Josh Furlong's AP Top 25: Tennessee makes a bit of a jump after Oklahoma win

22 Sep 2024, 16:01 by Josh Furlong, KSL.com · KSL.com

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

STILLWATER, Okla. — Week 4 of college football featured four games in which both teams were ranked inside the Associated Press Top 25, highlighting some great matchups around the country.

But some of the best games around the country didn't include any of those games. There were multiple overtime games, Hail Mary's, and a late night run to Taco Bell after an unsavory bet on a game.

The following is the ballot I submitted to the Associated Press that will be counted in the consensus rankings that will be released Sunday afternoon.

1. Texas

Quarterback Arch Manning got his first start at Texas, and it's safe to say things went well. The redshirt freshman finished the day 15-of-29 for 258 yards and two touchdowns. The Longhorns remain my team to beat.

2. Georgia

It was a bye week for the Bulldogs, but don't think I didn't forget about that Kentucky game. Let's see the bounce back next week in a tough game against Alabama.

3. Ohio State

It was a bit of a slow go — a bit — against Marshall, but Ohio State was clearly the better team this week. Will Howard was an efficient 16-of-20 for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Quinshon Judkins had himself a day with 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

4. Tennessee

The Vols have been lurking for some time, but a win over Oklahoma was enough to allow me to move Tennessee over Ole Miss and Alabama. At this point, the Vols have two wins over AP Top 25 teams at the time they played, making the resume a bit better.

5. Ole Miss

Ole Miss did everything right to cover the 36-point spread against a decent Georgia Southern team. Jaxson Dart threw for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns, and remains near the top of my Heisman contenders. The Rebels have been one of my favorite teams this year, but I dropped them one spot in favor of Tennessee.

6. Alabama

The Crimson Tide had a bye week to prepare for Georgia next week. We'll know a lot about these two teams next week, but I wouldn't be surprised if Alabama came away with another win over Georgia. But we'll let that game play out before we move things around.

7. Miami

Cam Ward has seemingly been a cheat code for Miami this season. He threw for 404 yards and three touchdowns as the Hurricanes wasted no time putting South Florida away in a 50-15 win. More impressive, Miami pitched a second-half shutout.

8. Penn State

Of the top teams, Penn State had the least interesting game, but the Nittany Lions took care of business.

9. Utah

It doesn't always look pretty, but considering that Utah managed a win over a ranked Oklahoma State team on the road with a true freshman quarterback, it's a good sign of where Utah can be this season. Outside of some late-game stumbles, Utah's defense remains tough — even without its starting defensive and starting linebacker.

We won't even mention the Cam Rising situation.

10. Michigan

After essentially being pushed aside in a "rebuild" year, Michigan seemingly proved the doubters wrong with a win at home against a USC team that appeared to be firing on all cylinders. The offense remains a big concern, but the ground game is more than capable of winning games — as it did Saturday — for the Wolverines.

But yikes, there's not much of a passing game — 32 yards simply won't cut it.

Dropping out: Nebraska, Northern Illinois, UCF

Checking in: BYU, SMU, Illinois

In consideration (alphabetical): Arizona, Arkansas, Boise State, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, UCF, Washington State

If you can't see my full ballot below, click here.