With Ohio State and Alabama enjoying a bye week, the online conversation belonged to the Michigan Wolverines.
Michigan climbed to No. 1 in the College Sports Social Pulse™ team rankings, marking the first time this season the Wolverines have taken the top spot.
The College Sports Social Pulse, from the Social Media Insights Lab at the College of Information and Communications, measures which college teams, players and coaches are making the biggest impact online.
Indiana surged into the Top 5 as the Hoosiers continue their second year of success under coach Curt Cignetti. Cignetti also shot into the Top 10 of the Pulse coach rankings.
Meanwhile, traditional powerhouses Ohio State and Alabama fell out of the Top 10 entirely, with their bye weeks silencing their loud and proud presence online.
“Week Four shows us how quickly the online conversation can shift,” said Clay Owen, professor of practice at the college. “Michigan is flexing both on the field and in the feeds, while Indiana’s breakthrough is a reminder that passion and storylines can carry programs into the spotlight.”
Top 10 Teams – Week Four 2025
- Michigan
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Indiana
- Auburn
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Texas Tech
- Oklahoma State
- Miami
On the player side, Texas QB Arch Manning remains No. 1. Manning completed 18 of 21 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns and added two running touchdowns against Sam Houston.
Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola climbed to No. 2, despite his team’s 30–27 loss to Michigan. Raiola threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns — becoming the first quarterback to surpass 300 yards against the Wolverines since 2022.
Michigan’s Bryce Underwood continues his strong showing in the Pulse, reaching No. 3 this week, helping to fuel the Wolverines’ overall surge to the top of the team rankings.
Top 10 Players – Week Four 2025
- Arch Manning – Texas
- Dylan Raiola – Nebraska
- Bryce Underwood – Michigan
- Jackson Arnold – Auburn
- John Mateer – Oklahoma
- Joey Aguilar – Tennessee
- DJ Lagway – Florida
- Tommy Castellanos – Florida State
- Ty Simpson – Alabama
- Jayden Maiava – Southern Cal.
Among coaches, Florida’s Billy Napier rose to No. 1 — not for triumph, but for turbulence. Florida’s 1–3 start, the program’s worst since 1989, has fueled intense scrutiny online. Similarly, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney reached No. 3 after the Tigers dropped a home game to Syracuse to also start the season 1-3.
Top 10 Coaches – Week Four 2025
- Billy Napier – Florida
- Brent Venables – Oklahoma
- Dabo Swinney – Clemson
- Deion Sanders – Colorado
- Matt Rhule – Nebraska
- Fran Brown – Syracuse
- Hugh Freeze – Auburn
- Curt Cignetti – Indiana
- Mario Cristobal – Miami
- Bill Belichick – North Carolina
Methodology
The College Sports Social Pulse Week Four rankings are built from millions of social posts across X, Instagram, Reddit, and more. Using a formula that blends volume, sentiment, and engagement, the Pulse shows who’s winning the online conversation.
Week Four measures online activity from Sept. 17–23. Every Pulse ranking reflects a single week of activity (Tuesday through Monday). This allows the Pulse to capture the volatility of college football in real time — the weekly rises, falls, and breakout storylines that define the sport beyond the field.
About the College Sports Social Pulse™
Developed by the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insights Lab, the Pulse analyzes millions of social media posts each week to track the shifting heartbeat of college football fandom. Using a proprietary blend of engagement, sentiment and volume, the Pulse reveals which teams, players and coaches are dominating the national conversation online — regardless of what the scoreboard says.