USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25 released after Week 5 of college football

The latest USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings were released after Week 5 of the college football season.

There was not too much movement in terms of monumental upsets, but the rankings were definitely affected this week. Are there more national title contenders at this point? Do we know who’s truly the best right now?

Let’s dive into the latest coaches poll top 25 rankings following Week 5.

1. Georgia

Georgia is looking a little shaky at this point. The Bulldogs edged Auburn 27-20 on the road to remain undefeated. It wasn’t the most awe-inspiring win.

Yes, the two-time champions have yet to be beaten, but there’s no question there’ve been close calls this year where last year’s team would’ve run through this schedule. Hosting Kentucky next week just got that much more interesting.

2. Michigan

Michigan ran away from Nebraska so fast, the Wolverines got to use four different quarterbacks. JJ McCarthy looked good, going 12-of-16 passing for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

This is the type of performance Michigan needed after getting critiqued for its schedule. We know Nebraska is not a world beater. But the Wolverines went on the road and dominated from the get go.

3. Ohio State

Ohio State looked pretty good during its off week. After knocking off Notre Dame on the road last week, the win looked pretty good due to the Fighting Irish beating a ranked Duke squad.

A week off is good to reset of course and the Buckeyes return home for a Big Ten contest. Maryland should not be overlooked next weekend, especially with quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.

4. Texas (+1)

Texas got a huge advantage pregame when the Longhorns found out Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels was unavailable due to injury. That was pretty much all she wrote.

Quinn Ewers tossed for 325 yards, one touchdown and an interception. But it was Jonathon Brooks who could be a true difference maker later this year. He ran for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

5. Florida State (-1)

Florida State was also off this week following an emotional overtime win over Clemson last week. Just like Ohio State, Florida State avoided any chaos this weekend.

Jordan Travis is still in the Heisman Trophy race and the Seminoles are still undefeated. That’s most important to this point. FSU returns home to Tallahassee next weekend to play Virginia Tech.

6. Penn State (+1)

Things didn’t look good for Penn State at first against Northwestern. Yes it was a 41-13 win, but it was tied 10-10 at halftime, putting Nittany Lions fans on edge.

Northwestern has been competitive this season, despite a tumultuous summer involving the firing of Pat Fitzgerald. But eventually, Drew Allar and the Penn State offense pulled away. It wasn’t the prettiest, but the team took care of business.

7. USC (-1)

USC beat Colorado, so that was pretty much expected if you were just waiting for a result Sunday morning. But, the 48-41 score was indicative of problems on the Trojans’ defense.

Maybe overall, it’s about USC not being able to truly put teams away. Colorado trailed 41-14 at one point and clawed its way back into it. It would’ve been a miracle win, but USC had to have been nervous.

8. Washington

Oof, Washington is human after all, or something like that. The Huskies remained undefeated with a 31-24 win on the road over Arizona. It was a little close for comfort.

Michael Penix Jr. and the offense usually boat race teams, but on this night, he did not throw a touchdown. Still, he tossed for 363 yards while the running game put points on the board, including two from Dillon Johnson.

9. Oregon

Oregon’s 42-6 win didn’t come without a little drama. Stanford led 3-0 after the first quarter and it was only 14-6 at the halftime break. But that’s when the Ducks took over.

That’s what great teams do of course. Bo Nix was awesome in this one, finishing the game 27-of-32 passing for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Heisman time for Nix? Definitely in the mix.

10. Alabama (+1)

Remember the panic about Alabama just a couple of weeks ago? Yeah, forget about that nonsense. The Crimson Tide rolled toa  40-17 win over Mississippi State on the road.

Following a ranked win over Ole Miss, the Alabama offense rolled through the air and on the ground. The Bulldogs were in a 31-10 hole at halftime and never recovered.

Rest of Coaches Top 25

11. Notre Dame (+2)
12. Oklahoma (+2)
13. North Carolina (+2)
14. Washington State (+3)
15. Ole Miss (+5)
16. Oregon State (+5)
17. Miami (+1)
18. Tennessee (+1)
19. Utah (-9)
20. Kentucky (NR)
21. Duke (-5)
22. Missouri
23. LSU (-11)
24. Fresno State (NR)
25. Louisville (NR)

Dropped out: No. 23 Florida; No. 24 Kansas; No. 25 Kansas State.

Others receiving votes: Maryland 81; Kansas State 73; Texas A&M 59; Air Force 32; UCLA 29; Clemson 18; Iowa 17; Wyoming 12; Kansas 11; Tulane 10; James Madison 8; West Virginia 6; Brigham Young 5; Wisconsin 3; Marshall 3; Ohio 2; Memphis 1; Florida 1.

Another week in the books and we’re almost halfway through the regular season. Boy, that moved quite fast. Week 6 should bring the noise once again.