ESPN
Sep 21, 2025, 02:25 PM ET
The latest AP poll is out.
With some enormous matchups next week, Week 4 was light on ranked matchups. The Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Georgia Bulldogs and Texas A&M Aggies were off this week.
The Oklahoma Sooners, now ranked No. 7, opened their SEC schedule with a 24-17 win over the Auburn Tigers. The Sooners' defense was outstanding, finishing with 10 sacks and holding the Tigers to just 67 yards rushing.
In the Big 12, the No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders pounded the Utah Utes to stake an early claim as the best team in the conference. Texas Tech backup QB Will Hammond was exceptional while filling in for an injured Behren Morton. Hammond went 13-of-16 passing and had 230 total yards and 2 scores in the 34-10 win.
The week's only other ranked matchup was the No. 11 Indiana Hoosiers crushing the then-No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini. In the win, QB Fernando Mendoza became the first Indiana player with at least four passing touchdowns in three straight games.
What does it all mean for the AP Top 25? Let's break down the rankings.
Stats courtesy of ESPN Research.
All times Eastern
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
Previous ranking: 1
2025 record: 3-0
Week 4 result: Idle
What's next: Saturday at Washington
2. Miami Hurricanes
Previous ranking: 4
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Florida 26-7
Stat to know: Miami had both more rushing yards and passing yards than Florida had total yards.
What's next: Oct. 4 at Florida State
3. Penn State Nittany Lions
Previous ranking: 2
2025 record: 3-0
Week 4 result: Idle
What's next: Saturday vs. Oregon, 7:30 p.m., NBC
4. LSU Tigers
Previous ranking: 3
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Southeastern Louisiana 56-10
Stat to know: LSU has held all four of its opponents this season to 10 points or fewer, its longest such streak to start a season since 2006.
What's next: Saturday at Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m., ABC
5. Georgia Bulldogs
Previous ranking: 5
2025 record: 3-0
Week 4 result: Idle
What's next: Saturday vs. Alabama, 7:30 p.m., ABC
6. Oregon Ducks
Previous ranking: 6
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Oregon State 41-7
Stat to know: Oregon has had consecutive wins by at least 30 points against Oregon State for the third time in series history (2018-19, 1898-99).
What's next: Saturday at Penn State, 7:30 p.m., NBC
7. Oklahoma Sooners
Previous ranking: 11
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Auburn 24-17
Stat to know: OU sacked Auburn QB Jackson Arnold 10 times, the most in a game in program history.
What's next: Oct. 4 vs. Kent State, 4 p.m., SEC Network
8. Florida State Seminoles
Previous ranking: 7
2025 record: 3-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Kent State 66-10
Stat to know: FSU had eight rushing touchdowns against Kent State. The Seminoles had eight rushing scores in 2024.
What's next: Friday at Virginia, 7 p.m., ESPN
9. Texas A&M Aggies
Previous ranking: 10
2025 record: 3-0
Week 4 result: Idle
What's next: Saturday vs. Auburn, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
10. Texas Longhorns
Previous ranking: 8
2025 record: 3-1
Week 4 result: Defeated Sam Houston 55-0
Stat to know: The 55-point win was Texas' largest margin of victory since its 58-0 win over Rice in 2021.
What's next: Oct. 4 at Florida
11. Indiana Hoosiers
Previous ranking: 19
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Illinois 63-10
Stat to know: Indiana's 63 points against Illinois was its most ever against a ranked opponent.
What's next: Saturday at Iowa
12. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Previous ranking: 17
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Utah 34-10
Stat to know: This was Texas Tech's first win as a ranked team since 2008, and the Red Raiders have started the season 4-0 for the first time since 2013.
What's next: Oct. 4 at Houston
13. Ole Miss Rebels
Previous ranking: 13
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Tulane 45-10
Stat to know: Trinidad Chambliss, who had 307 yards passing and 112 yards rushing against Tulane, became the fourth player in school history with 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a game, joining Archie Manning, Chad Kelly and Jordan Ta'amu.
What's next: Saturday vs. LSU, 3:30 p.m., ABC
14. Iowa State Cyclones
Previous ranking: 12
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Idle
What's next: Saturday vs. Arizona, 7 p.m., ESPN
15. Tennessee Volunteers
Previous ranking: 15
2025 record: 3-1
Week 4 result: Defeated UAB 56-24
Stat to know: Joey Aguilar, who had 218 yards and three touchdowns Saturday, has had 200 passing yards in all 28 of his career starts, the longest active streak in FBS.
What's next: Saturday at Mississippi State, 4:15 p.m., SEC Network
16. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Previous ranking: 18
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Temple 45-24
Stat to know: This is Georgia Tech's first 4-0 start to a season since 2014.
What's next: Saturday at Wake Forest, noon
17. Alabama Crimson Tide
Previous ranking: 14
2025 record: 2-1
Week 4 result: Idle
What's next: Saturday at Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC
18. Vanderbilt Commodores
Previous ranking: 20
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Georgia State 70-21
Stat to know: This is Vanderbilt's first 4-0 start since 2018.
What's next: Saturday vs. Utah State, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
19. Michigan Wolverines
Previous ranking: 21
2025 record: 3-1
Week 4 result: Defeated Nebraska 30-27
Stat to know: Justice Haynes, who rushed for 149 yards and a score against Nebraska, is the first Michigan player in the past 30 seasons with a rushing score in each of his first four games.
What's next: Oct. 4 vs. Wisconsin
20. Missouri Tigers
Previous ranking: 23
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated South Carolina 29-20
Stat to know: Missouri held South Carolina to -9 rushing yards, the fewest it has allowed since 2009 when it held Colorado to -14 rushing yards.
What's next: Saturday vs. UMass, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
21. USC Trojans
Previous ranking: 25
2025 record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Michigan State 45-31
Stat to know: USC has scored 210 points through four games, the fourth-highest total in program history.
What's next: Saturday vs. Michigan State, 11 p.m., Fox
22. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Previous ranking: 24
2025 record: 1-2
Week 4 result: Defeated Purdue 56-30
Stat to know: Notre Dame has scored 122 points in its past two games against Purdue. That's the most over a two-game span against a single opponent in the AP Poll Era (since 1936).
What's next: Saturday at Arkansas, noon, ABC
23. Illinois Fighting Illini
Previous ranking: 9
2025 record: 3-1
Week 4 result: Lost to Indiana 63-10
Stat to know: The loss to Indiana was its worst-ever loss as an AP-ranked team.
What's next: Saturday vs. USC
24. TCU Horned Frogs
Previous ranking: NR
2025 record: 3-0
Week 4 result: Defeated SMU 35-24
Stat to know: Against SMU, wide receiver Eric McAlister became the second player in school history to record 250 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns in a game.
What's next: Friday at Arizona State, 9 p.m., Fox
25. BYU Cougars
Previous ranking: NR
2025 record: 3-0
Week 4 result: Defeated East Carolina 34-13
Stat to know: BYU has allowed 16 total points through the first three games of the season, its fewest since 1948.
What's next: Saturday at Colorado, 10 p.m., ESPN
