Week 4 of college football gave us ranked matchups, dramatic finishes, upsets and plenty of questions. But instead of walking away convinced that we know who the elite teams are, I walked away wondering how many teams actually deserve to be called national championship contenders.

Some teams survived. Others were exposed. And a few coaches may want to start checking the temperature of their seats.

Texas Survived Tennessee, But I'm Not Sold

Texas versus Tennessee looked fantastic on paper. Two ranked programs. SEC football. A national spotlight.

The actual game told me something different.

Texas escaped with a 20-17 victory, but I did not watch that game and come away believing either team looked like a dominant national championship contender.

Let's start with Texas.

The Arch Manning hype train has been running at full speed, but I'm pumping the brakes. Right now, I don't see a Heisman Trophy quarterback. Texas should be thanking its defense for helping preserve this victory.

Tennessee deserves some context. The Volunteers started a freshman quarterback who is still adjusting to the speed, pressure and complexity of college football. He showed flashes, but experience matters in a close game.

That's what makes Texas' performance concerning to me. Put a more experienced quarterback behind Tennessee's offense, and I think this game could have ended very differently.

Texas got the win, and ultimately wins matter. But being undefeated doesn't automatically mean you're playing like the best team in the country.

Oregon Beats USC, But Both Teams Have Problems

Oregon's 41-27 victory over USC was another game that caught my attention.

The game changed emotionally after Dante Moore exited following a controversial hit. Oregon appeared to rally around the moment and played with additional energy.

But I'm still concerned about Oregon's defense.

If Oregon wants to compete for a Big Ten championship and eventually a national championship, the Ducks cannot depend solely on offensive firepower. Eventually, they're going to face an opponent capable of turning defensive mistakes into touchdowns.

Then there's USC.

Stop me if you've heard this before: Lincoln Riley has an offense, but where is the defense?

USC can score. USC can produce quarterbacks. USC can create explosive plays.

But championships require more than a scoreboard operator with tired fingers.

Until USC develops a defense capable of consistently slowing down quality opponents, I'm going to continue questioning whether the Trojans can seriously compete with the country's elite teams.

Michigan Finally Met Karma

Michigan escaped against Western Michigan earlier this season.

This time, there was no escape hatch.

Iowa defeated Michigan 20-19, scoring the winning touchdown; snapped ball with two second remaining.

College football has a funny way of collecting its debts.

Michigan survived one close call, but Iowa made sure there wouldn't be another.

More importantly, the result makes me look at the Big Ten and ask:

Who is actually ready to challenge Ohio State?

Right now, Ohio State looks like the conference's most convincing contender.

Indiana is undefeated and deserves credit, but I still need to see the Hoosiers tested against stronger competition before putting them in the same conversation. Their opportunity will come.

Michigan has questions. USC has defensive problems. Oregon has defensive concerns of its own.

That leaves Ohio State standing in the middle of the Big Ten with everyone else trying to prove they belong in the same neighborhood.

Oklahoma and Texas A&M: Turn Up the Heat

It's getting hot in Oklahoma and College Station.

Georgia demolished Oklahoma 41-13, while LSU embarrassed Texas A&M 35-6.

At some point, expectations matter.

These aren't rebuilding programs operating without resources. Oklahoma and Texas A&M expect to compete nationally, recruit at a high level and challenge for championships.

That means Brent Venables and Mike Elko deserve increased scrutiny after Week 4.

I'm not saying that any loss should automatically cost someone his job. But when you're coaching at Oklahoma or Texas A&M, simply being respectable isn't the standard.

The question is whether these programs are moving closer to championship contention or farther away from it.

The rest of the season may provide the answer.

Get Ready for a Different Top 25

After Week 4, the rankings need movement.

And lots of it.

The biggest riser on my board is Florida.

The Gators didn't sneak past Ole Miss. They smashed the Rebels 52-28.

That's a statement.

Florida should be moving into the Top 10 after that performance. When you beat a highly ranked opponent by 24 points, people have to pay attention.

Mississippi State deserves attention after beating Missouri. Iowa deserves a jump after winning at Michigan. Wisconsin beating Penn State should shake things up as well.

Meanwhile, teams that lost cannot continue living off preseason expectations and the number next to their names.

That's one of my biggest problems with rankings.

At some point, what you've actually done on the football field has to matter more than what people thought you were going to do before the season started.

Final Thoughts

Week 4 didn't give me many answers.

It gave me questions.

Is Texas really the best team in college football?

Can Oregon fix its defense?

Will Lincoln Riley ever field a USC defense capable of complementing his offense?

Is anyone in the Big Ten ready to challenge Ohio State?

How much pressure should Oklahoma and Texas A&M put on their head coaches?

And after destroying Ole Miss, how high should Florida climb?

That's why college football is getting interesting.

The preseason predictions are fading. The hype is losing its power. Now teams have to prove themselves between the lines.

After four weeks, I'm beginning to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

And Week 5 might tear up the list all over again.

Ovi Muniz
All 4 Downs Podcast
TheRealTalkPlaybook.com