College Football Rankings 2019: Latest Standings and Predictions for Week 5

Heading into Week 5 of the college football season, Alabama and Clemson remain the class of the nation. The second tier of elite teams is both defined and crowded, though.

Georgia cemented its place as a championship contender with a 23-17 victory over then-No. 7 Notre Dame. LSU and Ohio State continued steamrolling its opposition, too. For good measure, Auburn and Wisconsin also earned marquee wins.

However, the next tier of contenders will be trimmed in Week 5.

Notre Dame hosts undefeated Virginia, and Washington takes on USC in an important early Pac-12 showdown. While those matchups are the only Top 25 clashes, several more ranked programs have a tricky conference foe on the slate.

Championships aren't won in September, but they can be lost.

Week 5 AP Top 25

1. Clemson (4-0)
2. Alabama (4-0)
3. Georgia (4-0)
4. LSU (4-0)
5. Ohio State (4-0)
6. Oklahoma (3-0)
7. Auburn (4-0)
8. Wisconsin (3-0) 
9. Florida (4-0)
10. Notre Dame (2-1)
11. Texas (3-1)
12. Penn State (3-0)
13. Oregon (3-1)
14. Iowa (3-0)
15. Cal (4-0)
16. Boise State (4-0)
17. Washington (3-1)
18. Virginia (4-0)
19. Utah (3-1)
20. Michigan (2-1)
21. USC (3-1)
22. UCF (3-1)
23. Texas A&M (2-2)
24. Kansas State (3-0)
25. Michigan State (3-1)

Five Top 25 teams―Georgia, LSU, Texas, Oregon and Boise State―are headed into an idle weekend. Florida (Towson) and Iowa (Middle Tennessee) are preparing for what should be a comfortable win. Those seven programs figure to remain steady in the poll.

Unless Clemson or Alabama somehow lose to North Carolina or Ole Miss, respectively, though, the biggest movement will happen in the middle.

Chris Gardner/Getty Images

At 3:30 p.m. ET, both Top 25 showdowns will kick off. Notre Dame must rebound from a tight loss at Georgia, while Virginia needs to move past a near-disaster against Old Dominion. Washington and USC are both hoping to secure a critical Pac-12 win.

Right now, we're favoring the home teams.

Notre Dame could be in trouble if the run defense isn't stronger. All three opponents have averaged at least 4.6 yards per carry, and Virginia is most effective when Bryce Perkins can utilize his mobility. Still, the Irish have a talented front seven that is capable of limiting the dual-threat quarterback.

USC is coming off an enormous win over Utah, but Washington's secondary presents a massive test―no matter if Kedon Slovis or Matt Fink is under center. The Huskies have surrendered no more than 6.6 yards per attempt in any game.

Were it not for a couple of Week 4 results, the upcoming slate probably would've had another Top 25 clash.

Utah hosts Washington State, which wasted a nine-touchdown performance from Anthony Gordon and blew a 32-point lead in a stunning loss to UCLA. The Cougs will challenge a Utah secondary that just allowed 368 passing yards to USC.

However, the Utes should torch the Wazzu defense and have the benefit of home-field advantage. Neither result would be surprising, but Utah is our early pick.

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.