Amway College Football Poll 2019: Week 5 Top 25 Rankings Announced
Week 4 was wild in college football. Between marquee matchups, shocking upsets and a game that featured a remarkable comeback and 130 total points, college football fans took a wild ride this weekend.
So how did that impact the Amway Coaches Poll heading into Week 5? We'll take a look at the latest poll below along with breaking down the exciting week that was and previewing the top matchups in the week to come.
Hopefully, they'll provide as many thrills as this week.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Rankings
1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Georgia
4. Oklahoma
5. LSU
6. Ohio State
7. Auburn
8. Florida
9. Wisconsin
10. Notre Dame
11. Penn State
12. Texas
13. Oregon
14. Iowa
15. Boise State
16. California
17. Washington
18. Virginia
19. Utah
20. Michigan
21. Texas A&M
22. Kansas State
23. UCF
24. Wake Forest
25. USC
Teams dropped from rankings: Washington State, Arizona State
Recap
The Georgia Bulldogs passed the first major test they'll face in their bid to win a national championship this season, beating Notre Dame 23-17 in a marquee matchup between two top-10 teams that lived up to the hype.
While Notre Dame was able to move the ball, accumulating 321 yards of total offense, Georgia's defense completely stymied its run game (just 46 yards on 14 attempts) and forced two turnovers.
That was enough for the Bulldogs trio of quarterback Jake Fromm (187 passing yards, one score), running back D'Andre Swift (100 yards from scrimmage, one touchdown) and wideout Lawrence Cager (five receptions for 82 yards and a score) to lead Georgia's offense to the win.
"That's what college football is all about, man," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said after the game, per the Associated Press. "I hate that somebody had to lose that game. I've got a lot of respect for the way they played, and all the negative things they've heard, and to come out and play the way they did. They played really physical as a team, and so did we. We persevered."
For Notre Dame, the question will be how it responds. One loss won't automatically end its playoff hopes, but with matchups against Virginia, USC and Michigan still on the schedule, the road ahead of the program is hardly a cakewalk.
None of the other favorites to reach the College Football Playoff suffered setbacks this week, with Clemson, Alabama, LSU and Ohio State all cruising to wins. The race to the SEC Championship Game in the loaded SEC West had another question answered Saturday, meanwhile, when Auburn beat Texas A&M 28-20, handing the Aggies their second loss on the season.
That all but ended Texas A&M's playoff hopes.
"We don't have a bad football team, we've just got to get them to play better and that's my job," Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher told the AP.
Auburn remained undefeated, but the schedule won't do it any favors as the season progresses, with matchups against Florida, LSU, Georgia and Alabama yet to come. All four of those teams are currently ranked in the top 10, leaving Auburn with one of the most brutal schedules in the country.
Not every potential playoff contender left Week 4 unscathed, however. Utah was upset by USC on Friday 30-23, while Michigan was beat up by Wisconsin on Saturday 35-14, and UCF lost to Pittsburgh later that day 35-34.
And Saturday night featured one of the wildest games in recent memory when UCLA overcame a 49-17 deficit early in the third quarter to shock Washington State 67-63.
Arizona State and Colorado also lost Saturday as the rankings saw a major shakeup this week.
They might again next week too with several fascinating matchups on tap. In the Pac-12, Arizona State will look to lick its wounds against California, Utah will try to do the same vs. Washington State, and USC will take on Washington. Notre Dame will look to get back on track against a tough Virginia side, while Ohio State will look to keep on rolling against Nebraska.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
