College Football Playoff Rankings after Week 4: First Four in, First Two out

With six different teams receiving first-place votes in this week’s AP Poll Top 25, there remains little consensus on who the best four teams in the sport are through four games. 

We have the same College Football Playoff First Four for the second-straight Tuesday, but there was a shakeup in the order reflecting how some of these teams are currently viewed. 

Georgia, Michigan, Florida State and Texas are still the top four, but scroll below to see how the new order shakes out. Notre Dame dropped out of the First Two out with its loss to Ohio State, and in steps the Buckeyes at No. 6

Reminder: This is not a projection of how we see the playoff shaking out by season’s end. It’s how we think the committee would rank these teams today based on preseason rankings and what we’ve seen thus far. 

Here’s how we project the 2023 College Football Playoff Rankings would like after Week 4:

1. Georgia

Carson Beck threw for a career-high 338 yards and three touchdowns against UAB, averaging over 10.6 yards per attempt as the Bulldogs found some explosive plays downfield last weekend. 

Georgia’s offense faces a tougher test this Saturday against an Auburn secondary, led by cornerbacks Jaylin Simpson and Nehemiah Pritchett, which has the the second-best pass defense in the SEC after the Dawgs.  It remains to be seen if UGA will be any healthier in the South’s Oldest Rivalry, as Amarius Mims and Kendall Milton are definitely out the next few weeks, and star wideout Ladd McConkey, who has yet to play this season, and safety Javon Bullard remain questionable.

2. Florida State

The Seminoles went to Clemson with their B- game and still left Death Valley with a signature win — another sign of growth for Mike Norvell’s program. 

They rallied from multiple deficits with a bloodied and bruised Jordan Travis throwing the game-winning touchdown to Keon Coleman, who got back on track with five catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns after laying a goose-egg against Boston College. FSU has two of the better wins in the country against LSU and at Clemson, and it enters its bye week in firm control of the ACC — and its path back to the College Football Playoff.

3. Michigan

Another week, another ho-hum W against an overmatched opponent for the Wolverines. J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum ran all over Rutgers in Michigan’s 31-7 win where it actually trailed 7-0 before racing past the Scarlet Knights.  The Wolverines aren’t doing anything overly flashy on either side of the ball, and yet they lead the Big Ten in yards per play (7.11) and have the nation’s stingiest scoring defense (just 5.8 points allowed per game). 

Upcoming road tests at Nebraska and Minnesota no longer look even like potential stumbling blocks like they might’ve in the preseason. Michigan won’t truly be tested until it faces Penn State and Ohio State.

4. Texas

Maybe this really is a different Texas team. The Longhorns went on the road and smashed an undermanned Baylor squad, taking care of business with a workmanlike 38-6 win to move to 4-0.  While Quinn Ewers and Texas’ playmakers receive most of the shine, Jaylan Ford & Co., are balling out on defense. The Longhorns had five sacks against Baylor and two more takeaways, and they have a Top 20 defense nationally in scoring and yards per play. 

They host No. 25 Kansas this Saturday, so there’s no look-ahead spot before next weekend’s Red River showdown with Oklahoma.

FIRST TWO OUT

5. Washington 

The Huskies have been the most dominant team in college football so far this season, winning its first four games (all against FBS opponents) by an average of 33.8 points per game.  They boast the most explosive offense in the country (No. 1 in play over 20 yards), with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy (nation-high 1,636 yards, 11.9 yards per attempt and 16 passing touchdowns).

The Huskies’ retooled secondary has yet to truly be tested, but they’ll face plenty of prolific Pac-12 passing attacks in the weeks to come — starting with a home against against Oregon in two weeks.

6. Ohio State 

Depending on your viewpoint of the Irish vs. Alabama or LSU, the Buckeyes probably have the best single win in 2023 going on the road at Notre Dame and surviving. 

They continue to flex defensively (just 4.1 yards per play allowed), even with standout ends JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer combining for zero sacks and just 1.5 tackles for loss all season.

Star wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. got dinged up in the victory over Notre Dame, so the bye date comes at an ideal time for Ohio State this weekend. A solid Maryland team awaits in two weeks and then the Buckeyes host No. 7 Penn State.