College Football Predictions Week 4: Which Teams Will Make Strong Top-25 Cases?

After three weeks of college football, we have a pretty good barometer in terms of which teams are of high quality and in contention for the National Championship, which teams are in the middle of the road and which teams really aren't so good.

While the top of the rankings haven't fluctuated much yet, with the exception of No. 5 Florida State's loss to No. 1 Oklahoma last week, the middle and lower regions of the Top 25 have been far from static. Sweeping changes have occurred on a weekly basis, and Week 4 will likely be no different.

Several teams in the bottom portion of the Top 25 face stiff tests this week, namely Georgia Tech, USC and Clemson. With that in mind, there will be opportunities for a few teams outside the Top 25 to make their move this week. Here are three teams who could slide into the Top 25 by the end of the weekend.

Auburn Tigers

The defending National Champion Auburn Tigers entered the season with a No. 25 ranking, but not much was expected of them after losing key players like quarterback Cam Newton and defensive tackle Nick Fairley. The Tigers nearly fell victim to an upset bid Utah State in Week 1, but staged a furious comeback.

Auburn then surprised many by outlasting then-No.16 Mississippi State the following week. The Tigers suffered a setback last week in losing by two scores to the Clemson Tigers, but they still appear to be a Top 25-caliber program. A game against Florida Atlantic this week should presumably be an easy win, so they won't hurt their standing, if anything.

Nobody will be particularly impressed if the Tigers beat FAU, but teams all around them are sure to lose. Auburn stands a chance at re-entering the Top 25 simply by not losing.

Houston Cougars

The Houston Cougars have long been among the better teams from non-BCS conferences, but they have never attained the success of teams like Boise State and TCU, and thus have never gotten their due. Houston has started the 2011 season 3-0 and seems to be on the verge of  Top-25 billing.

The Cougars have gotten the job done as they always have, as the passing game has been clicking on all cylinders under quarterback Case Keenum. Houston has only beaten North Texas and Louisiana Tech over the past two weeks, but a Week 1 win over UCLA is an extremely impressive feather in its cap.

Houston will take on an over-matched Georgia State team this week before heading into Conference USA play. The Cougars should certainly roll through Georgia State, and while it won't impress many, it won't hurt their case either.

Miami Hurricanes

The Miami Hurricanes are a bit behind most teams with just two games played and a 1-1 record, but their early bye week could prove very helpful in the team's continued growth. The Hurricanes suffered a tough Week 1 loss to the Maryland Terrapins, but they were without a number of starters who were suspended for taking improper benefits.

Many of those players, including quarterback Jacory Harris, returned last week, however, and it showed in a dominant 24-6 win over the then-No. 17 Ohio State Buckeyes. Miami looked like a completely different team from its first game to its second. If the Miami team against Ohio State was an accurate representation, then they look extremely good.

Miami will face a 2-0 Kansas State team this week that should be decent, but doesn't really match up talent wise. If the 'Canes can run the ball this week like they did last week, then the Wildcats could be in for a world of hurt.