College Football Picks Week 4: Which Top 25 Teams Are Going Down This Week?

A plethora of teams from the Top 25 (Florida State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Auburn, Arizona State and Mississippi State) were bounced from the list of unbeaten.

With so many powers going down, a new set of teams enters the realm of the ranked hoping desperately not to be the next to go down.

This week features several key matchups in the Top 25, including two with huge BCS championship implications.  

Conference play is officially in full swing, with games like Alabama vs. Arkansas and Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State possibly deciding conference champions.

Who will be the next teams from the Top 25 to go down?

Find out here, with score predictions included.

No. 25 Georgia Tech

VS North Carolina

The Yellow Jackets are in the Top 25 for the first time this season.

Georgia Tech is undefeated and has destroyed their competition thus far, with all three games coming against far inferior teams.

Week one was a demolition of W. Carolina 63-21, then a 49-21 route of Middle Tennessee in Week 2, followed by a 66-24 win over Kansas.

The Tar Heels have a much better defense then Tech’s three previous opponents, and I expect the offense to struggle initially. Look for a close game, with the Tar Heels pulling the upset on the road over the Yellow Jackets.

North Carolina 34

Georgia Tech 31

No. 23 USC

AT Arizona State

The Sun Devils were the preseason Pac-12 South favorites because of USC’s inability to be champion.

While the Sun Devils won’t need to finish higher than the Trojans in order to represent the conference in the championship game, I’m sure they would much prefer to win it outright.

USC has had some close calls in 2011, but has managed to still remain undefeated.

Close wins over a terrible Minnesota team and a near defeat against the Utah Ute’s have many questioning the skill level of this Trojans team.

The Sun Devils on the other hand have had a roller coaster season thus far.

A big win at home over then No. 21 Missouri put the Sun Devils in prime position to make a big run into conference play, but a shocking loss last week to Illinois has put a damper on the post season plans of Sun Devils’ fans.

This game seems to have the making of an instant classic.

Arizona State 37

USC 35

No. 21 Clemson

VS Florida State

I’ve gone back-and-forth in my head a million times on who the winner of this game is going to be.

You have one team riding in with unbelievable momentum, and another coming off of a heartbreaking defeat.

Last week, the Clemson Tigers beat their archrivals and defending champion Auburn Tigers in one of the most satisfying victories in Dabo Swinney’s young career.

The Seminoles lost a crushing game to the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners at home in a game that wasn’t as close as the 23-13 score indicates.

I think that even with Clemson’s momentum, Florida State has too much talent across the board for the Tigers to compete with.

Florida State 28

Clemson 24

No. 16 West Virginia

VS LSU

It’s too bad that the Mountaineers have to go up against such a quality team this early into the football season.

While it is week four, I don’t feel that this Mountaineers team has fully developed into the team it can and will become.

The run game, which has been a staple of the West Virginia offense over the past half-decade, has not found any consistency and has frankly looked plain awful thus far.

Last week, the Mountaineers only rushed for 92 yards in a close 37-31 victory over the Maryland Terrapins. If WVU fans thought Maryland’s run defense was good, way until they see the monsters LSU has on the d-line.

I hope this game is closer than I think it will be, but I see this one getting ugly quickly.

LSU 38

W. Virginia 17

No. 14 Arkansas

AT Alabama

I feel that the 2011 season is about to go downhill very fast for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

A cupcake schedule against Missouri State, New Mexico and Troy hasn’t shown fans or analysts anything conclusive about this Razorbacks team.

I expect that the huge jump in difficulty will be a rude awakening.

The Crimson Tide of Alabama has one of the fiercest defenses in the country, led by linebacker Dont’a Hightower.

This game could get ugly if quarterback Tyler Wilson is unable to move the football early on.

Alabama 24

Arkansas 10

No. 7 Oklahoma State

AT Texas A&M

Like the Florida State vs. Clemson game a few slides back, this game so close that I’ve gone back-and-forth on whom I think will emerge victorious.

Considering that I went with A&M to win the conference, it made it a little bit easier to go with a pick for the game.

Both teams have explosive offenses and highly underrated defenses.

OK State may have the best passing game in the country, led by senior quarterback Brandon Weedon (95-of-131 passing, 1,154 yards passing, eight TDs) and star wide receiver Justin Blackmon (27 receptions, 329 yards, three TDs).

The Aggies of Texas A&M have the best one-two punch running back tandem in Cyrus Gray (233 yards, four TDs) and Christine Michael (116 yards, two TDs).

Texas A&M 37

Oklahoma State 34

Other Potential Losers

No. 1 Oklahoma

VS Missouri

No. 3 Alabama

VS No. 14 Arkansas

No. 8 Texas A&M

VS No. 7 Oklahoma State

No. 10 Oregon

AT Arizona

No. 11 Florida State

AT No. 21 Clemson

No. 12 South Carolina

VS Vanderbilt

No. 15 Florida

AT Kentucky

No. 22 Michigan

VS San Diego State