What's the best part of conference play? We stop guessing and start finding out who's real and who's a fraud.

Judging by Week 4, there are a lot more suspects than contenders.

In fact, there was so much fraudulent activity across college football this weekend the USA TODAY Sports Fraud Court couldn't hear every case on the docket. Some programs got a continuance. Others are still waiting for their day before the judge.

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But nobody can dodge the courtroom forever. Keep stacking ugly performances, and we'll fast-track your hearing.

Fraud Court is now in session, and several ranked teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll have been ordered to appear.

No. 12 Ole Miss

The case: After the emotional win over Lane Kiffin and LSU, Ole Miss was completely outplayed by Florida in a wire-to-wire 52-28 win for the Gators. It was the Rebels' first double-digit loss since 2023.

The verdict:Not guilty. While it appears the LSU game was indeed Ole Miss' "Super Bowl," the game came with exceptions. First, playing in "The Swamp" is no easy task for any visitor, especially with a clearly improved Florida Team. Second, the Rebels didn't have Kewan Lacy, and it's naturally going to be tough without a star player.

The bottom line: Ole Miss took a bad loss in a brutal environment. That's survivable. The Rebels can still bounce back. But the margin for error is shrinking, and eventually the conversation has to shift from why they lost to whether they're good enough to overcome it.

No. 17 Tennessee

The case: Playing Texas for the first time at Neyland Stadium, Tennessee gave the Longhorns a scare, limiting the play of Arch Manning but unable to pull off the upset in a 20-17 loss.

The verdict:Jury is still out. This game was a weird one. It was hard to tell if it was a case of "is Tennessee actually good?" or "is Texas just not as good?" At times, Tennessee did look good defensively, but the offense couldn't find the end zone until there was two minutes left and Colin Simmons already caused havoc on the Volunteers offensive line. There's still more evidence needed to determine a verdict.

No. 18 USC

The case: In Lincoln Riley's most important USC game thus far, the Trojans couldn't get past West Coast rival Oregon. It hurt Dante Moore and backup Dylan Raiola stepped up big to lead the Ducks to their fifth straight win over the Trojans.

The verdict:Guilty. So much for this being Lincoln Riley's best team yet.

The same problems that have haunted Riley's teams for years refuse to go away, starting with a defense that remains more liability than solution. USC has now surrendered at least 30 points in three straight games. The Trojans' scoring defense has plummeted to 100th nationally.

At some point, the excuses run out.

USC was supposed to be different this season. More physical. More complete. More capable of finally breaking through to the College Football Playoff. It doesn't matter how explosive the offense looks or how many highlight-reel plays the Trojans generate. Championship teams don't have to win shootouts every week because their defense can't get off the field.

And if another promising season slips away because the defense can't hold up its end of the bargain, the conversation around Riley won't just be uncomfortable. It'll be unavoidable.

No. 22 Penn State

The case: The Nittany Lions looked to be cruising at home against Wisconsin with a 17-0 lead in the second quarter, but the Badgers outscored Penn State 24-3 the rest of the way, including a big touchdown pass with less than two minutes left to pull off the upset.

The verdict:Guilty. Things aren't so happy in Happy Valley anymore. While Matt Campbell seems like the right guy in charge at Penn State, it's important to remember he still has ways to go before its elite. Remember, the majority of the roster that came from Iowa State went just 5-4 in conference play last season. It's not a super loaded team, and it got exposed as such in the first game against a Power conference opponent.

No. 25 Missouri

The case: The Tigers became the latest victim to the Kamario Taylor hype train, with the Mississippi State quarterback torching the defense for 360 yards and led a fourth-quarter comeback to get the cowbells ringing in Starkville.

The verdict:Guilty. We're still doing this in 2026? In case, anyone didn't realize, the Tigers are ranked quite often when there's loads of evidence that suggests they shouldn't be. Since 2024, Missouri is 1-9 against ranked teams, and despite not being able to beat quality opponents, it somehow stays ranked. This is not only a team guilty of fraud, but there's some collusion happening to make sure Missouri looks better than what it really is.

Louisville

The case: Just one week after making a statement as an ACC contender, the Cardinals slip up thanks to Wake Forest coming into Louisville and leaving with a 30-27 victory after blocking a last-minute field goal.

The verdict:Guilty. The Jeff Brohm experience rolls on.

Just when Louisville looks ready to climb into the sport's upper tier, it stumbles over a game it has no business losing. Beat a ranked team? No problem. Handle an unranked opponent at home? Apparently that's where things get complicated.

At some point, this stops being a fluke and starts becoming an identity.

Louisville continues to prove it's a good team. The problem is good isn't the goal. The Cardinals keep failing the tests that separate good teams from serious contenders, and until they stop giving away games like this, they'll remain stuck in that frustrating middle ground.

Louisville is still talented enough to reach another bowl game. But if this pattern continues, it'll once again be headed to a postseason destination that feels more like a consolation prize than a reward.

Washington

The case: Minnesota played some late-night football in Seattle and showed it wasn't ready to go to sleep, jumping to an early lead over Washington and coming away with an impressive 27-20 win in the first meeting since 1977.

The verdict:Guilty. The sluggish starts finally caught up to the Huskies. Washington has been really bad in the first half of games and have gotten away with it, but this time Demond Williams II couldn't pull a rabbit out of a hat. It doesn't help with atrocious running game that is 124th in the country. Jedd Fisch's team had a chance to be a dark-horse team but there's nothing about it giving optimism.

Clemson

The case: A previous guilty team is back for an appeal. Since the disastrous opening week loss, Clemson has won three straight, the latest result a 24-10 win out West over California in which the defense silenced quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

The verdict:Guilty. Sorry Dabo Swinney. The verdict still stands. While the Tigers are back to winning, it's been extremely ugly doing it. The offense still remains in shambles, evident in the Cal win as it took special teams and Golden Bears mistakes to score. This isn't a unit that can go win ball games, and that's about to be put to the test when it faces an electric Miami team.

Colorado

The case: It's back-to-back double digit losses for Deion Sanders, losing to Baylor 23-13 to start the Big 12 slate in unceremonious fashion.

The verdict:Guilty. Coach Prime's charm is starting to wear thin.

The past two weeks have been brutal for Colorado, and the biggest problem starts where it usually does: quarterback. Julian Lewis was supposed to be the next star in Boulder. Instead, the offense looks stuck in neutral, and there's little evidence a quick fix is coming.

The numbers are downright alarming. Against FBS competition, the Buffaloes are averaging just 11.3 points per game. Eleven-point-three. That's not an offense. That's a weekly distress signal.

The Coach Prime era was built on swagger and momentum. Right now, the swagger is fading, the momentum is gone, and the scoreboard isn't backing up the brand. There's nothing prime about averaging 11.3 points a game.

Virginia Tech

The case: The James Franklin era is off to a great start with Virginia Tech at 4-0 for the first time since 2017. It achieved the feat thanks to a comeback win at Boston College, scoring 15 points in a three minute span in the fourth quarter for a 21-14 result.

The verdict:Jury is still out. While Lane Stadium is surely jumping more than before, it's worth noting the Hokies have gotten away with a pretty easy start to the schedule, and it was a tough battle in most cases. There's plenty to like about Virginia Tech to let it walk away a free man, but let's see how it handles this upcoming stretch on intriguing ACC games before making a decision.

Guilty teams this season

  • Oregon
  • Michigan
  • Oklahoma
  • SMU
  • Clemson
  • Nebraska
  • Illinois
  • Texas A&M
  • North Carolina
  • Vanderbilt
  • USC
  • Penn State
  • Missouri
  • Louisville
  • Washington
  • Colorado

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fraud Alert: USC, Missouri, Penn State among Week 4's biggest offenders

Source: Yahoo Sports