College Football Rankings 2014 Week 4: Top 25 Teams on Upset Alert This Weekend
The Top 25 teams in college football were put on notice last week—no spot in the polls is safe, easy matchup or not.
Really, it is a lesson that should not need reviewing. Old adages such as "That's why they play the game" exist for good reason. Last week's schedule seemed yawn-worthy, but then USC traveled to Boston College and lost, Virginia Tech got upended by Eastern Carolina, among other close affairs.
This week is much of the same. Most Top 25 members seem to have it easy. Michigan State gets Eastern Michigan. Easy enough.
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Others are not so fortunate. Let's review those teams below.
2014 College Football Week 4 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 |
No. 24 Nebraska
For the first time since 1976, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will meet longtime rival Miami in the regular season. The two sides have won various national titles against each other, so it should go without saying that rank goes out the window in such a matchup.
The Cornhuskers look strong behind the churning legs of back Ameer Abdullah, a surefire Heisman contender who has 396 yards and three scores to help the team rank in the top 10 in rushing. As a whole, Nebraska ranks just outside the top 10 in total scoring thanks to an average of 47 points per game.
Miami is a team in transition with freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya under center, who has struggled with turnovers en route to 693 yards and seven touchdowns to five interceptions.
Luckily for the Hurricanes, though, the team has a Heisman contender of its own in back Duke Johnson, who has rushed for 277 yards and two scores already. He can help to mask the growing pains under center against teams that do not excel through the air offensively, but as we saw in a season-opening 31-13 loss at the hands of Louisville, he cannot do it all on his own.
Given that Nebraska is a run-first team and has inflated numbers thanks to a schedule that reads like a cake walk—Florida Atlantic, McNeese State and Fresno State—and this one will be much closer than most realize.
Also keep in mind that Nebraska is just 18-9 at home under coach Bo Pelini, and the team almost got upended by McNeese State at home before winning, 31-24.
The Cornhuskers are very much in danger this weekend.
No. 21 BYU
Time for one of the more puzzling matchups of the week.
Mark Ennis of ESPN 680 has the details:
Virginia is a team that did lose to then-ranked No. 7 UCLA 28-20 to start the season, but held Heisman contender Brett Hundley in check with just 242 passing yards to his name. After a win over Richmond, the Cavaliers shut down the potent Louisville Cardinals in a 23-21 win while giving up just 282 total yards and four chain-moving plays.
Interestingly enough, BYU is the same rank that Louisville was before the upset, and the Cougars happen to be one of the teams the Cavaliers upended last year—in what ended up being a two-win season.
Look, BYU has a great offense thanks to versatile quarterback Taysom Hill, who has amassed 1,045 total yards and 10 touchdowns through a combination of efficiency through the air and brutality on the ground.
The Cougars have yet to encounter a defense like the Virginia unit, and the three-point loss to the team last year in which Hill posted a 13-of-40 line through the air suggests BYU is in for another long day at the office.
No. 8 LSU
While LSU has looked great this year and even managed a win over then-ranked No. 14 Wisconsin to start the season, all is not well in Baton Rouge with Mississippi State on the way for a visit.
The Tigers have looked good on the ground, but sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings still seems to be a work in progress under center. He has 566 yards and five touchdowns to one interception, but one should come to expect more after fluff matchups against Sam Houston State and Louisiana-Monroe.
Most concerning of all, though, is LSU's issues when it comes to stopping the run. Wisconsin went for 268 total yards. The Bulldogs do not have a Melvin Gordon, but then do have Josh Robinson, who averages 6.3 yards per carry.
The team itself is led by dual-threat quarterback Dak Prescott, who has 273 yards and two scores on 40 rushes and 696 yards and nine touchdowns to two interceptions through the air.
Of all the people who understand the challenge Prescott presents, LSU coach Les Miles is the man losing the most sleep over the encounter.
"Dak Prescott is as good a player as there is at his position in our conference," Miles said, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com. "He's a guy that stands back in the pocket and knows what he's looking at. He makes the throws and he has the ability to pull it down. He runs with strength."
Thanks to a strong Bulldogs rush defense that will force Jennings to the air and the threat Prescott brings to the table, many, including ESPN.com's Robert Smith, have this game as an upset special:
Of all teams on upset alert, LSU reigns supreme.
Stats via ESPN. Amway Poll via USA Today. AP Poll via The Associated Press.
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