2024 college football rankings: Joel Klatt’s top 10 teams after Week 4
2024 college football rankings: Joel Klatt's top 10 teams after Week 4
Another great weekend of college football is officially in the books. – Joel Klatt’s Michigan welcomed USC to the Big Ten in a thrilling game liên minh OKVIP. Colorado had one of the most dramatic wins of the season, with Shedeur Sanders completing a Hail Mary touchdown pass before winning in overtime against Baylor. Illinois upset Nebraska on the road, while Clemson and Iowa looked dominant.
I shared my thoughts on each of those games in the most recent episode of the “Joel Klatt Show.” Here, I’ll rank my top 10 teams in the nation as we’re through the first four weeks of the season.
Let’s get to it!
1. Texas (Last week: 1)
Record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Louisiana-Monroe, 51-3
Regardless if it’s Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning starting, I really believe in Texas’ quarterbacks. This team really has no questions at quarterback with Manning stepping right in and leading the charge for the Longhorns over the past two weeks. Remember, I also had Ewers as my top early Heisman favorite before his injury.
Texas can play elite enough no matter who is under center. I really like the Longhorns’ offensive line play, and I remain impressed with their defense. That unit was great in its win over Michigan in Week 2, and it has only allowed 10 points in the two games since then.
2. Ohio State (Last week: 2)
Record: 3-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Marshall, 49-14
I made the trip to Columbus this weekend for “Big Noon Kickoff,” calling Ohio State’s win over Marshall. What impressed me the most with Ohio State was its culture. Being around the Buckeyes over the weekend, they’re very similar to my top-ranked team. They’re very bought in, with a lot of veteran players who have purposeful urgency. In fact, Ohio State might have the edge in that regard because it has more veteran players.
On the field, what impressed me more than anything was Ohio State’s two running backs, Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. They’re elite players, and you’re starting to see offensive coordinator Chip Kelly make his mark with this run game. You’re starting to see some run game schematics and style that Ohio State didn’t have before, such as inside counters and little delayed gap schemes. This stuff is excellent and tough to stop for a defense. Dealing with these guys isn’t going to be easy, as they’re rushing for a combined 181 yards per game on 9.0 yards per carry.
Ohio State’s receivers are also ridiculous. They’re the best in the country and the fourth-best receiver in that room is probably a No. 1 receiver for every other program in the country, except for maybe six.
If there are concerns with Ohio State, I don’t think its pass rush was great Saturday. Marshall QB Stone Earle was able to get loose a couple of times. We’ll see if that becomes a thing moving forward, because I think Ohio State’s front is great.
The other concern I had is how well QB Will Howard would play in a big moment, especially there. He made a mistake after the game when he said something along the lines of, “Nobody’s going to complain about a 49-14 win.” Welcome to Columbus, Will. They will complain about a 49-14 win if they don’t feel like it was up to standard. Howard’s interception wasn’t great, and Buckeyes fans will tell you that they have some questions about the quarterback position.
Those questions are why I have Texas at No. 1 and Ohio State at No. 2. Don’t get it twisted though, Ohio State is a fantastic team. I think that the defense is going to play some lights-out football.
3. Miami (Fla.) (Last week: 3)
Record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated USF, 50-15
Miami is a national championship contender. QB Cam Ward is playing with some swag for the Hurricanes, throwing for 404 yards and three touchdowns Saturday. He also became the betting favorite for the Heisman Trophy following his stellar performance, throwing for 1,439 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions so far this season. Miami has scored at least 40 points in each of its first four games and has allowed 17 points or fewer per game so far this season.
4. Tennessee (Last week: 4)
Record: 4-0
Week 4 result: Defeated Oklahoma, 25-15
Tennessee made a huge statement in its win at Oklahoma. The game didn’t feel as close as the final score indicated. The only reason why that score was that close was the Sooners’ elite defense. I was very impressed with that defense because I love Tennessee’s offense.
The Vols are impressive. They were up 22-3 at the start of the fourth quarter. Their defense is stifling and is one of the best in the country, especially after watching their film. They jump between man and zone coverage, between pressure and drop eight. I love their schematics. I loved their game plan on Saturday. They’ve got absolute men on the defensive line that were just mauling the Sooners’ offensive line.
