US LBM Coaches Poll projection: Who will be in Top 10 after college football's Week 4?

A loaded weekend of ranked college football games will shake up the US LBM AFCA Coaches Poll without changing Georgia's place at No. 1.

From there, though, results in the Power Five will shuffle the top of the Top 25 and set the stage for the full-on start of conference play.

While a bit of a sluggish start against Rutgers could cause a few Coaches Poll voters to reconsider Michigan's place just behind the Bulldogs, the real debate will likely be over Florida State and Ohio State at No. 3.

Last week's No. 3, the Seminoles did nothing to lose that ranking after beating Clemson 31-24 in overtime. The win cements FSU as the team to beat in the ACC and a team capable of putting together an unblemished regular season.

But a 17-14 win against Notre Dame speaks to Ohio State's increased toughness on the defensive side of the ball and might be the most impressive win thus far this season by any team in the Bowl Subdivision.

Here's our guess for how the top 10 will look in this week's poll, which will be released later on Sunday.

1. Georgia (4-0)

The Bulldogs started slowly against Alabama-Birmingham, mirroring last week's 24-14 win against South Carolina, but came alive in the second quarter and faced no real challenge in a 49-21 win. Georgia now owns the nation's longest active home winning streak at 22 games.

2. Michigan (4-0)

Jim Harbaugh's return to the sidelines after serving a three-game suspension saw the Wolverines start slow against Rutgers, but a touchdown late in the second quarter sparked a 17-point second half and what turned into a breezy 31-7 win. Michigan dominated time of possession at over 36 minutes, revealing what is undoubtedly Harbaugh's preferred method of game management: hold onto the ball, keep holding onto the ball, never let go of the ball, win by a few touchdowns.

3. Ohio State (4-0)

While the big story is the play of the OSU defense, there are two interesting themes to take away from the offensive side. One is the overall performance by Kyle McCord, who had a bunch of high-leverage completions down the stretch and did not crumble under the pressure of the moment. Another is the broader play of the receiver corps without a healthy Marvin Harrison Jr., who was slowed by an apparent lower-body injury in the second half.

4. Florida State (4-0)

This is who's left on the schedule: Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Duke, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Miami, North Alabama, Florida and the ACC championship game. FSU could slip up and stumble against one or more of the teams left to play, and it's not like the Seminoles have earned the benefit of the doubt based on last year's breakthrough and this month's undefeated start. But the team that beat LSU and Clemson could easily run the table, right?

5. Southern California (4-0)

The next Pac-12 power to take aim at Deion Sanders and Colorado are the Trojans and Caleb Williams, who could easily match the 42 points Oregon dropped on the previously unbeaten Buffaloes. USC wasn't sharp against Arizona State following a bye week and could lose its ranking from last week's poll.

6. Texas (4-0)

Texas didn't play around with Baylor and avoided any shot at an upset with a 21-point second quarter. The 38-6 win was joined by Alabama's 24-10 victory against Mississippi, and every win for the Crimson Tide moving forward only bolsters the Longhorns' playoff credentials.

7. Penn State (4-0)

Penn State shut out Iowa 31-0, becoming the first opponent to keep the Hawkeyes off the board since 2000. That's just one incredible statistic to come out of the Nittany Lions' win. Here's another: PSU ran 97 plays to Iowa's 33. That's absolutely insane.

8. Washington (4-0)

Continuity is key in all things, and especially on offense. Washington brought back every assistant coach from Kalen DeBoer's 11-win debut season along with Michael Penix at quarterback, and the results have been predictably outstanding. The Huskies had no issues whatsoever with California, with 24 points in the first quarter and 45 points at halftime in a 59-32 romp.

9. Utah (4-0)

What has Utah done without Cam Rising at quarterback? Let's see. Beat Florida. Beat Baylor. Beat UCLA. Not too bad for a team relying on two backups, most recently a freshman in Nate Johnson. Once Rising does come back, look for the Utes to take off and really make the race for the final Pac-12 championship impossible to ignore.

10. Oregon (4-0)

Let's add one more Pac-12 team in here for good measure. While the Crimson Tide are an option to rise from No. 12 after topping the Rebels, Oregon is the more logical pick after the brutal takedown of Colorado. A terrific game from Bo Nix, a solid showing on defense and an aggressive style worked like gangbusters. Can the Ducks treat every opponent like they're the Buffaloes?

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football coaches poll projection: Who will be in new Top 10?