CFB Playoff Picture, Standings and Bracket Predictions After Week 5 of 2025-26 Season

Three of the top five teams in college football lost on Saturday.

The Penn State Nittany Lions, LSU Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs all fell on the most consequential day of the college football season to date.

The Oregon Ducks should make the biggest impact of Saturday's big winners at the top of the polls and College Football Playoff projections.

The Ducks could be as high as No. 2 come Sunday thanks to their road triumph in Happy Valley.

Georgia and LSU's defeats added to a congested top half of the SEC standings. The Ole Miss Rebels and Alabama Crimson Tide bolstered their respective playoff stocks on Saturday in a league where things could change weekly from a playoff standpoint from here on out.

Oregon Wins OT Thriller Over Penn State

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Oregon flexed its national title credentials with a 30-24 double-overtime win over Penn State.

The Ducks controlled the game for three quarters, but then relinquished a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Oregon won on an interception in double-overtime after Dante Moore threw a touchdown pass to start the second extra period.

Dan Lanning's team might be considered to finish the regular season atop the Big Ten after Saturday's win. The Ducks' two toughest remaining games are at home and they don't play the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Penn State isn't out of the playoff mix yet. The Nittany Lions' only loss is to a top-10 team, but they likely will have to beat a team with a high ranking, whether it be Ohio State or the Indiana Hoosiers to confirm their playoff position.

Alabama Jumps Back Into CFB Playoff Picture With Win over Georgia

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Alabama launched itself back into the CFB Playoff discussion with its road win over Georgia.

The Crimson Tide entered Week 5 down at No. 17 in the AP Top 25 because of their opening-week loss to Florida State.

Alabama should be closer to the top 12 when the new poll comes out on Sunday because of its triumph in Athens.

Since the loss to FSU, Bama won three games and quarterback Ty Simpson's thrown for over 200 yards in every contest.

Alabama still has five Top 25 opponents left on its schedule, starting with the Vanderbilt Commodores next week in Tuscaloosa, so there will be plenty of opportunities to confirm its spot in the top 10.

As for Georgia, it still has Ole Miss, Texas and Georgia Tech on the schedule, so it may well be in the playoff with more quality wins down the road.

Ole Miss Stays Unbeaten with Win over LSU

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Ole Miss took down the fourth-ranked team in the country on Saturday afternoon.

The Rebels have impressed with their offense early in the campaign, but their defense was on full display against LSU.

Lane Kiffin's team held the Tigers to 19 points, LSU's lowest point total of the season.

Ole Miss' win was huge for its chase of a playoff spot because it faces Georgia and Oklahoma on the road in back-to-back weeks in October.

A 10-2 Ole Miss team with losses to a pair of top 10 teams could certainly still qualify for the playoff.

A win in one of those road contests would almost guarantee Ole Miss a spot in the 12-team playoff.

Florida State In Tough Spot After Upset Loss to Virginia

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Florida State is the biggest loser of the weekend so far when it comes to the CFB Playoff discussion.

The Seminoles lost on Friday night to the Virginia Cavaliers. They will fall out of the top 10, and potentially the top 15, in Sunday's AP Top 25.

The good news for Florida State is that it can catapult itself right back into the playoff discussion next week.

The Seminoles host the Miami Hurricanes in Week 6 in a game that might decide who the top team in the ACC is.

However, a loss to Miami would almost eliminate FSU from the at-large discussion in the playoff.

The ACC looks like it will struggle to get multiple teams into the CFB Playoff with how strong the SEC and Big Ten are this season.