College Football Rankings 2014: Latest Standings and Predictions for Week 4

We've already seen upsets, top plays and Heisman-worthy performances over the past three weeks, but the 2014 college football season could see its most exciting slate of games yet in Week 4.

The rankings heading into Week 4 indicate that a drastic shakeup in the standings could occur at the close of play next Saturday. Several ranked teams are scheduled to square off, while the Oregon Ducks will hit the road for the first time during this young season.

Should the lesser-ranked teams knock off the higher-ranked teams, the polls will most certainly change drastically. Then again, there's a reason those teams are ranked as high as they are.

Below are predictions from two of the most compelling matchups of Week 4.

Amway Rank	Team	AP Rank	Team
1	Florida State	1	Florida State
2	Alabama	2	Oregon
3	Oregon	3	Alabama
4	Oklahoma	4	Oklahoma
5	Auburn	5	Auburn
6	Baylor	6	Texas A&M
7	Texas A&M	7	Baylor
8	LSU	8	LSU
9	Notre Dame	9	Notre Dame
10	UCLA	10	Mississippi
11	Michigan State	11	Michigan State
12	Ole Miss	12	UCLA
13	Arizona State	13	Georgia
14	Georgia	14	South Carolina
15	Stanford	15	Arizona State
16	South Carolina	16	Stanford
17	Wisonsin	17	USC
18	Ohio State	18	Missouri
19	Missouri	19	Wisconsin
20	Kansas State	20	Kansas State
21	USC	21	BYU
22	Nebraska	22	Clemson
23	BYU	23	Ohio State
24	Clemson	24	Nebraska
25	UNC	25	Oklahoma State

Auburn at Kansas State

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Kansas State can be a deceptively strong opponent for Auburn, as the Tigers could easily drop this game if quarterback Nick Marshall misses similar throws to ones he muffed against San Jose State and Arkansas.

Overall, Marshall has looked pretty good during his senior season. He is 14-of-25 for 277 yards and two touchdowns through the air to go along with 142 yards and two scores on the ground. He hasn't been perfect, but he has definitely been dynamic enough to lead this team.

Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee knows that Marshall, along with the rest of the offense, will have to play better than they did against San Jose State, via Charles Goldberg of AuburnTigers.com: 

"

We look at what can be better? He knows, playing Kansas State, that he’s got to play better, the wideouts have to play better, the line, the running backs, everybody. We’re going to have to make a lot of plays in the passing game. We feel like we can do it. We just have to go out and prove it.

"

Because Kansas State is a legitimate candidate to pull off an upset, Auburn's entire offense needs to be in sync and firing on all cylinders. They scored a touchdown on each of their first six drives against San Jose State, but some inconsistencies came about later on in the contest. Those will have to go away to be successful at Kansas State.

This won't be a blowout either way, but Auburn should be able to pull out a close win.

Prediction: Auburn 28, Kansas State 23

Clemson at Florida State

STEVEN CANNON/Associated Press

Florida State may have only played one game against a quality opponent (Oklahoma State), but the result wasn't great. Sure, the Seminoles grabbed the win, but it wasn't an easy one.

They had a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter before the Cowboys stormed back to score 14 in the fourth. The defense's inability to hold the Cowboys in that quarter should concern the coaching staff. A team like Clemson—one that is much better than Oklahoma State—could exploit that defense.

Jameis Winston will be expected to light it up against the Tigers, as it could become a shootout. Of course, Winston is a great guy to get behind in a shootout.

Winston is still a top candidate for this year's Heisman, so the Seminoles are in good hands. Even if it's ugly, they should pull out the hard-fought win.

Prediction: Florida State 33, Clemson 20

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @KennyDeJohn_BR