Texas holds the No. 1 spot in the US LBM coaches poll following a narrow road win at Tennessee, while Georgia and Miami shuffle the top rankings after a chaotic Week 4 slate of college football games on Sept. 27, 2026.
The top of the US LBM coaches poll retains a familiar look, but a chaotic weekend of college football shuffled the rankings just below the summit. Texas stays put at No. 1 after escaping Tennessee with a tight victory, securing 45 first-place votes from the 73 coaches submitting ballots. Georgia holds firm at No. 2 with 17 first-place votes following a lopsided win, while Notre Dame rounds out the top three with three first-place nods.
Coaches poll Top 25 shuffled as Florida rises
Behind the leading trio, movement defines the poll. Miami nudged ahead of Indiana to claim the No. 4 spot, edging the Hoosiers in total points despite Indiana earning eight first-place votes compared to zero for the Hurricanes. Ohio State climbed back to No. 6 after a dominant performance, followed immediately by Alabama at No. 7.
Jeremiah Smith fueled the Ohio State surge during an afternoon blowout, hauling in four touchdowns and 217 receiving yards as the Buckeyes routed Illinois 42-19. Meanwhile, Notre Dame kept its momentum going by rolling past Purdue 49-10.
Texas, Georgia, Miami make case for No. 1
Florida delivered the most dramatic upward surge of the week, vaulting straight to No. 8 after a convincing 52-28 victory against Mississippi. Jaden Baugh powered the Gator attack by rushing for 142 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries, overwhelming an Ole Miss defense that had entered the matchup fresh off a statement win against LSU.
The defeat dropped the Rebels six places to No. 12. They were far from alone among falling contenders. Six teams ranked between No. 11 and No. 20 in the previous poll suffered losses during a slate featuring six ranked matchups.
- USC plummeted six spots to No. 18 after losing 41-27 to Oregon at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola completed 19-of-25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns for the Ducks.
- Tennessee dropped three positions to No. 17 after its narrow home loss to Texas, where the Longhorns survived a late-game Hail Mary attempt.
- Michigan dropped six spots to No. 24 following a hard-fought last-second loss to Iowa, which climbed four places to No. 14.
- Penn State tumbled eight spots to No. 22 after falling to an unranked Wisconsin squad.
College football rankings after Week 4
Georgia coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs demonstrated championship form in Athens, forcing four turnovers to dismantle Oklahoma 41-13. The lopsided outcome pushed the Sooners completely out of the Top 25 after absorbing their second loss of the season.
The carnage among previously ranked programs cleared space for four new arrivals in the coaches poll. Mississippi State led the newcomers at No. 16 by staving off Missouri for its first ranking since October 2022. Houston returned at No. 20, while Duke and UCLA made their season debuts at No. 21 and No. 23 respectively. Texas A&M, Louisville, and Washington joined Oklahoma in dropping out of the rankings entirely.
