College football rankings: Top 25 teams moving up, down for Week 4

These college football teams are moving up, and down, the Top 25 rankings this week.

After another active weekend on the gridiron, these college football teams could be due for some movement in the rankings. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Despite what some fans might think browsing the schedule beforehand, there’s usually no such thing as a “boring weekend” of college football, as teams are always jockeying for position in the top 25 rankings, and this week’s action proved no different, with some teams making statements that they belong, or don’t belong, in the polls.

While we didn’t see any big upsets involving teams near the top of the AP top 25 rankings -- although Georgia did face a tougher test than was anticipated at Kentucky -- results in the ACC and the Big 12 could have an effect on this week’s poll, and one Group of Five school made an important statement on the road.

College football rankings: Top 25 teams moving up, down in Week 4

Moving up: Oregon

Granted, there may not be much room for Oregon to move into with most of the AP top 10 pretty solidly in place this week, but voters could jump the Ducks one spot over an idle Penn State.

After playing decidedly below expectations in its first two games, winning by a combined 13 points, Oregon awoke from its preseason slumbers in a 49-14 decision against rival Oregon State.

This looks like more of the menace we expected would challenge the Big Ten in its debut season, as Dillon Gabriel threw for 291 yards with 2 scores, hitting 20 of 24 passes, while running for another touchdown and 64 additional yards.

Oregon had 546 total offensive yards and kept the Beavers off the scoreboard in the second half. Being idle next week could curb that good momentum, but at least this team is working in the right direction.

Moving up: Pittsburgh

AP voters didn't give the Panthers any attention last week, but this team could get a closer look after securing a comeback win over West Virginia and moving to 3-0 on the season, quite a turnaround for a team that was picked to finish 13th in the ACC.

Now, with that conference looking more wide open, and quarterback Eli Holstein rejuvenating this offense, Pittsburgh can be a team that makes a little run, especially over the next 6 weeks.

Moving down: Arizona

One of college football's most vaunted passing duos put up some yards, but didn't get much out of them as No. 20 Arizona dropped a 31-7 decision at Kansas State in Friday night's game.

Tetairoa McMillan had 138 yards off 11 grabs, but didn't score a touchdown, and the Wildcat backs had just 56 yards while Noah Fifita was held under 7 yards per pass with no touchdowns.

That's the kind of performance that bumps you down in the Big 12 pecking order and could find AP voters dropping the team out of the rankings altogether this week.

Moving up: Memphis

There's plenty of competition at the top of the Group of Five for that automatic College Football Playoff bid, and so far the Tigers have stood out among that crowd.

Even more so after beating Florida State by a 20-12 count on the road, a win that dropped the Seminoles to 0-3 and brought Memphis to a confident 3-0.

It wasn't just Seth Henigan and the offense doing it, either: Memphis dominated the game defensively, recording four sacks and holding the Noles to 37 yards on 24 carries, a 1.5 ypc average.

Sure, maybe beating this husk of an FSU team isn't as big a deal as it could have been, but it's always noteworthy when a G5 team wins on the road against a Power Conference school, especially in the expanded playoff era when those wins mean a lot more.

Moving down: Boston College

This could be the end of BC's place in the rankings after just one week following a 6-point loss on the road to Missouri, although voters may forgive a close result on the road to a ranked SEC opponent.

The Eagles started strong, opening up a 14-3 lead in the second quarter, but the defense struggled to contain Mizzou after that, surrendering 23 unanswered points before adding a late touchdown.

Boston College was ranked No. 24 and could slip out of the poll with other teams that earned votes a week ago playing better that could take its spot this week.

Moving up: Notre Dame

Pollsters soured dramatically on the Irish after last week's loss at home to a MAC team, falling 13 spots to No. 18, but we should see ND make a little comeback after a very successful road trip.

Riley Leonard ran for 3 touchdowns and the Irish backs added 362 yards and 3 other touchdowns in a 66-7 thrashing of Purdue that could salvage this team's College Football Playoff hopes.

It could convince pollsters that the Northern Illinois fiasco was an exception, not the rule, as Notre Dame is now 2-0 against Power Four teams, both on the road.

More play along this line, and AP voters and the selection committee could be willing to forget what happened last week. Or at least place it in a more forgiving context.

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