NCAA Football Rankings 2014: Top 25 Teams on Upset Alert for Week 4
It's hard to find many college football games across the Week 4 slate that scream upset, but then again, that was the case last weekend and look how things turned out.
From then-No. 9 USC falling on the road to Boston College to then-17th-ranked Virginia Tech falling at home to East Carolina, unpredictable upsets were of the norm throughout Week 3 despite only one matchup—Georgia vs. South Carolina—between fellow Top 25 teams.
In Week 4, there are only two games in which both teams are ranked, but some of the nation's best teams are set to face their toughest tests of the year. This isn't to say those schools are definitely going down over the weekend, but there's no doubt that an upset could be brewing if they aren't careful.
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Let's take a look at the full Week 4 rankings from The Associated Press, the Amway poll courtesy of USA Today and the Bleacher Report Top 25. Then we'll highlight which teams are on upset alert.
| 1 | Florida State (37) | Florida State (50) | Florida State |
| 2 | Oregon (17) | Alabama (1) | Oregon |
| 3 | Alabama (1) | Oregon (6) | Oklahoma |
| 4 | Oklahoma (2) | Oklahoma (4) | Alabama |
| 5 | Auburn | Auburn | Auburn |
| 6 | Texas A&M (3) | Baylor | Texas A&M |
| 7 | Baylor | Texas A&M | Baylor |
| 8 | LSU | LSU | LSU |
| 9 | Notre Dame | Notre Dame | Notre Dame |
| 10 | Ole Miss | UCLA | Michigan State |
| 11 | MIchigan State | Michigan State | Ole Miss |
| 12 | UCLA | Ole Miss | UCLA |
| 13 | Georgia | Arizona State | Georgia |
| 14 | South Carolina | Georgia | Arizoan State |
| 15 | Arizona State | Stanford | South Carolina |
| 16 | Stanford | South Carolina | Stanford |
| 17 | USC | Wisconsin | Missouri |
| 18 | Missouri | Ohio State | USC |
| 19 | Wisconsin | Missouri | Kansas State |
| 20 | Kansas State | Kansas State | Wisconsin |
| 21 | BYU | USC | BYU |
| 22 | Clemson | Nebraska | Ohio State |
| 23 | Ohio State | BYU | Clemson |
| 24 | Nebraska | Clemson | Oklahoma State |
| 25 | Oklahoma State | North Carolina | Nebraska |
Teams on Upset Alert
No. 5 Auburn Tigers
It's only fitting for the Auburn Tigers that they enter their treacherous upcoming slate of SEC knockdown drag-outs with a big-time test of another kind.
Gus Malzahn's fifth-ranked Tigers will travel west in a tough nonconference battle between ranked foes, facing the No. 20 Kansas State Wildcats in a Thursday night spectacle. It will be the first of many chances the defending SEC champs will have to prove that they belong back in the national title game.
It will also be the toughest test the Wildcats have faced at home in quite some time, as ESPN Stats & Information noted:
But there's no denying that Bill Snyder's team will be up to the task. The Wildcats defense has consistently been one of the best units in the Big 12, and being used to high-octane offenses will certainly help while going against Nick Marshall and the stud rushing attack Auburn boasts.
On top of that, their offensive line isn't shying away from the Tigers' daunting pass rush, per The Montgomery Advertiser's James Crepea:
Kansas State quarterback Jake Waters has been better than advertised so far in 2014, using his dual-threat abilities to gash defenses. Star wideout Tyler Lockett should also be able to make his impact against an Auburn secondary that has struggled against top receivers (see: Kelvin Benjamin).
Most importantly, Bill Snyder Family Stadium will be a rowdy and raucous environment knowing that they have the national runners-up coming to town and one of the best teams in the country.
Auburn might get out of Kansas with its undefeated record still intact, but it won't be easy.
No. 21 BYU Cougars
BYU shot into the Top 25 after its resounding upset victory over Texas and stayed there after improving to 3-0, but their stay in the rankings might be short-lived.
The Cougars face an underrated Virginia Cavaliers team at home on Saturday, and all it takes is a look at the previous weekend's game for both teams to see that an upset is on the horizon.
The Cavaliers posted one of the surprise outcomes in this young college football season by topping then-No. 21 Louisville at home 23-21 to improve to 2-1. That lone loss was an eight-point defeat to UCLA, No. 7 at the time.
Meanwhile, BYU struggled to get past Houston in a 33-25 victory that saw the Cougars defense give up 315 yards through the air.
BYU is a huge favorite entering the game, but as Mark Ennis notes, the line is awfully exaggerated:
The Cavaliers turned heads by knocking off a 21st-ranked opponent a week ago, and they'll be looking to make it 2-for-2 on the road Saturday.
No. 1 Florida State Seminoles
It's not very often given Florida State's cupcake-friendly ACC schedule that it is put on upset alert, but Jameis Winston's top-ranked Seminoles will be put to the test Saturday.
The 22nd-ranked Clemson Tigers come to town for a Saturday night affair, and Dabo Swinney's squad hopes to make it a much more competitive contest this time around.
When the two sides faced off in the middle of 2013, it promised to be one of the best games of the year. Instead, Winston and company strolled into Clemson and pulled out a 51-14 win.
With that in consideration, it's not surprising to see Florida State as a 20.5-point favorite according to Odds Shark. But don't be surprised if it's much closer than that.
The Tigers were neck-and-neck with Georgia before Todd Gurley took over, and Florida State has no true rushing dynamo who can compare. Cole Stoudt has been impressive in the passing game at times, and the inclusion of Deshaun Watson in certain packages could pose problems.
It's hard to see Florida State falling to a team that it certainly outmatches, but the Seminoles' opening-weekend affair against Oklahoma State showed just how vulnerable the Seminoles could be against top-flight ACC competition.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
