College Football Rankings Shakeup: Clemson, South Carolina Out as Vanderbilt Enters Week 4 AP Top 25
The latest AP Top 25 poll reveals significant shifts after Week 3, with both Clemson and South Carolina dropping out of the rankings. Vanderbilt enters the poll following a decisive victory over the Gamecocks. Several other teams experienced notable movement, setting the stage for an exciting Week 4.
Clemson's Upset Loss to Georgia Tech
Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers (1-2) suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of Georgia Tech, falling out of the top 25 as a result. Aidan Birr's 55-yard field goal as time expired secured a 24-21 victory for Georgia Tech, marking a disappointing loss for Clemson.
South Carolina's Crushing Defeat to Vanderbilt
South Carolina also experienced a significant drop in the rankings after a 31-7 blowout loss to Vanderbilt. The defeat, compounded by LaNorris Sellers' injury, marked Shane Beamer's first loss to Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks, previously ranked No. 11, are now unranked in the AP poll.
Texas A&M Soars, Notre Dame Plummets
Texas A&M emerged as one of the biggest winners of the week, jumping six spots to No. 10 after upsetting Notre Dame 41-40. Conversely, Notre Dame suffered a significant setback, dropping 16 spots to No. 24.
Top 5 Remain Mostly Unchanged
While some movement occurred, the top three positions in the AP poll remain unchanged. Miami moved up one spot to No. 4 after a convincing 49-12 victory over South Florida. Georgia also moved up one spot from No. 6 to No. 5 after defeating Tennessee.
Georgia's Comeback Victory Over Tennessee
The game of the week was undoubtedly Georgia at Tennessee, where the Bulldogs rallied from a 14-point deficit to secure a 44-41 overtime victory. The win marked Kirby Smart's fourth 14-point comeback, and third against an AP top 15 team.
Week 4 AP Top 25 Poll
Below is the full AP Top 25 poll for Week 4:
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State |
| 2 | Penn State |
| 3 | LSU |
| 4 | Miami |
| 5 | Georgia |
| 6 | Oregon |
| 7 | Florida State |
| 8 | Texas |
| 9 | Illinois |
| 10 | Texas A&M |
| 11 | Oklahoma |
| 12 | Iowa State |
| 13 | Ole Miss |
| 14 | Alabama |
| 15 | Tennessee |
| 16 | Utah |
| 17 | Texas Tech |
| 18 | Georgia Tech |
| 19 | Indiana |
| 20 | Vanderbilt |
| 21 | Michigan |
| 22 | Auburn |
| 23 | Missouri |
| 24 | Notre Dame |
| 25 | Southern Cal. |
Others receiving votes: BYU 94, South Florida 83, South Carolina 82, Mississippi St. 69, TCU 67, Arizona St. 57, Tulane 33, Louisville 25, Nebraska 9, Baylor 6, Clemson 6, SMU 4, NC State 4, UNLV 2, Navy 1.
South Carolina's Ranking Plummets
South Carolina's loss to Vanderbilt resulted in a significant drop in both the AP and Coaches Polls. The Gamecocks fell 14 spots in the US LBM Coaches Poll and out of the AP poll. They now travel to Missouri for the 2025 Mayor's Cup.
