NCAA Week 4 Top 25

The Top 25 saw the kind of "jockeying for position" often seen in Week 3 in previous years.  Things still look very unsettled.

Top 25 [Last week's position]
1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) [1] : With LSU's struggles against Auburn, the Tide is the clear leader
2.  Oregon Ducks (4-0) [4] : HUGE victory vaults them over LSU and Notre Dame, who both played close games
3.  LSU Tigers (4-0) [2]
4.  Georgia Bulldogs (4-0) [5] : Big win for the Dawgs
5.  South Carolina Gamecocks (4-0) [8] : The Gamecocks continue to impress
6.  Texas Longhorns (3-0) [6]
7.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0) [3] : They continue to win, but they don't look as strong
8.  Stanford Cardinal (3-0) [7]
9.  Florida State Seminoles (4-0) [10] : They beat Clemson to get past their first major hurtle, and they did it with a fourth quarter comeback
10. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) [9]
11. Kansas State Wildcats (4-0) [12] : A win over Oklahoma makes them a true contender
12. Florida Gators (4-0) [14]
13. USC Trojans (3-1) [13] : They look more vulnerable now
14. Baylor Bears (3-0) [NR] : Perhaps they didn't lose as much as previously thought with the departure of RGIII
15. TCU Horned Frogs (3-0) [NR]
16. West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0) [18] : Maryland gave them some trouble, but the Mountaineers still have power
17. Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-0) [17]
18. UCLA Bruins (3-1) [15] : They'll lucky they didn't fall further, but the bottom of the Top 25 isn't as strong
19. Clemson Tigers (3-1) [11] : Tough loss to Florida State
20. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-0) [26] : The Bulldogs are fierce
21. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1) [22]
22. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1) [20]
23. Louisville Cardinals (4-0) [21] : They don't win big, but they continue to win
24. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-0) [23]
25. Michigan State Spartans (3-1) [24] :Sparty held onto the Top 25, but they need a big win to keep it, as there are stiff competitors behind them

On the Edge
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-0), Oregon State Beavers (2-0), Iowa State Cyclones (3-0), UCF Golden Knights (2-1), Northwestern Wildcats (4-0), Purdue Boilermakers (2-1), Virginia Tech Hokies (3-1), Texas A&M Aggies (2-1), San Jose Spartans (3-1), Nevada Wolfpack (3-1), Utah State Aggies (3-1), Michigan Wolverines (2-2)

Dropped off: Arizona Wildcats [#16], Oklahoma Sooners [#19], Ohio Bobcats [#25]

Big Ten Report
With a third consecutive week of unimpressive performances (except Michigan's), I have to concede that the conference, overall, is even worse than I thought in my preview column.  They may not be able to fulfill all of their bowl obligations for the first time that I can remember.

LEGENDS Division:
1.  Michigan State Spartans (3-1) : QB Andrew Maxwell seems to be improving, but Eastern Michigan is such a weak team it is hard to tell.
2.  Michigan Wolverines (2-2) : Their defense held back Notre Dame, but their offense still lacks punch
3.  Northwestern Wildcats (4-0) : Nice win against a strong FCS team, but we still need to see them perform against a strong FBS opponent
4.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1)
5.  Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-0) : Played Syracuse too close to be comfortable
6.  Iowa Hawkeyes (2-2) : Too inconsistent

LEADERS Division:
1.  Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) : Not a really impressive win against UAB, but they are playing a bit clearner
2.  Penn State Nittany Lions (2-2) : They continue to improve each week, this week on defense
3.  Purdue Boilermakers (2-1)
4.  Wisconsin Badgers (3-1) : Their offense got moving this week, but the defense showed cracks
5.  Indiana Hoosiers (2-1)
6.  Illinois Fighting Illini (2-2) : Injuries have devastated this team, as they have a thin line of talent.  They need players to return or their conference schedule will be a gauntlet.