College Football Rankings 2013: Projecting Week 6's Top 25 Teams
After a somewhat boring Week 4, college football action is almost certain to heat up in Week 5.
The AP Top 25 is out, but what will it look like a week from now?
There are some excellent games this week pitting two nationally ranked teams, but the one that stands out is No. 6 LSU going on the road to take on No. 9 Georgia.
As conference play hits full stride, there are almost certain to be some upsets and thrilling finishes this week.
But, just which teams will move up and down the rankings after this weekend?
Here is a prediction of what the AP Top 25 will look like once the weekend is complete.
No. 25 Arizona State Sun Devils
1 of 25
Week 5: vs. USC
Currently sitting at No. 26, Arizona State dropped out of the poll this week after a loss at Stanford.
A win against a talented team like USC will allow the Sun Devils to vault back into the rankings, particularly with a few teams ahead of them playing some stiff competition.
Knocking off USC is no easy task, but the game is at home for Arizona State and it should be able to come away with a close victory.
Led by quarterback Taylor Kelly, this offensive attack ranks eighth in the country at 361.3 passing yards a game.
No. 24 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2 of 25
Week 5: vs. Virginia Tech
Another team set to jump into the rankings next week is Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets are currently sitting at 3-0, fresh off a 28-20 victory over North Carolina.
This week they are on national television against Virginia Tech on Thursday night. That will be an excellent chance for this very talented team to get some exposure.
Quarterback Vad Lee is leading the way for an offense that averages 45.3 points a game, ranking 11th in the nation.
At No. 27, Georgia Tech will jump into the rankings with a win over Virginia Tech Thursday night.
No. 23 Ole Miss Rebels
3 of 25Week 5: at Alabama
Ole Miss is the first team that will drop in the rankings, but that is only because the Rebels are taking on No. 1 Alabama on the road.
There is not a tougher game in the nation than a road contest in Tuscaloosa.
The Rebels are currently sitting at No. 21, so a loss to the Crimson Tide will not drop them too much. They are also battle tested with road victories over Vanderbilt and Texas on their resume.
Look for Ole Miss to hang in with Alabama and lose a close game, causing the Rebels to only drop two spots in the rankings.
No. 22 Fresno State Bulldogs
4 of 25
Week 5: at Hawaii
Fresno State jumped into the rankings this week at No. 25 after a 41-40 victory over Boise State.
That ranking should continue to rise in coming weeks with the easy part of the schedule ahead for the Bulldogs.
After Hawaii this weekend, Fresno State takes on Idaho, UNLV, San Diego State and Nevada.
This is a team that will jump up the rankings in coming weeks.
Quarterback Derek Carr is one of the best passers in the country. He has thrown for 1,121 yards and 12 touchdowns in three games.
No. 21 Texas Tech Red Raiders
5 of 25
Week 5: Bye
Texas Tech has been one of the surprise teams in the country this season. The Red Raiders are off to a 4-0 start and continue to climb up the rankings.
The play of freshmen quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Davis Webb has been the key this season for the Red Raiders.
Expect them to move up three spots this week with teams like Wisconsin, Ole Miss and Notre Dame faltering.
With a few easy games coming up, the Red Raiders could be near the Top 15 when they travel to Norman on Oct. 26 to take on the Sooners.
No. 20 Florida Gators
6 of 25
Week 5: at Kentucky
Florida will be playing the rest of the season without quarterback Jeff Driskel, but Tyler Murphy has the talent to fill in adequately.
On Saturday against Kentucky, it is not likely going to matter.
The Gators defense is likely to be too much for Kentucky. Florida is only allowing 14.7 points a game, ranking 19th in the nation.
Look for a low-scoring Florida victory that will allow the Gators to stand firm at No. 20 in the rankings.
No. 19 Baylor Bears
7 of 25
Week 5: Bye
After putting up at least 69 points in each of its first three games, the high-flying Baylor offense will take a week off before taking on West Virginia on Oct. 5.
A week off usually makes it hard for a team to move up. That will be the case for Baylor. It does not appear the teams immediately in front of the Bears are going to lose.
With that being said, this team has the talent to be a factor in the Big 12 and contend for a conference crown.
Look for the Baylor ranking to remain intact this week.
No. 18 Michigan Wolverines
8 of 25
Week 5: Bye
It has been a tumultuous past two weeks for Michigan and the bye week might be coming at the perfect time.
The Wolverines narrowly squeaked by with victories over Akron at home and Connecticut on the road. Those teams are not exactly high-level competition.
With Big Ten play looming, Michigan is going to have to get it together if it plans on contending for a conference crown.
This will be the first time in three weeks Michigan does not drop in the rankings after a win.
No. 17 Northwestern Wildcats
9 of 25
Week 5: Bye
Northwestern is yet another team that is heading into a bye week. That likely means it ranking will remain intact.
This is a program on the rise. At 4-0, Northwestern has quickly developed into a squad that might be the biggest competition for Ohio State in the Big Ten.
If the Wildcats can get running back Venric Mark back, they could even win the league.
The toughest two-game stretch is coming up after the bye, with Ohio State and Wisconsin back-to-back.
No. 16 Washington Huskies
10 of 25
Week 5: vs. Arizona
Washington has one of the more intriguing games of Week 5. The Huskies take on an Arizona team that is 3-0 and knocking on the door of the AP Top 25.
This, however, will be the first real test for the Wildcats.
The Huskies have an offense that has talent at all the skill positions. The group is averaging 42.7 points a game, ranking 19th in the country. The defense is no slouch either. That group ranks eighth in the nation, allowing only 10 points a game.
Washington is the fifth straight team in the rankings that will stand pat after Week 5.
No. 15 Miami Hurricanes
11 of 25
Week 5: at South Florida
The Miami Hurricanes jumped up in the rankings two weeks ago after knocking off Florida. It looks like they will stay pat next week.
After demolishing Savannah State on Saturday, the Hurricanes travel northwest to take on in-state rival South Florida.
The Bulls have been anything but impressive this season, starting the year 0-3 with an offense that only averages 12.3 points a game.
It should be an easy win for the Hurricanes, but nothing worthy of a jump in the rankings.
No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners
12 of 25
Week 5: at Notre Dame
Oklahoma has one of the tougher games of the week for a ranked team. The Sooners travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame.
Both teams are nationally ranked. Notre Dame knocked off Oklahoma in Norman last year. The Sooners will be looking to return the favor.
Expect this one to be close with two very talented defenses going at it. The Sooners rank fifth in the country, allowing only nine points a game. Notre Dame ranks 45th, allowing 21 points a contest, but the group has come up with some big plays.
The Sooners will win a close one here, but with nobody right in front of them losing, they will remain at No. 14.
No. 13 UCLA Bruins
13 of 25
Week 5: Bye
UCLA has been impressive all season long. The Bruins possess an offense that averages 52.7 points a game. That ranks third in the country. The defense has also been impressive, only allowing 18 points a game.
Generally a team with a bye week does not move up unless there are a lot of losses by teams in front of it. That will not be the case this week.
UCLA could get jumped by Oklahoma if it posts a blowout win over Notre Dame, but that is not likely to be the case, considering the gap in votes between the two teams.
No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs
14 of 25
Week 5: vs. LSU
The Georgia-LSU matchup is one of the most anticipated games of the entire season. Two of the best teams in the country go head-to-head in a game that could go either way.
Both teams are very talented in the run game, but this game will likely come down to who wins the turnover battle.
A loss here to LSU will ruin any national title hopes for Georgia and also severely damage any SEC Championship aspirations.
A close defeat here will only drop Georgia three spots.
No. 11 South Carolina Gamecocks
15 of 25
Week 5: at Central Florida
South Carolina could be in for a tricky game in Week 5. The Gamecocks go on the road to take on a talented Central Florida squad.
The Knights are 3-0 with a road win at Penn State on their resume. South Carolina is going to have to come to play to win this one.
That will likely be the case. A one-loss Gamecocks squad will jump over a two-loss Georgia team, even though the Bulldogs knocked off South Carolina.
South Carolina has struggled so far this season, but coming off a bye week, it will be ready to play against Central Florida.
No. 10 Oklahoma State Cowboys
16 of 25
Week 5: at West Virginia
The Georgia loss will allow Oklahoma State to vault into the top 10 next week.
Oklahoma State takes on a West Virginia team that appears headed in the wrong direction. The Mountaineers are coming off a 37-0 loss at Maryland.
The game is in Morgantown, but Oklahoma has already won there, proving that the Mountaineers are beatable on the road.
There is no chance the Cowboys offensive attack will be slowed down by the West Virginia defense. Oklahoma State ranks 11th in the country, averaging 45.3 points a game. Expect Oklahoma State to jump up a spot with the Georgia loss.
No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies
17 of 25
Week 5: at Arkansas
Texas A&M has is another team with an explosive offense. There is no question Johnny Manziel and Co. will be able to move the ball all over Arkansas.
The Aggies are averaging 50.3 points a game. That is good for sixth in the nation.
Arkansas does not have the talent on either side of the ball to hang with Texas A&M. That was on full display during a 28-24 loss to Rutgers over the weekend.
Another dominating performance by Texas A&M will allow it to move up one spot over Georgia.
No. 8 Florida State Seminoles
18 of 25
Week 5: at Boston College
Florida State is the first of eight undefeated teams at the top of the rankings.
The Seminoles take on Boston College Saturday. The Eagles will not be much of a threat having just lost 35-7 at USC two weeks ago.
Florida State has too much talent on both sides of the ball, led by star freshman quarterback Jameis Winston.
A win at Boston College does not warrant Florida State moving up or down in the rankings.
No. 7 Louisville Cardinals
19 of 25
Week 5: Bye
Louisville has been one of the most impressive teams in the country so far this season.
While the competition has been weak, it is not going to get much tougher. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will be in the Heisman conversation all year long. The junior quarterback has already passed for 1,214 yards with 14 touchdowns and only one interception.
As of right now, Louisville possesses the top defense in the country allowing only 6.8 points a game. Florida International only managed 30 total yards in a 72-0 Louisville victory Saturday.
No. 6 Stanford Cardinal
20 of 25
Week 5: at Washington State
Stanford is currently ranked No. 5, but with LSU right on its heels, the Cardinal are likely to drop a spot if LSU goes on the road and knocks off Georgia.
The Cardinal are taking on an improved Washington State team Saturday. The game is on the road, but the Cougars do not figure to pose too much of a threat to a talented Stanford squad.
Even though there is a decent gap in votes between Stanford and LSU, the Cardinal have to post a dominating victory to stay in front of LSU by this time next week.
No. 5 LSU Tigers
21 of 25Week 5: at Georgia
There is no question that the biggest game of the week is the SEC showdown between LSU and Georgia.
The Tigers are currently ranked sixth in the country, but an impressive road win will allow them to jump over Stanford.
LSU is doing it with a rushing attack that averages over 220 yards a game. The Tigers have yet to be seriously challenged, but Georgia will pose a major threat.
These two teams are too talented to get blown out, particularly with Georgia at home. Look for LSU to pull out a close victory and jump over Stanford into the Top 5.
No. 4 Clemson Tigers
22 of 25
Week 5: vs. Wake Forest
With Ohio State nipping at its heels and taking on a ranked team in Wisconsin, Clemson is going to have to be very impressive against Wake Forest to stay ahead of Ohio State in the No. 3 spot.
The Tigers have certainly earned that ranking with wins against Georgia and at North Carolina State on their resume.
Quarterback Tajh Boyd has been solid with six touchdown passes in three games.
Wake Forest will not pose a serious threat to Clemson, but it will take a mammoth victory for the Tigers to hold off Ohio State in the rankings.
No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes
23 of 25Week 5: vs. Wisconsin
There are a lot of questions surrounding Ohio State, particularly at the quarterback position, but whether it is Braxton Miller or Kenny Guiton, this team is tough to stop.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 76-0 domination of FCS foe Florida A&M.
This week, Wisconsin comes to town in what will certainly be the toughest game so far for the Buckeyes.
Both teams possess dominant rushing attacks. Ohio State ranks sixth in the country at 311 yards a game. Wisconsin is third, averaging 349.8 yards a contest.
An Ohio State victory will allow the Buckeyes to slide past Clemson and up to No. 3.
No. 2 Oregon Ducks
24 of 25
Week 5: vs. California
It has quickly become apparent that, with the exception of maybe Stanford, nobody is going to stop Oregon this season.
The Ducks offense is averaging 61.3 points a game. That is second in the country. The defense has been excellent as well, ranking fifth in the country, allowing only nine points a contest.
California allowed 52 points to Ohio State, 44 to Northwestern and 30 to Portland State. Imagine what Oregon will put up.
Oregon will win big and continue knocking on the door of the No. 1 national ranking.
No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide
25 of 25
Week 5: vs. Ole Miss
Oregon can continue knocking on the door of the top spot, but Alabama is not answering.
The Crimson Tide take on an undefeated Ole Miss team that has already posted some impressive victories.
The Rebels might have the talent to hang around for a little while, but Alabama will just have too much in the end.
No question, the Crimson Tide are going to hold onto top spot this week after a victory over the Rebels.
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
.png?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft 📝")
