NCAA Football Rankings 2016: Predicting Top Movers in Week 5 Post-Week 4 Results
It was another wild weekend in the world of college football, and once again there will be a shakeup in the Top 10.
For the third time in four weeks, at least one Top 10 team lost, with the Michigan State Spartans falling victim this week.
The Top 25 rankings have been shaken up significantly on a weekly basis this year, which makes it somewhat difficult to predict how the voters will react to the latest batch of upsets.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Four different teams received first-place votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll last week, indicating there is still not a consensus among voters. And with five more teams in the Top 20 suffering defeats, this week's poll with look substantially different once again.
The latest poll will be released on Sunday afternoon. Based on past voting trends, here is a projection of how it may look:
| 1 | Alabama | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 3-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Louisville | 4-0 | 3 |
| 4 | Michigan | 4-0 | 4 |
| 5 | Clemson | 4-0 | 5 |
| 6 | Houston | 4-0 | 6 |
| 7 | Stanford | 3-0 | 7 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 4-0 | 11 |
| 9 | Washington | 4-0 | 9 |
| 10 | Texas A&M | 4-0 | 10 |
| 11 | Tennessee | 4-0 | 14 |
| 12 | Florida State | 3-1 | 13 |
| 13 | Baylor | 4-0 | 16 |
| 14 | Miami FL | 3-0 | 15 |
| 15 | Nebraska | 4-0 | 20 |
| 16 | Utah | 4-0 | 24 |
| 17 | Ole Miss | 2-2 | 23 |
| 18 | Texas | 2-1 | 21 |
| 19 | San Diego State | 3-0 | 22 |
| 20 | Michigan State | 2-1 | 8 |
| 21 | Georgia | 3-1 | 12 |
| 22 | Arkansas | 3-1 | 17 |
| 23 | TCU | 3-1 | NR |
| 24 | Oklahoma | 1-2 | 25 |
| 25 | Boise State | 3-0 | NR |
Wisconsin Badgers
It hasn't always been pretty, but the Wisconsin Badgers are 4-0 and have two of the most high-profile wins in the nation.
Where to place Wisconsin in the Top 25 will likely be a decision pollsters struggle with this week. The Badgers defeated Michigan State and LSU when both teams were ranked in the Top 10. However, saying Wisconsin has two Top 10 victories is extremely misleading, as LSU is now 2-2 and likely will not be ranked in any polls this week.
Regardless of where Wisconsin is ranked, its season will be determined over the next few weeks. Wisconsin travels to Michigan on Saturday and then, following a bye, hosts Ohio State.
Taking on the two Big Ten powerhouse programs is a tough task for redshirt-freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook, who made his first career start against Michigan State.
Hornibrook performed well against a tough Spartans defense, completing 16 of 26 attempts for 195 yards. However, he will likely be asked to carry a much heavier load next week against Michigan due to the Wolverines ability to light up the scoreboard.
Tennessee Volunteers
What are we supposed to make of Butch Jones' Tennessee Volunteers?
Tennessee has arguably been the most inconsistent team in college football this season, demonstrating wild swings in performance within games and from week to week.
The Vols are 4-0 and at times look like a legitimate Top 10 team capable of competing for a spot in the playoffs. However, they have also looked sloppy in close wins against Appalachian State and Ohio.
The ugly Vols offense showed up again this week, as it managed just three first-half points against the Florida Gators. But that same offense then exploded for five second-half touchdowns against a staunch Gators defense.
In order to rank Tennessee this week, voters will have to determine how much they value performance versus straight results.
If Voters don't care how ugly a win looks, Tennessee has a legitimate case to crack the top 10 thanks to two quality wins over Florida and Virginia Tech. But for voters who care about style points, the Vols probably still have a lot more to prove.
Houston Cougars
The Houston Cougars have a tough task ahead of them to remain near the top of the rankings. Since they are expected to run the table in the American conference, they can't afford to give voters any reason to drop them in the rankings.
Very few voters will watch Houston on a weekly basis this season, which means the Cougars have to impress with their results in the box score. And that's exactly what they did this week against Texas State.
The Cougars lit up the scoreboard with a 64-3 victory, earning some important style points.
Quarterback Greg Ward was obviously only needed for a portion of the game, but he took advantage of his time on the field, going 20-of-26 for 289 yards and two touchdowns.
Houston will have another opportunity to play on in front of a national audience on Thursday when they host UConn at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
