Week 4’s AP Top 25 brought real movement near the top, and the biggest jolt came from Oxford, where Ole Miss and LSU turned a top-10 matchup into a statement win for the Rebels.
Trinidad Chambliss was the driver for Ole Miss, staying in Oxford while Lane Kiffin came back with the team he left for. The Rebels jumped out early, absorbed LSU’s push, and finished the job to strengthen their case in SEC title contention. What looked like a chance for Kiffin to get the last word instead turned into a rough night filled with closeups of his reaction as Ole Miss handed LSU a loss.
The Tigers still have plenty to work with. LSU’s defense can take it places and its offense has a lot of playmakers, but the protection issues remain a problem. The quarterback still has to deal with pressure from quality rushers, and that’s the kind of flaw that can get exposed again against future SEC fronts.
Another shakeup came after an SEC playoff hopeful stumbled at home against an unranked opponent, opening the door for a change near the top of the poll. That loss helped fuel the wider rearranging voters were forced to make this week.
Florida was one of the teams that benefited from the chaos. The Gators moved from unranked to No. 21 after AP voters finally gave them a spot in the poll.
Their win at Auburn, powered by Jadan Baugh’s 162-yard, 3-TD performance, pushed them to 3-0 and made the case too strong to ignore. With Houston and Virginia also losing, the bottom of the rankings shifted enough to create room.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, paid for its own home loss to Kentucky. Falling to an unranked opponent on its own field came with the expected drop, and it also raised fresh concerns about whether Marcel Reed’s offense can move the ball with enough consistency and whether the defense can get physical enough to survive the SEC stretch ahead.
A handful of teams were on ballots but not quite in the Top 25 itself. Washington led that group with 107 points, followed by Kentucky with 98 and West Virginia with 93. Oklahoma received 91, while Oklahoma State got 50, Boise State 48, Virginia Tech 46, Western Michigan 27, Duke 20, Tulsa 18, Arizona 12, Pittsburgh 10, UCLA 10, James Madison 7, North Dakota State 6, Kansas State 3 and Nebraska 2.
In Other News...
Keelon Russell May Have Changed Alabamas Ceiling Faster Than Expected
For a quarterback still finding his footing, Keelon Russell made Alabama look awfully grown up against Florida State. He helped drag the Crimson Tide out of a 21-6 hole, finished 23 of 30 for 320 yards and three touchdowns, added 56 rushing yards and another score, and guided an offense that scored on seven straight possessions in a 50-36 win.
The bigger takeaway for Alabama is not just the comeback itself, but how quickly Russell appears to be raising the programs offensive ceiling. He was careful afterward to describe himself as still developing, which is probably the most intriguing part for the Tide: if this is the early version, the rest of the league has reason to pay attention. [Read more 🡒]
Danny Kanell Takes Another Shot At Alabama Over Weather Delay
The Alabama-Florida State season opener turned into a long night of stops and starts after lightning pushed the game through multiple weather delays, turning what should have been a clean first look at both teams into a test of patience. As the interruptions stacked up, CBS Sports analyst Danny Kanell took to social media and questioned whether the second delay was really necessary, adding another layer of scrutiny to a game already shaped by the weather.
Kanells comments quickly drew pushback, with the response centering on the safety standards that guide lightning-related suspensions rather than the feel of the storm from a TV booth or social media feed. Weather professionals then stepped in to explain the rules behind those decisions, a reminder that these delays are not made on instinct, even when they frustrate fans and analysts alike. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama's Defense Just Raised A Bigger Concern Than This Win
Alabama opened the season with a win over Florida State, and the 50-36 result came with enough offense to keep the spotlight on the Tide all night. After falling behind early, Alabama answered by scoring touchdowns on five straight possessions, a surge that turned the game around and showed just how dangerous the offense can be when it gets rolling. Ivan Taylor also delivered key interceptions that helped swing momentum back the Tides way.
Even so, the bigger takeaway may have been on the other side of the ball. The game was played through weather delays that altered the usual halftime rhythm and stretched the night out, but Alabama still had trouble making Florida State uncomfortable for long stretches. Against a stronger opponent, the kind of scoreline that looked like a comfortable win here could quickly become a different conversation, and that leaves the defense as the early-season issue to watch. [Read more 🡒]