College Football Rankings 2016: Bleacher Report's Week 5 Top 25
The weather might be cooling off now that we've turned the calendar to fall, but college football is just heating up.
The fourth week of the 2016 season was another awesome one, and though it didn't feature many major upsets, there were some shocking results. It had a few great comebacks as well as plenty of down-to-the-wire action late out on the West Coast, all of which impacted this week's Bleacher Report Top 25.
The Bleacher Report poll is voted on by 18 members of our college football staff: writers Ben Axelrod, Greg Couch, Tyler Donohue, Ed Feng, David Kenyon, Sanjay Kirpalani, Adam Kramer, Brian Leigh, Brian Pedersen, David Regimbal, Barrett Sallee, Brad Shepard and Christopher Walsh; video staff Michael Felder, Hunter Mandel and Sean McManus; and editors Eric Bowman and Eric Yates.
First-place votes are worth 25 points, with each subsequent vote worth one fewer point all the way down to one for 25th place. The 25 teams with the most poll points make our list, with the rest falling into the “others receiving votes” category.
Check out where everyone stands after Week 4, then give us your thoughts in the comments section.
Others Receiving Votes
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A strong indicator of how wide-open and unpredictable college football is can be seen by how many teams get votes that don't end up in our Top 25. After Week 4 there were 20 who picked up a few votes, just not enough to get ranked.
Here's a rundown of all the teams that could get into our rankings with a few more wins, as well as some upsets above them.
- TCU (38)
- Oklahoma (37)
- North Carolina (35)
- LSU (27)
- Colorado (21)
- Western Michigan (19)
- Arizona State (9)
- Memphis (9)
- Notre Dame (9)
- Auburn (7)
- UCLA (7)
- Georgia Tech (6)
- Iowa (6)
- North Dakota State (5)
- Virginia Tech (5)
- Wake Forest (4)
- Minnesota (3)
- Cincinnati (2)
- Oklahoma State (2)
- Toledo (1)
No. 25 Georgia Bulldogs
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Poll points: 42
Last week's ranking: 12th
Week 4 result: Lost 45-14 at Ole Miss
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 vs. Tennessee
Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC) suffered its first loss under Kirby Smart. It came against a team that had his number toward the end of his tenure with Alabama, as the Bulldogs fell behind 31-0 at halftime and lost Nick Chubb to an ankle injury.
The Bulldogs gained 396 yards but turned it over twice, including quarterback Jacob Eason's pick-six. He was 16-of-36 for 137 yards in the worst performance of his young career.
Chubb ran for 57 yards in two quarters before leaving the game. Brian Herrien ran for 78 yards and two late TDs, part of Georgia's 230 rushing yards.
No. 24 Florida Gators
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Poll points: 43
Last week's ranking: 18th (tie)
Week 4 result: Lost 38-28 at Tennessee
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 at Vanderbilt
Florida (3-1, 1-1 SEC) followed a dominant first half with a collapse over the final 30 minutes Saturday, blowing a 21-0 lead and giving up 38 straight points to have its 11-game win streak against Tennessee snapped.
The Gators grabbed their three-touchdown cushion with 5:12 left in the first half but didn't score again until late in the fourth quarter, at which time they were down by 17. In between, their pass defense—which hadn't allowed a touchdown in the first three games—was torched for four scores through the air.
After allowing only 389 yards in its first three games, Florida yielded 498 yards, including 319 passing yards, despite grabbing two interceptions.
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No. 23 Boise State Broncos
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Poll points: 52
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
Week 4 result: Won 38-24 at Oregon State
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 vs. Utah State
Boise State (3-0) beat its second Pac-12 opponent in three weeks, jumping out to a 31-7 halftime lead thanks to running back Jeremy McNichols' big day.
McNichols ran for 208 yards and three touchdowns and had a six-yard TD catch, all four of those scores coming in the first half. Overall, the Broncos gained 512 yards while holding Oregon State to 287.
The Broncos, who beat Washington State at home Sept. 10, have won four straight against Pac-12 schools.
No. 22 West Virginia Mountaineers
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Poll points: 53
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
Week 4 result: Won 35-32 vs. BYU (in Landover, Maryland)
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 vs. Kansas State
West Virginia (3-0) got a big day from quarterback Skyler Howard and a late defensive stop to pull out a narrow win at FedEx Field to wrap up non-league play.
Howard threw for 332 yards and a touchdown on 31-of-40 passing and ran for a TD as the Mountaineers built a 35-19 lead before BYU rallied. The Cougars scored twice and then got to West Virginia's 28-yard line with just over a minute left before Maurice Fleming intercepted a pass near the goal line.
That was one of four takeaways for the Mountaineers, who won despite allowing 521 yards.
No. 21 Arkansas Razorbacks
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Poll points: 71
Last week's ranking: 16th
Week 4 result: Lost 45-24 vs. Texas A&M (in Arlington, Texas)
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 vs. Alcorn State (in Little Rock, Arkansas)
Arkansas (3-1, 0-1 SEC) was inches away from taking the lead late in the third quarter. Instead, it lost for the first time in 2016 after Texas A&M's run game wore it down.
The Razorbacks came up empty on a 19-play, 89-yard drive with the score tied at 17, unable to score on three tries from the 1-yard line. A&M scored on a 92-yard touchdown two plays later, and the Hogs never got closer than seven points.
Austin Allen threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns on 28-of-42 passing but didn't have a run game to help him. Arkansas averaged three yards per carry on the ground and lost three fumbles.
No. 20 Texas Longhorns
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Poll points: 72
Last week's ranking: 20th
Week 4 result: Bye
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 at Oklahoma State
Texas (2-1) has had some time off to reflect on its wild loss at California on Sept. 17 and whether the Longhorns' choice of sweats over suits on the flight west really mattered. Just as important: how they shore up a defense that has allowed 5.34 yards per play.
The Longhorns' uptempo attack has produced great results, running 83.7 plays per game and gaining 5.98 yards per snap compared to 65.1 and 5.7 in 2015. Shane Buechele has thrown for 720 yards and seven touchdowns on 66.3 percent passing, while D'Onta Foreman and Chris Warren have combined for 548 yards and six scores on the ground.
The three consecutive games scoring at least 40 points is Texas' best run since doing so in four straight in September and October 2012.
No. 19 San Diego State Aztecs
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Poll points: 93
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
Week 4 result: Bye
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 at South Alabama
San Diego State (3-0) has the nation's second-longest win streak at 13 games. Only Alabama's 15-contest string is longer. Eleven of those Aztec wins have been by at least 14 points.
Donnel Pumphrey has the beginnings of a dark-horse Heisman Trophy campaign, rushing for an FBS-best 599 yards with seven touchdowns through the first three weeks. The senior's 4,871 yards on the ground rank 29th all time.
The Aztecs defense remains one of the best in the nation at forcing turnovers, with 41 takeaways since the start of last season. That includes 29 interceptions, 10 from senior Damontae Kazee.
No. 18 Michigan State Spartans
9 of 26
Poll points: 138
Last week's ranking: 8th
Week 4 result: Lost 30-6 vs. Wisconsin
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 at Indiana
Michigan State (2-1, 0-1 Big Ten) suffered its worst home loss in seven years, unable to do anything on offense thanks to four turnovers.
The Spartans trailed 13-6 at halftime but were driving early in the second half when LJ Scott fumbled. Wisconsin returned the loose ball 66 yards for a touchdown. Michigan State's next five possessions resulted in two interceptions, two turnovers on downs and a punt.
Tyler O'Connor threw for 224 yards but was just 18-of-38 with three picks. MSU's run game gained just 75 yards on 27 carries.
The last time the Spartans lost by more than 20 points at home was in 2009—a 42-14 setback to Penn State.
No. 17 Utah Utes
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Poll points: 146
Last week's ranking: 22nd (tie)
Week 4 result: Won 31-27 vs. USC
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 at California
Utah (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) rallied from 14 down in the second half to pull out a late win in its conference opener, scoring with 16 seconds left to cap the comeback.
The Utes scored 21 unanswered points to beat USC for the second time in three seasons. Troy Williams' 18-yard touchdown pass to Tim Patrick finished the final 15-play, 93-yard drive.
Williams threw for 270 yards and two TDs on 21-of-34 passing and added a rushing score, leading Utah to 456 yards of total offense. The Utes added a TD on Isaac Asiata's fumble recovery in the end zone during the comeback.
No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels
11 of 26
Poll points: 148
Last week's ranking: 22nd (tie)
Week 4 result: Won 45-14 vs. Georgia
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 vs. Memphis
Ole Miss (2-2, 1-1 SEC) jumped out to another big lead against a ranked opponent. But unlike in losses to Florida State and Alabama, it didn't give its opponent a chance to rally.
The Rebels scored the game's first 45 points, with 17 coming in the first quarter. Derrick Jones' 52-yard interception-return touchdown aided the early burst, while Chad Kelly's two second-quarter TD passes put away the game.
Kelly had 335 yards of total offense and three total TDs, throwing for 282 yards on 18-of-24 passing and rushing for 53 yards and a score.
No. 15 Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Poll points: 173
Last week's ranking: 17th
Week 4 result: Won 24-13 at Northwestern
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 vs. Illinois
Nebraska (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) avoided a letdown after last week's thrilling win against Oregon, using the ground attack to pace a road victory to open league play.
The Cornhuskers ran for 310 yards and two touchdowns, with 132 of those yards coming from quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. He had 378 yards of total offense, including 246 yards and a TD on 18-of-29 passing.
Aaron Williams' interception—one of two picks by Nebraska—set up Armstrong's four-yard TD pass to Cethan Carter that built a 17-7 lead midway through the third quarter. Jordan Westerkamp's 10-yard TD run late in the third gave the Huskers an 11-point edge.
No. 14 Baylor Bears
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Poll points: 203
Last week's ranking: 18th (tie)
Week 4 result: Won 35-24 vs. Oklahoma State
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 at Iowa State
Baylor (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) allowed its most points and yards (492) of any game this season, but once again the Bears defense paced them to victory.
Baylor forced four turnovers, including three fumble recoveries, one of which they converted into points when Verkedric Vaughns fell on a loose ball near midfield late in the first half. Four plays later, Ishmael Zamora scored on Seth Russell's 38-yard touchdown pass.
Zamora had two TDs in his first contest after serving a three-game suspension. He also had eight catches for 175 yards. Chris Platt added three receptions for 114 yards and two TDs. Russell threw for 387 yards and four TDs on 18-of-28 passing.
No. 13 Miami (Florida) Hurricanes
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Poll points: 224
Last week's ranking: 14th
Week 4 result: Bye
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 at Georgia Tech
Miami (3-0) heads into ACC play having outscored its opponents 153-23, including a 45-10 win at Appalachian State in its last outing.
Mark Walton entered the weekend ranked eighth nationally in rushing, at 133.7 yards per game with seven touchdowns. Brad Kaaya has completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 694 yards and seven TDs.
The Hurricanes are third in FBS in total defense, allowing 217.3 yards per game.
No. 12 Florida State Seminoles
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Poll points: 228
Last week's ranking: 13th
Week 4 result: Won 55-35 at South Florida
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 vs. North Carolina
Florida State (3-1) gave up two touchdowns in the first three minutes, 11 seconds of its game against South Florida, but thanks to its explosive offense, it avoided losing consecutive games for the first time since 2011.
The Seminoles, still smarting from their 63-20 loss at Louisville, gave up an 84-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage but responded with Dalvin Cook's 75-yard TD run. It was the start of another massive day for Cook, who ran for a career-high 267 yards and two TDs on 28 carries and had four catches for 62 yards.
In two games against South Florida, Cook has tallied 595 all-purpose yards and five TDs, including his two best rushing performances.
Florida State ran for 478 yards, with Jacques Patrick's 124 yards and a TD, along with fullback Freddie Stevenson's two TDs. Overall the Noles gained 647 yards with quarterback Deondre Francois accounting for 244 combined yards and two total TDs.
No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers
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Poll points: 266
Last week's ranking: 15th
Week 4 result: Won 38-28 vs. Florida
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 at Georgia
Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC) vanquished one of its biggest demons in thrilling fashion, digging itself out of a 21-point hole thanks to 38 unanswered points. That rally enabled the Volunteers to beat Florida for the first time since 2004.
The Vols trailed by three touchdowns before getting a field goal late in the first half, but the second half was all Joshua Dobbs. Following an abysmal opening 30 minutes, he accounted for all five touchdowns after halftime—four through the air and one on the ground. He put up 399 yards of total offense.
"I didn't see anybody blink," Tennessee coach Butch Jones said (via ESPN.com). "Nobody flinched. They just kept playing."
Dobbs' 67-yard TD throw to Jauan Jennings with 12:45 left gave Tennessee the lead for good. Then a 42-yard Dobbs pass to Josh Malone and a five-yard Dobbs TD run helped prevent Florida from pulling its own comeback.
No. 10 Washington Huskies
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Poll points: 279
Last week's ranking: 9th
Week 4 result: Won 35-28 (in OT) at Arizona
Week 5 matchup: Sept. 30 vs. Stanford
Washington (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) gave up more rushing yards (352) than in the previous three games combined. But thanks to its own run game, it avoided an upset in Tucson.
The Huskies ran for 352 yards, including Lavon Coleman's 181 yards on 11 carries. That included a 55-yard touchdown run with 3:25 left to go up 28-21, but Arizona forced overtime with 17 seconds to go.
Jake Browning hit Dante Pettis on a four-yard TD strike in OT, then the Huskies defense stuffed Arizona to seal the game. Browning threw for 160 yards and two TDs on 14-of-21 passing.
No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers
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Poll points: 312
Last week's ranking: 11th
Week 4 result: Won 30-6 at Michigan State
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 at Michigan
Wisconsin (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) looked nothing like the team that struggled mightily in Week 3 against Georgia State, using stout defense and opportunistic offense to roll over Michigan State in its conference opener.
The Badgers forced four turnovers, converting the first two into points. Corey Clement ran for a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter after an interception, and early in the third quarter Leo Musso scooped up a fumble and returned it 66 yards for a TD and subsequent 20-6 lead.
Alex Hornibrook, making his first career start, threw for 195 yards on 16-of-26 passing. Clement gained only 54 yards on 23 carries but scored twice.
Wisconsin won in East Lansing for the first time since 2002.
No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies
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Poll points: 313
Last week's ranking: 10th
Week 4 result: Won 45-24 vs. Arkansas (in Arlington, Texas)
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 at South Carolina
Texas A&M (4-0, 2-0 SEC) didn't need overtime to knock off Arkansas, as it had the previous two seasons, instead taking control late in the third quarter and then running away with a victory.
Josh Reynolds' 92-yard touchdown catch from Trevor Knight with 1:33 left in the third broke a 17-17 tie, and the Aggies padded the lead with Trayveon Williams' two fourth-quarter TD runs and another Knight TD pass. Knight tallied 382 yards of total offense and four total TDs, with 157 rushing yards and two scores to complement 225 passing yards and two TDs.
The Aggies ran for 366 yards and four TDs, with Williams going for 153 yards.
No. 7 Stanford Cardinal
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Poll points: 340
Last week's ranking: 6th
Week 4 result: Won 22-13 at UCLA
Week 5 matchup: Sept. 30 at Washington
Stanford (3-0, 2-0 Pac-12) couldn't find the end zone all night and then suddenly managed to get there twice in the final 24 seconds to escape with its ninth straight win over UCLA.
Trailing 13-9 with 2:05 left, the Cardinal marched 70 yards on 10 plays in 1:41 to go up 16-13 on Ryan Burns' eight-yard touchdown pass to JJ Arcega-Whiteside with 24 seconds left. Solomon Thomas then tacked on a spread-affecting TD after returning a fumble 42 yards as time expired.
Burns was 5-of-8 for 66 yards on the final drive after going 8-of-17 for 71 yards with an interception. Christian McCaffrey ran for 138 yards on 26 carries, with a long of 13 yards, a year after rushing for a career-best 243 yards against UCLA, with a long of 70 yards.
No. 6 Houston Cougars
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Poll points: 354
Last week's ranking: 7th
Week 4 result: Won 64-3 at Texas State
Week 5 matchup: Sept. 29 vs. Connecticut
Houston (4-0) racked up 563 yards of total offense and scored 43 first-half points in a romp so lopsided, star quarterback Greg Ward Jr. was done early in the third quarter.
Ward, who has missed a game because of a shoulder injury and been hobbled in the others, finished with 328 yards of total offense and three total touchdowns. He was 20-of-26 for 289 yards with two passing TDs and had a 10-yard TD run.
D'Eriq King had 249 all-purpose yards, which included touchdowns on a 48-yard pass and a 99-yard kickoff return. The Cougars gained 563 yards and held Texas State to 142.
No. 5 Michigan Wolverines
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Poll points: 376
Last week's ranking: 5th
Week 4 result: Won 49-10 vs. Penn State
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 vs. Wisconsin
Michigan (4-0, 1-0) built a 28-0 halftime lead en route to an easy conference-opening victory—its third in a row over Penn State.
Jabrill Peppers' 53-yard punt return set up the Wolverines' first score: Khalid Hill's one-yard run that was one of six rushing touchdowns and part of 326 yards on the ground. De'Veon Smith had 107 rushing yards and a TD, Karan Higdon ran for 81 yards and two TDs, while Ty Isaac and Chris Evans also had scoring runs.
"I think there was one drive in the third or fourth quarter where we called the same play eight times in a row," Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight said, per SB Nation's Evan Petzold.
Speight threw for 189 yards and a TD on 21-of-34 passing, while Michigan's defense held the Nittany Lions to 191 yards while forcing two turnovers.
No. 4 Clemson Tigers
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Poll points: 394 (one first-place vote)
Last week's ranking: 4th
Week 4 result: Won 26-7 at Georgia Tech
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 vs. Louisville
Clemson (4-0, 1-0 ACC) put together a dominant defensive performance to pace its ninth straight win against a league opponent while also winning at Georgia Tech for the first time since 2003.
The Tigers held the Yellow Jackets to 124 yards, just 23 of that coming in the first half when they led 23-0 thanks to two Deshaun Watson touchdown passes and a Wayne Gallman rushing score. There was also a safety via an odd play in which Watson was intercepted near the goal line only to have Tech's Lance Austin fumbling into the end zone.
Clemson had 347 of its 442 yards in the first half but managed to score on only half of its six red-zone possessions.
No. 3 Louisville Cardinals
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Poll points: 408 (one first-place vote)
Last week's ranking: 3rd
Week 4 result: Won 59-28 at Marshall
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 at Clemson
Louisville (4-0) showed no hangover from its huge victory against Florida State the week before, not with Lamar Jackson again piling up yards and scoring touchdowns during his unforgettable September.
Jackson had 479 yards of total offense and accounted for seven more TDs, giving him 1,856 yards and 25 total TDs in just four games. He threw for 417 yards and five TDs with an interception on 24-of-44 passing and ran for 62 yards and two scores.
The Cardinals also got 131 rushing yards and a score from Brandon Radcliff as they gained 690 yards and topped 50 points for the fourth consecutive game. And not to be outdone, their defense held Marshall to 207 yards and forced two turnovers.
No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes
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Poll points: 424 (one first-place vote)
Last week's ranking: 2nd
Week 4 result: Bye
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 vs. Rutgers
Ohio State (3-0) has steamrolled its first three opponents, most impressively last time out at Oklahoma (45-24). Any concerns about how the Buckeyes' inexperienced defense would fare has been answered via 11 forced turnovers, including four pick-sixes, leading to an FBS-best plus-nine turnover margin. And quarterback J.T. Barrett has seamlessly navigated the young offense.
Barrett has completed 67.1 percent of his passes, has 10 touchdowns through the air and has scored three rushing TDs—part of OSU's 306 rushing yards per game.
No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide
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Poll points: 446 (15 first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: 1st
Week 4 result: Won 48-0 vs. Kent State
Week 5 matchup: Oct. 1 vs. Kentucky
Alabama (4-0) had no mercy for Nick Saban's alma mater. The Crimson Tide led 41-0 at halftime en route to the program's 18th shutout win since 2007. According to SportsCenter, that's the most shutouts of any FBS team in that span.
The Tide outgained the Golden Flashes 502-166 and scored touchdowns via the run, pass and special teams. Jalen Hurts threw a TD pass and ran for one, and Blake Barnett added a passing TD. Running back Joshua Jacobs had 97 rushing yards and two scores after Damien Harris exited the game early with an ankle injury.
Alabama ran for 285 yards, its 11th time over 200 on the ground since the start of the 2015 season.
All slides written by Brian J. Pedersen. Follow the author on Twitter at http://twitter.com/realBJP.
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