NCAA Football Rankings 2014: Full List of Week 4 College Standings and Polls
Gone is the evil BCS and in its place is the playoff, although what the means for NCAA football rankings is a good as anyone's guess.
Especially with how this wild season is already playing out.
Whether it is brave scheduling or downright season-ruining upsets in what had the look of a boring week, the first three weeks of the 2014 season have been anything but kind to the Top 25. Look at data provided by Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports for proof:
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Things only figure to get crazier as conference play gets underway.
Beforehand, here is a look at the Week 4 polls and a deeper dive on some big movers.
Amway and AP Week 4 Top 25 Rankings
| 1 | Florida State (37) | Florida State (50) |
| 2 | Oregon (17) | Alabama (1) |
| 3 | Alabama (1) | Oregon (6) |
| 4 | Oklahoma (2) | Oklahoma (4) |
| 5 | Auburn | Auburn |
| 6 | Texas A&M (3) | Baylor |
| 7 | Baylor | Texas A&M |
| 8 | LSU | LSU |
| 9 | Notre Dame | Notre Dame |
| 10 | Ole Miss | UCLA |
| 11 | Michigan State | Michigan State |
| 12 | UCLA | Ole Miss |
| 13 | Georgia | Arizona State |
| 14 | South Carolina | Georgia |
| 15 | Arizona State | Stanford |
| 16 | Stanford | South Carolina |
| 17 | USC | Wisconsin |
| 18 | Missouri | Ohio State |
| 19 | Wisconsin | Missouri |
| 20 | Kansas State | Kansas State |
| 21 | BYU | USC |
| 22 | Clemson | Nebraska |
| 23 | Ohio State | BYU |
| 24 | Nebraska | Clemson |
| 25 | Oklahoma State | North Carolina |
Breaking Down Notable Movers
USC
In a way, this was easy to see coming.
The Steve Sarkisian era at USC got off to a wild start, as his young team took a trip to Stanford and emerged with a 13-10 win, really beating David Shaw's team at its own game in the process.
Then the letdown happened.
Tasked with traveling across the country to take on a sneaky-good Boston College team led by dual-threat quarterback Tyler Murphy, the Trojans gave up 37 points and 506 yards in an ugly upset that moved them down 11 spots in the Amyway poll alone.
"As much as I'm evaluating every player right now in the bye week, I'm evaluating myself," Sarkisian said, per FoxSports.com's Rahshaun Haylock. "And part of myself is the play-caller and what gives us the best chance to be successful."
Yeah, that is not a good sign. Sarkisian, known for his quick-twitch offense last perfected at Washington, is even questioning himself in that area. Good thing USC is on a bye.
There is a semblance of hope that the Trojans can rebound, but it will have to come against a brutal schedule. A visit from Oregon State after the bye followed by a visit from No. 15 Arizona State is a stretch only overshadowed by a date at UCLA and against Notre Dame to close the season.
The Trojans needed that win at Boston College dearly.
Ole Miss
The team from the SEC nobody seems to be talking about continues to surge forward.
Now 3-0, the Ole Miss Rebels rank in the top 10 in passing yards per game (364.7) and overall defense (10.3).
As College GameDay notes, a four-spot rise in The Associated Press Top 25 and three spots in the Amyway are not the only accomplishments the Rebels continue to pile up:
Critics will point out that the wins are against Boise State, Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Lafayette. Then again, each of those teams have at least one win on the season already and one has two (Boise State).
Led by senior quarterback Bo Wallace, who has 1,023 passing yards and nine touchdowns to four interceptions in three games, the Rebels are a serious threat in the SEC. Two of the three wins have seen the offense rack up 180 or more yards on the ground, and the defense is clearly a force.
The hype train will end soon, though, as the first game of October sees No. 3 Alabama come to town. Then it's off to No. 6 Texas A&M. The end of that month is a trip to No. 8 LSU followed by a visit from No. 5 Auburn.
We will find out quickly if the sudden rise in all areas is warranted.
South Carolina
As quickly as they fell after an opening-week loss to the Aggies, the South Carolina Gamecocks are back to the realm of relevancy after an upset over previously ranked No. 6 Georgia, 38-35.
As Kirk Herbstreit notes, though, the shocking upset was not enough in the minds of pollsters:
Apparently, we should have seen the upset coming, though. The AP's Pete Iacobelli points out that Steve Spurrier has a habit of making this sort of thing happen:
"When rumblings began in 2010 that an aging Spurrier had lost his edge, his players responded with a victory over then-No. 1 Alabama that jump-started a run to the SEC Eastern Division.
In 2012, when consecutive mid-season road defeats to LSU and Florida derailed a 6-0 start, the Gamecocks won their final five games for a second straight 11-win season.
"
Behind 271 yards and three touchdowns from Dylan Thompson and 176 total rushing yards, Spurrier's side seemed to find itself at just the right moment once again.
It was very much a season-saving win, although tests against Missouri, Auburn, Florida and Clemson still loom large on the schedule.
Stats via ESPN. Amyway poll via USA Today. AP poll via the Associated Press.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
