The nation’s top three teams all suffered losses in a chaotic Week 4, completely reshaping the top of the rankings.
Leading the fall was No. 1 Texas, which lost 38-20 to Tennessee. The Longhorns had taken over the top spot just a week earlier after knocking off then-No. 1 Ohio State 37-18.
Ole Miss suffered an even steeper fall, tumbling 11 spots to No. 13 after losing 35-31 at Florida. The Rebels had climbed to No. 2 following their blowout victory over LSU the previous week.
Georgia completed the collapse of the top three, falling from No. 3 to No. 11 after a 35-21 loss to Oklahoma. The victory vaulted the Sooners into the No. 1 ranking.
The chaos extended further down the poll. Alabama narrowly fell to South Carolina 42-37 and dropped seven spots to No. 14. LSU also suffered its second loss in four games, falling 44-42 to Texas A&M. The Tigers dropped to No. 17, while the Aggies climbed to No. 2.
Quarterbacks dominate Heisman chase
The Heisman race remains wide open, but quarterbacks currently occupy the top four spots in the early chase.
Utah senior Devon Dampier led the pack, followed by Texas quarterback Arch Manning at No. 2. Dampier helped Utah defeat Iowa State 31-17 in Week 4, but the victory came at a major cost. He suffered a partial MCL tear and is expected to miss the next seven weeks.
Manning has a bye in Week 5, opening the door for others to gain ground. Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed could make a strong case to move into the lead with another big performance against Arkansas.
Boise State leads rebuilt Pac-12
Boise State remained undefeated after routing Western Michigan 45-14 in Week 4.
The Broncos opened the season with a statement 45-30 victory over ranked Oregon and are now the only 4-0 team in the rebuilt Pac-12.
Texas State and Utah State are both chasing Boise State at 3-1. The Broncos face Utah State in Week 5 with an opportunity to strengthen their early hold on the conference race.
Defending champion Indiana knocked out of Top 25
Indiana has looked nothing like the team that captured the National Championship last season.
The warning signs appeared immediately when the Hoosiers suffered an opening-week loss to unranked North Texas. Indiana responded by winning its next two games, but another setback arrived in Week 4 when Northwestern rallied for a last-second field goal to defeat the Hoosiers 23-21.
The loss dropped Indiana out of the Top 25 and left the defending champions searching for answers after a 2-2 start.
National Players of the Week
By the numbers
The longest field goal of the season belongs to Oklahoma kicker Tate Sandell, who drilled a 56-yarder against UTEP at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Week 1.
Junior halfback Turbo Richard of Indiana has lived up to his name. Richard became the quickest player to reach 10 rushing touchdowns this season, accomplishing the feat in just four games.
