Projected AP Top 25 college football rankings after Week 4: No. 6-5
6. USC Trojans
USC beat ASU fairly handily though it wasn’t without a few nervous moments. Caleb Williams had to put on his Superman cape to avoid more than a few sacks and keep the Trojan offense grooving along.
The Trojan defense continues to cause worry, allowing ASU to march down the field easily without bailout turnovers coming through in the first half. Second-half adjustments came in clutch. However, defense is still the biggest barrier to USC leaping ahead of a team like Clemson.
5. Clemson Tigers
Every week, the Tigers are put on upset alert. And every week it looks like it might happen. And then it just doesn’t. Wake Forest couldn’t get it done last week, and they just proved they’re a good squad against Florida State.
This week, NC State had the chance to expose Clemson. While they gave them a game, they ultimately fell short. It was the Tigers who slowly built a 10-point lead while their defense stifled the Wolfpack.
Does a second-straight ranked victory prove that Clemson is for real?