Week 4 gave us the clearest picture yet of which teams belong near the top of college football.
Texas went into Knoxville and added another ranked win to a résumé that already includes Ohio State. Georgia continued to overwhelm opponents. Florida delivered the biggest statement of the weekend by dismantling Ole Miss. Ohio State’s offense exploded behind Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, while Miami continued putting up video-game numbers.
The latest AP Top 25 still has Texas at No. 1, followed by Georgia and Notre Dame. Miami moved to No. 4, Ohio State to No. 5 and Florida made the week’s biggest jump, soaring from No. 21 to No. 8.
Our power rankings take a different approach.
Rather than simply rewarding undefeated records or reproducing the AP poll, the goal is to answer a more useful question:
Who are the best college football teams in the country right now?
Week 4 receives the greatest weight, but quality of wins, strength of schedule, underlying performance, quarterback play, injuries and the context surrounding losses all matter.
Here is the TFE Times Power 25 entering Week 5.
1. Texas
AP ranking: No. 1
Texas belongs at No. 1 because no contender has assembled a better collection of high-end wins. The Longhorns already beat Ohio State, one of the most complete teams in the country, and followed that by going into Knoxville and beating then-No. 14 Tennessee 20-17.
It wasn’t an offensive showcase, but Texas got the job done in one of college football’s more difficult road environments. The Longhorns held Tennessee to 221 yards and 2.9 yards per play. Georgia may have looked more dominant overall, but Texas has faced the stronger tests and won them.
2. Georgia
AP ranking: No. 2
Georgia continues to make a compelling argument that it may be the most complete team in the country.
The Bulldogs beat Oklahoma 41-13 and led 28-0 at halftime after forcing four turnovers. The only reason Georgia stays behind Texas is résumé strength: the Bulldogs have dominated the opposition placed in front of them, but they have not yet matched Texas’ victories over Ohio State and Tennessee.
3. Ohio State
AP ranking: No. 5
Ohio State’s one-point loss at Texas continues to look less damaging every week.
Julian Sayin threw for 367 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-19 win over Illinois, while Jeremiah Smith produced a staggering 217 receiving yards and four scores. Ohio State’s only loss came on the road against our No. 1 team, and the Buckeyes still look every bit like a national-title contender.
4. Notre Dame
AP ranking: No. 3
Notre Dame destroyed Purdue 49-10, led 35-0 at halftime and has looked dominant through four games.
The question is competition. One preseason opponent-record strength-of-schedule calculation ranked Notre Dame’s 2026 slate 112th among FBS teams, with its opponents coming off a combined 73-80 record. That methodology is imperfect, but it illustrates why the Irish still have something to prove against elite competition.
5. Miami
AP ranking: No. 4
Miami continues to put up video-game numbers. The Hurricanes generated 572 yards and averaged 8.4 yards per play while dismantling Central Michigan 52-3. However, Miami’s schedule presents the same question as Notre Dame’s: that same preseason win/loss metric ranked the Hurricanes’ schedule 106th nationally.
Separating Notre Dame and Miami right now is extremely difficult. Fortunately, the argument eventually becomes moot: Miami visits Notre Dame on November 7.
6. Alabama
AP ranking: No. 7
Alabama’s offense is becoming difficult to ignore.
The Crimson Tide rolled past South Carolina 49-18, continuing a stretch in which the offense has consistently produced points at an elite level. Alabama isn’t quite in our top five yet, but the gap is getting smaller.
7. Florida
AP ranking: No. 8
No team made a stronger Week 4 statement than Florida.
The Gators didn’t merely upset then-No. 4 Ole Miss—they overwhelmed the Rebels 52-28, rushing for 302 yards and controlling the game physically. Jadan Baugh ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns, while Duke Clark added 126 yards.
Florida’s résumé now includes a blowout of a team that had already beaten Louisville and LSU. That is enough to move the Gators ahead of Indiana.
8. Indiana
AP ranking: No. 6
Indiana remains unbeaten, but the 29-23 win over Northwestern was the Hoosiers’ least convincing performance of the season.
The defending national champions still deserve considerable respect, and their schedule was actually rated much more difficult than Notre Dame’s or Miami’s in the same preseason win/loss metric. But Florida’s demolition of Ole Miss is simply a more meaningful result than anything Indiana has produced so far.
9. Ole Miss
AP ranking: No. 9
Dropping Ole Miss out of the top 10 after one bad Saturday would be an overreaction.
Yes, the 52-28 loss at Florida was ugly. But the Rebels still own victories over Louisville and LSU, and they beat LSU 32-24 only eight days earlier. Few teams in the country can match that early résumé.
There is context, too. Ole Miss was coming off an emotionally charged victory over Lane Kiffin’s LSU team in Kiffin’s first return to Oxford after leaving Ole Miss. Then came a road game in Gainesville against a Florida team that now looks considerably better than its previous ranking suggested. The loss matters, but it doesn’t erase everything that came before it.
10. LSU
AP ranking: No. 11
LSU responded exactly as it needed to after losing at Ole Miss, beating Texas A&M 35-6.
The Tigers remain a legitimate top-10 caliber team, but the head-to-head result still matters. It is difficult to justify placing LSU ahead of an Ole Miss team that beat it eight days ago while also owning another quality win over Louisville.
11. BYU
AP ranking: No. 10
BYU was idle, but chaos around the Cougars strengthened their position.
They remain unbeaten and have avoided the type of damaging performance that hit several ranked teams this week. The résumé still needs a signature win before BYU can push into our top 10.
12. Texas Tech
AP ranking: No. 12
Texas Tech took care of Sam Houston 49-14 and remains undefeated.
The Red Raiders continue to look like a legitimate Big 12 contender, but their résumé still lacks the elite victory necessary to move ahead of the teams above them.
13. Utah
AP ranking: No. 13
Utah continues to quietly build one of the stronger profiles outside the top 10.
The Utes went on the road and beat Iowa State 31-17, adding another convincing performance to a season already defined by physical defense and efficient offense.
14. Oregon
AP ranking: No. 15
Oregon produced one of Week 4’s most important results by beating USC 41-27 in Los Angeles.
The earlier loss to Oklahoma State still prevents a dramatic move, but winning at USC significantly repairs the Ducks’ résumé. Oregon looks much closer to the team that entered the season with championship expectations than it did two weeks ago.
15. Iowa
AP ranking: No. 14
Iowa’s 20-19 victory at Michigan gives the Hawkeyes another meaningful result.
The defense continues to provide a high floor, and Iowa has now shown it can win difficult games away from home. The offense remains the question that keeps the Hawkeyes outside the top dozen.
16. Mississippi State
AP ranking: No. 16
Mississippi State is no longer simply an interesting early-season story.
Kamario Taylor threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-24 win over Missouri as the Bulldogs improved to 4-0. Few teams have improved their national standing more rapidly over the past two weeks.
17. Tennessee
AP ranking: No. 17
Tennessee falls after losing 20-17 at home to Texas, but there is little reason for a dramatic drop.
The Volunteers held their own against the nation’s No. 1 team and had the ball with an opportunity to tie or win late. The offensive line’s inability to protect the quarterback was the major concern, but this remains a dangerous team.
18. USC
AP ranking: No. 18
The defensive concerns surrounding USC finally caught up with the Trojans.
Oregon generated 504 yards and averaged 7.4 yards per play in a 41-27 victory at the Coliseum. USC still has enough offensive talent to remain dangerous, but the Trojans need to show they can consistently stop high-level opponents.
19. Houston
AP ranking: No. 20
Houston responded well to its narrow loss against Texas Tech by beating Georgia Southern 42-28 on the road.
The Cougars have now shown they can compete with one of the Big 12’s better teams and handle business away from home. Their trajectory remains positive despite the 3-1 record.
20. Oklahoma State
AP ranking: No. 19
Oklahoma State’s résumé has quietly improved without the Cowboys taking the field this weekend.
The earlier victory over Oregon looks considerably better after the Ducks went into Los Angeles and beat USC. Oklahoma State remains difficult to place, but that win now carries real weight.
21. SMU
AP ranking: No. 21
SMU bounced back from its loss to Louisville with a 34-24 victory over Missouri State.
The Mustangs remain one of the country’s better passing teams, but the résumé lacks enough high-end results to justify moving them much higher.
22. Kentucky
AP ranking: No. 24
Kentucky’s victory at Texas A&M remains the foundation of its résumé.
The Wildcats have earned their return to the AP Top 25, but Texas A&M’s subsequent 35-6 loss to LSU takes some shine off that upset. Kentucky belongs in the rankings, though there is still work to do before pushing toward the top 15.
23. Missouri
AP ranking: No. 25
Missouri suffered its first loss, 31-24 at Mississippi State, but remained competitive until the final possession.
The Tigers generated 414 yards and did not turn the ball over. That’s enough to keep them in the Power 25 even as Mississippi State clearly earns the higher position.
24. UCLA
AP ranking: No. 23
UCLA’s unbeaten start earns the Bruins a place in the rankings.
At 4-0, UCLA has done what has been asked of it, but its profile still lacks the high-end victory necessary to climb much further. The coming weeks should tell us whether this start is sustainable.
25. Boise State
AP ranking: No. 22
Boise State rounds out the Power 25 after climbing into the AP rankings.
The Broncos’ only loss came narrowly at Oregon, and that result has aged well following Oregon’s victory over USC. Boise State still needs more résumé substance, but the underlying profile is strong enough to keep it in the field.
The Power Five
Five teams have separated themselves—at least slightly—from the rest of college football:
Texas. Georgia. Ohio State. Notre Dame. Miami.
Texas has the best résumé. Georgia may be the most complete team. Ohio State’s only blemish is a one-point road loss to Texas, and the Buckeyes continue to look elite offensively.
Notre Dame and Miami are harder to separate. Both are undefeated. Both have been dominant. Both also entered the season with relatively manageable schedules, which makes it difficult to know exactly how their performances translate against another elite team.
Fortunately, we won’t have to debate that forever.
Miami travels to Notre Dame on November 7.
Behind them, Alabama and Florida are closing quickly. Florida’s destruction of Ole Miss may have been the most important result of Week 4, while Alabama continues to look increasingly dangerous.
For now, though, Texas remains No. 1.
