Texas Longhorns secured two wins over ranked competition but struggled offensively, relying on a dominant defense with 10 sacks. Georgia Bulldogs remain unbeaten, boasting the SEC's top scoring defense despite a relatively easy schedule. Notre Dame Fighting Irish showcased elite defense and a strong ground attack against Purdue. Miami Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah has been spectacular, completing 89% of passes for 14 touchdowns with zero interceptions. USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley faces scrutiny after a loss to Oklahoma State, while Florida and Mississippi State rise in the SEC. Oklahoma and Texas A&M are tumbling down the rankings. Indiana, Miami, BYU, Notre Dame, and Georgia all look terrific but have yet to face elite competition. With one-third of the 2026 season complete, narrative twists are expected in October.

-- David Hale

1. Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns sometimes look sloppy. But you know what's pristine? Their résumé, which includes wins over No. 5 Ohio State at home and at No. 17 Tennessee. Inside a deafening Neyland Stadium, Texas didn't get a ton of production out of its offense. Quarterback Manning was up and down, and the running game missed Hollywood Smothers' playmaking (see: longest rush of 11 yards, by Manning). But the defense stepped up in a big way with 10 sacks and only 1.6 yards per rush allowed. The bye week comes at a great time for Steve Sarkisian's squad, as it gets a breather after a fast start to the season and a chance to reset heading into a rivalry game versus Oklahoma.

-- Alex Scarborough

2. Georgia Bulldogs

Thanks to Oklahoma's ineptitude on offense, the Bulldogs still haven't been tested in their first four games. But there's little doubt this is one of Georgia's best defenses under Kirby Smart. In Saturday's 41-13 win over the Sooners, the Bulldogs allowed 65 rushing yards on 35 attempts and forced four turnovers. Oklahoma went 2-for-14 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth. Raylen Wilson had 11 tackles and one sack, while fellow Georgia linebacker Chris Cole registered eight tackles and a sack and also returned a fumble 85 yards for a touchdown. After the first month, Georgia is tied for first in the SEC in scoring defense (13.3 points) and second in run defense (50.5 yards) and total defense (232.5). After hosting Vanderbilt next week, the Bulldogs might finally be challenged when they travel to Alabama on Oct. 10.

-- Mark Schlabach

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Purdue is not a good football team, but Boilermakers QB Ryan Browne had been off to a prolific start to the season. Against Notre Dame on Saturday though? Nothing doing. Browne threw for just 111 yards as Purdue was held out of the end zone until a late TD after the game was well in hand for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish's defense again showed it isn't going to make anything easy, racking up six sacks and nine tackles for loss. The Irish's ground game did have its best showing of the campaign (177 yards, 5.5 yards per rush, two touchdowns). But the bread and butter for Notre Dame is signal-caller CJ Carr and its elite defense. Saturday's win over Purdue showcased both at a high level.

-- David Hale

4. Miami Hurricanes

When Miami signed QB Darian Mensah from the transfer portal, there were high expectations he would make the offense look different. Through four games, that is exactly what he has done. Mensah has completed a whopping 89% of his passes -- leading the country -- by going 94-for-106 for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns with zero interceptions. His connection with wide receiver Malachi Toney has been undeniable. Toney ranks No. 3 in ...