10 things the college football polls got wrong in Week 4

Another week, another set of college football polls to digest. The week saw some major upsets and near-upsets, and some teams definitely need to be reassessed in light of their performances.

The polls did a solid job this week, but there are still some gripes to be had. Here are a few things that the pollsters should’ve taken a second look at this week.

Notre Dame deserves to be ranked in the Coaches’ Poll

The Irish have put together a strong resume so far, and they’ve been rewarded with a return to the AP poll. The coaches should have followed suit. Notre Dame overwhelmed Michigan State at home on Saturday, making it three wins out of four. Their lone loss was a one-point defeat to a consensus top-10 team in Georgia. The Irish look good, and the writers have given them their due. It’s time for the coaches to do the same.

Wisconsin over Ohio State is a mistake in the AP Poll

Yes, the Badgers are undefeated, while Ohio State is still soldiering on from a surprising home blowout loss to Oklahoma. One has to consider talent at certain points in these rankings, as the Buckeyes have looked solid in every other game. Wisconsin has been good, but they have not lodged any impressive victories. In a head-to-head matchup, the Buckeyes have superior talent. The coaches have them ahead of the Badgers. It’s fair to say it should be that way in the AP poll as well.

Florida’s top 20 Coaches’ Poll ranking is hard to justify

The Gators’ season thus far consists of a slew of suspensions, a loss to Michigan, a Hail Mary-backed win over Georgia, and another win over Kentucky that their own coach admitted they were somewhat fortunate to walk away with. None of their performances have been impressive. At no point have they looked like anything close to a top 20 team. They’re only barely a top 25 team at this point, so for the coaches to still have them up at No. 20 doesn’t make a lot of sense, unless it’s a reputation ranking.

How are the coaches still ranking Florida State?

Speaking of reputation rankings, here we have the Seminoles. Yes, they were a top-five team to start the season. However, quarterback Deondre Francois’ injury followed by a bad loss to NC State has pretty much wiped out any illusions about this team. They are 0-2 and have done nothing to justify being ranked. The writers have correctly dropped them from the top 25, but the coaches have not done the same. At this point, it is overdue.

TCU could be even higher, especially in the Coaches’ Poll

It’s hard to overstate how impressive TCU’s demolition of Oklahoma State was. The Horned Frogs have now won in Stillwater a week after obliterating a SMU team that was viewed by some as a dark horse, and none of these games have been particularly close. They deservedly got a major boost in this week’s rankings, but they arguably could have risen even more. Their performances have been more impressive than the likes of Michigan and Wisconsin, to say the least.

The coaches have an LSU/Mississippi State discrepancy

A little over a week ago, the Bulldogs picked apart LSU to the tune of a 37-7 victory. It was such a massive win that the Tigers went from the top 15 to nearly out of the top 25. This week, it was Mississippi State’s turn to suffer, losing 31-3 to Georgia. The writers placed Mississippi State and LSU at 24 and 25, respectively, while the coaches gave the Tigers the nod at No. 22 while the Bulldogs held at No. 25. It was only one game, but given how much of a blowout it was, there’s no way to justify LSU being ranked ahead of Mississippi State.

Where’s the love for NC State?

The Wolfpack posted an impressive 27-21 victory over Florida State on Saturday, and they looked firmly in control of the game throughout. They’re 3-1 now, and while that loss to South Carolina looms large on their resume, the Florida State victory should help cancel that out. NC State narrowly missed out on an AP ranking, but the coaches had them a bit further back. It may be a bit too soon to put the Wolfpack in the top 25, but they should definitely be one of the last one or two teams out.

West Virginia’s big jump is premature

The Mountaineers definitely deserve to be ranked after their latest win, and they’ve found themselves back into both polls — they’ve jumped three spots in both the AP and Coaches’ Poll, landing at No. 23. That loss to Virginia Tech by only a touchdown looks better and better as the Hokies continue to rack up wins. That said, the win that propelled them back into the polls was a win over Kansas — one of the country’s worst teams. West Virginia deserves to be ranked, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense that this particular victory so excited the voters.

Auburn should not be ranked ahead of Oklahoma State

To be completely clear, the Cowboys deserve a major hit for their loss to TCU on Saturday. They didn’t play well at home and some weaknesses were clearly exposed. A drop into the 15 range, where they ended up, was warranted. However, some context is necessary regarding the teams around them. In the AP poll, an unimpressive Auburn team is two spots ahead of the Cowboys. The Tigers struggled against Mercer a week ago, and Oklahoma State was obliterating teams. They deserve to be where they are — but Auburn should not be ahead of them.

Duke should be closing in on a ranking

The Blue Devils are now 4-0 after a win over North Carolina, which is their best victory to date. They come in at No. 27 in both the AP and Coaches’ Polls, the second team out of each poll. They may deserve to be on the fringes of the top 25 at this point — their resume isn’t wildly impressive — but their upcoming game against Miami will tell us a lot about where they’re really at. Win or lose, they deserve some notice for the start of their season.