What is the best team in college football? Saturday’s Week 4 slate provided plenty of ranked versus ranked matchups for us to evaluate some of the best college football teams right now. With the action wrapping up, it’s time for our Week 5 college football rankings with a look at the top 25 teams in college football after Week 4. Let’s dive in.
25. Nebaska Cornhuskers (13) – 3-1
So, the Nebraska Cornhuskers aren’t quite back yet. Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola – 24-of-35, 297 yards 3-1 TD-INT played pretty well in this one, which helped keep the Cornhuskers in the game. However, 7 points after the first half in combination with a Cornhuskers defense that allowed a 54% third-down conversion rate and 66% fourth-down conversion rate proved costly. It’s certainly a setback for Nebraska, but there are a lot of winnable games in the next few weeks.
Also Read: 5 takeaways from Week 4 of the college football season
24. James Madison Dukes (Unranked) – 3-0
North Carolina paid James Madison $500,000 for Saturday’s matchup. That’s $500,000 to showcase Dukes quarterback Alonza Barnett, who put on one of the best individual performances in 2024. Barnett fell just a few yards short of a 400-100n game through the air and on the ground, but he did record 7 total touchdowns. James Madison’s defense left something to be desired but with a QB playing at this level, it’s not hard to see why the Dukes are 3-0.
23. Oklahoma State Cowboys (17) – 3-1
At home facing a backup quarterback, the Oklahoma State Cowboys offense put this team in a hole it could never dig out of. Late touchdowns saved Alan Bowman’s QB rating, but he still finished with a woeful 48.5% completion rate and 2 interceptions. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State got nothing going on the ground. One loss down and potentially another looming (Kansas State).
22. BYU Cougars (Uranked) – 4-0
Coming into the season, BYU Cougars football coach Kalani Sitake was potentially on the hot seat. The Cougars had fallen back to the woes of earlier seasons, finishing with just a 5-7 record in 2023. Now, BYU is 4-0 and coming off a dominant victory late Saturday night over No. 13 Kansas State. The Cougars were largely led by a stout defense, which kept Kansas State to 9 points and forced 3 turnovers. Despite BYU losing the time of possession battle and being outgained (367 total yards to 241), BYU returned a fumbled and punt return for a touchdown. It was a complete team effort and the nation should quickly familiarize itself with freshman running back Sione I Moa, who averaged 5.1 yards per carry as the Cougars’ leading back in a 38-9 victory.
21. LSU Tigers (19) – 3-1
Another win isn’t moving the LSU Tigers up our Week 5 college football rankings. The UCLA Bruins have looked like one of the worst Power 4 teams in college football this season, which is why LSU was a three-touchdown favorite at home. The very fact that LSU’s defense allowed it to be a one-score game entering the fourth quarter says everything about this unit. The Tigers will beat South Alabama next Saturday, but Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama and Oklahoma should all wreck LSU later this season.
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20. Washington State Cougars (Unranked) – 4-0
Survive and advance, that’s what the Washington State Cougars did in Week 4. The Cougars entered the fourth quarter trailing San Jose State 38-24 then responded with 19 unanswered points. Once again, Washington State had to rally from a 46-43 deficit with under 30 seconds left and they did, sending it to overtime to set up a game-winning touchdown run. The win wasn’t pretty, but Washington State is off to a 4-0 start for the second consecutive season. Up next, seeing if they can avoid what happened last season (six consecutive losses).
19. Oklahoma Sooners (14) – 3-1
Saturday’s loss was doubly painful for the Oklahoma Sooners. Losing at home to the Tennessee Volunteers stings, but that’s also one of the 5 best college football teams right now. What stings for Oklahoma are the injuries, including a likely season-ending injury for Kendel Dolby. The Sooners should rebound next week against Auburn, but fans have reason to be worried about matchups against Texas, Ole Miss, Missouri and Alabama.
Also Read: 4 takeaways from Tennessee’s 25-15 win over Oklahoma
18. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (20) – 3-1
Saturday certainly didn’t do anything to restore our confidence in Riley Leonard as a passer. Fortunately, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish don’t need the passing game right now. Leonard and Jeremiyah Love combined for over 220 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, with both averaging over 5 yards per carry. However, this was another game that the Fighting Irish were expected to win. If Notre Dame wants to salvage its reputation nationally, a Week 5 win over Louisville is needed.
18. Iowa State Cyclones (23) – 3-0
Utter domination by the Iowa State Cyclones. On Saturday against Arkansas State (2-2), the Cyclones jumped out to an early 31-0 lead and that’s all she wrote. While the Red Wolves did find the end zone late to deprive Iowa State of the shutout, Iowa State outgained them by nearly 300 total yards despite having a relatively short time of possession advantage. The Cyclones are rolling right now and should be favorites through October matchups against Baylor, WVU and UCF.
16. Clemson Tigers (21) – 3-1
We’ll start with the obvious, the final score (59-35) wasn’t nearly as close as the game itself. NC State hung 21 of its points on the Clemson Tigers’ backup defense in garbage time. Before that, Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik – 4 total touchdowns – and running back Phil Mafah dominated this game. After getting held out of the end zone in Week 1 by Georgia, Clemson has now combined for 125 points in its last two wins. Up next, very winnable games against Stanford and Florida State.
15. USC Trojans (11) – 2-1
The USC Trojans made a positive impression in their first Big Ten game against one of the conference’s powerhouses. On the road in Ann Arbor, Lincoln Riley and Miller Moss responded to a 14-point deficit, even putting themselves in a position for a huge win. However, Saturday also served as a lesson for the Trojans’ athletic department in the importance of recruiting and developing talent in the trenches. That’s the next step for USC and once they do that, this can be a power program again.
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14. Illinois Fighting Illini (23) – 4-0
A statement win for the Illinois Fighting Illini. On the national stage Friday night against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer went to work. He threw four touchdowns in Week 4, including the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime. That marks two ranked victories over ranked opponents already and Illinois. With that win, the Fighting Illini are 4-o for the first time since 2011 (ESPN). Although, that year started with 6 consecutive wins followed by 7 straight losses.
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13. Louisville Cardinals (16) – 3-0
Tyler SHough does it again. The former Texas Tech and Oregon quarterback is having the year of his life with the Louisville Cardinals offense. Shough, who entered Saturday ranked 13th in ESPN QBR (83.7), hit up Georgia Tech’s defense for a pair of touchdown passes with 269 passing yards on just 13 completions. Ja’Corey Brooks (125 receiving yards) was his go-to weapon, but it was a group effort from the receiving corps. Louisville is now rolling to a 3-0 start and its quarterback boasts an 8-0 TD-INT ratio with over 800 passing yards.
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12. Michigan Wolverines (18) – 3-1
Kalel Mullings just put the Michigan Wolverines on his back and won it, much like Blake Corum once did. The USC Trojans simply had no answer for the Wolverines’ ground game, with Mullings opening things up with a touchdown and then closing it out with the game-winning score in crunch time. Michigan surrendering a 14-0 lead and some of its passing issues suggest this program will struggle against some of the best college football teams. What matters, though, is the Wolverines stepped up after a sluggish start to the season with a win Sherrone Moore and Co. absolutely needed.
11. Penn State Nittany Lions (12) – 3-0
Just too easy for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Taking on winless Kent State, the Nittany Lions used this as a tune-up game and it couldn’t have gone any better. Drew Allar went 17-for-21 with 309 passing yards and 4 total touchdowns before the Nittany Lions took their foot off the brake. It’s a nice 3-0 start for the Nittany Lions, but there’s a litmus test in Week 5 against an Illinois team that is still flying under the radar this season.
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10. Missouri Tigers (7)
Just an ugly win for the Missouri Tigers. Taking the field at home as an 18.5-point favorite over Vanderbilt, Mizzou found itself with just a 13 percent ESPN win probability at one point in overtime. Of course, the Tigers survived because Luther Burden III – 76 yards and 2 touchdowns – is a big-time player who comes through in key moments. Still, narrowly surviving in double OT at home against Vandy has to drop you in the Week 5 college football rankings.
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9. Oregon Ducks (9) – 3-0
The Oregon Ducks are one of the best teams in college football, but there’s certainly a ton of room for improvement. Entering the Week 4 bye, 37th in third-down conversion rate (44.44 percent), per ESPN, and its defense ranked 47th in yards per play allowed (4.7). The hope is that Oregon’s second-half performance in the Civil War is the spark on both sides of the ball. Even if the Ducks aren’t firing on all cylinders in Week 5, they should be able to handle UCLA (Sept. 28) and Michigan State (Oct. 4).
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8. Miami Hurricanes (8) – 4-0
Cam Ward and the Miami Hurricanes weren’t perfect in Week 4, but they didn’t need to be to stay perfect on the season. Cam Ward did his thing through the air, further strengthening his early case for the Heisman Trophy. The Hurricanes didn’t have a ground game whatsoever for most of the night, with South Florida really exceeding expectations defensively. Ultimately, this was a win that will also show plenty of areas to work on and that’s a fine outcome for 4-0 Miami.
7. Utah Utes (10) – 3-0
The Utah Utes faced a tough task, going on the road to face No. 14 Oklahoma State. To make matters worse, the Utes had to try and salvage a win without Cam Rising, forcing freshman Isaac Wilson to make another start. The freshman wasn’t great, but 207 passing yards and 41 rushing yards did help keep the Utes in the game. What drove this thing home, propelling Utah to a 3-0 record, was running back Micah Bernard (182 rushing yards) and the Utes’ run defense (48 yards allowed).
6. Ole Miss Rebels (5) – 4-0
Just another Saturday where Lane Kiffin and Jaxson Dart make it look easy. One of the most accurate passers in college football is thriving in this system and feasting on some bad competition. Against Georgia Southern, Dart led the Rebels to an early three-score lead in the first quarter with Dart accounting for a majority of the yardage.
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5. Alabama Crimson Tide (4) – 3-0
The Alabama Crimson Tide should be coming out of their bye with ample confidence. In his first year as Nick Saban’s successor, Kalen DeBoer is already proving he’s helped take Jalen Milroe to the next level as a passer. Plus, with the breakout of 17-year-old receiver Ryan Williams, this Crimson Tide offense looks unstoppable at times. Even at home, Alabama should be an underdog in Week 5 against the Georgia Bulldogs, but there’s certainly no doubt the Crimson Tide have a shot if it’s a high-scoring game. Plus, who doesn’t love a matchup between two of the best college football teams.
4. Tennessee Volunteers (6) – 4-0
The Tennessee Volunteers have national championship potential. Freshman quarterback Nico Iamalaeava is still experiencing some growing pains, but the physical tools and potential are Heisman-caliber. In the meantime, the VOls’ offense is being lifted by a phenomenal run game and one of the deepest receiving corps in the country. All of this isn’t even mentioning that Tennessee defense, which looks like it might be one of the best in the SEC. Tennessee is officially back.
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3. Georgia Bulldogs (3) – 3-0
The bye week probably came at the right time for the Georgia Bulldogs. There was a lot from the narrow victory over Kentucky that needed work, but that’s the beauty of the bye week. Plus, it’s undisputed that Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart will use the program being kept out of the No. 1 in Week 5 college football rankings as motivation. If we see the Bulldogs at their best on Saturday, it will end with a win over Alabama which would be the most impressive victory by any team in 2024.
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2. Ohio State Buckeyes (2) – 4-0
The Marshall Thundering Herd actually kept it close early and then the Ohio State Buckeyes took care of business. Week 4 marked the third consecutive game that the Buckeyes scored 49-plus points, capping off the Ohio State non-conference schedule in emphatic fashion. A trip to Michigan State next Saturday might not be quite as easy as it’s been in recent years, but the Buckeyes should come out of Week 5 with another double-digit win.
1. Texas Longhorns (1) – 4-0
The Texas Longhorns are the best team in college football. In his first collegiate start, Arch Manning threw an interception on the game-opening drive and immediately settled in after that. The good news for Texas is that it can afford for Manning to go through these growing pains right now, because it’s so talented it will still easily put away unranked teams. By the time Quinn Ewers is ready to return, Texas should be facing Oklahoma.