College Football Rankings: Projecting AP Poll Top 25 after Week 5

This is why college football is the greatest sport in the world. 

Week 5 was billed as a Spectacular Saturday — and somehow that sold a tantalizing weekend short.  

The Game of the Year: Part Infinity (Georgia-Alabama) somehow exceeded expectations and there was another 20 games on the slate that also demanded must-see action. 

Ole Miss was stunned at home against Kentucky, Colorado blasted UCF in Orlando, while the likes of UNLV, Indiana and Boise State all made emphatic statements with big Ws. 

So could we have a new No. 1 with the Tide on top? How far should Georgia actually fall? Where should one-loss Clemson, Notre Dame and LSU rank? 

There stands to be plenty of movement in the latest AP Poll Top 25, so let’s take a look.

Here’s how I think the Week 5 AP Poll Top 25 could look come Sunday morning:

1. Alabama (Last week: 4)

From blowout to instant classic, the Tide held on to outlast No. 2 Georgia 41-34. Jalen Milroe had multiple sensational Heisman Trophy moments (nearly 500 total yards with four total touchdowns) but 17-year-old Ryan Williams stole the show late with an absurd 75-yard game-sealing touchdown reception. The 5-star freshman showcased alien-esque body control and concentration to haul in the decisive catch-and-run score, finishing the night with 176 yards. 

Alabama raced out to a 30-7 lead, but needed a pick in the end zone from Carson Beck to seal the thrilling win in Kalen DeBoer’s SEC opener. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Milroe was sensational in the first half, connecting on his first 11 passes and torching UGA’s edges with perimeter runs. But after Georgia adjusted at halftime, Alabama’s quarterback was mostly held in check until the bomb to Williams to win the game. 

2. Texas (Last week: 1)

Arch Manning scored three touchdowns in his first-career SEC start and Texas gained over 500 yards, but the Longhorns weren’t exactly humming offensively in their 35-13 win over Mississippi State. 

Manning did not throw an interception, but Texas led just 14-6 at halftime thanks to a fumble and a failed fourth-down conversion. They also dropped a touchdown one of their five possessions. The Longhorns ran for just 10 yards in the first half, but they got the ground game going after halftime with 188 yards — oftentimes using Manning’s athletic ability as part of the plan. The redshirt freshman had 26-yard rushing touchdown, and Tre Wisner had 88 yards in them second half. why Manning was among the top-rated recruits in the 2023 class.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Texas’ defense continues to be the untold story about the Longhorns’ 2024 team: Once again, their front hounded an opposing OL (six sacks, 11 tackles for loss) and they held the Bulldogs under 4.0 yards per play.

3. Ohio State (Last week: 3)

With the nation’s attention on Georgia-Alabama, Jeremiah Smith was certainly overshadowed by the brilliance of Ryan Williams — but make no mistake, the Buckeyes’ 5-star freshman has lived up to his billing as the top recruit in the 2024 class, too. Williams hauled in a ridiculous one-handed touchdown reception at the end of the first half to pave the way for Ohio State’s 38-7 win at Michigan State. 

The freshman finished with two scores (one rushing) for 102 total yards. Will Howard actually got dinged up and backup Devin Brown delivered the 17-yard throw that put the Buckeyes up 24-7 just before halftime. Howard returned in the second half, leading a pair of 3Q touchdowns that iced OSU’s Big Ten opener. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Ohio State’s pass rush as been a bit slow out of the gate this season, but J.T. Tuimoloau & Co., got going against the Spartans with four sacks and another four hurries.  

4. Tennessee (Last week: 5)

Idle. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: After handling business at Oklahoma last Saturday, Tennessee got to enjoy a bye week before a tricky trip to Arkansas and then a months worth of games in Neyland Stadium (Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi State). 

5. Miami (Last week: 7)

After Hurricane Helene ravaged the Southeast, Miami’s unbeaten season was salvaged by a controversial overturned Hail Mary against Virginia Tech in a wild ACC-thriller on Friday night. The ‘Canes hung on to beat the Hokies 38-34 after a nearly six-minute review resulted in officials reversing the call on Dequan Felton catching the would-be 30-yard game-winner.   

Miami trailed by 10 points at multiple times against Va. Tech, but quarterback Cam Ward, who was responsible for three turnovers that created the deficits, put on his Superman cap and led a furious comeback, including two touchdowns inside the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter to take the lead. The Wazzu transfer finished with over 400 yards of total offense with five touchdowns, two picks and a fumble.  

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Miami’s rush defense had been a major strength through the first four games of the 2024 season (just 259 yards allowed all year), but the ‘Canes were gashed on the ground by Bhayshul Tuten and the Hokies — giving up 206 yards and two touchdowns. 

6. Oregon (Last week: 8)

Coming off their bye week, the Ducks worked a former Pac-12 comrade with a ho-hum 34-13 win at UCLA. Dillon Gabriel threw three more touchdowns and Oregon’s defense held the Bruins to under 200 total yards (and 1-10 on third downs) to secure the runway victory. Gabriel had an unlucky 96-yard pick-six but was otherwise flawless in his Big Ten debut. 

Oregon’s rebuilt defense harassed Ethan Garbers all night, picking off two passes, with four sacks and nearly a double-digit tackles for loss.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Ducks and Buckeyes remain on track for a All-Eyes-On-Me-Game on Oct. 12 in Autzen.

7. Penn State (Last week: 9)

As I told On3’s JD Pickell on The HardCount this week, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen looked like Ferrari’s with blown out tires last season, but Penn State’s dynamic duo has been humming in Andy Koltinicki’s offense and they balled out again in a 21-7 win over No. 19 Illinois. 

In a game when neither passing offense could muster any explosive plays and both teams kept missing field goals (0-3 combined), Singleton (94 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown) and Allen (102 yards and a score) combined for over 200 yards. Tom Allen’s defense then delivered a vintage PSU performance with seven sacks (Abdul Carter was tremendous with two sacks, four tackles for loss and a PBU), 13 tackles for loss and a big INT by Georgia transfer AJ Harris. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: PSU tight end Tyler Warren again showcased his versatility by running in a short touchdown in addition to grabbing four catches for 34 yards.

8. Georgia (Last week: 2)

The Bulldogs looked dead in the water down 28-0 at No. 4 Alabama, but Kirby Smart’s team responded, refusing to quit and nearly rallying for a miraculous comeback — only to fall short in a 41-34 loss. 

For most of the first 30 minutes of action, Georgia’s defense and quarterback Carson Beck were horrendous, but they played just as well in the second half to give UGA a chance at an all-time comeback. Beck, who had four turnovers including the game-sealing INT in the end zone in the final 30 seconds, threw for 439 yards and three scores and gave the Bulldogs a brief lead inside the final three minutes on a double-pump score to Dillion Bell. 

It was Georgia’s first regular-season loss in three seasons and Alabama remains the lone team to beat the Bulldogs since 2020.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Georgia, which was the best third-down offense in the country in 2023, continues to struggle on the money down this season, but the Bulldogs kept their comeback hopes alive Saturday by going 5-of-5 on fourth down conversions. 

9. Missouri (Last week: 11)

Idle.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Where are the explosive plays? The Tigers ranked No. 2 in the SEC behind LSU last season in chunk gains over 30 yards. Yet despite returning quarterback Brady Cook and wideouts Luther Burden, Theo Wease and Mookie Cooper, Mizzou is tied for 11th in the SEC in the same stat this season — just one ahead of Oklahoma’s lowly offense.

10. Michigan (Last week: 12)

The Wolverines raced out to a 24-3 lead against Minnesota and then thought the game was over, only the Gophers scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and recovered the onside kick — but were flagged for offsides in another controversial call this weekend. Star tailback Kalel Mullings, who paced Michigan’s offense with 111 yards and two scores, hauled in the second attempt to avoid the disastrous collapse.

Alex Orji made his second-straight start, but again had under 100 yards passing (10-of-18 for 86) and had a bad interception that sparked Minnesota’s comeback. The Wolverines’ defense had two key takeaways and a blocked punt that setup a couple touchdown drives under 20 yards.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Something to monitor moving forward: Michigan played without star corner Will Johnson and edge rusher Josaiah Stewart, who was a beast against USC, and then Wink Martindale’s unit saw starting safety Makari Paige leave the game with an injury in the fourth quarter. 

The rest of the projected AP Top 25:

11. USC (Last week: 13)

Down 21-7 at home in the second quarter, the Trojans rallied to roar past Wisconsin 38-21 behind a strong second half from quarterback Miller Moss. The senior had four touchdowns, including two  halftime. He had a 7-yard run to give USC a two-score lead and was evaluated for a concussion but remained in the game.

USC’s defense pitched a second-half shutout, holding Wisconsin to just 82 yards after halftime. Linebacker Mason Cobb then sealed the comeback win with a 55-yard pick-six.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Sophomore wideout Ja’Kobi Lane, who entered the game with nice catches for 119 yards all year, had his best game of the year with 10 receptions for 105 yards and two scores. 

12. Ole Miss (Last week: 6)

The Rebels were stunned at home against Kentucky, shanking a 48-yard field goal inside the final 30 seconds to fall 20-17. Lane Kiffin’s high-powered offense was held in check by the ‘Cats defense, which allowed just 350 total yards and finished the game with four sacks and seven tackles for loss. Jaxson Dart struggled to find a rhythm Saturday, especially in the first half when UK played ball-control offense (Ole Miss had just 23 plays), and the Rebels had no room to run the football against Deone Walker, Jamon Dumas-Johnson and the rest of Kentucky’s front-seven (just 92 yards, 3.2 per rush).

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Tre Harris had 11 receptions for the third-straight game — going for 176 yards and a 48-yard catch-and-run touchdown that briefly gave Ole Miss the lead at the end of the third quarter. Harris had a red zone fumble in the second half but Ole Miss’ defense immediately forced a three-and-out.

13. LSU (Last week: 14)

The Tigers ace’d their final tune-up game by piling up more than 660 yards of offense in a 42-10 rout over South Alabama. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw for a career-high 409 yards and speedy freshman tailback Caden Durham had 217 total yards. 

LSU raced out 21-0 lead in the first half, with Durham housing a swing pass for a 71-yard catch and run, and then ripping off a 86-yard rush where he was tackled at the goal line to setup a 1-yard plunge by Nussmeier. The Tigers’ defense also bottled up a solid Jags offense that had scored 135 points the previous two games (and No. 11 nationally in yards per play), holding South Alabama to 333 total yards and just 3-14 on third downs.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Tigers have their first idle date next weekend before they face the teeth of their schedule — Ole Miss, at Arkansas, at Texas A&M and vs. Alabama.

14. Notre Dame (Last week: 16)

The Irish held on to beat No. 15 Louisville 31-24 to secure a much-needed resume win to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Notre Dame coughed up the opening kickoff but responded with a strong rest of the first quarter behind three touchdowns — including a 34-yard strike from Riley Leonard to Jaden Greathouse. 

Then Notre Dame’s offense went dark for the second and third quarters before Leonard found tailback Jeremiyah Love for a 34-yard score on a creative throw-back screen — giving them a 14-point lead. Leonard was again very hit-or-miss, but he did have his first game with multi-passing touchdowns since November of 2022 and led the Irish in rushing with 52 yards on 13 carries. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Notre Dame’s defense was stressed at times by Tyler Shough and Louville’s offense, but the Irish came up with key stops on fourth down (4 of 5) and forced three turnovers that became 10 points — and the difference in the game. Get to know the name Leonard Moore, as the true freshman had a team-high seven tackles with a sack and big chase-down forced fumble. 

15. Clemson (Last week: 17)

Clemson impressed for the third-straight week, handling their business against a pesky Stanford squad with an emphatic 40-14 win. Cade Klubnick continued his recent hot streak, with another five touchdown performance. The junior quarterback raced for a 34-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a quick 7-0 lead, and then Clemson’s defense forced a pair of red zone interceptions until Klubnick and the offense finally got going again in the final two minutes of the second quarter. 

The Tigers had issues containing Stanford’s run game at times (236 yards), but they picked off Ashton Daniels three times and allowed just 125 passing yards. Future early NFL Draft pick Barrett Carter led the way with a team-high 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack and two QB hurries. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Clemson freshman linebacker Sammy Brown, a 5-star recruit in the 2024 class, had his first breakout game of his career, tallying a pair of sacks and a pass breakup.

16. Iowa State (Last week: 18)

The Cyclones moved to 4-0 for the first time in 24 years, blanking Houston 20-0 on the road Saturday night. Iowa State’s defense, which ranked in the Top 10 nationally in yards per play and scoring, held the Cougars to 241 yards, 1-8 on third down with three takeaways.  

Iowa State’s passing offense remains a methodical burn (153 passing yards, 5.5 yards per attempt), but their rushing attack finally found some pop as Abu Sama III went for 101 yards including a 77-yard touchdown run. Jaylon Jackson also went for 97 yards, with a 50 run midway through the third quarter. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Matt Campbell has been the best ISU coach in modern history, and he set the school-record for wins with 57. 

17. BYU (Last week: 22)

The Cougars raced to a 31-14 halftime lead and then decided to play with their food for 30 minutes to allow the Bears to bite them with a second-half comeback attempt. Baylor’s rally fell short when Crew Wakley had the game-sealing pick in the final 60 seconds to secure a 34-28 win. BYU quarterback Jake Rezlaff was fantastic in the first half (three touchdowns) and then dreadful after halftime (4 of 14 for 36 yards and two picks) that allowed the Bears to make a comeback. 

BYU’s defense continued its havoc ways with two more picks, four sacks, five tackles for loss and six passes deflected.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: In their second season in the Big 12, the Cougars matched their conference win-total (two) from last season in their first two league games of 2024. 

18. Kansas State (Last week: 23)

Avery Johnson rebounded after his no-show in Provo last weekend, as the Wildcats’ electric sophomore quarterback accounted for five touchdowns in a 42-20 pasting of No. 20 Oklahoma State. K-State actually trailed 13-7 before ripping off 35 unanswered points. Johnson threw for 259 yards and had 60 yards rushing, while DJ Giddens went off for 187 and a touchdown on just 15 carries. 

The Wildcats allowed ample passing yards (including eight explosive plays) and missed more than a hands worth of tackles, but they played solid red zone defense and had three timely takeaways (two picks, forced fumble).

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Johnson connected on 55-yard deep shot, and had a couple nifty touchdown runs, but his more creative score Saturday as a Tim Tebow-esque fake-QB power, pop-pass for a 2-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

19. Oklahoma (Last week: 21)

For those uninitiated: It’s called Sooner Magic. Oklahoma rose from the ashes in Jordan-Hare Stadium, stunning Auburn with an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to win 27-21. Outside of freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr’s 48-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, the Sooners’ offense was dead for most of the day, but then Hawkins led a quick 4-play, 67-yard touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter to close the deficit to 21-16. 

On Auburn’s next series, Kip Lewis jumped a route and returned the interception 61 yards to give OU the lead. The Sooners were out-gained by nearly 200 yards, were 2-of-12 on third/fourth down and had 10 penalties for 78 yards. But they escaped with a victory by getting a goal-line stand at the 1-yard line, and holding the Tigers to just 1-3 in the red zone. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Michael Hawkins Jr. finished with 230 total yards in his first-career start, leading OU in passing (161 at 10.7 yards per attempt) and rushing (69 yards).

20. Utah (Last week: 10)

Kyle Whittingham finally got got. After doing the “I don’t know, maybe dance” the for the last three weeks with quarterback Cam Rising, the Utes definitely missed their seventh-year senior in a surprising 23-10 loss at home to Arizona. Freshman Issac Wilson piled up some yards, but he threw two costly picks and couldn’t needle the windows in the red zone, which proved to be the difference in the game.

ONE THING TO KNOW: The Utes continue to struggle converting drives into touchdowns in the red zone, going 2-4 with a pair of empty trips that proved costly in the end. 

21. Boise State (Last week: 25)

Ashton Jenty continues his march toward a spot in New York City, as the Broncos’ tailback had another bananas 259-yard, four-touchdown showing in their 45-24 win over an undefeated Washington State team. 

Jenty broke loose for a 64-yard touchdown on Boise State’s opening drive, only to one-up himself with a crazy how-did-he-do-that 59-yard run for a score in the fourth quarter to give BSU a comfortable 31-17 lead. Jenty leads the nation in rushing (845 yards), touchdowns (13) and yards per carry (10.1). The kid is ridiculous. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: After a signature win over a feisty Cougars team, the Broncos are on a collision course with UNLV for a potential playoff spot. The two Mountain West foes will meet at the end of October in Las Vegas with a potential playoff berth on the line.

22. Louisville (Last week: 15)

The Cardinals are going to be kicking themselves about losing this one for a while. In a 31-24 loss to No. 16 Notre Dame, Jeff Brohm’s team out-gained the Irish (395-280), held Notre Dame to 2-10 on third down and went 1-5 on fourth down — including an incomplete pass on 4th-and-6 near midfield inside the final minute after a delay of game. Louisville, which was sloppy a week ago, had three turnovers and six penalties for 50 yards including a delay of game that made the final fourth down much more challenging. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Cards took a 7-0 in three plays after Notre Dame fumbled the opening kickoff, but their lead vanished quickly and in a span of five minutes they were down 21-7.

23. Texas A&M (Last Week: 24)

The Aggies won a seesaw Southwest Classic against rival Arkansas, as top transfer edge rusher Nic Scourton had a strip-sack inside the final 90 seconds to seal a 21-17 win. Freshman Marcell Reed (163 yards with three total touchdowns) is now 3-0 in place of the injured Conner Weigman, but tailback Le’Veon Moss paved the way with 117 yards on 13 carries. 

The Aggies’ defense remains one of the saltier units in the SEC through the first month of the season. They held the SEC’s leading rusher Ja’Quinden Jackson to just 37 yards on 10 carries. They pressured Taylen Green (two sacks, nine hurries) all afternoon, resulting in three takeaways (two fumbles, one pick).  

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Texas A&M has won four-straight since losing the opener to Notre Dame. Mike Elko is now 2-0 in the sEC with a big home game against No. 11 Missouri next weekend. 

24. UNLV (Last week: Unranked)

After dominating CFB headlines for the last week, the Rebels then made a statement Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas. For at least one week: UNLV, Barry Odom and backup quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams: Major W. Matthew Sluka: Big L.

The Rebels didn’t miss Sluka in a 59-14 thrashing over Fresno State, as Williams had 300 total yards (including a team-high 119 rushing) and four touchdowns. Star receiver Ricky White had his best game of the season with 10 catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Rebels continue to make their case as one of the top Group of 5 teams with big wins over Houston, Texas Tech and now Fresno State.

25. Indiana (Last week: Unranked)

The Hoosiers, which should’ve been ranked last week but haven’t been inside the AP Poll since 2021, is 5-0 for the first time in 57 yards after they manhandled Maryland 42-28. Curt Cignetti’s team actually left all sorts of points on the field with some sloppy turnovers (two fumbles, two picks), but transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke threw for a season-high 359 yards and three scores and the Hoosiers’ defense had three stops on fourth down in the second half to move to 2-0 in Big Ten play. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Indiana entered Saturday No. 2 in the Big Ten in sacks, and they got to Terps quarterback Billy Edwards five more times. Former JMU linemen Mikail Kamara and James Carpenter, both of whom followed Cignetti to Indiana, are tied for the team-lead with four sacks each this season.

Projected to drop out: No. 19 Illinois, No. 20 Oklahoma State