D Poll: Week 4
A new number one emerges, some fresh faces enter the fold, and a preseason favorite falls far.
Last week’s recalibration made waves. Several people I know stopped me at some point over the past several days and commented on the D Poll with the reactions varying from extremely positive to extremely skeptical of my methodology. Today, I don’t think that polarization is going to change.
Right off the rip, let me remind you that the D Poll values vibes and feelings above all else, and then adds in winning after the fact. It’s also important to remember that this ranking is a fluid entity, especially early in the season. As new data points come in, teams are going to drastically shift around. I’m positive that as the season progresses, the variability of these rankings will decrease. For now, however, the difference between the previous week’s poll and this week’s will remain quite large.
Everybody ranks college football teams in different ways. There are 62 people that vote on the AP Poll, and each and every one of them has a different method and process for how they go about it. Some value preseason projections and ratings more than others, and some completely throw away their preconceived notions the second the games start being played. Others seemingly don’t have a method and just rank 25 random teams for the fun of it. Those people shouldn’t have a vote, but that’s a discussion for another time.
The D Poll is a subjective ranking. Vibes and feelings are some of the most subjective criteria to ever exist. What I categorize as “bad vibes” might be different from you, and that’s OK. This is just a silly poll—the stakes aren’t that serious. Also, and this is important, just because I have your favorite team ranked below your rival doesn’t mean I hate your favorite team. Well, maybe I do. That’s up to interpretation depending on the circumstance.
Here’s the D Poll for Week 4. No promises that this won’t shock your senses.
Note: Not every team is going to get a little blurb. That’s just the way life goes sometimes. Maybe next week? For any of the teams I don’t write about, just think about the vibes and feelings surrounding their season so far.
Teams dropped from last week’s D Poll: Mississippi State, South Carolina, Notre Dame
25. South Florida (–15)
Week 3 result: 49–12 loss at Miami
The Bulls hang on by a thread after getting crushed by Miami. The AP deemed it necessary to eject South Florida from its poll, but due to the quality of the two wins that the Bulls possess—a 34–7 victory over Boise State and a major upset of Florida—I’ll keep them ranked for now.
Part of me believes that USF realized it couldn’t keep up with Miami and decided to lay down in order to preserve itself for conference play. After all, should it win the American, it’s very likely that the school will be headed to the College Football Playoff for the first time.
24. Tulane (NR)
Week 3 result: 34–27 win vs. Duke
The Group of 5 has a new CFP favorite, and it’s the Tulane Green Wave.
I implore everybody to go watch the highlights of Tulane’s win over Duke on Saturday. What you’ll see is transfer quarterback Jake Retzlaff hitting juke moves on Blue Devils’ defenders that are so insane that my eyes almost popped out of my head multiple times. The fact that Retzlaff fell in Tulane’s lap after he was essentially expelled from BYU makes this story of success all the more crazy.
Beating Duke wasn’t the first sign that Tulane meant business this year. In Week 1, Northwestern traveled down to New Orleans and got absolutely waxed by head coach Jon Sumrall’s squad. So, with two wins over Power Four opponents under its belt, Tulane will have another opportunity to claim another this week against the team right ahead of it in the D Poll.
23. Ole Miss (+1)
Week 3 result: 41–35 win vs. Arkansas
Even with backup quarterback Trinidad Chambliss—yes, that’s an actual player, not a Caribbean island—Ole Miss’ offense found its rhythm against a woeful Arkansas defense. The Rebels piled up 475 total yards, 353 of them through Chambliss’ arm. Whether that surge signals a true offensive turnaround after their struggles at Kentucky or simply exposes how bad Arkansas’ defense is remains to be seen.
I’m still skeptical about this team. For some reason, I just get the vibes that they might be frauds. I can’t prove it yet, but until they either prove me right or prove me wrong, I’ll keep them down toward the bottom of the poll.
Good win over the Hogs, though. Now go beat Tulane.
22. Texas (-8)
Week 3 result: 27–10 win vs. UTEP
For the second consecutive week, the Longhorns drop eight spots despite winning. Why? Well, because they’ve looked sluggish and honestly, inept, at times offensively, with Arch Manning’s lack of productivity being the blinking red light that shrouds over the entire operation.
Something is not right with Manning at the moment. Some have speculated that he’s injured, which would explain why his throwing motion has changed so drastically since last season. Each week it seems that his arm slot gets lower and lower, to where at times it appears that he believes he’s a shortstop turning a double play, not a quarterback. Part of me wants him to be hurt because that would be an easier thing to explain than him just sucking. All week, I’ve just been asking myself, “How could Arch Manning possibly suck? There’s no way this is real.” As long as he continues to play like he is right now, then yeah, he’s just not that good.
Steve Sarkisian has two and a half weeks to turn it around before the Longhorns travel to Gainesville to play Florida to open SEC competition. If Arch and the offense, which has also looked abysmal as a whole, continue to struggle, then the season of dreams that I projected for Texas could become a nightmare real quick.
So why even rank them? Obviously, I don’t think too high of the ‘Horns and what they’ve done this season. Yes, their overall potential and talent far eclipses multiple teams that will be ranked ahead of them in this poll, but with two lackluster wins against San Jose State and UTEP, there just isn’t enough there for me to warrant putting them any higher. Win a game against a quality opponent, or just actually look competent yourself, and then we’ll have a discussion of elevating Texas back up to where they probably belong.
21. Alabama (NR)
Week 3 result: 38–14 win vs. Wisconsin
Welcome back, Alabama. The D Poll missed you.
After a two-week hiatus following the loss to Florida State, the Crimson Tide have looked the part against much inferior competition in UL Monroe and Wisconsin. Ty Simpson has been throwing darts, and Ryan Williams has been making defenders look silly. Kalen DeBoer has a gleam in his eye once again, meaning that the good vibes have returned to Tuscaloosa.
Two weeks from Saturday, Alabama will play Georgia. What a game that will be.
20. Texas Tech (+1)
Week 3 result: 45–14 win vs. Oregon State
19. Tennessee (-2)
Week 3 result: 44–41 loss vs. Georgia
It’s hard to feel better about a team following a loss, but Tennessee impressed me so much despite losing its ninth straight game to the Bulldogs. Joey Aguilar, a man that I had admonished so much during the offseason, officially declared himself better than Nico Iamaleava on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville. That alone might be enough for a Tennessee fan to feel good about their team even after falling in heartbreaking fashion. College kickers are going to college kicker after all.
Seriously, though, Aguilar’s performance—he threw for 371 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions—was extremely impressive. He fits perfectly into Josh Heupel’s offense, and his YOLO style makes for an entertaining product. Tennessee made the CFP last season with an inferior quarterback. Now, with somebody who can actually hit a deep ball, who knows what heights this team can accomplish?
One does have to be a bit concerned about the defense. Allowing 44 points is somewhat alarming, though the Volunteers’ top two corners were out and should be back and healthy at some point during the season. That should alleviate some of the strains that that secondary experienced versus the Bulldogs.
18. Auburn (+5)
Week 3 result: 31–15 win vs. South Alabama
17. Indiana (+8)
Week 3 result: 73–0 win vs. Indiana State
The Hoosiers have been holding serve at No. 25 for a couple of weeks now, but after completely dismantling Indiana State last Friday, I decided that they finally deserve a little bit more respect. After all, this team made the CFP last season and I declared in the offseason that I believed that this year’s roster was better than last’s. And while beating Indiana State is not all that impressive, it was the manner in which they did it that gives me confidence.
Then there are the vibes, which have been at a constant high ever since Curt Cignetti took the job following the 2023 season. The Hoosiers play with swagger and poise and appear as if they’re ready to make a run again in 2025. A big battle against Illinois this Saturday will answer a lot of the lingering questions surrounding the squad, but for now, relish in being ranked No. 17.
16. Missouri (+3)
Week 3 result: 52–10 win vs. Louisiana
15. Iowa State (-2)
Week 3 result: 24–16 win at Arkansas State
14. Illinois (-6)
Week 3 result: 38–0 win vs. Western Michigan
13. Vanderbilt (+10)
Week 3 result: 31–7 win at South Carolina
People were mad that I had Vanderbilt in last week’s poll, but all those people are super quiet now. The Commodores are good, and we just all have to accept that with grace and dignity.
It must be said that South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers got injured in the second quarter of the game. How everything plays out if he remains healthy is unknown. What I do know is that Vanderbilt absolutely took advantage of the situation and went on to boat race the Gamecocks the rest of the way. After South Carolina scored a touchdown on its opening possession, it didn’t sniff a point for the rest of the night.
As I’m typing this, there’s legal drama surrounding whether or not Diego Pavia, who’s currently in his sixth college season, will be able to come back for a seventh. This is not a legal page, and I have no interest in delving into the specifics of NCAA eligibility rules, but Pavia’s presence at Vanderbilt has absolutely elevated that program to another level. Whatever you think of him, he’s a player that teammates absolutely love and that the opposing team absolutely hates. For Vanderbilt, a place that’s constantly had a chip on its shoulder, Pavia is the perfect player to lead the operation.
12. USC (+4)
Week 3 result: 33–17 win at Purdue
USC just cracked the AP Poll at No. 25 this past week. Good for the AP for finally waking up and realizing that Lincoln Riley’s team is good enough to have a number next to their name. Unfortunately for them, I realized that before the season even began, and after the Trojans went into West Lafayette and took care of Purdue, I feel even more vindicated.
The top of the Big Ten was thought to be Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, and then maybe Michigan. I’m here to herald to the universe that the fourth team in that equation is actually the USC Trojans. It’s mystifying to me that USC of all places is flying under the radar, but I guess that’s just the times we’re living in.
11. Utah (-2)
Week 3 result: 31–6 win at Wyoming
10. Georgia Tech (NR)
Week 3 result: 24–21 win vs. Clemson
Hand up, I should’ve had Georgia Tech ranked already. I’ve known for a long time how awesome Haynes King is and just how good of a program Brent Key has built in Atlanta. In my preview episode of Seth’s College Football Corner for Week 3, I picked the Yellow Jackets to “upset” Clemson. Shame on me for forgoing my responsibility of putting Georgia Tech in this sacred poll.
Atlanta is a hotbed for college football, and it’s a miracle that nobody has been able to fully tap into it at Georgia Tech and build a program that’s a consistent winner. Key and his staff might be doing that right now, however. With some big victories last season against Florida State and Miami, as well as taking Georgia to eight overtimes, it should’ve been clear to me that the Yellow Jackets were going to make the next step in 2025. Beating Clemson is just another rung on the ladder toward Georgia Tech potentially being an ACC title contender this season.
That’s right. The ACC title is in Georgia Tech’s sights. Just look at the schedule. Where are the games that they’ll be underdogs in? Temple and Wake Forest? No way. Virginia Tech, Duke, and Syracuse? Favored there too. NC State, Boston College, and Pitt? Perhaps they could be a slight dog at NC State, but nope to BC and Pitt. Then there’s the Georgia game to wrap up the season, which could be a classic if everything shakes out right. 11–0 Georgia versus 11–0 Georgia Tech is on the table, ladies and gentlemen. Wouldn’t that just be a ball?
9. LSU (-5)
Week 3 result: 20–10 win vs. Florida
The offense looks terrible—LSU ranks 108th in scoring offense at the moment—and the wins against Clemson and Florida don’t look as impressive with all the information we’ve gathered so far this season. Still, the Tigers are good—the defense under Blake Baker has impressed—and the talent is there to compete at a high level in the SEC. That offensive unit needs to figure it out, though. If not, then all the yelling that Brian Kelly is doing at reporters regarding his offense will soon turn inward.
8. Penn State (-2)
Week 3 result: 52–6 win vs. Villanova
Penn State is so boring right now. Please play an actual team, I’m begging you. It’s no fun watching you beat up on Nevada, FIU, and Villanova.
We’ll have to wait a couple more weeks before Penn State hits the field again, but it’ll be worth it, as the Nittany Lions will face off against Oregon in a White Out at Beaver Stadium.
7. Oklahoma (+4)
Week 3 result: 42–3 win at Temple
6. Texas A&M (+12)
Week 3 result: 41–40 win at Notre Dame
Texas A&M has always been the national title contender that never was. That program has tons of resources, always recruits well, and has some of the best fan support in all of the sport. But for some reason, mediocrity has been a constant. Perhaps this season is the year that finally changes.
Prior to beating Notre Dame on Saturday, the last time Texas A&M won a game against a ranked opponent in a true road game was in 2014. With that monkey finally off their back, and a schedule that looks a whole lot more manageable than it did just a couple weeks ago, people across the nation, including myself, are starting to realize that a trip to the CFP is definitely in the cards for the Aggies.
Now, you’re probably yelling at me to slow down a little bit, and I don’t blame you. After all, this is the same team that started last season 7–1 before going 1–4 down the stretch. There’s still a ton of football to be played for A&M, and subsequently tons more chances for them to screw all this up.
This team appears different to me than A&M squads of the past. With Marcel Reed being a competent quarterback who has the ability to use both his arm and his legs effectively, as well as a receiver stable that features stars in the making such as Mario Craver and KC Concepcion, the offense is in great shape. The defense did just give up 34 points to Notre Dame (seven of the Fighting Irish’s 40 points came via a blocked punt return), but there’s tons of talent at Mike Elko’s disposal in that unit. Elko’s a good defensive coach and mind; I have faith that he can coach those dudes up to play well down the stretch.
In the year and change that I’ve been doing this poll, this is the highest that Texas A&M has ever been. I’m sure that’ll make all the Aggies in my life very happy.
5. Florida State (NM)
Week 3 result: BYE
4. Ohio State (-2)
Week 3 result: 37–9 win vs. Ohio
3. Oregon (-2)
Week 3 result: 34–14 win at Northwestern
2. Georgia (+5)
Week 3 result: 44–41 win at Tennessee
Georgia is inevitable. They are the epitome of the Death Star.
Down 21–7 in the first quarter, Kirby Smart’s group didn’t panic. Tennessee had punched them in the mouth, but their confidence in themselves, as well as their poise under pressure, enabled them to mount the comeback. There were several moments on Saturday afternoon where it appeared that Georgia was done. Each time, somebody made a big play. Whether it was Gunnar Stockton, who played tremendously in his first SEC road start, making a big-time throw on fourth down to tie the game, or the defense standing tall in overtime, everybody played a role in the win. That’s what Georgia does best.
Don’t get it twisted—Georgia is not invincible. If not for a college kicker shanking a 43-yard field goal, then Tennessee would’ve walked away with a win and the Bulldogs would’ve had to head back to Athens with a loss in their back pocket. There are definitely chinks in the armor. It’s going to take a dang good team to bring them down, however, and at the moment, there’s not a lot stopping them.
Georgia is the favorite to win the SEC. That could obviously change, as there’s a ton of season to be played, but Kirby Smart means business again, and that’s a dangerous fact for the rest of college football.
1. Miami (+2)
Week 3 result: 49–12 win vs. South Florida
Who has a better résumé right now than Miami? In Week 1, the Hurricanes played sound, fundamental football and won a nail-biter at home versus Notre Dame. Week 2 saw Miami thoroughly dismantle Bethune-Cookman. Then in Week 3, the team might’ve played its best game yet against a South Florida team that had just slain two giants in Boise State and Florida.
Miami teams of the past had the propensity to crumble in these types of moments. South Florida had a ton of coverage heading into the game, but it was still a known fact that it was overmatched compared to Miami. Even then, the Hurricanes of three or four years ago would’ve come out and looked lethargic. And if there was a weather delay that screwed up any type of game flow, like there was on Saturday afternoon, they would’ve been toast.
Not in 2025. In every phase of the game, Miami looked the part. Carson Beck might be better than he ever was at Georgia, the offensive and defensive lines are some of the best in the country, the wide receivers are immediate difference-makers, and the secondary has playmakers up and down the depth chart. Miami’s a juggernaut and by far the favorite to make it out of the ACC on top. And with the résumé it has, it is also the No. 1 team in the nation.