Conference play heats up this week in college football with a handful of intriguing matchups and a bushel full of questions.
Top-ranked Georgia visits Auburn. Can the Bulldogs start to look like the machine they have been the past two seasons?
Notre Dame visits Duke. Can Sam Hartman and co. regroup by the time they get to Durham following last weekend’s heartbreaking loss to Ohio State?
Utah travels to Corvallis to take on Oregon State. Will Quarterback Cam Rising play or does it even matter with the way the Utes are playing defense?
Texas hosts Kansas. If the Longhorns are a Top 5 team this has to be a one-sided affair in Austin, doesn’t it?
NBC Sports’ College Football Top 25 heading into Week 5 with explanations from analysts Vaughn Dalzell, Brad Thomas, and Eric Froton:
1 Georgia | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 0-3-1 | Last Week: 1
Next up: Saturday @ Auburn (3-1)
2 Michigan | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 0-3-1 | Last Week: 2
Next up: Saturday @ Nebraska (2-2)
3 Texas | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 2-2 | Last Week: 3
Next up: Saturday vs. #23 Kansas (4-0)
4 Ohio State | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 1-2-1 | Last Week: 4
Next up: October 7th vs. Maryland (4-0)
5 Florida State | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 3-1 | Last Week: 5
Next up: October 7th vs. Virginia Tech (1-3)
Dalzell (@VmoneySports): I wanted Notre Dame in here so badly, but Ohio State won one of the most memorable games of this decade and arguably program history depending on how the season ends. Ohio State and Florida State are off this weekend, so expect the Top 5 to remain the same next week (boring!).
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Thomas (@MrBradThomas): There have been complaints about Georgia being the top-ranked team and not being as dominant as they should be. My rebuttal is the back-to-back champs earned that spot until they lose. With a massive road win, Ohio State has earned the right to be a Top 4 team: a fantastic game and an enormous victory.
Froton (@CFFroton): Ohio State justifiably moves into the fourth spot after scoring a dramatic walk off TD right in front of Brad and I who were on the sideline for that epic game. After a difficult first half, OSU QB Kyle McCord leaned on Emeka Egbuka and Cade Stover down the stretch to bring home the win and proved that he can make the tough throws when the game is on the line. Florida State is the unfortunate team to get bumped down despite gutting out a dramatic victory on the road against ACC rival Clemson as well. There can only be four.
6 Penn State | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 4-0 | Last Week: 7
Next up: Saturday @ Northwestern (2-2)
7 USC | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 2-2 | Last Week: 6
Next up: Saturday @ Colorado (3-1)
8 Washington | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 3-1 | Last Week: 8
Next up: Saturday @ Arizona (3-1)
9 Oregon | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 4-0 | Last Week: 10
Next up: Saturday @ Stanford (1-3)
10 Utah | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 2-1-1 | Last Week: 13
Next up: Friday @ #22 Oregon State (3-1)
11 Notre Dame | Record: 4-1 | ATS: 3-1-1 | Last Week: 9
Next up: Saturday @ #18 Duke (4-0)
12 Alabama | Record: 3-1 | ATS: 2-2 | Last Week: 12
Next up: Saturday @ Mississippi State (2-2)
13 LSU | Record: 3-1 | ATS: 2-2 | Last Week: 11
Next up: Saturday @ #24 Mississippi (3-1)
14 Oklahoma | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 4-0 | Last Week: T14
Next up: Saturday vs. Iowa State (2-2)
15 Washington State | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 3-1 | Last Week: 20
Next up: October 7th @ UCLA (3-1)
Dalzell: Teams 11-15 are arguably as dangerous as Teams 6-10. The talent discrepancy between these teams is razor-thin. This week, we have Top 25 matchups including LSU vs. Ole Miss, Notre Dame vs. Duke, and Utah vs. Oregon State. Watch for a Top 25 shake-up next week with a few teams’ seasons hanging by a thread (Notre Dame, LSU).
Thomas: This spot feels right. Every team is where they belong. The undrafted teams are ahead of those with losses. 7-9 will work itself out in the coming weeks as the death matches in the Pac-12 begin.
Froton: I know my Alabama Stan Brad Evans is going to be all over me about dropping Bama behind undefeated Oklahoma and LSU in my Top 25 poll. While I am not budging on my choice to rank OU above the Tide, I can respect his position after LSU pulled out a close win against Arkansas. That was still a game where the Tigers played well enough to post a 64% post game win expectancy. With the instability at QB and a lack of proven playmaking wideouts, I just feel like LSU has more ways they can beat Bama than the other way around.
16 North Carolina | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 3-1 | Last Week: 17
Next up: October 7th vs. Syracuse (4-0)
17 Miami | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 3-1 | Last Week: 19
Next up: October 7th vs. Georgia Tech (2-2)
18 Duke | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 3-1 | Last Week: T21
Next up: Saturday vs. #11 Notre Dame (4-1)
19 Missouri | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 2-2 | Last Week: 23
Next up: Saturday @ Vanderbilt (2-3)
20 Florida | Record: 3-1 | ATS: 1-3 | Last Week: T25
Next up: Saturday @ Kentucky (4-0)
21 Tennessee | Record: 3-1 | ATS: 2-2 | Last Week: T25
Next up: Saturday vs. South Carolina (2-2)
22 Oregon State | Record: 3-1 | ATS: 2-2 | Last Week: T14
Next up: Friday vs. #10 Utah (4-0)
23 Kansas | Record: 4-0 | ATS: 2-2 | Last Week: NR
Next up: Saturday @ #3 Texas (4-0)
24 Mississippi | Record: 3-1 | ATS: 3-1 | Last Week: 16
Next up: Saturday vs. #13 LSU (3-1)
25 Kansas State | Record: 3-1 | ATS: 3-1 | Last Week: NR
Next up: October 6th @ Oklahoma State (2-2)
Honorable mentions: Kentucky, Maryland, Syracuse
Fell out of the Top 25: Iowa (18), Colorado (T21), UCLA (24)
Dalzell: Every team from 16-25 is a squad I could back in a bowl-eligible game, but as far as College Football Playoff aspirations, I don’t expect any to make noise. Miami or North Carolina could upset Florida State and steal the ACC and make a run, but a perfect regular season would be necessary and I don’t see it. Oh yeah, can someone tell Brad never to try and get Maryland or Syracuse on this Top 25 again? It’s not happening.
Thomas: Miami is quietly looking like a dominant team. Washington State should probably be higher. I’m surprised not to see Maryland in the Top 25 yet. They aren’t just beating teams. They are embarrassing them. The Top 25 was short-lived for Colorado. If you talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.
Froton: Ole Miss and Oregon State hang on to their spots despite a pair of disappointing losses last weekend at Alabama and at Wazzu. I was very high on Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke entering the year now that the human-yardage-siphon OC Josh Gattis has departed and replaced by OC Shannon Dawson, whose offense is more similar to what former OC Rhett Lashlee ran in 2021 when TVD broke out. I think college football is a more entertaining product when Miami is relevant. I’d also love to see Kentucky get the bump into the Top 25 next week as they’ve been playing great ball lately now that OC Liam Cohen is back calling plays after departing for the NFL in 2022.
Conference play always brings surprises…and sweats.
Enjoy the weekend.