DraftAce Top 25 - Week 4

The only things I've learned from the first three weeks of college football is that we don't know anything yet. So far this season nothing has gone as expected, and it has completely shaken up the polls. As a result, I tried to toss aside all my preseason expectations (well, most of them at least) and rank the teams based on what they have done this season.

Florida maintains the number one slot, but Alabama is knocking on the door. There was no reason for the Gators to struggle against Tennessee this weekend and their weak offensive performance makes me think that the Gators likely won't run the table this year.

Alabama moves up to number two, followed by Penn State, mainly because Texas has been less than impressive this year. The Longhorns have some issues to work out on offense. Colt McCoy has not looked like a Heisman contender and unless he steps up his game, Texas will continue to fall.

Shooting all the way to No. 5 is Miami. I'm not entirely on the Hurricanes bandwagon, but they do have the most impressive pair of wins this season against Florida State and Georgia Tech. We'll find out in the next two weeks if Miami is for real as they face Virginia Tech and Oklahoma.

Cincinnati also climbs into the top 10 this week. No team has exceeded expectations like the Bearcats this year. With a win at Oregon State under their belts, an undefeated season is certainly a realistic goal in Cincy. The Bearcats have a very favorable schedule; their toughest remaining game is likely at Pittsburgh in the season finale. They should run away with the Big East and return to the BCS, this time as a legitimate top 10 team.

Oklahoma's position at No. 9 may be controversial considering how BYU was slaughtered by Florida State on Saturday. However, I have to overlook the loss to BYU to an extent due to Bradfords injury. If Bradford returns at full health, that loss can be forgiven. If he doesn't, then the loss will need to be taken more seriously.

TCU now takes over the top spot among teams from non-BCS conferences. I am not at all impressed by Boise State, and think they are overrated in the polls. The Broncos have absolutely no defense, which certainly isn't the case with TCU. I am going to treat Boise State as I did Hawaii in 2007. If the run the table, they should be considered for a BCS bid, but I am probably going to keep them in the 12-18 range as long as they keep winning. Should they lose, however, they'll fall out of the rankings for good. TCU on the other hand is a more legitimate threat to make the BCS. They have a solid defense, and balanced offense and play a tougher schedule than the Broncos. TCU will get a moderate test this weekend against Clemson.

I moved Houston up to No. 16 this weekend despite their bye week. Basically I'm admitting my error last week in leaving them at No. 24 after a win over Oklahoma State. Like Boise State, however, even if Houston keeps winning they'll struggle to climb much higher than they already are.

LSU remains one of the teams that I feel much differently about than most of the voters in the polls. I have been unimpressed by their offense in wins over Washington, Vanderbilt and LA-Lafayette. We won't know if LSU is for real until Oct. 3 at Georgia.

Auburn joins the top 25 this week after its win over West Virginia. The Tigers may have one of the top rushing attacks in the game and their defense is much improved. Gene Chizik could complete a remarkable turnaround for the Tigers in his first year with the program.