0 of 3
Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
The Arkansas Razorbacks have been the most surprising team of the 2021 college football season.
Sam Pittman’s team earned its second victory over a ranked team from Texas on Saturday to move to 4-0.
The Razorbacks entered their clash with the Texas A&M Aggies as the No. 16 team in the AP Top 25. They should receive a significant boost when the poll comes out on Sunday.
Arkansas will likely be a Top 10 team in the new poll because of the losses and underwhelming performances turned in by the teams above it.
The back half of the Top 10 should go through a significant reshuffling after A&M fell to Arkansas and the Clemson Tigers were upset by the NC State Wolfpack.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who earned a neutral-site win over the Wisconsin Badgers, should be the other top mover from the No, 12 spot.
1 of 3
Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
Arkansas has one of the best resumes in the FBS.
The Razorbacks earned their second Top 15 win on Saturday by beating Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium.
Arkansas’ defense smothered the A&M offense and gave it few opportunities to drive down the field over four quarters.
Sam Pittman’s team outgained its SEC West foe 443-272 and it ran for 197 yards against what we thought was one of the toughest defensive fronts in the sport.
Arkansas should receive a similar boost as the Oregon Ducks did after they beat the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 2.
Oregon moved up eight points to No. 3 after that victory. Arkansas should go into the Top 10 at minimum because of its wins over Texas A&M and the Texas Longhorns.
The path to the Top 10 was made clearer by the losses suffered by Clemson, A&M and the Iowa State Cyclones.
Expect Arkansas to slot in somewhere near Notre Dame. The top six teams looked fine in Week 4 and the Cincinnati Bearcats should slide up a spot to No. 7.
No. 9 looks like a reasonable landing spot for the Razorbacks since they should not move ahead of Notre Dame, who was four spots ahead of them entering Week 4.
2 of 3
Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press
Notre Dame picked up its best win of the season to date at Soldier Field over Wisconsin.
The Fighting Irish played a tight affair with the Badgers for three quarters and then they exploded for 31 fourth-quarter points.
Brian Kelly’s team started that scoring run with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown out of Chris Tyree.
Backup quarterback Drew Pyne hit Kevin Austin Jr. for the lone offensive score of that span and then the defense finished off the win with back-to-back pick sixes.
Notre Dame should make a four-spot jump in the AP Top 25. The Irish will leap over falling Clemson and A&M and should move past Ohio State and the Florida Gators, both of whom lost their biggest games so far to Top 3 programs.
If the Irish move that many spots, they will be one position beneath their Week 5 opponent Cincinnati.
Saturday’s game at Notre Dame Stadium will be massive for the playoff hopes of both teams and it will deliver yet another shake-up in the rankings.
3 of 3
Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
Make way for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest is one of two remaining undefeated teams in the ACC and it should make its season debut in the AP Top 25 on Sunday.
The Demon Deacons earned seven votes in the Week 3 poll. They proved they belong in the Top 25 with a commanding road win over the Virginia Cavaliers on Friday night.
Wake Forest is 4-0 with two ACC victories. It held all four of its opponents below 20 points and it has a quartet of double-digit victories.
The bottom third of the Top 25 should be wide open for Wake Forest to make a splash. The North Carolina Tar Heels and Kansas State Wildcats will fall out, as could Wisconsin from No. 18.
A case could be made to vault Wake Forest over the Michigan State Spartans and Fresno State Bulldogs since both teams eked out one-possession wins at home in Week 4.
Wake has an opportunity to move further up the rankings in the coming weeks. It faces the Louisville Cardinals, Syracuse Orange, Army Black Knights and Duke Blue Devils in October.
If it goes undefeated in the next month, Wake could be a Top 15 and may emerge as the ACC’s best College Football Playoff hopeful.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
