B/R's 2026 College Football Experts Top 25 Rankings After Week 5
Early season upstarts Florida and Mississippi State have been two of the biggest stories in college football, but both teams were humbled in lopsided losses to Missouri and Alabama.
In the weekend's other matchup of ranked opponents, Ohio State's offense was too much for Iowa's defense, giving the Buckeyes another strong counterpoint to their Texas loss.
All of that led to plenty of shuffling in our weekly rankings, and ahead is an updated look at how the college football experts here at B/R line up the nation's top 25 teams following Week 5 action.
Nos. 25-21
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25. Boise State (4-1, Previous Rank: 25)
Week 5 Result: WIN vs. Utah State (37-18)
Next Week: at Fresno State
The Broncos jumped out to a 21-0 lead with touchdowns on each of their first three drives, and that proved to be an insurmountable lead in a 37-18 victory. Maddux Madsen (17/21, 244 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT) and Dylan Riley (18 carries, 93 yards, 2 TD) both had strong games offensively, while the defense tallied nine tackles for loss, six sacks, one takeaway and a pick six. They are looking more and more like a team capable of running the table the rest of the way following their Week 1 loss to Oregon.
24. Oregon (3-1, Previous Rank: 22)
Week 5 Result: BYE
Next Week: vs. UCLA
The Ducks pulled out a win over USC, but saw starting quarterback Dante Moore carted off the field and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital after taking a late hit to the head. That makes their bye week well-timed, but it could still be backup Dylan Raiola under center against UCLA. With a Week 2 loss to Oklahoma State already in the books, slipping to 3-2 on the year would be a crushing blow to their already dinged College Football Playoff hopes.
23. Iowa (4-1, Previous Rank: 14)
Week 5 Result: LOSS vs. Ohio State (14-31)
Next Week: at Washington
After allowing 32 total points through their first four games, the Iowa defense was unable to contain Ohio State's high-powered offense. The Hawkeyes surrendered 324 passing yards, 160 rushing yards and 25 first downs, and Jeremiah Smith torched their secondary for 11 catches, 206 yards and two touchdowns. Iowa's two turnovers were also answered by Ohio State touchdowns, as the Buckeyes fully capitalized on their mistakes.
22. Pittsburgh (5-0, Previous Rank: NR)
Week 5 Result: WIN at Virginia Tech (35-33)
Next Week: vs. North Carolina
Virginia Tech and Pitt were picked to finish eighth and ninth, respectively, in the ACC's preseason media poll. However, both teams entered Friday's matchup undefeated with a good chance the winner would be part of next week's AP Top 25. The Panthers survived thanks to four Virginia Tech turnovers and a missed field goal as time expired, but they lost quarterback Mason Heintschel to injury early in the second half. He was later seen on crutches, with backup Holden Gernier (8/12, 78 yards, 1 TD) piloting the go-ahead touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter.
21. Oklahoma State (3-1, Previous Rank: 21)
Week 5 Result: BYE
Next Week: vs. UCF
Since starting the year with a head-scratching loss to Tulsa, the Cowboys have victories over then-No. 6 Oregon and previously undefeated West Virginia sandwiched around a blowout of Murray State, putting them back on the national radar. Drew Mestemaker entered Week 5 leading the Big 12 in passing yards (1,271) and passing touchdowns (11). However, he also has five interceptions, and the team has twice as many turnovers (8) as takeaways (4) through four games.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Nebraska (5-0, Previous Rank: NR)
Week 5 Result: WIN vs. Maryland (48-23)
Next Week: vs. Indiana
The Cornhuskers are off to their best start since 2016, when they went 7-0 and climbed to No. 7 in the AP poll before finishing 2-4 in their final six games. Anthony Colandrea had 238 passing yards, 108 rushing yards and three touchdowns as he continues to be one of the most impactful transfer quarterbacks in the country. With 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, Nebraska turned what was a close game for three quarters into a blowout.
19. USC (5-1, Previous Rank: 20)
Week 5 Result: WIN vs. Washington (25-21)
Next Week: at Penn State
In a relatively quiet game for Jayden Maiava (21/34, 245 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and the Trojans offense, the USC defense stepped up when it mattered. They held Washington to 1-for-12 on third-down conversions, forced six punts and halted a 15-play, 77-yard drive on the Huskies' final possession at the USC 18-yard line to preserve the victory.
18. UCLA (4-0, Previous Rank: 19)
Week 5 Result: BYE
Next Week: at Oregon
While they lack a true signature win, the Bruins have played four power conference opponents during their 4-0 start, beating Cal, San Diego State, Purdue and Maryland. They average a staggering 281.5 rushing yards per game, trailing only Army, Air Force, Navy and West Virginia in ground production. If they can survive Oregon coming out of the bye week, their conference schedule does not include Ohio State, Indiana or Iowa.
17. Mississippi State (4-1, Previous Rank: 9)
Week 5 Result: LOSS vs. Alabama (23-56)
Next Week: BYE
With two interceptions and a lost fumble, Kamario Taylor finally looked like a true freshman against the Alabama defense. He still had 258 passing yards and three touchdowns, but the giveaways contributed to a close game devolving into a blowout. The Bulldogs were forced to lean on his arm as the rushing game produced just 18 yards on 30 carries, and now they'll have a week to regroup before a road matchup against LSU on Oct. 17.
16. Duke (4-0, Previous Rank: 16)
Week 5 Result: BYE
Next Week: at Georgia Tech
The Blue Devils were dealt a blow when Darian Mensah left for Miami in the transfer portal, but that has not stopped them from opening the season 4-0 for the third time in the last four years. Running back Nate Shepard (91 carries, 644 rushing yards, 6 TD) leads the nation in rushing through four weeks, and they have outscored the opposition by a 145-44 margin during their undefeated start. They don't play a ranked opponent until Nov. 4 at Miami, though they do have a quality road win against Illinois on their resume.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Tennessee (4-1, Previous Rank: 18)
Week 5 Result: WIN vs. Auburn (24-14)
Next Week: at Arkansas
After recording seven punts and two turnovers on downs last week against Texas, the Tennessee offense struggled to find any momentum once again on Saturday before making a change at quarterback. Backup George MacIntyre completed 8-of-10 passes for 86 yards in relief, and running back DeSean Bishop carried the football 34 times for 220 yards and three second-half touchdowns to turn the tides offensively.
14. Florida (4-1, Previous Rank: 7)
Week 5 Result: LOSS at Missouri (17-45)
Next Week: vs. South Carolina
One week after a lopsided 52-28 victory over Ole Miss vaulted Florida into the national picture, they were on the receiving end of a similar blowout. The Gators pounded out 302 rushing yards against Ole Miss, with Jadan Baugh leading the charge with 29 carries for 142 yards and three touchdowns. That production was nowhere to be found on Saturday, as Baugh finished with 13 yards on 12 carries and the team had just 42 rushing yards.
13. Texas Tech (5-0, Previous Rank: 13)
Week 5 Result: WIN at Colorado (29-7)
Next Week: BYE
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders turned to Utah transfer Isaac Wilson for his first start of the year over a struggling Julian Lewis, and the Texas Tech defense welcomed him to action by picking him off three times in a game where they logged four total takeaways. The defense picked up the slack for a Red Raiders offense that finished 3-for-12 on third-down conversions while getting outgained 375-315 by Colorado, adding a pick six as part of a 17-point fourth quarter.
12. Missouri (4-1, Previous Rank: 23)
Week 5 Result: WIN vs. Florida (45-17)
Next Week: vs. Texas A&M
The recipe for success going into Saturday's matchup against Florida was to bottle up their running game and attack their defense with workhorse running back Jamal Roberts. They held the Gators to 42 yards on 25 carries, and Roberts finished with 24 carries for 211 yards and three touchdowns in a game that Missouri dominated from the second quarter on. A road loss to a good Mississippi State team stands as the only blemish on Missouri's resume.
11. Utah (4-0, Previous Rank: 12)
Week 5 Result: BYE
Next Week: vs. Kansas
The Utes are 4-0 with a clear path to get to 6-0 with Kansas and Colorado up next after their bye week, but that is followed by a grueling three-week stretch of games against Houston, Cincinnati and BYU. Dual-threat quarterback Devon Dampier has not done much damage with his legs yet this year, but he has taken a significant step forward with his efficiency in the passing game, raising his completion percentage (63.5% to 70.3%) while also improving his yards per attempt (7.5 to 8.9).
Nos. 10-6
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10. Ole Miss (3-1, Previous Rank: 15)
Week 5 Result: BYE
Next Week: at Vanderbilt
Despite a lopsided 52-28 loss to Florida in Week 4, this is still a dangerous Ole Miss team with quality wins over Louisville and LSU prior to that shellacking in Gainesville. Only 11 FBS teams are allowing more rushing yards per game than the 194.8 surrendered by the Ole Miss defense, though those numbers are skewed a bit by the staggering 302 yards they allowed last week. Heisman candidate Trinidad Chambliss enters Week 5 leading the SEC in passing yards (1,222) while tallying 12 total touchdowns.'
9. LSU (4-1, Previous Rank: 11)
Week 5 Result: WIN vs. McNeese (63-14)
Next Week: at Kentucky
While the rest of the SEC was either battling head-to-head or on a bye week, LSU had a Week 5 cupcake against McNeese that they entered as 53.5-point favorites. The final score was not quite that lopsided, but the outcome was never in doubt, as the Tigers finished with a staggering 731-196 advantage in total yardage. McNeese had more punts (10) than first downs (6), though they did find the end zone on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter.
8. BYU (4-0, Previous Rank: 10)
Week 5 Result: WIN at TCU (17-10)
Next Week: vs. Iowa State
Despite just 216 total yards of offense, BYU was able to grind out a conference win on the road against TCU to improve to 4-0 for the third year in a row. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown with a 21-yard run to cap off a 10-play, 72-yard drive that spanned nearly six minutes of game time. He threw for just 62 yards, but had 68 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries to provide the bulk of the offensive production.
7. Ohio State (4-1, Previous Rank: 6)
Week 5 Result: WIN at Iowa (31-14)
Next Week: vs. Maryland
The story going into Saturday's game was Ohio State's offense against Iowa's defense, and the Buckeyes won that battle decisively. Julian Sayin (20/27, 324 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT) and Jeremiah Smith (11 catches, 206 yards, 2 TD) put together another eye-popping performance through the air, while Ja'Kobi Jackson and Bo Jackson combined for 142 rushing yards on 30 carries. It was a quality road win against an Iowa team that had climbed all the way to No. 14 in the latest AP poll.
6. Indiana (5-0, Previous Rank: 5)
Week 5 Result: WIN at Rutgers (47-15)
Next Week: at Nebraska
The list of offensive standouts was a long one in a game where Indiana hung almost 600 yards of total offense on an overmatched Rutgers defense. Josh Hoover (20/27, 251 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT) had big games with Nick Marsh (7 catches, 120 yards, 1 TD) and Charlie Becker (8 catches, 107 yards, 2 TD) through the air, while Turbo Richard (13 carries, 204 yards, 1 TD) and Lee Bebee Jr. (18 carries, 122 yards, 1 TD) both passed the century mark on the ground. All 15 of Rutgers' points came in the second half, after they fell behind 37-0.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0, Previous Rank: 8)
5 of 10
Week 5 Result: WIN at Mississippi State (56-23)
Next Week: vs. Georgia
The Crimson Tide scored touchdowns on five straight possessions, starting with their final drive of the first half and running through the fourth quarter, turning a 21-14 game into a blowout by the time the final whistle sounded.
Keelon Russell won the battle of breakout quarterbacks against Kamario Taylor, completing 16-of-22 pass attempts for 285 yards and three touchdowns while also scoring his fourth rushing touchdown of the year.
On the defensive end, they controlled the game with four takeaways, five sacks and nine tackles for loss. The impressive victory adds even more juice to next weekend's matchup against Georgia.
4. Miami Hurricanes (5-0, Previous Rank: 4)
6 of 10
Week 5 Result: WIN at Clemson (41-13)
Next Week: BYE
Props to the Clemson defense for slowing down Darian Mensah (18/27, 227 yard, 1 TD, 0 INT) and Malachi Toney (5 catches, 40 yards).
However, the Hurricanes running game picked up the slack, with Mark Fletcher Jr. (16 carries, 77 yards, 2 TD) leading a group that finished with 192 yards and three scores. Mensah also added a 34-yard rushing score.
On the flip side, the run defense surrendered just 55 yards on 31 carries, forcing true freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds to attempt a season-high 41 passes. With that, the Hurricanes passed one of the toughest tests on their schedule with flying colors.
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-0, Previous Rank: 3)
7 of 10
Week 5 Result: WIN at North Carolina (37-26)
Next Week: vs. Stanford
A 98-yard kick return touchdown from North Carolina to open the second half cut Notre Dame's lead to 21-20, but they responded with 17 unanswered points to regain control and avoid an upset.
The Fighting Irish offense tallied 475 yards, despite sloppy weather, and CJ Carr completed 21-of-29 pass attempts for 234 yards and four touchdowns. He also added a fifth score on the ground, playing a part in all five of the team's scores.
The running game also played a significant role, despite not finding the end zone, piling up a season-high 241 yards on 45 carries. Jonaz Walton led the way with 120 yards on 23 carries.
2. Texas Longhorns (4-0, Previous Rank: 2)
8 of 10
Week 5 Result: BYE
Next Week: at Oklahoma
With a victory over then-No. 1 Ohio State and a road win against Tennessee in Week 4, the Longhorns have already put together an impressive resume, even if they only won those two games by a combined four points.
Arch Manning (63.5 cmp%, 862 yards, 7 TD, 3 INT) is not having the Heisman-caliber season many were expecting, but the running back tandem of Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown has been productive, leading a rushing attack averaging 147.3 yards per game.
The real strength of the team has been a defense that ranks inside the top 20 nationally in total yards allowed per game (271.0, 20th) and points allowed per game (13.3, 16th). Edge rusher Colin Simmons is off to a dizzying start with nine tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
1. Georgia Bulldogs (5-0, Previous Rank: 1)
9 of 10
Week 5 Result: WIN vs. Vanderbilt (38-14)
Next Week: at Alabama
The Bulldogs led 21-14 at halftime in a game where they were 25.5-point favorites, and they still almost covered that spread by outscoring the Commodores 17-0 after the break.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton had an efficient game under center, completing 25-of-32 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns, and 10 different players caught a pass as he spread it around nicely in the passing game.
The Commodores had just 49 yards of offense in the second half, including a 10-play, 35-yard drive that spanned seven minutes and ended in a turnover on downs immediately following a Georgia touchdown.
B/R Top 25 Ranking After Week 5
10 of 10
B/R Top 25
1. Georgia
2. Texas
3. Notre Dame
4. Miami
5. Alabama
6. Indiana
7. Ohio State
8. BYU
9. LSU
10. Ole Miss
11. Utah
12. Missouri
13. Texas Tech
14. Florida
15. Tennessee
16. Duke
17. Mississippi State
18. UCLA
19. USC
20. Nebraska
21. Oklahoma State
22. Pittsburgh
23. Iowa
24. Oregon
25. Boise State
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