CFP Playoff Bracket, Scenarios and Bowl Projections After 2026-27 Week 4 AP Rankings

The SEC possesses three of the top four spots in the AP Top 25.

The Ole Miss Rebels' four-spot jump into the No. 4 spot of the Week 4 Top 25 gave the SEC the early advantage over the Big Ten in the fight to be the conference in college football in 2026. A total of 10 SEC teams are ranked going into Week 4.

Ole Miss and the top-ranked Texas Longhorns have the two best wins of the early season.

Ole Miss took down the LSU Tigers in a top-10 showdown on Saturday night, while Texas defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes last week.

The balance of power will continue to trade hands throughout the regular season, but for now, the top is controlled by the SEC.

Ole Miss Joins Texas, Georgia as SEC Teams In Top 4

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Ole Miss was the most notable mover in Sunday's AP poll.

The Rebels' jump from No. 8 to No. 4 reflected the difficulty of their win over LSU.

At the moment, Ole Miss is in the top four alongside fellow SEC programs Texas and Georgia. The Rebels play both of the top two teams later in the season.

In fact, Ole Miss can't rest on its win over LSU being enough to qualify for the College Football Playoff.

Week 4's road trip to Florida is now more difficult given the Gators' fast start under Jon Sumrall and new position inside the Top 25.

Ole Miss now has four Top 25 opponents left on its schedule. The goal would be to at least go 2-2 in those games to reach 10-2 and an at-large berth into the playoff.

However, it's easy to have larger expectations for Trinidad Chambliss and Co. after they beat LSU.

Chambliss is arguably the best quarterback in the country and he proved once again that he could solve a tough defense throughout the win over LSU.

Texas and Georgia might be higher up on the list of national title contenders right now, but Ole Miss is certainly in a position to move up that hierarchy as the season goes on.

LSU, Texas A&M Drop Multiple Spots

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LSU and Texas A&M all of a sudden find themselves involved in a potential playoff elimination game in Week 4.

LSU fell three spots to No. 10 on Sunday, while Texas A&M tumbled 14 spots to No. 23 following its home loss to Kentucky.

The loser of Saturday night's clash in Baton Rouge will have two defeats before October and with just two SEC games under its belt.

LSU appears to be in better shape because it plays at home in Week 4, but even if it beats A&M, it's not out of the clear with Alabama, Texas and Tennessee on the schedule in November.

A&M still has Missouri, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee on its schedule after LSU, so there's a chance that a loss in Baton Rouge sends the Aggies on a spiral out of the Top 25 and far away from the playoff conversation.

The SEC is loaded at the top, so there will be plenty of movement in the standings, but it'll be difficult to make a case for either LSU or A&M to go perfect in October and November after suffering two losses early.

Louisville Has Sights Set On Playoff With Seven-Spot Jump

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The Louisville Cardinals vaulted seven spots up to No. 16 after its win over the SMU Mustangs.

Louisville appears to be in an ideal spot to be the ACC's second team into the playoff behind the Miami Hurricanes.

Jeff Brohm's team has no ranked opponents left on its schedule. It is 1-1 against Top 25 teams already with a win over SMU and a loss to Ole Miss.

The SEC and Big Ten teams ahead of Louisville will continue to beat each other week-by-week, which should allow the Cardinals to inch up into the top 10 by the end of October if they keep winning.

There's still plenty of games left to play, but if you're Louisville, you must be ecstatic about the position you are through three weeks with that remaining schedule.