Campus Insiders’ 1-128 college football rankings heading into Week 4 of the season. After another week of action, here’s how all 128 teams grade out.
It wasn’t easy, but nothing ever comes easy in the SEC.
Alabama faced a 21-point first-half deficit in Oxford, but the Crimson Tide stormed back to outlast Ole Miss in a wild game that put an end to Nick Saban’s two-game losing streak to the Rebels. About the only thing we know for certain on this young season is that the Tide remain the best in the land.
Although, if you watched Louisville play earlier in the day, you might think otherwise. The Cardinals beat Florida State badly in all three phases of the game, as Lamar Jackson emerged as the player to beat in the very early Heisman Trophy race. Just as Houston did in Week 1 against Oklahoma, the Cards showed the nation that they have arrived.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma and Notre Dame joined Ole Miss in the two-loss club, setting the stage for a crazy drive toward the College Football Playoff.
No. 1-128 College Football Rankings
128. Charlotte
127. San Jose State
126. Hawaii
125. North Texas
124. New Mexico State
123. Old Dominion
122. FIU
121. Kent State
120. Miami (OH)
119. Eastern Michigan
118. Idaho
117. Buffalo
116. Georgia State
115. Kansas
114. Fresno State
113. Bowling Green
112. Louisiana-Monroe
111. Tulane
110. Texas-San Antonio
109. Massachusetts
108. Rice
107. Iowa State
106. Florida Atlantic
105. Texas-El Paso
104. Virginia
103. Ball State
102. Troy
101. SMU
100. Ohio
99. Akron
98. Central Florida
97. Arkansas State
96. UNLV
95. New Mexico
94. Purdue
93. Texas State
92. Northern Illinois
91. Rutgers – The Scarlet Knights have used four different quarterbacks in three games, as first-year head coach Chris Ash looks for the right signal-caller to lead his offense.
90. Nevada
89. South Alabama
88. Wyoming
87. Duke
86. Illinois
85. Colorado State
84. Kentucky
83. Utah State
82. Boston College
81. Tulsa
80. Louisiana-Lafayette
79. Oregon State
78. Temple
77. Connecticut
76. Memphis
75. Northwestern
74. Vanderbilt
73. Syracuse
72. Marshall
71. Indiana
70. East Carolina
69. NC State
68. Army
67. Maryland
66. Central Michigan
65. California
64. Washington State
63. Louisiana Tech
62. Colorado
61. Missouri – Drew Lock threw three second-half interceptions, as Mizzou could not complete the upset of Georgia.
60. Navy
59. Appalachian State
58. South Carolina
57. Georgia Southern
56. Western Kentucky
55. Wake Forest
54. Cincinnati
53. Mississippi State
52. Air Force
51. Middle Tennessee
50. Toledo
49. Georgia Tech
48. Virginia Tech
47. Minnesota
46. Arizona
45. Texas Tech
44. Penn State
43. Arizona State
42. West Virginia
41. Pittsburgh
40. BYU
39. Auburn
38. Southern Miss
37. Western Michigan – P.J. Fleck continues to “Row The Boat,” completing a sweep of Big Ten-based Illinois teams with a win over the Fighting Illini.
36. Kansas State
35. USC
34. South Florida
33. Utah
32. San Diego State
31. Iowa
30. Oklahoma
29. Notre Dame
28. Oklahoma State
27. Oregon
26. Ole Miss
25. TCU
24. UCLA
22. Florida State
21. Nebraska
20. Arkansas
19. LSU
18. Boise State
17. Miami (FL)
16. Florida
15. Tennessee
14. Wisconsin
13. Texas
12. Georgia
11. Washington
10. Michigan State – The Spartans went into Notre Dame Stadium and thoroughly outplayed the Fighting Irish, holding off a late rally by Brian Kelly’s squad.
9. Texas A&M – The Aggies are a dangerous team in the SEC West and will likely be able to give Alabama a very difficult test when the teams clash.
8. Baylor – Jim Grobe’s Bears didn’t look like their normal selves on Friday night, but they still managed an easy victory over Rice.
7. Houston – The Cougars welcomed back Greg Ward Jr. in their Thursday night win over Cincinnati.
6. Stanford – Cardinal star Christian McCaffrey has 970 all-purpose yards in his last three games against USC.
5. Clemson – Now that’s the Deshaun Watson we have come to know and love. The Tigers dismantled South Carolina State in a game that was shortened via the mercy rule.
4. Michigan – The Wolverines were put to the test by Colorado, but Jim Harbaugh’s squad made sure there was no Hail Mary victory for the Buffaloes this time around.
3. Louisville – I think Lamar Jackson is still running wild all over Florida State’s defense. Speaking of defense, how well did coordinator Todd Grantham’s defensive unit play on Saturday?
2. Ohio State – Youth is being served in Columbus, as the Buckeyes went on the road to Norman and essentially ended the Sooners’ hopes of getting back into the College Football Playoff mix.
1. Alabama – The Crimson Tide broke their two-game losing streak to Ole Miss. And in a season in which every team has issues, I’ll take Nick Saban’s “issues” any day of the week.