We've hit the point in the college football season where preseason projections and expectations are being replaced by reactions to what teams have actually done on the field. So, while Georgia remains the No. 1 team in the new CBS Sports 133 after Week 4, the Bulldogs' claim as the best team in the sport is very much up for debate.
For the first time all season, Georgia did not receive a majority of the first-place votes among the experts at CBS Sports and 247Sports who contribute ballots to the CBS Sports 133, our comprehensive ranking of every FBS team. Those first-place votes have been drifting elsewhere since the Bulldogs were a near-unanimous No. 1 in the preseason. After Week 4, the balloting saw four different teams in the top spot with Ohio State, Michigan and Washington joining Georgia in the debate for No. 1.
The inclusion of Washington is the most notable as the Huskies jumped up three spots to No. 2 in a top-five shake up that reflects voters reacting to on-field results rather than preseason expectations. Washington has won its first four games, all against FBS opponents, by margins of 37, 33, 38 and 27 points while boasting one of the top offenses in the country and a Heisman Trophy contending quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. While the Huskies started the season at No. 10 in our preseason CBS Sports 133, the week-by-week rise has come in the wake of Washington showcasing a top-five caliber squad on the field while other top teams may appear stronger on paper.
Ohio State also moved up three spots to No. 3 after its resounding win at Notre Dame. The Buckeyes jumped one spot ahead of rival Michigan, who dropped two spots to No. 4 as a result of the shakeup. The Wolverines' NFL preseason-esque start to the season hasn't done anything to shake the voters' confidence in their status as a top team in the country, but when it comes to breaking ties in the top five, there haven't been any results that will move the needle like Ohio State's quality road win or Washington's eye-popping offensive dominance.
Further down in the rankings, Washington State was one of the biggest movers in the top 30, jumping up 10 spots after defeating an Oregon State team that was previously ranked in the top 15. There was also notable drops out of the top 30 for Clemson (No. 32), Iowa (No. 35) and Colorado (No. 36) following defeats, allowing for upward rankings movement for several teams who have gotten through four games without a loss. For more on some of the bigger and most notable week-to-week adjustments in the CBS Sports 133, check out the Mover's Report below the top 25 table.
College football experts from CBS Sports and 247Sports contribute ballots each week, which are averaged together for our rankings. You can see the top 25 below and 26-133 on our rankings page.
| Rank | Team | Record | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Washington | 4-0 | 5 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 4-0 | 6 |
| 4 | Michigan | 4-0 | 2 |
| 5 | Florida State | 4-0 | 3 |
| 6 | Texas | 4-0 | 4 |
| 7 | Oregon | 4-0 | 10 |
| 8 | Penn State | 4-0 | 8 |
| 9 | USC | 4-0 | 7 |
| 10 | Notre Dame | 4-1 | 9 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 4-0 | 14 |
| 12 | Utah | 4-0 | 11 |
| 13 | Duke | 4-0 | 17 |
| 14 | Alabama | 3-1 | 15 |
| 15 | Washington State | 4-0 | 25 |
| 16 | LSU | 3-1 | 12 |
| 17 | Miami | 4-0 | 20 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 4-0 | 18 |
| 19 | Ole Miss | 3-1 | 16 |
| 20 | Oregon State | 3-1 | 13 |
| 21 | Missouri | 4-0 | 26 |
| 22 | Tennessee | 3-1 | 22 |
| 23 | Florida | 3-1 | 30 |
| 24 | Kentucky | 4-0 | 28 |
| 25 | Kansas | 4-0 | 32 |
Biggest movers
- No. 54 Georgia Tech (+23): Quarterback Haynes King is emerging as a real difference-maker for Brent Key in his first full season as Georgia Tech coach. Though the Yellow Jackets are only 2-2, a 14-point road win at Wake Forest caught the attention of our voters and warranted a bump up into the top 60.
- No. 49 West Virginia (+13): Few coaches have flipped the preseason narrative about their job security more than Neal Brown, who was the most popular hot seat name coming into the year but has cooled all of that talk with a 3-1 start that includes wins over Pitt and Texas Tech. West Virginia has overcome injuries, in-game miscues and more but found ways to win close -- a strong reflection on Brown and the quality of this year's team.
- No. 15 Washington State (+10): The Cougars are going to be an extremely difficult out for those teams at the top of the Pac-12 with College Football Playoff aspirations. Maybe the focus should not be on whether Washington State can be a stumbling block for Oregon or Washington, but rather whether we should start taking Cam Ward and the Cougars seriously as a playoff dark horse themselves.
- No. 30 Fresno State (+10): The college football world already had Fresno State on the radar thanks to two wins against power conference competition, but sometimes it takes style points to really boost a team's stock. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on each of their first seven offensive drives and hit cruise control early in a 53-10 win against Kent State to improve to 4-0 on the year.
- No. 31 Syracuse (+10): For the second straight season, Dino Babers has Syracuse off to a 4-0 start. Thanks to a late surge against Army, the Orange have won all four games in 2023 by a double-digit margin. ACC play begins next week with a visit from Clemson, followed by a week off and then back-to-back trips to North Carolina and Florida State.
- No. 35 Iowa (-10): Though Penn State was favored to win on Saturday night in Happy Valley, the inability to score was bound to justify a reaction from the voters. If you're splitting ties between one-loss teams, the team with offensive struggles is often going to lose those debates.
- No. 36 Colorado (-17): The Buffaloes' season-opening win against TCU provided a sensible landing spot following a 42-6 loss at Oregon. Now that Pac-12 play is underway, Colorado's rating is sure to move around a good bit; the Buffs team has winnable games coming up but also more difficult tests, like a visit from USC in Week 5.
- No. 69 Texas Tech (-18): Thought to be a dark horse in the Big 12 coming into the season, Texas Tech is now 1-3 with losses to Wyoming and West Virginia. The narrow margin of defeat against Oregon suggests the overall quality of the Red Raiders is not far from preseason expectations, but those unexpected losses are going to result in a rankings drop.
- No. 74 South Alabama (-19): A real rankings whiplash effect as South Alabama surges following a win at Oklahoma State, only to be brought right back down in the wake of a home loss to Central Michigan.
- No. 70 Minnesota (-22): On a chaotic Saturday filled with instant classics and heavyweight bouts, the Golden Gophers' overtime loss at Northwestern fell below the radar for many. Our CBS Sports 133 voters took notice, however, and dropped Minnesota into the ranks of a middling FBS team.
Check out the rest of the CBS Sports 133: Teams ranked 26-133
