a top 25 worthy team and with a win, they could swap places with Notre Dame.
2) Texas Tech (vs Texas State)- They like Baylor have been a pleasant surprise in the Big 12 showing balance.
3) USC (vs Utah State)- They needed the type of win they got last week against Boston College and will certainly aim for a repeat to show some life in their offense.
4) TCU (BYE)- They did not seem as crisp as usual this past week which opened the door for Texas Tech in the second half and now have a week off to see where improvements need to be made.
5) Virginia Tech (vs Marshall)- They have looked strong and weak at points this year and it is still hard to figure out their capability.

After three weeks of top 10 matchups, there is only one top 25 matchup this week when Arizona State visits Stanford in what should be a good Pac-12 game. Michigan State could jump back into the top 25 with a win at Notre Dame and knock them out. Most top 25 teams have fairly winnable to likely wins and thus movement might be limited this week.