College Football Rankings 2015: Top Reaction to Week 5 AP Poll and Standings
The Big Ten continues to rule the AP Top 25 poll. While neither Ohio State nor Michigan State was overly impressive in beating their nonconference opponents on Saturday, the Buckeyes and the Spartans remain the No. 1 and 2 teams in the nation.
"Ohio State stays No. 1 with 106 of 125 first-place votes in AP and coaches polls http://t.co/ogNie12jF5
— Doug Lesmerises (@DougLesmerises) September 27, 2015"
Ohio State defeated Western Michigan 38-12, winning by a fairly comfortable margin after the Broncos played them close for a half, while the Spartans outlasted Central Michigan, 30-10. However, Michigan State had just a 17-10 lead at the start of the fourth quarter and was being outgained by the visitors from the MAC Conference.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
"How in the world can AP poll voters justify Michigan State at 2 and Utah at 10? Butch Jones level idiocy there.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravisBGID) September 27, 2015"
Ole Miss was tied for the No. 3 spot last week with TCU, but the Rebels hold that spot by themselves after a tough 27-16 victory over Vanderbilt.
| 1 | Ohio State | 4-0 | 1,482 (45) | 1 |
| 2 | Michigan State | 4-0 | 1,397 (5) | 2 |
| 3 | Mississippi | 4-0 | 1,349 (10) | T-3 |
| 4 | TCU | 4-0 | 1,254 | T-3 |
| 5 | Baylor | 3-0 | 1,196 | 5 |
| 6 | Notre Dame | 4-0 | 1,163 | 6 |
| 7 | UCLA | 4-0 | 1,156 | 9 |
| 8 | Georgia | 4-0 | 1,147 | 7 |
| 9 | LSU | 3-0 | 1,075 | 8 |
| 10 | Utah | 4-0 | 1,034 (1) | 18 |
| 11 | Florida State | 3-0 | 888 | 10 |
| 12 | Clemson | 3-0 | 853 | 11 |
| 13 | Alabama | 3-1 | 850 | 12 |
| 14 | Texas A&M | 4-0 | 776 | 14 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 4-0 | 747 | 15 |
| 16 | Northwestern | 4-0 | 566 | 17 |
| 17 | USC | 3-1 | 509 | 19 |
| 18 | Stanford | 3-1 | 486 | 21 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 3-1 | 309 | 22 |
| 20 | Oklahoma State | 4-0 | 281 | 24 |
| 21 | Mississippi State | 3-1 | 211 | NR |
| 22 | Michigan | 3-1 | 209 | NR |
| 23 | West Virginia | 3-0 | 179 | NR |
| 24 | California | 4-0 | 149 | NR |
| 25 | Florida | 4-0 | 140 | NR |
TCU had a much more difficult opponent in Texas Tech, and it showed as the Horned Frogs were pushed to the limit before pulling out a 55-52 victory. That tooth-and-nail triumph left them as the No. 4 team in the country.
"TCU's miracle, game-winning TD catch was almost overshadowed by one of the wackiest plays we've seen all season http://t.co/cG9xAZjMZu
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) September 27, 2015"
Baylor and Notre Dame held on to their spots as the No. 5 and 6 teams in the poll, but UCLA jumped from ninth to seventh after the Bruins rolled to an impressive 56-30 road triumph over Arizona in Tuscon Saturday night.
UCLA bypassed Georgia and LSU of the SEC, who have the No. 8 and 9 spots in the poll.
The biggest move of the week cam from Utah, as the Utes jumped from the No. 18 spot to 10th by virtue of their shocking 62-20 win over Oregon in Eugene. That's the kind of victory that opens up the eyes of voters throughout the country, and the 4-0 Utes could climb further in the coming weeks. Oregon fell out of the rankings for the first time since September of 2009. Many of the pundits believe the Utes deserve an even higher ranking.
"People who don't think Utah belongs in the Top 5 right now... which 5 other teams have had victories over teams that do impress you then?
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) September 27, 2015"
Utah's opening victory of the season came over Michigan, and the Wolverines have not lost since under first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. Michigan pounded out a shocking 31-0 triumph over Brigham Young this week. UCLA struggled in beating Brigham Young last week, but the Wolverines and their bone-crunching defense did as they pleased and moved into the No. 22 spot in the rankings.
"UM’s defense ranked No. 2 nationally http://t.co/6MUXWWYEtF via @detroitnews
— angelique (@chengelis) September 27, 2015"
Michigan is the fifth Big Ten team in the Top 25. In addition to Ohio State and Michigan State, Northwestern is the No. 16 team in the poll, while Wisconsin checks in at No. 19.
It's the first appearance for Michigan in the Top 25 this year, and Florida also moved into the rankings for the first time at the No. 25 spot after its come-from-behind win over Tennessee.
The Pac-12 also has five teams in the Top 25, while the SEC leads the way with six teams in the AP poll.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
