The Big Lead

Fans Disagree With Newest College Football Rankings

By Max Weisman

Texas is ranked number one in the AP Poll for the first time since 2008
Texas is ranked number one in the AP Poll for the first time since 2008 / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
facebooktwitter

There's a new number one in College Football. The Texas Longhorns are ranked first in the Week 4 AP Poll, released Sunday. It's the first time Texas is ranked first in the country since Week 9 of the 2008 season.

Texas leapfrogged Georgia for the number one spot after the Bulldogs struggled on the road against Kentucky, ultimately beating the Wildcats 13-12. The Longhorns, on the other hand, demolished UTSA 56-7. Texas got 35 first-place votes to Georgia's 23. Third-ranked Ohio State got five first-place votes.

Alabama and Ole Miss round out the top five. Six of the top seven teams in the country are in the SEC. The rest of the rankings look like this.

With a new poll there will be unhappy fans and we got plenty of them this week.

One Tennessee fan was not happy his Volunteers slotted just outside the top five. "Tennessee should be top 5," he wrote on X.

Tennessee began the season ranked 15th in the country but after blowouts of Chattanooga, No. 24 NC State and a 71-0 thrashing of Kent State they rose to No. 6.

A few Oregon fans were annoyed that their team stayed at No. 9. "We are a top 5 team,"Geaux Ducks wrote on X. Another lamented the AP voters' perceived favoritism towards the SEC. "They could at least try to hide the sec bias," they wrote.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel looks for an opening during the second half of a rivalry game against Oregon State
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel has an 84% completion percentage through three games / Abigail Dollins/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon's had an interesting year so far. After starting the year ranked third in the country, even receiving a first place vote, they struggled out of the gate. The Ducks squeaked past FCS Idaho by 10 points, then escaped an upset bid from a good Boise State team. On Saturday, though, Oregon blew past in-state rival Oregon State, demolishing them 49-14. Oregon will begin their Big 10 schedule at UCLA on Saturday.

This week's poll welcomed two new teams to the rankings. Illinois is No. 24 in the country after beginning the year 3-0 with wins over Eastern Illinois, No. 19 Kansas and Central Michigan. Slotting in at No. 25 this week is Texas A&M. The Aggies re-enter the rankings following a 33-20 win over Florida at The Swamp.

MORE TOP STORIES FROM THE BIG LEAD

NFL: Tua’s latest concussion sparks call to retire

CFB: Florida State making the wrong kind of history

MLB: Yankees’ ace Gerritt Cole melts down against the Red Sox

WNBA: Another record-setting performance from Caitlin Clark