Ole Miss and LSU traded punches in an instant classic Saturday night, and on Sunday, the Rebels leapfrogged the Tigers after a dramatic 32-24 win.
Ole Miss jumped four spots to No. 4 in the AP Top 25 poll ahead of Week 4.
Life is sweet for the Rebels after exacting their revenge on Lane Kiffin, the coach who left them for LSU before their playoff run last season. The Rebels may have the nation’s best resume, with wins against nationally ranked Louisville and LSU, and Pete Golding now has two playoff wins and two wins over ranked opponents in just six games as head coach.
The Rebels’ dramatic win against LSU will carry weight later this season if the Tigers rebound against a tough schedule. LSU dropped three spots to No. 10 this week.
There was also a bit of a surprise at the bottom of the poll. Oklahoma, a 14-6 winner against New Mexico, dropped out of the poll entirely. The Sooners’ offense has been a slog this season. They are among those receiving votes, with the fourth-most outside the poll.
Notable SEC newcomers in the poll include Florida at No. 21 and Mississippi State at No. 24, giving the conference a whopping 10 teams inside the top 25. The Gators impressed with a 44-39 win at Auburn, leading by double digits for most of the second half. Jon Sumrall is the only first-year Florida coach to start their career 3-0, and the Gators have scored a record 159 points through three games, out-pacing the offensive geniuses Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. Mississippi State rallied from a 16-0 deficit to beat South Carolina 41-34 in its SEC road opener.
SMU dropped six spots to No. 22 after its turnover-laden 41-31 loss at Louisville. The Cardinals jumped over the Mustangs in the ACC race and in the poll, rising seven spots to No. 16.
Virginia dropped out of the rankings, but Houston hung on following its losses. The Cavaliers lost 38-27 at home to Rich Rodriguez’s West Virginia, and Houston dropped three spots to No. 25 after a 28-26 heartbreaker at Texas Tech, mere inches from tying the game on a two-point conversion. The Red Raiders moved up two spots to No. 11 this week.
Week 4 AP Top 25 poll
| RANK | SCHOOL | REC | PTS | LW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas (58) | 3-0 | 1,706 | 1 |
| 2 | Georgia (3) | 3-0 | 1,580 | 2 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 3-0 | 1,517 | 3 |
| 4 | Ole Miss (3) | 3-0 | 1,488 | 8 |
| 5 | Indiana (4) | 3-0 | 1,467 | 4 |
| 6 | Miami (FL) (1) | 3-0 | 1,445 | 5 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 2-1 | 1,415 | 6 |
| 8 | Alabama | 3-0 | 1,182 | 10 |
| 9 | BYU | 3-0 | 1,090 | 11 |
| 10 | LSU | 2-1 | 1,078 | 7 |
| 11 | Texas Tech | 3-0 | 1,067 | 13 |
| 12 | USC | 4-0 | 907 | 12 |
| 13 | Penn State | 3-0 | 850 | 14 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 3-0 | 826 | 15 |
| 15 | Utah | 3-0 | 752 | 17 |
| 16 | Louisville | 2-1 | 692 | 23 |
| 17 | Iowa | 3-0 | 561 | 18 |
| 18 | Michigan | 3-0 | 432 | 19 |
| 19 | Missouri | 3-0 | 369 | 20 |
| 20 | Oregon | 2-1 | 364 | 21 |
| 21 | Florida | 3-0 | 269 | NR |
| 22 | SMU | 2-1 | 212 | 16 |
| 23 | Texas A&M | 2-1 | 202 | 9 |
| 24 | Mississippi State | 3-0 | 179 | NR |
| 25 | Houston | 2-1 | 127 | 22 |
Others receiving votes: Washington 107, Kentucky 98, West Virginia 93, Oklahoma 91, Oklahoma State 50, Boise State 48, Virginia Tech 46, Western Michigan 27, Duke 20, Tulsa 18, Arizona 12, Pittsburgh 10, UCLA 10, James Madison 7, North Dakota State 6, Kansas State 3, Nebraska 2
Voters reward big wins, penalize unimpressive ones
Ole Miss jumped four spots, Louisville hurdled seven teams, and Florida rocketed eight slots after receiving votes last week. The AP voters sent a clear message this week: if you win a big game, you get a big reward.
Early-season polls usually fluctuate drastically as we get a better handle on teams, but this week brought some fascinating moves. The voters even penalized Oklahoma, dropping it out of the top 25 after an unimpressive 14-6 home win against New Mexico.
Week 4 is loaded
The best week yet is on the docket. Week 4 brings a season-high six ranked-against-ranked games. No top-10 showdowns are on the schedule, but the slate is peppered with games with playoff and conference-race consequences.
No. 1 Texas and Arch Manning are traveling to No. 14 Tennessee, his uncle Peyton’s former school.
No. 4 Ole Miss is riding high after wins against nationally-ranked Louisville and LSU, but hits the road as a 2.5-point underdog at No. 21 Florida.
And how about No. 21 Oregon and No. 12 USC, both needing to find a solid footing in the top half of the Big Ten so that one of them could possibly snag a playoff spot later this season?
The week is filled with great storylines. Here are the ranked matchups:
- No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee (Noon ET, ABC)
- No. 4 Ole Miss at No. 21 Florida (3:30 p.m., ABC)
- No. 17 Iowa at No. 18 Michigan (3:30 p.m., CBS/Paramount+)
- No. 23 Texas A&M at No. 10 LSU (7:30 p.m., ABC)
- No. 21 Oregon at No. 12 USC (7:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock)
- No. 16 Missouri at No. 24 Mississippi State (7:45 p.m., SEC Network)
