College Football Rankings, Week 4: Kansas State Drops In BlogPoll Top 25

The Kansas State Wildcats maintained their perfect record with a two-touchdown win over North Texas on Saturday, but it wasn't enough to move them up in SB Nation's version of the college football rankings. BlogPoll Top 25 voters dropped the Wildcats two spots to No. 14 on Tuesday.

There are four other Big-12 teams in the BlogPoll. Oklahoma leads the group at No. 6, with West Virginia close behind in the seventh spot. Texas checks in at No. 12, and the TCU Horned Frogs dropped one spot to No. 17.

Alabama is on top again, garnering 89 of 90 first-place votes. The Crimson Tide are followed by LSU, Oregon, and Georgia, with Florida State rounding out the top five.

Missouri received some recognition from the voters, garnering votes after their win over Arizona State on Saturday. The Tigers were ranked as high as 18 on one voter's ballot.

For the complete list, head to SB Nation's BlogPoll Top 25 feature.

For more on Kansas State, head to Bring on the Cats. For the Tigers, visit Rock M Nation.

College Football Rankings: Alabama, LSU Once Again Show SEC Dominance

For the second straight year, it's quite clear that the national spotlight is squarely upon the SEC. Perhaps it could be said that two years is hardly an accurate amount of time, but the lingering attention on Alabama and LSU in particular as the top two teams in the nation feels like a tape replayed from 2011. After the fall of USC from grace to the hands of Stanford over the weekend, we're back to the conversation about both SEC powers being the top two teams in the country.

Unfortunately for the Big 12, they're nowhere near the conversation for national contender at this point. The Big 12 season will need to form a victor who can get through the gauntlet of the season unscathed or else we're likely in for another final round between two of the haves in a conference with several have-nots. Unlike the SEC, the Big 12 has only one real weakness in Kansas and even that defense looks tougher than last season.

Oklahoma is at No. 6 overall and from there you'll find several Big 12 teams ready to fill the void. But at the top, Georgia is also in contention at No. 5 and it's a list that also includes Oregon and Florida State. Even if Alabama loses to Louisiana State in early November during the regular season showdown, it's going to have to be a lopsided victory to force Alabama far enough down the rankings to allow another conference to enter the picture. If Georgia runs the table, then that's only going to make it much tougher for Oklahoma, Kansas State or another Big 12 contender to really make some noise.

There's little doubt that the Big 12 is the second most talented conference in the country at this point, but that's little to celebrate when there's so little attention -- and money -- that comes with it.

College Football Rankings, Week 4: Kansas State Climbs To No. 13

It was a very good week for the Big 12 Conference in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The conference placed five teams in the top 16, matching the SEC for the most teams in that grouping. The Oklahoma Sooners sit as the highest Big 12 team at No. 5, followed by West Virginia at No. 7.

The Texas Longhorns were able to round out the top 10 at No. 10 for the Big 12. Kansas State was at No. 13 and TCU, the other newcomer to the Big 12 with West Virginia, was at No. 16. Oklahoma State was the sixth Big 12 team in the top 25 at No. 25. Baylor, Texas Tech, and Iowa State all received a number of votes as well, leaving Kansas as the lone Big 12 team not ranked in any way.

Even former Big 12 teams are doing well with Nebraska at No. 22, Missouri with 18 votes, and Texas A&M with seven votes.

For more on Kansas State, check out Bring On The Cats for analysis and discussion.

College Football Rankings: Kansas State Needs Oklahoma Victory To Gain National Respect

Another week, another win for Bil Snyder's Kansas State Wildcats. However, it's also clear that the national media like K-State enough to rank them but not nearly enough to consider them a real shot at the national title. The Wildcats are 3-0 after another victory this week -- this time over North Texas -- but K-State remains a team that is largely considered a group of overachievers. In short, they need a statement win.

The good news is that they will get their chance this Saturday against the Oklahoma Sooners. Bob Stoops has his team at No. 6 in the country and they are also the top ranked Big 12 program in the latest AP Top 25. The SEC has three teams in the top five, so it's clear where the most respect is at on a national scale, but the Big 12 is deep and very, very good and a strong showing against the team will definitely sound the alarms for Kansas State's viability as a title hopeful.

Of course, the Wildcats cannot come out as flat against the Sooners as they did against North Texas. If they do, then they don't stand a chance anyway. However, Snyder knows what is at stake this week as well as anyone and the storied coach will have his players ready to play and disciplined from the outset.

Even after the North Texas game, players like Tyler Lockett were already speaking out about the big game ahead, so perhaps K-State was a bit too anxious and looking up-field, metaphorically speaking, against North Texas to look sharp. If so, then that only builds the momentum toward next week's Big 12 showdown.

If K-State has a decent showing in a loss, then expect the Wildcats to continue to bounce from No. 10 to 25 for the rest of the season depending on how it plays out. But if they really want to crack the BCS party and warrant some national attention, the Sooners will have to put one in the loss column next Saturday.

College Football Rankings: Oklahoma, West Virginia Top Big 12 Teams In AP Top 25

The Kansas State Wildcats stay at No. 15 in the latest AP Top 25.