The best of the undefeateds

Plenty of teams have come out of the woodworks to establish themselves as title contenders this year. So far, 21 teams remain a perfect 4-0 through the first month of the season.

But that list includes teams like Northwestern, whose biggest win is over Vanderbilt, and Kansas State, which holds one good win under its belt (UCLA).

So, who is the best of the unbeaten teams? In no particular order...

NC State -- For a team not considered an ACC Championship contender heading into the season, the Wolfpack have silenced doubters everywhere. Road wins over Central Florida and most recently Georgia Tech (45-28) have people paying attention to NC State. A Week 3 drubbing of Cincinnati added to the hype.

Michigan -- Other teams may hold better wins, but no team needed a 4-0 head start than Michigan. Head coach Rich Rodriguez was on the hot seat coming into the season, but a 20-point win over UConn in Week 1 got the momentum moving in Michigan's favor. The Wolverines followed that up with a win at Notre Dame, and two wins over FCS Massachusetts and a blowout of Bowling Green. In the process, quarterback Denard Robinson has become a frontrunner to win the coveted Heisman Trophy.

Oregon -- There are four Pac-10 teams that are 4-0 right now, but Oregon and Stanford are playing at a different level. The Ducks have scored no fewer than 42 points in each of their four games this season, and now hold road wins over Tennessee and Arizona State. It's why they're the No. 4 team in the country right now.

Stanford -- Quarterback Andrew Luck is the real deal, and he has led Stanford to road wins over UCLA and Notre Dame. He also orchestrated a 68-24 win over Wake Forest in Week 3, exposing the talent difference between them and a middle-of-the-pack BCS conference team.

Auburn -- Some considered Auburn a darkhorse for a National Championship contender prior to the season, and the Tigers have delivered. A road win over Mississippi State led into a thrilling 27-24 win over Clemson, and, most recently, a 35-27 win over No. 12 South Carolina.

Alabama -- A convincing win over No. 22 Penn State (24-3) and a 62-13 beatdown at Duke led into a huge 24-20 road win at No. 15 Arkansas. That last one was big, too, not only for Alabama's National Championship hopes, but for showing its resilience. The Crimson Tide trailed 20-7 late in the third quarter before staging a critical comeback.