College Football Rankings: Hits and Misses in Week 4 Top 25
Sep 19, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis (59) is congratulated by teammate Tommy Schutt (90) and defensive lineman Adolphus Washington (92) during the second half versus Northern Illinois Huskies at Ohio Stadium. The Ohio State Buckeyes won 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
B-1-G, B-1-G!
As much talk as we hear on a week-to-week basis about the Southeastern Conference being the greatest league in the nation, or that the SEC is overrated, the Big Ten now has the top two teams in the Associated Press Top 25.
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Ohio State struggled with Northern Illinois, and beat the Huskies just 20-13 behind sloppy uncharacteristically sloppy quarterback play, but still retained the top spot in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll. However, Big Ten East rival Michigan State picked up two spots in the AP Poll – jumping TCU and taking Alabama’s old spot – following a 35-21 victory over Air Force, and now sits No. 2 in the nation. The Spartans also have seven first place votes.
In the Coaches Poll, Michigan State moved up to No. 3 behind the Horned Frogs. The Spartans are the only other team that have earned any No. 1 votes from the coaches, picking up three in Week 4 compared to the Buckeyes’ 61.
It’s obviously still very early, but right now Ohio State and Michigan State appear to be the best chance for any conference to take two of the top four spots in the College Football Playoff. Neither team faces a ranked opponent until the two meet November 21 in Columbus, and assuming the game is close, it appears likely that neither would fall far in the rankings.
Of course, the Big 12 may have a thing or two to say about that. TCU and Baylor are also ranked in the top five in both polls, and if both teams go undefeated aside from their November 27 clash in Fort Worth, especially if Ohio State or Michigan State stumble unexpectedly and the SEC heavyweights continue to knock one another off, the Big 12 could sneak two teams into the playoff.
Next: Ole Miss and LSU on the Rise