College Football 2024: B/R's Top 25 Rankings After Week 4

The Week 4 college football slate provided some separation in the middle of the pack thanks to three matchups of ranked opponents.

The biggest game of the day was a prime time SEC showdown between No. 6 Tennessee and No. 15 Oklahoma, with the Volunteers defense making a statement in a 25-15 victory to improve to 4-0 on the year.

No. 18 Michigan ripped off 290 rushing yards in a 27-24 victory over No. 11 USC where they passed for just 32 yards, while a key game in the battle for a wide open Big 12 saw No. 12 Utah secure a 22-19 win over No. 14 Oklahoma State.

Meanwhile, upstart No. 23 Northern Illinois suffered a letdown in its first game since upsetting Notre Dame, which opens the door for the rest of the Group of 5 field in the coming weeks.

All of that meant plenty of shuffling was in order in Bleacher Report's Top 25 rankings.

This week's panel included David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Morgan Moriarty, Joel Reuter and Brad Shepard. A first-place vote was worth 25 points, a second-place vote worth 24 points and so on.

B/R Top 25

Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins

B/R Top 25

1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Tennessee
4. Ole Miss
5. Georgia
6. Alabama
7. Miami
8. Oregon
9. Penn State
10. Utah
11. Missouri
12. Louisville
13. Michigan
14. Clemson
15. Iowa State
16. LSU
17. Notre Dame
18. USC
19. Oklahoma State
20. Illinois
21t. BYU
21t. UNLV
23. Kansas State
24. Oklahoma
25. UCF

Who's Hot: A Stout Tennessee Defense

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

NORMAN, OKLAHOMA - SEPTEMBER 21: Defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott #55 of the Tennessee Volunteers dives to catch quarterback Jackson Arnold #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first quarter at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2024 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

The Tennessee Volunteers outscored the opposition by a staggering 191-13 margin during their 3-0 start, but two of those victories came against Chattanooga and Kent State, while the other was to a briefly ranked NC State team that suffered its second loss on Saturday.

Their performance on the road against the No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners, with all the hype that comes with the College GameDay crew being on-campus, has galvanized them as a championship-caliber defensive unit.

The Volunteers finally allowed their first offensive touchdown of the year with 8:25 remaining in the fourth quarter when Michael Hawkins Jr. found Jovantae Barnes in the flats for a two-yard strike.

The true freshman Hawkins was under center for the Sooners after starter Jackson Arnold was benched midway through the second quarter. He completed just 7-of-16 passes with 54 yards and an interception before he was pulled following a lost fumble with 5:31 remaining before halftime.

Here's a quick look at what the Volunteers defense has done through four games:

• W1 (vs. Chattanooga): 3 points, 227 total yards, 3.8 yards per play
• W2 (@ NC State): 10 points, 143 total yards, 2.9 yards per play
• W3 (vs. Kent State): 0 points, 112 total yards, 2.3 yards per play
• W4 (@ Oklahoma): 15 points, 221 total yards, 3.2 yards per play

With a strong running game and potential untapped upside from quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the Volunteers have more than enough offense to be considered a national title threat if their defense continues to dominate the opposition.

Who's Not: Group of 5 Favorites

Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka

One storyline to watch this season will be who occupies the top spot in the rankings among Group of 5 schools, as the nation's highest-ranked conference champion outside of the Power 4 conferences will earn a spot in the 12-team playoff field.

The Northern Illinois Huskies entered Week 4 in the No. 23 spot in the AP poll following their upset win over Notre Dame in Week 2, making them the only Group of 5 team in the rankings.

Not far behind, the Memphis Tigers were the first team among the "Others Receiving Votes" after a 20-12 victory on the road against Florida State last weekend headlined their 3-0 start to the year.

However, both of those teams lost on Saturday, with NIU losing to Buffalo by three points in overtime, while Memphis fell to Navy in a 56-44 shootout.

So who does that leave as the favorite to snag that wide open playoff bid?

Here are a few undefeated teams worth keeping an eye on:

• Army
• James Madison
• Liberty
• Navy
• UNLV

Will it be one of those teams that runs the table, or will a one-loss Boise State squad climb back into the picture as the season unfolds?

What's Next

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck

Two bona fide national title contenders will face off next weekend when the Georgia Bulldogs head to Tuscaloosa to square off against the Alabama Crimson Tide with both teams coming off a bye week.

The winner of that matchup could take over as the No. 1 team in the nation, while the loser's margin of error shrinks significantly in the quest for a spot in the playoff field.

Elsewhere in the SEC, Ole Miss will face a Kentucky team that gave Georgia everything it could handle in a 13-12 game in Week 3, while Texas welcomes Mississippi State to town while they try to hold onto the No. 1 spot in the AP poll.

There are three other matchups between ranked teams on tap in Week 5:

• (24) Illinois at (10) Penn State
• (14) Oklahoma State at (13) Kansas State
• (19) Louisville at (17) Notre Dame

If Notre Dame loses a second time, they face a major uphill battle to snag a spot in the playoff field, while a win on the road against Penn State would vault an upstart Illinois team into the playoff picture.

Coming off a huge victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday, Utah will look to avoid a letdown against an Arizona team that began the year with lofty expectations.

See you next Saturday!