AP Top 25 Poll Prediction: How Far Will LSU, Texas A&M, and SMU Fall?

There won’t be a ton of movement up top when the AP Poll comes out on Sunday. Texas A&M and SMU will crash after tough losses. LSU will move down, Ole Miss will move up, and most of the other changes will come near the bottom, with SMU, Houston, and Virginia all losing. Here’s our prediction for what the Week 4 AP Top 25 rankings will be.

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2026 AP Top 25 Poll Projection: Week 4

AP Top 25 Poll Prediction Quick Hits

• Once again, the AP Poll will totally ignore that Tulsa should be ahead of Oregon and Oklahoma State.
• The biggest winners will be: Ole Miss, Mississippi State,West Virginia
• The biggest losers will be: Texas A&M, LSU, Houston, SMU

25. West Virginia

Last Week Ranking: NR

Record: 2-1

Last Week: West Virginia 38, Virginia 27

24. Mississippi State

Last Week Ranking: NR

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Mississippi State 41, South Carolina 34

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23. Washington

Last Week Ranking: NR

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Washington 48, Eastern Washington 16

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22. Florida

Last Week Ranking: NR

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Florida 44, Auburn 39

21. Oklahoma

Last Week Ranking: 24

Record: 2-1

Last Week: Oklahoma 14, New Mexico 6

20. Louisville

Last Week Ranking: 23

Record: 2-1

Last Week: Louisville 41, SMU 31

19. Oregon

Last Week Ranking: 21

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Oregon 84, Portland State 0

18. Missouri

Last Week Ranking: 20

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Missouri 27, Troy 17

17. Michigan

Last Week Ranking: 19

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Michigan 52, UTEP 17

16. Iowa

Last Week Ranking: 18

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Iowa 55, Northern Iowa 0

15. Utah

Last Week Ranking: 17

Record: 2-0

Last Week: Utah 33, Utah State 0

14. Tennessee

Last Week Ranking: 15

Record: 2-1

Last Week: Tennessee 42, Kennesaw State 9

13. Penn State

Last Week Ranking: 14

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Penn State 55, Buffalo 13

12. LSU

Last Week Ranking: 7

Record: 2-1

Last Week: Ole Miss 32, LSU 24

11. Texas Tech

Last Week Ranking: 13

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Texas Tech 28, Houston 26

10. USC

Last Week Ranking: 12

Record: 3-0

Last Week: USC 42, Rutgers 35

9. BYU

Last Week Ranking: 11

Record: 3-0

Last Week: BYU 41, Colorado State 23

8. Alabama

Last Week Ranking: 10

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Alabama 50, Florida State 36

7. Ole Miss

Last Week Ranking: 8

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Ole Miss 32, LSU 24

6. Ohio State

Last Week Ranking: 6

Record: 2-1

Last Week: Ohio State 59, Kent State 3

5. Miami

Last Week Ranking: 5

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Miami 33, Wake Forest 20

4. Indiana

Last Week Ranking: 4

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Indiana 38, Western Kentucky 0

3. Notre Dame

Last Week Ranking: 3

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Notre Dame 27, Michigan State 10

2. Georgia

Last Week Ranking: 2

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Georgia 45, Arkansas 17

1. Texas

Last Week Ranking: 1

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Texas 30, UTSA 6

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This story was originally published September 20, 2026 at 1:21 AM.