College Football Power Rankings: The Top 25 Quarterbacks Heading Into Week 5

Another week is in the books and the continual shifting force that is college football has shown us the game in new light once again. 

Alabama and Arkansas faced off in arguably the best matchup of the year to this point, with two of the top quarterbacks in the country under center; but neither was overly impressive. 

Boise State's Kellen Moore, on the other hand, was on fire as he and the Broncos yet again proved to the country just how good they are. 

Some of the nation's best were up and some were down. Here's how things look at the quarterback position heading into Week 5.

You can check out last week's rankings here. 

25. Geno Smith, West Virginia

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BATON ROUGE, LA - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Geno Smith #12 of the West Virginia Mountaineers avoids a tackle by Sam Montgomery #99 of the Louisiana State University Tigers at Tiger Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Tigers def

2010 Stats

Yards: 919 / TD: 9 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 65.4 / Rating: 144.53

Geno Smith had a really bad game against LSU, but he played really well in the first three weeks of the season and earned his place in the top 25. 

After he went 14-29 for 119 yards with two touchdowns and an interception during the Mountaineers' loss to the Tigers, he'll have to do better if he's going to be back on the list next week. 

24. Dayne Crist, Notre Dame

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SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 25: Dayne Crist #10 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish passes the ball against the Stanford Cardinal at Notre Dame Stadium on September 25, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. Stanford defated Notre Dame 37-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/

2010 Stats

Yards: 1,155 / TD: 8 / INT: 3 / CMP%: 59.3 / Rating: 137.61

Crist passed for over 300 yards for the second consecutive week on Saturday, but the end result was another loss for the Fighting Irish. 

Unlike the Week 3 overtime loss to Michigan State, in which Crist exploded for 369 yards and four touchdowns, his 300-yard performance in a bad loss to Stanford wasn't nearly as impressive. 

23. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska

2010 Stats

Yards: 532 / TD: 2 / INT: 3 / CMP%: 59.6 / Rating: 139.10 / Rushing Yards: 496 / AVG: 9.4 / TD: 8

Martinez wasn't needed for much in Nebraska's Week 4 win over South Dakota State, but his performance in limited minutes was forgettable. 

After rushing for at least 100 yards and two touchdowns in each of his first three games, Martinez was held to 75 yards rushing and failed to find the end zone. He also was 6-14 for 140 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. 

22. Blaine Gabbert, Missouri

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ST. LOUIS - SEPTEMBER 4: Blaine Gabbert #11 of the University of Missouri Tigers looks to pass against the University of Illinois Fighting Illini during the State Farm Arch Rivalry game on September 4, 2010 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri.

2010 Stats

Yards: 1,039 / TD: 5 / INT: 3 / CMP%: 68.2 / Rating: 132.97 

If you take away Gabbert's interception against Miami (OH), he had a near-perfect game in Missouri's 51-13 win; of course we can't do that though. 

Gabbert was 15-21 with 187 yards and a touchdown, adding another 20 yards rushing with a second score. Of course, if the game were closer, his stats would've been much more impressive. 

21. Nick Foles, Arizona

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TUCSON, AZ - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Nick Foles #8 of the Arizona Wildcats scrambles with the ball during the college football game against the California Golden Bears at Arizona Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated

2010 Stats

Yards: 1,089 / TD: 6 / INT: 4 / CMP%: 74.5 / Rating: 149.84 

Foles and Arizona have been one of the biggest early-season surprises in 2010, having gone 4-0 with its most recent wins coming against Iowa and Cal. 

Despite the fact that Foles has thrown an interception in every contest, he's completing nearly 75 percent of his passes and is 13th in the nation in passing yards

20. Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M

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COLLEGE STATION, TX - NOVEMBER 26: Quarterback Jerrod Johnson #1 of the Texas A&M Aggies looks to throw the ball downfield to an open receiver against the Texas Longhorns in the second half at Kyle Field on November 26, 2009 in College Station, Texas. The

2010 Stats

Yards: 865 / TD: 7 / INT: 4 / CMP%: 58.7 / Rating: 139.23

After starting the year red-hot, Jerrod Johnson put up a performance to forget in Texas A&M's 27-20 victory over Florida International in Week 3, and then was off last week. 

Johnson was 11-of-31 for 194 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions against FIU. Against a better opponent, the Aggies lose that game badly. 

19. Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech

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CHESTNUT HILL, MA - SEPTEMBER 25: Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Virginia Tech Hokies scrambles in the second quarter against the Boston College Eagles on September 25, 2010 at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Yards: 746 / TD: 5 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 65.3 / Rating: 165.55 / Rushing Yards: 201 / AVG: 4.3 / TD: 0

Taylor has had a season to forget through the first four weeks of the year. Not only have the Hokies suffered two losses, but Taylor hasn't even looked very good in the wins. 

In Virginia Tech's 19-0 victory over Boston College, Taylor was OK, that's about all. He threw for 237 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, and was held in check on the ground as well. 

18. Kirk Cousins, Michigan State

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SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 19: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Michigan State Spartans turns to hand off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on September 19, 2009 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Michigan State 33-30. (Photo by J

2010 Stats

Yards: 863 / TD: 6 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 67.0 / Rating: 164.06 

Cousins hasn't been spectacular, but he's been a model of consistency though the first third of the season, and Michigan State is 4-0.

It might have been Northern Colorado instead of Notre Dame, but Cousins had his best game of the season going 16-20 for 290 yards and two touchdowns. 

17. Jacory Harris, Miami

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PITTSBURGH - SEPTEMBER 23: Jacory Harris #12 of the Miami Hurricanes drops back to pass against the Pittsburgh Panthers on September 23, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Yards: 690 / TD: 6 / INT: 6 / CMP%: 64.0 / Rating: 140.42

Harris couldn't have done any worse than his four-interception game against Ohio State a couple weeks ago, so his performance against Pitt on Thursday looked even better than it normally would. 

He still struggled with turnovers early, with two interceptions, but closed strong in Miami's 31-3 win. Harris had 248 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the night and, if he continues to play better, he'll stop dropping down the list. 

16. Christian Ponder, Florida State

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NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 11: Quarterback Christian Ponder #7 of the Florida State Seminoles drops back to pass against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 11, 2010 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Ge

2010 Stats

Yards: 672 / TD: 7 / INT: 3 / CMP%: 61.0 / Rating: 134.55 / Rushing Yards: 91 / AVG: 2.6 / TD: 2

Ponder has rebounded well from his poor performance against Oklahoma a couple of weeks back, putting up an efficient showing against BYU, and then really hitting his stride in FSU's 31-0 shutout over Wake Forest. 

Ponder was 24-37 for 243 yards and two touchdowns, with a third score coming on the ground. 

15. Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

2010 Stats

Yards: 975 / TD: 11 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 73.3 / Rating: 186.33

Weeden was left off the list after the first couple of games of the season as we waited to see if he was legit. He had a monster game in Week 3, and the Cowboys were off last weekend. 

While Washington State, Troy, and Tulsa aren't exactly the type of competition you'd like to measure a quarterback against, his numbers have been very impressive. 

14. Matt Barkley, USC

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MINNEAPOLIS - SEPTEMBER 18: Quarterback Matt Barkley #7 of the USC Trojans in action during the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on September 18, 2010 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Yards: 941 / TD: 12 / INT: 4 / CMP%: 65.1 / Rating: 166.65 

Barkley put up some big numbers against Washington State, though he's struggled with turnovers the last couple of weeks, and that isn't a good trend. 

With 290 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in Week 4, Barkley looked solid outside of those couple mistakes; still, he hasn't really been tested yet. 

13. Robert Griffin III, Baylor

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WACO, TX - OCTOBER 04: Quarterback Robert Griffin #10 of the Baylor Bears drops back to pass against the Oklahoma Sooners at Floyd Casey Stadium on October 4, 2008 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Yards: 971 / TD: 8 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 59.1 / Rating: 140.92 / Rushing Yards: 157 / AVG: 4.4 / TD: 3

Griffin hasn't be quite the rushing threat he was a couple of years ago before he got injured, but he's still a dangerous dual-threat passer who really showed off his skills against Rice in Baylor's 30-13 victory. 

Griffin was 20-28 for 268 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed 11 times for 50 yards. 

12. Ricky Stanzi, Iowa

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TUCSON, AZ - SEPTEMBER 18: Quarterback Ricky Stanzi #12 of the Iowa Hawkeyes in action during the college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Hawkeyes 34-27.

2010 Stats

Yards: 999 / TD: 9 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 66.7 / Rating: 179.41 

Stanzi and Iowa might have suffered a tough loss to Arizona a couple of weeks back, but that doesn't change the fact that he's playing about as well as almost any quarterback in the country. 

He had a good outing against Arizona even though the Hawkeyes lost, and then he was pretty much flawless in Iowa's 45-0 win over Ball State.

11. Cameron Newton, Auburn

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Cameron Newton #2 of the Auburn Tigers dives across the offensive and defensive lines for a touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks before it was called back for a false start at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Septem

2010 Stats

Yards: 683 / TD: 9 / INT: 3 / CMP%: 63.2 / Rating: 182.46 / Rushing Yards: 485 / AVG: 6.5 / TD: 5

In a huge conference win over South Carolina, Newton had the best game of his career against a tough Gamecocks defense. 

He's been really good so far this season, but Newton was great in this one with 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air and 176 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. 

10. Colin Kaepernick, Nevada

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COLUMBIA, MO - SEPTEMBER 13: Quarterback Colin Kaepernick #10 of the Nevada Wolf Pack rolls out during the first half of the game against the Missouri Tigers on September 13, 2008 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty I

2010 Stats

Yards: 924 / TD: 6 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 68.9 / Rating: 158.88 / Rushing Yards: 451 / AVG: 8.1 / TD: 8

Kaepernick had his worst game of the season against BYU, but Nevada still walked away with a win and his performance wasn't really bad either.

He had 278 total yards, a touchdown through the air and one on the ground, though he did throw an interception to dampen the effort somewhat. 

9. Jake Locker, Washington

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 18: Quarterback Jake Locker #10 of the Washington Huskies looks on during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on September 18, 2010 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Yards: 626 / TD: 6 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 51.1 / Rating: 127.10 / Rushing Yards: 100 / AVG: 3.7 / TD: 2

Locker was bad against Nebraska in Week 3, really bad. Some are calling it the worst game of his college career, and it's hard to argue against such a notion.

He was 4-of-20 for 71 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions, adding 59 yards and a score on the ground in the Huskies' 56-21 loss. Washington was off this week, but that still didn't stop Locker from dropping a little in the rankings. 

8. Greg McElroy, Alabama

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FAYETTEVILLE - SEPTEMBER 25: Greg McElroy #12 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks to pass against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Alabama won 24-20. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty

2010 Stats

Yards: 899 / TD: 7 / INT: 3 / CMP%: 70.9 / Rating: 178.62

McElroy didn't look as sharp in Week 4 as he had in previous weeks this season, but Arkansas is no joke and the Tide walked out of the contest undefeated, so you can't complain much. 

Alabama's steady veteran passed for 194 yards and a touchdown, with a pair of interceptions as well. 

7. Russell Wilson, N.C. State

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RALEIGH, NC - SEPTEMBER 16: Russell Wilson #16 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack runs with the ball against the Cincinnati Bearcats during their game at Carter-Finley Stadium on September 16, 2010 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/

2010 Stats

Yards: 1,112 / TD: 11 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 59.9 / Rating: 149.79 / Rushing Yards: 84 / AVG: 2.4 / TD: 1

Wilson has been spectacular the last couple of weeks with back-to-back 300-yard, three-touchdown games as N.C. State has remained unbeaten through four games. 

Against Georgia Tech, Wilson orchestrated an unlikely 45-28 victory with 368 yards and three touchdowns, adding a fourth score rushing the ball. 

6. Landry Jones, Oklahoma

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

CINCINNATI - SEPTEMBER 25: Landry Jones #12 of the Oklahoma Sooners throws a pass during the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Paul Brown Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Yards: 1,221 / TD: 9 / INT: 3 / CMP%: 64.5 / Rating: 139.21 

Landry blew up against Cincinnati in yet another close game for Oklahoma, and without him you'd have to wonder how good this team would be right now. 

Landry had 370 yards and a pair of touchdowns with over a 70 percent completion rate, though he did turn the ball over once as well. 

5. Denard Robinson, Michigan

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 11: Denard Robinson #16 of the Michigan Wolverines rolls out to look for a receiver against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on September 11, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. Michigan defeated Notre Dame 28-24. (P

2010 Stats

Yards: 731 / TD: 4 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 71.3 / Rating: 162.01 / Rushing Yards: 688 / AVG: 8.7 / TD: 6

Robinson injured his knee in Michigan's blowout win over Bowling Green and was forced to leave the contest, though there was no need for him to play at that point anyway. He's expected to start in Week 5 and should be good to go.

While he was a complete non-factor in the passing game, Robinson did continue to his streak on the ground with 129 yards and a pair of scores off five carries.

4. Andrew Luck, Stanford

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 25: Andrew Luck #12 of the Stanford Cardinal runs for yardage as Kerry Neal #56 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish closes in at Notre Dame Stadium on September 25, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Image

2010 Stats

Yards: 912 / TD: 11 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 62.7 / Rating: 169.52 / Rushing Yards: 163 / AVG: 9.6 / TD: 1

Luck had the chance to jump into the discussion for the top spot in Stanford's game against Notre Dame on Saturday. While the Cardinal won the contest, Luck didn't help his case to be the nation's top passer. 

He threw for 238 yards and a touchdown off 19-32 passing, but threw a pair of interceptions as well. 

3. Kellen Moore, Boise State

Otto Kitsinger III/Getty Images

BOISE, ID - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Kellen Moore #11 of the Boise State Broncos looks for a receiver against the Oregon State Beaversat Bronco Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Otto Kitsinger III/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Yards: 873 / TD: 8 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 65.3 / Rating: 168.13

Moore and Boise State proved they deserved their ranking against Virginia Tech, but the Hokies ruined that by losing to James Madison the following week. Well, seeing that the Broncos dispensed Oregon State, there's no argument against them now. 

Moore looked great and is putting together what's looking more and more like a legit Heisman campaign, though it would be shocking to see him pull it off. 

2. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

FAYETTEVILLE - SEPTEMBER 25: Ryan Mallett #15 of the Arkansas Razorbacks tries to avoid pressure from Courtney Upshaw #41 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Alabama won 24-2

2010 Stats

Yards: 1,438 / TD: 10 / INT: 5 / CMP%: 68.8 / Rating: 173.04 

If Mallett had played just a little bit better against Alabama, Arkansas would have won the game and he'd be on the fast track for the Heisman, but it obviously didn't go down like that. 

Mallett turned the ball over three times, making some serious mistakes that cost his team big-time. He still managed to pass for 357 yards and a touchdown, but this was his chance to really show his worth. 

1. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 25: Terrelle Pryor #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes passes against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Ohio Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State won 73-20. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

2010 Stats

Yards: 939 / TD: 10 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 66.4 / Rating: 167.18 / Rushing Yards: 269 / AVG: 6.3 / TD: 3

Pryor was absolutely flawless against Eastern Michigan. While that's not exactly the toughest opponent, with Mallett's down week it'll put the Buckeyes' man in the No. 1 spot for at least a week. 

Pryor was 20-26 for 224 yards and four touchdowns, adding another 104 yards rushing and a fifth score.