Week 4 of the college football season is in the books and a highly-anticipated Saturday of football delivered plenty of surprises. With blowouts and upsets, it’s time for Week 5 college football rankings.
It should come as no surprise that the Oregon Ducks and Alabama Crimson Tide are surging up the latest rankings after statement victories in Week 5. On the other hand, we saw a handful of ranked opponents experience defeat for the first time on Saturday and that culminates in a drop in the top 25 rankings.
Let’s dive into the Week 5 college football rankings.
Dropped: Clemson Tigers (23), UCLA Bruins (21), Iowa Hawkeyes (19)
Top 25 college football rankings after Week 4
25. Tennessee Volunteers
- Previously: Unranked
- Next Opponent: South Carolina vs Tennessee
The Tennessee Volunteers rebounded in Week 4 with a blowout victory, but the two-score loss to the Florida Gators still decimates this team’s reputation. Joe Milton simply isn’t the same caliber of quarterback, both in terms of accuracy and decision-making, as Hendon Hooker. Compared to 2022, this will be a disappointing season but at least Tennessee’s future is bright because of Nico Iamaleava.
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24. Colorado Buffaloes
- Previously: 14th in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: USC @ Colorado
Saturday clearly demonstrated that the Colorado Buffaloes have a long way to go before they can be considered one of the best teams in college football. Deion Sanders has already done remarkable things with this football program, but Colorado simply doesn’t have the roster depth or the talent in the trenches to keep pace with powerhouse programs. Needless to say, Week 5 will be rough for Colorado’s defense.
Related: Best college football quarterbacks
23. Ole Miss Rebels
- Previously: 16th in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: LSU vs Ole Miss
Even when the Alabama Crimson Tide are at one of their lowest points in the Nick Saban era, Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels came up way short. After taking a 7-3 lead in the first quarter, the Rebels’ offense shot itself in the foot with missed field goals, turnovers and three-and-outs. With LSU on deck, Ole Miss is likely nearing the end of its time in the college football rankings.
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22. Kentucky Wildcats
- Previously: Unranked
- Next Opponent: Kentucky vs Florida
Undefeated is undefeated. While the Kentucky Wildcats have just one win over an SEC Opponent (Vanderbilt) with the rest of its victories coming against sub-par programs, starting 4-0 is extremely challenging. Mark Stoops has this team rolling once again, but we’ve still got to see how the Wildcats are against a top-25 opponent.
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21. Florida Gators
- Previously: Unranked
- Next Opponent: Florida @ Kentucky
Losing to a Utah Utes team starting multiple backups still stings, but the Florida Gators have responded with three consecutive wins. We’re still a bit skeptical of head coach Billy Napier long-term, but Florida has a clear path to three more wins before a must-see SEC battle against Georgia on Oct. 28.
Related: Deion Sanders explains why he’ll never coach in the NFL
20. Oregon State Beavers
- Previously: 12th in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Utah vs Oregon State
The Oregon State Beavers’ defense and quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei forgot to show up early on Saturday. In a must-win game versus Washington State, the Beavers allowed 28 points and 352 yards in the first half alone. Combine that with Uiagaelelei’s interception and a turnover on downs, it proved far too much for Oregon State to overcome. It doesn’t get any easier with a Week 5 duel against Utah.
19. Missouri Tigers
- Previously: 24th in college football rankings
- Next Opponent:
The Missouri Tigers are 4-0 for the first time since 2013. Memphis, who was previously undefeated, kept things pretty close throughout Saturday’s game, but quarterback Bady Cook and playmakers Cody Schrader and Luther Burden III came through when it mattered. Eliah Drinkwitz has something special cooking up in Missouri this year.
Related: College Football standings
18. Miami Hurricanes
- Previously: 20th in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Georgia Tech vs Miami
After looking shaky in 2022, Mario Cristobal has the Miami Hurricanes rolling with three consecutive victories by 15-plus points. Tyler Van Dyke was sharp once again, but Henry Parrish Jr. was the real standout on Saturday. With the victory over Temple, Miami is 4-0 for the first time since 2017.
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17. North Carolina Tar Heels
- Previously: 18th in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Syracuse vs North Carolina (Oct. 7)
Once again, it wasn’t a crisp game for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Pittsburgh dominated time of possession in the first half (20 minutes of possession time), but the Har Heels’ special teams and ground game generated a lead that North Carolina never let slip away. The Tar Heels should win in Week 6, but it will take a well-rounded performance to take down Miami on Oct. 14.
Related: Stanford, California and SMU to join ACC, create 18-team conference
16. Duke Blue Devils
- Previously: 17th in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Notre Dame vs Duke
The Duke Blue Devils are off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2018. Unlike that Duke team, the 2023 Blue Devils already have a victory over a ranked opponent on national television. Duke still might not have a lot of believers right now, but that will change in Week 5 if the Blue Devils stun Notre Dame.
15. Alabama Crimson Tide
- Previously: 25th in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Alabama @ Mississippi State
A decisive victory over Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss should help Alabama get some of its swagger back. Nic Saban’s decision to hand the offense back to Jalen Milroe proved to be the right one, but the real takeaway from Saturday is that Alabama’s defense took a much-needed step forward.
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14. Oklahoma Sooners
- Previously: 15th in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Iowa State vs Oklahoma
It wasn’t always pretty on Saturday, but the Oklahoma Sooners defense did more than enough to get the job done on an afternoon when the offense wasn’t clicking (6-of-16 on third downs). The Sooners avoided the initial drop that happened last season when they started 3-0. Of course, the true tests of Oklahoma’s legitimacy looms in October.
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13. Washington State Cougars
- Previously: 22nd in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Washington State @ UCLA
The Washington State Cougars generated a little buzz in Week 2 with a nine-point win over Wisconsin. On Saturday, the Cougars demonstrated it’s time to take this team seriously. Washington State controlled the first half, outgaining Oregon State 352-219. If this is a sign of what’s coming next week, UCLA’s defense is in grave danger.
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12. LSU Tigers
- Previously: 12t in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: LSU @ Ole Miss
The LSU Tigers didn’t get off to their best start on Saturday, but Jayden Daniels, Logan Diggs, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. lit up the scoreboard the rest of the way. Allowing 31 points to Arkansas served as a reminder that LSU’s defense still isn’t right, but all that matters right now is Daniels and the offense rolling as they head into conference play.
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11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Previously: 5th in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Notre Dame vs Duke
Missed field goals, dropped interceptions and a 50% third-down conversion rate ultimately cost Notre Dame on Saturday. The Fighting Irish went yard-for-yard with the Buckeyes and even controlled time of possession, but Notre Dame couldn’t get the one late stop when it needed and those same late-game issues showed up when Notre Dame had the football in Ohio State territory. Now, the Fighting Irish must recover quickly before facing Duke.
Week 5 college football rankings: Best teams in college football
10. Utah Utes
- Previously: No. 11 in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Oregon State vs Utah
Without quarterback Cam Rising for the fourth consecutive game, Kyle Whittingham and the Utah Utes pulled out another victory. Now standing at 4-0, Utah can thank its defense for knocking out UCLA on Saturday. The Bruins’ offense managed just 163 total yards with a 25% third-down conversion rate in the first three quarters. With the help of a pick-six, that’s all Utah needed to secure the win.
9. Washington Huskies
- Previously: No. 9 in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Washington @ Arizona
It sure looks like the Washington Huskies could challenge for the title of the best offense in college football. Michael Penix Jr. looks just as sharp as he did last season in this offense and the Huskies are rolling. With a victory on Saturday, Washington stretches its winning streak to 11 consecutive games. We can’t wait for the Pac-12 battle versus Oregon (Oct. 14).
8. Penn State Nittany Lions
- Previously: No. 8 in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Penn State @ Northwestern
As more time passes, Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar looks more comfortable. He experienced his share of lumps against Illinois a week ago, but responded on Saturday with an impressive performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes defense. If this is just a sign of what’s to come from the sophomore, Penn State should dominate Northwestern in Week 5 and stay undefeated for a while.
7. Georgia Bulldogs
- Previously: No. 7 in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Georgia @ Auburn
The Georgia Bulldogs haven’t been quite as impressive in 2023 as they were a year ago, but the undefeated record is all that matters. Kirby Smart’s defense remains one of the best in college football, Carson Beck is proving to be extremely efficient and the three-headed tandem at running back should keep the Bulldogs undefeated through October.
6. Michigan Wolverines
- Previously: No. 3 in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Michigan @ Nebraska
The Michigan Wolverines dropped a few spots in the college football rankings, in large part because Florida State and Oregon racked up signature wins over ranked opponents. While dropping a few spots in Jim Harbaugh’s return isn’t ideal, Michigan’s schedule sets up for this team to be 9-0 in November when it faces Penn State. That will be the Wolverines’ first test of the season.
5. Oregon Ducks
- Previously: No. 10 in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Stanford vs Oregon
Complete domination. Midway through the third quarter in Week 4, the Oregon Ducks outgained Colorado 439 yards to 39 yards. Bo Nix’s offense generated 25 first downs compared to Colorado’s five and Oregon overwhelmed the Buffaloes in terms of time of possession. Oregon needed a statement victory after looking a bit sluggish in wins, mission accomplished.
4. Florida State Seminoles
- Previously: No. 4 in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Virginia Tech vs Florida State
Rivalry games are monumental, especially when it’s against another top-25 team. After entering Saturday with a seven-game losing streak vs. Clemson, the Florida State Seminoles went into Memorial Stadium and came away with a victory. It might’ve been closer than Jordan Travis and Mike Norvell wanted, but two marquee wins are pushing the Seminoles even further up the latest college football rankings.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
- Previously: No. 6 in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Maryland vs Ohio State
A prove-it win for the Ohio State Buckeyes. On the road against one of the best teams in college football, every single Buckeyes player made a difference on Saturday. Kyle McCord showed promise, TreVeyon Henderson looked like an All-American running back, Ohio State’s defense was huge in critical situations and Emeka Egbuka stepped up on a night when Marvin Harrison Jr. wasn’t at 100 percent. Ohio State needed to prove itself and it did just that in Week 4.
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2. USC Trojans
- Previously: No. 2 in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: USC @ Colorado
The USC Trojans vs. Colorado Buffaloes matchup lost some of its luster after Oregon decimated the Buffaloes in Week 4. However, USC doesn’t have Oregon’s defense. With that said, Caleb Williams, Tahj Washington and Brenden RIce look like far too much for Colorado’s defense to contain. We expect USC to prove why it’s one of the best teams in college football, but a loss will drop Colorado out of the college football rankings.
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1. Texas Longhorns
- Previously: No. 1 in college football rankings
- Next Opponent: Kansas vs Texas
The Texas Longhorns have come out of the gate slow a few times this season, but what matters is they’re finishing with victories. Looking across the country, there isn’t a consensus No. 1 team in college football right now. Because of the Longhorns’ talent and the benefits of playing a non-SEC schedule for one final year, we see no reason why the Longhorns can’t be 5-0 when they face Oklahoma.
Related: Texas Football schedule