Who is the best team in college football? Week 3 of the college football season is drawing to a close and the best teams in the nation proved themselves once again. As Saturday’s action wraps up, we’re turning our focus to our Week 4 college football rankings and the games ahead.
25. Northern Illinois Huskies (Unranked) – 2-0
The Northern Illinois Huskies come out of their bye week with an excellent opportunity. A week gave the Huskies time to truly celebrate their stunning upset over Notre Dame in Week 2 all without the risk of losing focus on their next opponent. Now, head coach Thomas Hammock returns to the field in Week 4 at home against Buffalo, a winnable matchup for the Huskies. There’s a real chance Northern Illinois is 3-0 when it gets its next shot at an upset (NC State on Sept. 28).
24. Iowa State Cyclones (Unranked) – 2-0
The Iowa State Cyclones have to feel good about where things stand coming out of their Week 3 bye. Sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht has been very good, throwing for 250-plus yards with 2 touchdowns in both starts this season. Meanwhile, the Cyclones defense is holding opponents to 11 points per game. Two weeks removed from winning the CyHawk Trophy, Iowa State should be able to continue this momentum against Arkansas State (Sept. 21) and Houston (Sept. 28).
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23. Illinois Fighting Illini (Unranked) – 3-0
Don’t look now but Bret Bielema has a team in the top 25 college football rankings again. No one took notice of a blowout 45-0 win over Eastern Illinois in Week 1, but taking out No. 19 Kansas in Week 2 caught the country’s attention. The Illinois Fighting Illini proved that wasn’t a fluke, easily dispatching Central Michigan 30-9. Illinois is now 3-0 for the first time since 2011 (ESPN). If the Fighting Illini can somehow pull off the stunner next Friday in Nebraska against Dylan Raiola and the Cornhuskers, this has to be viewed as one of the 20 best college football teams right now.
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22. Memphis Tigers (23) – 3-0
The Memphis Tigers did allow Florida State to get back in the game after taking a 20-3 lead midway through the third quarter. When you outgain your opponent by over 100 total yards, dominate time of possession battle (36 minutes vs 24 minutes) and dominate on third down, you’re the superior team. Memphis has now beaten each of its first three opponents this season by 8-plus points and held a tw0-score lead in every game. With Navy, Middle Tennessee State and South Florida up next, we see no reason why Memphis can’t keep this going.
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21. Clemson Tigers (21) – 1-1
There’s certainly no denying the Clemson Tigers are one of the 25 best teams in the nation, but the gap between Clemson and the teams in the 17-25 range isn’t significant. Fortunately for the Tigers, they should be favored in every remaining game on their schedule, potentially even against Louisville in November.
20. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (16) – 2-1
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a big problem on their hands. They only have two chances at quality wins – vs. Louisville (Sept. 28) and at USC (Nov. 30) – to impress voters. Otherwise, we’re looking at a Fighting Irish resume that has a loss to Northern Illinois and a passing offense that doesn’t really threaten any quality defense. Even at home, Notre Dame might not be able to beat the Louisville Cardinals and with quite a few undefeated teams out there, Notre Dame might keep falling in the rankings. No, Saturday’s dominant victory doesn’t really matter.
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19. LSU Tigers (19) – 2-1
The LSU Tigers survived again. Things really changed after South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers left the game with injury and the Gamecocks offense went dormant. What’s really troubling for Brian Kelly is that LSU has already allowed 81 points. With all due respect to Garrett Nussmeier, he’s not the caliber of quarterback (Jayden Daniels) who can single-handedly carry a team every week. The upcoming LSU schedule is relatively easy (UCLA and South Alabama), but matchups against Ole Miss, Alabama and even Oklahoma feel like losses.
18. Michigan Wolverines (20) – 2-1
The Michigan Wolverines quarterback problem is either bad or it’s far worse than anyone outside of Ann Arbor even realizes. The feel-good story with Davis Warren is long over, he’s already thrown 6 interceptions this season and nearly cost Michigan a game for the second time this year. If Alex Orji is truly a worse option in the eyes of Michigan’s coaching staff then the Wolverines utterly botched this offseason and were completely ill-prepared for what was bound to happen this fall.
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17. Oklahoma State Cowboys (22) – 3-0
The Oklahoma State Cowboys offense is absolutely rolling right now. Even on the road in Week 3, Alan Bowman and Co. hung 39-plus points for the third consecutive game. Off to a 3-0 start, this Cowboys offense is already responsible for 1,339 yards of total offense – 446.3 total ypg per game – with outstanding red-zone efficiency. (ESPN). However, we continue to be lower on Oklahoma State than the consensus college football rankings because this Cowboys defense has allowed 1,388 total yards 462.7 total ypg – with 61 points surrendered in three games. We’ll see if this approach works against Utah (Sept. 21) and Kansas State (Sept. 28), but there’s a lot of skepticism.
16. Louisville Cardinals (17) – 2-0
The Louisville Cardinals aren’t really on the national radar right now and for good reason. Blowout wins over Austin Peay (62-0) and Jax State (49-14) don’t move the needle. What will are securing victories in this upcoming stretch against the likes of Georgia Tech (Sept. 21), Notre Dame (Sept. 28) and Miami (Oct. 19). Taking down the Hurricanes is improbable, but don’t sleep on quarterback Tyler Shough and Jeff Brohm, because the coaching and talent on this Cardinals roster offers the tools for a 4-0 start to the season.
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15. Kansas State Wildcats (18) – 3-0
That’s the Avery Johnson the Kansas State Wildcats wanted to see. The dual-threat quarterback led the Wildcats on the ground in Week 3 (110 yards), headlining a Kansas State ground game that totaled 237 yards. Johnson wasn’t as efficient through the air (60.8% completion rate), but 2 passing touchdowns on 14 completions get the job done. This was just an excellent rebound victory over No. 20 Arizona and now Kansas State has itself on track to potentially be 4-0 when it faces Oklahoma State on Sept. 28, but first, a nighttime duel against BYU.
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14. Oklahoma Sooners (15) – 3-0
The Oklahoma Sooners didn’t exactly generate a lot more confidence in us for this program heading into a critical game against the Tennessee Volunteers. After jumping out to a 21-0 lead with under 4 minutes to play in the second quarter, Tulane responded by outscoring the Sooners 19-13 the rest of the way. Oklahoma did pull out the victory, but this team still can’t effectively protect quarterback Jackson Arnold and his decision-making when pressured is disastrous. That’s a terrible recipe for success in the SEC and it will be immediately tested by the Tennessee Volunteers, who can absolutely get after the quarterback and score points with ease.
13. Nebraska Cornhuskers (14) – 3-0
A great quarterback with a quality coaching staff and an excellent defense can go a long, long way in college football. The Nebraska Cornhuskers still aren’t getting a ton of respect nationally but what can’t be denied is this outstanding Cornhuskers defense and the continued excellent of Dylan Raiola. That Week 4 matchup against Illinois, broadcasted on FOX, is the perfect opportunity for Nebraska to prove it should be higher in consensus top 25 college football rankings.
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12. Penn State Nittany Lions (10) – 2-0
The Week 3 bye just means more time to reflect upon an up-and-down performance by the Penn State Nittany Lions against Bowling Green. The hope is that quarterback Drew Allar along with this Nittany Lions defense can be more consistent, but that isn’t always a calling card of James Franklin’s teams. Penn State will obviously handle its business next week against Kent State, but multiple mistakes could prove costly on Sept. 28 against an Illinois team that is off to a fantastic start in 2024.
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11. USC Trojans (11) – 2-0
Everything is in place for the USC Trojans to be one of the best college football teams in 2024. Lincoln Riley’s offense has the playmakers to exploit mismatches and step up when this unit needs a big play. Just as important, quarterback Miller Moss can challenge for conference honors. The true difference-maker, of course, is a Trojans defense that can even hang with most Big 10 and SEC teams. Headed to Ann Arbor in Week 4, the Trojans should be favored over the Wolverines and D’Anton Lynn’s defense could feast on this Michigan quarterback situation.
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10. Utah Utes (7) – 3-0
While the Utah Utes are dropping a few spots in our Week 4 college football rankings, that has everything to do with the teams above them. One of the most impressive things in Week 3 was seeing freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson take over for an injured Cam Rising and throw 3 touchdowns. It wasn’t a one-man show, with utes running backs Micah Bernard ad Mike Mitchell combining for nearly 200 rushing yards. Still, winning with a backup quarterback on the road will always be an impressive feat.
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9. Oregon Ducks (9) – 3-0
Only time will tell whether or not this is the turnaround moment for the Oregon Ducks. Dillon Gabriel and this Ducks’ offense were on fire in the first half, but it was only a 22-14 game. Coming out of halftime, Oregon dismantled its rival on the way to a blowout victory and this offense looked unstoppable. This was a much-needed blowout that will restore some confidence in the Ducks, but no one should be ready to call this one of the 7 best college football teams right now.
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8. Miami Hurricanes (12) – 3-0
Just another outright dominant performance for Cam Ward and the Miami Hurricanes in Week 3. Saturday’s victory marked the third consecutive game that Miami has beaten its opponents by 24-plus points. Frankly, the Hurricanes could’ve done way more damage had they not pulled their starters early in this one. Miami decisively looks like one of the best college football teams in 2024, though, the real test will come on Oct. 19 against Louisville. Right now, though, that’s the only ranked opponent on the Hurricanes schedule.
7. Missouri Tigers (8) – 3-0
The Boston College Eagles proved in Week 3 that they aren’t to be taken lightly, but the Missouri Tigers took care of business in the end. Brady Cook – 21-for-30, 264 yards 1 TD – protected the football and the combo of Luther Burden III and Nate Noel combined for 237 scrimmage yards. Missouri is just now in a position where it has the high-end impact players who can take over a game, that happened on Saturday. Up next, a Vanderbilt Commodores team that is trying to be this year’s Cinderella story.
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6. Tennessee Volunteers (6) – 3-0
When the Tennessee Volunteers had one of the best offenses in college football during the 2022 season, the team’s undoing was ultimately the defense and a Hendon Hooker injury. Nico Iamaleava is a better quarterback than Hooker and this Volunteers defense has more talent and system familiarity than it did 2 years ago. With that said, voters need to see it to believe the Volunteers are a national championship contender. The first step towards that comes next Saturday in Oklahoma. If Iamaleava can avoid mistakes and this Vols” pass rush lives up to its ability, Tennessee will jump Ole Miss in the college football rankings and then have a shot to take down Alabama on Oct. 19.
5. Ole Miss Rebels (4) – 3-0
Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels are just beating up on bad competition right now and that’s going to continue for the rest of September. It certainly allows the Rebels offense to post some of the best stats in college football, with an offense that looks unstoppable. However, Ole Miss still has to prove it can beat the top teams in the SEC. Kiffin and Jaxson Dart certainly can tear through their October schedule against South Carolina, LSU and Oklahoma, but it’s going to be a month-long litmus test that will really shed light on just how good this program is.
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4. Alabama Crimson Tide (5) – 3-0
The Alabama Crimson Tide offense is electrifying. Everyone knows Jalen Milroe is dangerous as a runner – 75 yards 2 touchdowns in Week 3 – but he’s showcasing tremendous growth as a passer this season. It also helps when you have a playmaker like Ryan Williams, who already looks like one of the best wide receivers in college football at just 17 years old. There are a few more questions regarding the Crimson Tide defense, but there’s no denying Alabama is one of the best college football teams right now. Two weeks to prepare for the Georgia Bulldogs (Sept. 28), especially based on how the Dawgs played on Saturday, should make for a fantastic game.
3. Georgia Bulldogs (1) – 3-0
While it’s not time to panic, the Georgia Bulldogs narrowly survived an embarrassing upset on the road against Kentucky. Georgia managed just 3 first-half points, often losing the battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Fortunately for Kirby Smart and Co., enough stops from the Bulldogs defense and a late fourth-quarter touchdown were just enough to come out with the victory. Still, this wasn’t a pretty performance from one of the best teams in college football over the last 5 years.
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2. Ohio State Buckeyes (3) – 2-0
We certainly could’ve dropped the Ohio State Buckeyes a spot in our Week 4 college football rankings, right below Alabama, since they were on the bye this week. However, when stacking up the best college football teams in 2024, Ohio State has the deeper roster and certainly the better defense. Those two edges keep Ohio State at No. 3 and barring a historic upset, the Buckeyes should hold onto the spot until they face Oregon (Oct. 12).
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1. Texas Longhorns (2) – 3-0
Needless to say, Quinn Ewers took advantage of his fill-in opportunity after the Quinn Ewers injury. On his first play from scrimmage, the Texas Longhorns quarterback connected for a 19-yard touchdown pass. Just a minute later, he pulled a Vince Young with a 67-yard touchdown run. Maybe it doesn’t matter who the Longhorns starting quarterback is in 2024? We won’t go that far but if Ewers were to miss time, we still believe Manning can help Texas look like one of the best teams in the nation this year.