Week 5 of the college football season delivered everything fans could ask for. It started with two ranked teams, including Florida State suffering upset losses on Friday night and that was only the appetizer. An incredible slate of ranked-versus-ranked games on Saturday delivers a whole lot of shakeup to the top 25 rankings after Week 5.
Let’s dive into the Week 6 college football rankings, examining the 25 best college football teams right now following Saturday’s Week 5 action.
Related: Winners, Losers from College Football Week 5
25. Utah Utes (Previously: Unranked)
Recovering from an ugly showing against Texas Tech’s defense, Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier put West Virginia on the receiving end of his wrath. It’s not easy to make a cross-country trip and play early in the day, but the Utes made it look easy in Week 5. Dampier’s five total touchdowns and a stingy Utes’ third-down defense were all this team needed. It’s a nice recovery for Dampier, but he will need to do a better job protecting the football in two weeks if Utah is going to beat Arizona State.
24. Louisville Cardinals (Unranked)
A theme for many of the best college football teams this week seemed to be rallying from behind. That’s exactly the deep hole the Louisville Cardinals found themselves in early. After falling behind 17-0 in Pittsburgh entering the second quarter, Louisville put up 17 unanswered points. The Panthers answered, taking a 27-17 lead into the half. From there, Louisville’s defense shut them out, and a great fourth-quarter performance from Miller Moss sealed Louisville’s undefeated record through four games.
23. Arizona State Sun Devils (Unranked)
Week 5 couldn’t have gone more perfectly for the Arizona State Sun Devils. It started on Friday night with a victory over previously undefeated TCU. The Sam Leavitt-Jordyn Tyson combo delivered two big touchdowns, with the first providing Arizona State with a spark after it trailed 17-0 early. After the Sun Devils won on a last-second field goal, they watched as Mississippi State proved that Week 2 road loss was just a tough battle against an excellent team in a raucous environment. Arizona State is back on track and it now has two weeks to prepare for the Utah Utes.
22. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (22)
Coming into Week 5, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense had just 3 takeaways and 4 sacks on the season. Facing the Arkansas Razorbacks offense on Saturday, Notre Dame sacked quarterback Taylen Green three times and forced two takeaways. This unit is still allowing a high yards-per-play average, ranking 101st entering this week, but takeaways mean more opportunities for an offense that is now firing on all cylinders.
Related: Notre Dame Game Today, Fighting Irish Football Schedule 2025
21. Michigan Wolverines (15)
The good news for the Michigan Wolverines is that the bye week provided Bryce Underwood more time to sharpen his rapport with these receivers and get more familiar with this offense. However, reps are the ultimate teacher. A talented Michigan roster should be able to dispatch Wisconsin this coming Saturday, but Underwood will need to make some bigger plays with his arm and starting helping this passing game become more consistent. Otherwise, that USC defense could pose big trouble in two weeks.
20. Illinois Fighting Illini (21)
It was another brutal showing for this Illinois Fighting Illini defense, which has now allowed 490-plus total yards in consecutive game. To make matters worse, two fumbles in Trojans’ territory wiped out scoring drives, including a potential game-sealing touchdown. Yet there was Luke Altmyer capping off an already crisp performance with a game-winning two-minute drill. Illinois needed that one, especially since a road game versus Ohio State is just two weeks away.
19. Vanderbilt Commodores (20)
Vanderbilt University might need to name a building after Diego Pavia down the line. The Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback put on a show in Week 5, scoring 6 total touchdowns with 321 passing yards and a team-high 74 rushing yards. The Commodores needed it to, as this Commodores’ defense didn’t play particularly well at home versus Utah State. Now 5-0 on the season, Vanderbilt has scored 55-plus points in consecutive games and it’ll take something close to beat Alabama in Week 6.
18. Florida State Seminoles (7)
On the fortunate side for the Florida State Seminoles, wide receiver Squirrel White thankfully wasn’t injured when Virginia’s student section rushed the field mere split-seconds after the Cavaliers upset the Seminoles. There are fingers that can be pointed everywhere from Florida State. Going 6-for-15 on third downs and also getting shut out in the first quarter is a bad look. As is this defense allowing 440 total yards to Virginia. The lack of execution and preparedness ultimately falls on Mike Norvell’s shoulders and it’s a very bad look for this team ahead of a road game against the Miami Hurricanes.
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17. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (19)
On the one hand, needing overtime to beat Wake Forest could be a knock on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. However, what Haynes King and this program showed is that they can rally from a 17-point deficit on the road in the second half and win it. As Week 5 demonstrated (Florida State), that’s not easy. What matters is Haynes King continues to play at an incredibly high level and the Yellow Jackets are still undefeated.
16. Missouri Tigers (18)
The Missouri Tigers will go as far as running back Ahmad Hardy can take them. Saturday marked his third consecutive game with 135-plus rushing yards, and he’s scored at least one touchdown in 10 consecutive games dating back to last season. Mizzou did whatever it wanted offensively to UMass in Week 5, coasting to a perfect record and a ton of confidence heading into the bye. When the Tigers return, Alabama comes to town.
15. LSU Tigers (4)
With Caden Durham (ankle) out for Week 5, the already shaky LSU Tigers ground game was going to be a problem. Sure enough, LSU finished averaging just 2.7 yards per carry with only a single run gaining 10-plus yards. That takes some of the blame off quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, but he also hasn’t been anything like a Heisman candidate nor a future top-10 pick in some big games. LSU desperately needed this Week 6 bye to try and figure some things out.
14. Tennessee Volunteers (17)
The Tennessee Volunteers just learned how difficult it is to face Mississippi State at home this year, but they came out on top of it. It was an unusually sloppy game for the Vols’ offense, with Joey Aguilar getting picked off twice, Braylon Staley having an issue with drops, and a questionable OPI on Chris Brazzell II wiping out a touchdown. So, the Vols’ defense delivered two touchdowns of its own. That’s all Tennessee needed, with Aguilar locking in for a game-tying touchdown drive late and then DeSean Bishop winning it in OT. Given all of the injuries this team has, that Week 6 bye is a savior.
13. Georgia Bulldogs (2)
Alabama simply owns the Georgia Bulldogs; there’s no getting around it at this point. Different quarterbacks for Georgia and different Crimson Tide head coaches, even multiple venues — it all ends the same. Georgia’s loss on Saturday night certainly doesn’t diminish their playoff hopes whatsoever, though Gunner Stockton underperformed in this game. Kirby Smart will have to hope that his team avoids a rematch because history says it won’t go well for the Bulldogs.
12. Iowa State Cyclones (13)
Matt Campbell’s Iowa State Cyclones just keep rolling. It was the Carson Hansen show early on Saturday night at home versus Arizona, with Rocco Becht later punching one in to give Iowa State a 22-0 advantage at halftime. That’s all she wrote for the Wildcats. If the Cyclones can survive in Cincinnati (3-1) next week, an undefeated record heading into November is absolutely doable.
11. Texas Longhorns (12)
Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns‘ offense can certainly say they’ve gotten back on track at the right time, but this team is still relatively unproven coming out of the bye. Manning’s poise and mechanics seem to get thrown off-kilter easily, especially when pressured or when facing quality competition. He’ll have a chance to prove that wrong in The Swamp in Week 6, but that might be a game this Longhorns’ defense has to win for this team to move to 4-1 on the year.
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10. Alabama Crimson Tide (16)
Credit goes all around to this entire Alabama Crimson Tide football team. It started with a dominant first-half performance from Ty Simpson and Kalen DeBoer’s offense, putting up 24 points and going 9-for-11 on third downs. Georgia’s defense responded with a second-half shutout, but even that wasn’t enough since the Crimson Tide’s defense snuffed every potential go-ahead drive with one clutch stop after another. DeBoer can breathe a little easier now; he just delivered a monumental win in Athens and continued Alabama’s dominance over Georgia.
Related: Winners, Losers from Alabama vs Georgia
9. Penn State Nittany Lions (2)
James Franklin is now 4-21 against top 10 teams. There’s nothing left to say at this point. The Penn State Nittany Lions coach has the benefit of coaching one of the best rosters in the nation, and he’s got the top-paid coordinator orchestrating his defense. Even at home, it didn’t matter. It’s a different reason every time, but the result is always the same. You can credit this team for fighting back from a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter, but the defense also allowed two overtime touchdowns, and Allar threw the game-sealing interception. In the end, it’s the same old Penn State versus top-10 teams. Given the Nittany Lions still have a road date with Ohio State later in the year, two losses feel inevitable.
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8. Indiana Hoosiers (11)
After dominant wins to open the season, the Indiana Hoosiers were forced to play from behind for the first time. It was a gut-check moment, but one Curt Cignetti’s team proved it can overcome on the road. After generating two takeaways and holding Iowa to 6-for-16 on third downs, perhaps this performance from Indiana’s defense will get this unit some much-deserved attention nationally. One thing is for certain, Indiana doesn’t remain undefeated without this unit.
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders (10)
During the Week 5 bye, the Texas Tech Red Raiders received good news. Quarterback Behren Morton avoided a major injury and he’ll be ready to start next Saturday night in Houston. Even if he missed time, that win over Utah showed this Red Raiders’ defense can take over and demonstrated why the program is high on backup quarterback Will Hammond. Upsets are always possible—Florida State’s loss proves that once again—but the Red Raiders should be big favorites in every game through October.
6. Texas A&M Aggies (9)
After jumping out to a 7-0 lead on a four-play touchdown drive, points and sustained drives were hard to come by for Marcel Reed and this Texas A&M Aggies offense. So, Mike Elko’s defense got to play the hero on Saturday. The Aggies feasted on Auburn’s offensive line, sacking Jackson Arnold five times and netting six tackles for loss. The defensive clinic from Texas A&M—0 third-down conversions allowed and a 3.1 yards-per-play average—along with running back Le’Veon Moss (139 yards and 1 touchdown) are the reasons why the Aggies won this game. Texas A&M vs Mississippi State will be a great battle.
5. Oklahoma Sooners (8)
The John Mateer injury really won’t impact the Oklahoma Sooners for a few weeks. Without the Heisman-caliber quarterback, Brent Venables’ defense can single-handedly beat Kent State come Saturday. Unfortunately, fill-in starting quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. just isn’t polished enough to have the Sooners win at home in Week 7 versus Texas. The key will be getting Mateer back with one loss before hosting Ole Miss in late October.
4. Ole Miss Rebels (13)
A defensive clinic from Lane Kiffin’s team delivered the Ole Miss Rebels a victory over LSU. Mississippi’s defense held Louisiana State to 2-for-11 on third downs, and this defensive front made it a very long day for Garrett Nussmeier (5.8 yards per attempt and 1 interception) with the Tigers having no run game to speak of. On top of this statement performance from Ole Miss, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss proved this job belongs to him moving forward.
3. Miami Hurricanes (5)
The Miami Hurricanes got two weeks to prepare and the Seminoles were clearly looking ahead to them, which takes a bit of luster out of next weekend’s matchup. However, with the way Miami’s defense is playing this season, this team should’ve been favored anyway for the Week 6 matchup. We will be curious to see, though, if Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck can get back on track after throwing 3 interceptions in his last two games.
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2. Ohio State Buckeyes (1)
It took time for quarterback Julian Sayin to get going on Saturday, but he proved himself on the road in a hostile environment. The Ohio State Buckeyes threw just five incompletions in Saturday’s 24-6 win, which is even more impressive given how well the Huskies kept Carnell Tate in check. Of course, an even bigger standout in Week 5 was this Buckeyes’ defense that held the Huskies to 1-for-11 on third-down attempts and a 4.4 yards-per-play average. Ohio State already looks better than it did a few weeks ago and this program should keep rolling against Minnesota.
Related: Ohio State Game Today, Buckeyes Football Schedule 2025
1. Oregon Ducks (6)
The Oregon Ducks are the best team in college football. When you can go into Beaver Stadium for the White Out Game and beat the Nittany Lions, doing so after blowing a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, it says a lot about your football team. Dante Moore thrust himself into the Heisman conversation with a three-touchdown performance against a great Penn State defense, and the Ducks’ defense made the one big play it needed in double overtime. Oregon gets a well-earned bye and then hosts Indiana, with a chance to strengthen its resume.
