ESPN updates FPI Top 25 rankings following Week 4 of college football

ESPN updated its Football Power Index (FPI) Top 25 after a loaded Week 4 Saturday of college football.

What else can you say, it was a tremendously entertaining week of football. Oregon absolutely demolished Colorado and their fun start to the season, while Florida State picked up another program-defining win and Nick Saban fended off Lane Kiffin yet again. Plus, the FPI’s No. 1 team played a little spoiler up in South Bend this week.

Below, you can read about all the action and check out where everyone landed in the full FPI top 25 as we round the corner and head towards Week 4.

(Movement in rankings vs. last week)

1. Ohio State

By the skin of their teeth, Ohio State is undefeated. Sure, they hobbled out of the gate vs. Indiana, let Youngstown State hang around for a quarter, and then just beat Notre Dame in an absolute rock fight. Regardless, that’s a 4-0 Buckeye team with one of the most impressive wins in the country in Saturday’s South Bend Showdown.

Speaking of that game, the OSU defense stepped up all night while the offense came through in those final moments when they needed to. Meanwhile, it’s a tough finish to swallow for Notre Dame, who had just 10 guys on the field and zero down linemen vs. the left side of Ohio State’s offensive line when the Buckeyes rammed it home right up the gut for the win.

2. Oklahoma

In a frustrating day for both offenses, Oklahoma triumphed by two touchdowns over Cincinnati, 20-6. However, the stats would suggest a much higher scoring affair as OU gained 425 total yards with 322 of those coming via the arm of Dillon Gabriel, while the Sooners leading rusher was Marcus Major with 63 yards.

Oklahoma never led by more than a possession until late in the third quarter and were able to fend hold the Bearcats to just three second half points even though they didn’t punt a single time in the final 30 game minutes. Instead, they kicked a field goal on their first possession out of the half before Oklahoma stood their ground and stopped Cincy on 4th down and two on three consecutive possessions — at the Sooner 20, the 40 and the 42 yard lines. Those plays right there are why OU won that football game.

3. Alabama (+1)

On the heels of a loss to Texas, Alabama didn’t calm any worries in their road game vs. South Florida, where their quarterback carousel produced a clunker of an offensive performance while the defense held up its end of the bargain to help ‘Bama escape 17-3. The defense held up its end of the deal once again this Saturday as Nick Saban did what he loves doing: beating Lane Kiffin.

Make it four years at the helm of the Rebels and four losses to Alabama in that time for Coach Kiffin. Of course, this win had to feel extra sweet for Saban, who’s defense won the night as former Crimson Tide DC, Pete Golding, now occupying the same position at Ole Miss, had to watch his own new defense let a struggling Alabama team win by two touchdowns.

4. Penn State (+2)

Iowa ran six plays on their first drive thanks to a nice third down completion from QB Cade McNamara. However, they would punt on their seventh play not knowing that it would be their longest drive of the game. The Hawkeye offense trotted back out there five more times in the first half, fumbling on drive No. 2 before going three-and-out and punting on the next four possessions.

Things didn’t improve in the second half, as Iowa sandwiched two more three-and-out punts between a drive where they fumbled on their first play. Then, on their final possession, the Hawkeyes coughed the ball up one more time for good measure. That left the Iowa offense with just 76 total yards on 33 snaps for the day. Meanwhile, Penn State ran up a 31-nothing score while gaining 397 yards on 97 plays — one of the largest snap differences in the history of the sport.

5. Georgia (-2)

Georgia again picked up a victory but didn’t look like a juggernaut while doing so. A week after the home scare vs. South Carolina, the Dawgs got off to another sluggish start against UAB. The Blazers evened the score up at 7-7 early in the second before Georgia ran off three unanswered touchdowns. But another Blazer score just before half cut the lead to 28-14 while getting the ball out of the half.

UGA wound up running away with it in the second half but simply haven’t dominated their opposition like they did the last two years as SEC play really ramps up. It’s a trip to Auburn and then home for a pesky Kentucky program that the Dawgs have handled of late, though the Wildcats kept things close vs. the 2022 team, losing just 16-6 in Kroger Field.

6. Texas (+1)

Baylor isn’t any good this season and the Longhorns took care of business as they ought to have on Saturday. Quinn Ewers needed just 23 total pass attempts to rack up just shy of 300 yards with 293 and one touchdown. Meanwhile, his weapons produced, with Ja’Tavion Sanders surpassing 100 yards once again (he did vs. Alabama as well) while Jonathon Brooks took 18 carries for 106 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

There’s really no other way to put it: the Longhorns thrashed the Bears and appear to be alpha dogs in the Big 12 as conference play hits its full stride this coming week. Texas gets home games against Kansas and then rival Oklahoma coming up.

7. Oregon (+1)

These Ducks are about wins, not clicks, but they got both in dramatic fashion on Saturday. Head coach Dan Lanning ironically became a viral sensation with his Wins Not Clicks pregame speech, where he explained that Saturday’s kickoff would be when the clock strikes midnight on Colorado’s Cinderella run.

Well, their chariot unraveled into a pumpkin rather quickly as Oregon blew Colorado’s doors off, starting with a 35-0 first half. Colorado may have some dazzling playmakers on offense, but the Ducks showed they’re at an entire another level at all three phases of the game. From top to bottom, Oregon was bigger, faster, stronger and more talented — the better football team with better players.

8. USC (-3)

Arizona State’s Week 3 game was some after-dark slapstick comedy as they turned the football over nine times — in increasingly ridiculous fashion — as three different quarterbacks cycled through, all of whom turned the ball over multiple times. In the end, Fresno State walked off ASU’s home field with a 29-0 win while new head coach Kenny Dillingham simply wondered how such a performance was even possible.

Fast forward one week, and with eight minutes to play vs. USC, Arizona State QB Drew Pyne hit Cam Skattebo for a 52-yard touchdown to cut the lead to seven. Now, the Trojans scored one more time to make it a 42-28 final score, but the Sun Devils deserve commendation for making it a game after opening as 35-point underdogs. So too does Caleb Williams, who threw for a cool 322 yards and three TDs.

9. Washington (+2)

Well, Michael Penix threw for roughly 100 yards less than his season-average but still wound up with 304 passing yards and four touchdowns on the day while leading the Huskies to a 59-32 victory over California. Ja’Lynn Polk and Rome Odunze were the primary targets of choice as Polk led with eight grabs, 127 yards and two TD, while Odunze added five for 125 and two of his own scores.

Some Husky fans may be upset at the 32 points allowed to Cal, and it’s not great, but consider this: the game was over by halftime. Washington blitzed Cal out of the gate, scoring a pick-six and a punt return TD to make it 14-0 before the Husky offense even got on the field. And when they did, UW went: touchdown, field goal, touchdown, interception, touchdown, touchdown. Boom, 45-12 after two quarters.

10. Florida State

Any reasonable football analyst would have FSU far higher in the college football rankings than the FPI, especially after their performance on Saturday. Man, that was everything the Seminoles haven’t been for so many years. They were the more talented team, and certainly tougher.

FSU got down 17-7, but tied it up. Then, Clemson made it 24-17 and had the ball back driving to extend that lead at the end of the third quarter when Seminole linebacker Kalen DeLoach forced a fumble and ran it back to tie the game at 24-24. Clemson never scored after that play, missing a field goal late in the fourth quarter before failing to convert on a 4th down in overtime, where an injury-riddled Jordan Travis converted a back shoulder fade to Keon Coleman for their winning touchdown. Welcome to the forefront of the College Football Playoff discussion, Florida State.

FPI Rankings 11-25

11. Notre Dame (+1)
12. Michigan (+2)
13. Ole Miss
14. LSU (-5)
15. Miami FL
16. Texas A&M (+2)
17. Clemson
18. Tennessee (+6)
19. North Carolina (+4)
20. Syracuse (-4)
21. Kansas State (+1)
22. Oregon State (-2)
23. Louisville (NEW)
24. Utah (-5)
25. UCF (-4)