AP college football poll reaction: What's next for each Top 25 team?

ByESPN staff ESPN logo
Monday, September 23, 2024

The new AP Top 25 college football poll is out.



In Week 4, more teams fell from the ranks of the undefeated. Most notably, the No. 11 USC Trojans lost to the Michigan Wolverines in their Big Ten opener and the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers completely shut down the No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners in both teams' SEC opener. While the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide had the week off, the rest of the teams in the top 10 of the rankings cruised.



What does it mean for the new AP Top 25? Let's break down the rankings.



Stats courtesy ofESPN Research.

All times Eastern







1. Texas Longhorns


Previous ranking: 1



2024 record: 4-0



Week 4 result: Defeated UL Monroe 51-3



Stat to know:Texas has scored 50-plus points in four straight home games dating back to last season. That is the second-longest such streak in Texas history, trailing only 2007-08 (5).



What's next: Saturday vs. Mississippi State





2. Georgia Bulldogs


Previous ranking: 2



2024 record: 3-0



Week 4 result: Idle



What's next: Saturday at Alabama, 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN+





3. Ohio State Buckeyes


Previous ranking: 3



2024 record: 3-0



Week 4 result: Defeated Marshall 49-14



Stat to know:Jeremiah Smith is the second true freshman in Ohio State history with four touchdown receptions over a three-game span, joining Cris Carter in 1984.



What's next: Saturday at Michigan State





4. Alabama Crimson Tide


Previous ranking: 4



2024 record: 3-0



Week 4 result: Idle



What's next: Saturday vs. Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN+





5. Tennessee Volunteers


Previous ranking: 6



2024 record: 4-0



Week 4 result: Defeated Oklahoma 25-15



Stat to know: Before Oklahoma scored a TD in the fourth quarter, Tennessee had gone 19 quarters without allowing a touchdown. It was the longest streak in FBS in the past 20 seasons.



What's next: Oct. 5 at Arkansas





6. Ole Miss Rebels


Previous ranking: 5



2024 record: 4-0



Week 4 result: Defeated Georgia Southern 52-13



Stat to know: Through his team's first four games, Jaxson Dart has 1,554 passing yards, the most by a SEC player to start a season since Tim Couch in 1998 (1,577).



What's next: Saturday vs. Kentucky, noon





7. Miami Hurricanes


Previous ranking: 8



2024 record: 4-0



Week 4 result: Defeated South Florida 50-15



Stat to know:Miami has outscored opponents by 168 points this season, its largest point differential through four games in program history.



What's next: Friday vs. Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m., ESPN





8. Oregon Ducks


Previous ranking: 9



2024 record: 3-0



Week 4 result: Idle



What's next: Saturday at UCLA





9. Penn State Nittany Lions


Previous ranking: 10



2024 record: 3-0



Week 4 result: Defeated Kent State 56-0



Stat to know: Penn State had 718 total yards of offense, breaking a school record that had stood since 1926.



What's next: Saturday vs. Illinois





10. Utah Utes


Previous ranking: 12



2024 record: 4-0



Week 4 result: Defeated Oklahoma State 22-19



Stat to know:Micah Bernard is the first Utah player with 150 rushing yards in a game against an AP-ranked opponent since Zack Moss had 160 against Stanford in 2018.



What's next: Saturday vs. Arizona, 10:15 p.m., ESPN





11. Missouri Tigers


Previous ranking: 7



2024 record: 4-0



Week 4 result: Defeated Vanderbilt 30-27 (OT)



Stat to know: With 199 yards rushing against the Commodores, Nate Noel set a career high. His previous best was 193 against East Carolina in 2023.



What's next: Oct. 5 at Texas A&M





12. Michigan Wolverines


Previous ranking: 18



2024 record: 3-1



Week 4 result: Defeated USC 27-24



Stat to know: Michigan had just 32 yards passing on 12 attempts against USC. It was the Wolverines' fewest passing yards in a game since at least 1996. Michigan averaged just 4.6 yards per completion, the lowest for a game in team history.



What's next: Saturday vs. Minnesota





13. USC Trojans


Previous ranking: 11



2024 record: 2-1



Week 4 result: Lost to Michigan 27-24



Stat to know:USC allowed 199 rushing yards in the first half, the most the Trojans had given up since 2019 against Notre Dame (196).



What's next: Saturday vs. Wisconsin





14. LSU Tigers


Previous ranking: 16



2024 record: 3-1



Week 4 result: Defeated UCLA 34-17



Stat to know:Garrett Nussmeier has 110 completions through four games this season, the most in LSU history.



What's next: Saturday vs. South Alabama





15. Louisville Cardinals


Previous ranking: 19



2024 record: 3-0



Week 4 result: Defeated Georgia Tech 31-19



Stat to know: This was Tyler Shough's third consecutive game with 200-plus passing yards and two or more passing touchdowns. That's tied for the second-longest streak since 2015.



What's next: Saturday at Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m., Peacock





16. Notre Dame Fighting Irish


Previous ranking: 17



2024 record: 3-1



Week 4 result: Defeated Miami (Ohio) 28-3



Stat to know: The Irish have held their past 18 opponents under 400 total yards. That's tied with Michigan and Georgia for the second-longest active streak in FBS.



What's next: Saturday vs. Louisville, 3:30 p.m., Peacock





17. Clemson Tigers


Previous ranking: 21



2024 record: 2-1



Week 4 result: Defeated NC State 59-35



Stat to know:Phil Mafah, Cade Klubnik, Jay Haynes and Cole Turner had rushing scores against NC State. It was the first time the Tigers had four different runners score a TD since 2019.



What's next: Saturday vs. Stanford, 7 p.m., ESPN





18. Iowa State Cyclones


Previous ranking: 20



2024 record: 2-0



Week 4 result: Defeated Arkansas State 52-7



Stat to know:Rocco Becht has recorded at least 200 passing yards and multiple passing touchdowns in each of his past seven games. That is the longest streak by an Iowa State player over the past 25 seasons.



What's next: Saturday at Houston





19. Illinois Fighting Illini


Previous ranking: 24



2024 record: 4-0



Week 4 result: Defeated Nebraska 31-24 (OT)



Stat to know:Luke Altmyer is the third Big Ten QB with 10 passing touchdowns and no interceptions through a team's first four games of the season since 2004. He joins Justin Fields (Ohio State) in 2019 and Kyle Orton (Purdue) in 2004.



What's next: Saturday at Penn State





20. Oklahoma State Cowboys


Previous ranking: 14



2024 record: 3-1



Week 4 result: Lost to Utah 22-19



Stat to know:Ollie Gordon II, who did not have a rushing score last week against Tulsa,has been held without a touchdown on the ground in consecutive games for the first time since weeks 3-4 of 2023. Oklahoma State lost both of those games.



What's next: Saturday at Kansas State





21. Oklahoma Sooners


Previous ranking: 15



2024 record: 3-1



Week 4 result: Lost to Tennessee 25-15



Stat to know:Oklahoma rushed for 36 yards Saturday, its fewest in a game since gaining 15 against Notre Dame in 2012.



What's next: Saturday at Auburn





22. BYU Cougars


Previous ranking: NR



2024 record: 4-0



Week 4 result: Defeated Kansas State 38-9



Stat to know: This is the first time the Cougars have been ranked since 2022.



What's next: Saturday vs. Baylor





23. Kansas State Wildcats


Previous ranking: 13



2024 record: 3-1



Week 4 result: Lost to BYU 38-9



Stat to know:Kansas State plummeted 10 spots to No. 23, the largest drop in this week's poll.



What's next: Saturday at Purdue, noon





24. Texas A&M Aggies


Previous ranking: 25



2024 record: 3-1



Week 4 result: Defeated Bowling Green 26-20



Stat to know:Marcel Reed is the first Texas A&M QB with consecutive games with two passing touchdowns and 80-plus rushing yards since Johnny Manziel in 2012 during his Heisman Trophy season.



What's next: Saturday vs. Arkansas





25. Boise State Broncos


Previous ranking: NR



2024 record: 2-1



Week 4 result: Defeated Portland State 56-14



Stat to know:Ashton Jeanty has rushed for 586 yards through Boise State's first three games. That's the fourth most by an FBS player in their first three games in the past 15 years.



What's next: Saturday vs. Washington State



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