Week 5 of the college football season is in the books and with it comes the end of September. As we dive into our Week 6 college football rankings, there are plenty of changes thanks to Saturday’s action.
A new week brings new names into the top 25 rankings, with the Maryland Terrapins and Louisville Cardinals jumping into the club. With their entrances, the Florida Gators and Colorado Buffaloes were shown the door. As for the best college football teams right now, there should be a few surprises in the top-10 especially after the USC Trojans struggled to put away Colorado.
Let’s dive into the Week 6 college football rankings.
Dropped: Florida Gators (21), Colorado Buffaloes (24)
Week 6 college football rankings
25. Maryland Terrapins
- Next Opponent: Maryland @ Ohio State
- Previously: Unranked
Credit to Mike Locksley for getting the Maryland Terrapins back into the national spotlight. Following Saturday’s blowout victory over Indiana, the Terrapins’ fifth consecutive game with 30-plus points scored, Maryland is 5-0. Putting things into perspective, the Terrapins last went 5-0 in 2001, when they went 10-2. We’re not putting Ohio State on upset watch, but the Terrapins will be feisty.
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24. Louisville Cardinals
- Next Opponent: Notre Dame vs Louisville
- Previously: Unranked
The Louisville Cardinals are undefeated heading into October. We haven’t seen that from this team since 2006, when Lamar Jackson was starring at quarterback. Seven years later, it’s senior quarterback Jack Plummer and a defense allowing just 327.8 total yards per game that is responsible for Louisville being 5-0 as they welcome Notre Dame to town.
Related: Michigan State coaching candidates revealed
23. LSU Tigers
- Next Opponent: LSU vs Missouri
- Previously: 12th in college football rankings
At least the LSU Tigers’ second loss of the season wasn’t nearly as ugly as their first. With that said, LSU defensive coordinator Matt House’s defense has now allowed 131 combined points to Florida State, Arkansas and Ole Miss this season. With a defense like that and two losses already on the resume, LSU’s time in the college football rankings might be coming to an end.
Related: Heisman Watch 2023
22. Tennessee Volunteers
- Next Opponent: Texas A&M vs Tennessee
- Previously: 25th in college football rankings
After what happened last season against South Carolina, the Tennessee Volunteers have to be breathing a sigh of relief on Saturday night. The game-changing moment was Kamal Hadden’s pick-six, flipping the game entirely and injecting the Vols with the confidence to cruise to a victory. This is a nice step forward for Josh Heupel’s program, but it’s also evident that inconsistency at quarterback will more than likely burn Tennessee later this fall.
Related: Week 6 college football schedule
21. Utah Utes
- Next Opponent: California vs Utah (Oct. 14)
- Previously: 10th in college football rankings
Finally, the injury to Cam Rising proved costly. The star of the Utah Otes offense hasn’t played a game this season and after escaping at home versus UCLA with a win, Utah just fell apart in Week 5 at Oregon State. Fortunately for Kyle Whittingham, the bye comes at the perfect time. With some rest and a Week 7 victory over California, Utah will climb back up the rankings.
20. Kentucky Wildcats
- Next Opponent: Kentucky vs Georgia
- Previously: 22nd in college football rankings
Perhaps a Week 5 victory over Florida will finally deliver the Kentucky Wildcats some much-deserved national recognition. After crushing their first four unranked opponents in September, Kentucky closed out the month with Ray Davis erupting for 289 scrimmage yards and the Wildcats’ defense holding Florida to 4-of-13 on third downs. Georgia needs to be careful with the Wildcats in Week 6, even at home.
Related: NFL coverage map Week 4
19. Missouri Tigers
- Next Opponent: Missouri vs. LSU (Oct. 7)
- Previously: 19th in college football rankings
The Missouri Tigers certainly didn’t make it easy for themselves on Saturday against Vanderbilt. Fortunately for Mizzou, quarterback Brady Cook put on a passing clinic with two Tigers’ wide receivers erupting for nine-plus catches with 100 yards and a score. Of course, this was the easy portion of Missouri’s schedule. If they thought Kansas State was tough, it gets a lot worse now.
Related: College Football Standings
18. Duke Blue Devils
- Next Opponent: NC State vs Duke
- Previously: 16th in college football rankings
Hats off to the Duke Blue Devils for taking Notre Dame down to the final whistle. While the Blue Devils fell short of another monumental win in the 2023 season, head coach Mike Elko is proving to be a fantastic hire. Duke might be at its ceiling as a fringe top-15 program, but that means this is no longer just a basketball school as long as Elko is around. Keep quarterback Riley Leonard in your thoughts after that scary ankle injury on the last play of the game.
17. Miami Hurricanes
- Next Opponent: Georgia Tech vs Miami
- Previously: 18th in college football rankings
Off to their best start since the 2017 season, the Miami Hurricanes rolled into the bye week with all the confidence in the world. Now, we see how Mario Cristobal’s program responds after a week off. As long as the Hurricanes don’t look rusty in Week 6, we’ll get an undefeated North Carolina vs Miami battle on Oct. 14.
Related: Top 10 college football quarterbacks
16. North Carolina Tar Heels
- Next Opponent: Syracuse vs North Carolina
- Previously: 17th in college football rankings
It seems like Drake Maye (5-4 TD-INT, 154.7 QB rating) wasn’t quite at 100 percent in September. Fortunately, two weeks of rest came at the right time. Returning from the bye week, the Tar Heels will be tested against a Syracuse Orange team that was a very pleasant surprise this past month.
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15. Oregon State Beavers
- Next Opponent: California vs Oregon State
- Previously: 20th in college football rankings
While the Oregon State Beavers certainly benefitted from playing a short-handed Utah team, wins are wins. Silas Bolden (153 scrimmage yards, 2 scores) and Damien Martinez were excellent on Friday. The real standout, of course, was Oregon State’s defense holding Utah to just 198 total yards and a 15.4% third-down conversion rate.
Related: Longest field goal in college football
14. Ole Miss Rebels
- Next Opponent: Arkansas vs Ole Miss
- Previously: 23rd in college football rankings
A fantastic rebound performance from the Ole Miss Rebels offense. We saw the 2022 version of Quinshon Hudkins (181 scrimmage yards, 2 touchdowns) all while Jaxson Dart (389 yards, 4 TDs) made it look easy hitting Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins for big plays. Plus, the Rebels proved they can deliver in the clutch with a last-minute comeback. The loss to Alabama is obviously what stings Ole Miss’ resume.
13. Alabama Crimson Tide
- Next Opponent: Alabama vs Texas AM
- Previously: 15th in college football rankings
While the Alabama Crimson Tide are still several tiers below where they used to be as a national powerhouse, where they stand now is still better than 95% of the teams across the nation. No one in Tuscaloosa is thinking about the playoffs this year, but at least the loss to Texas now doesn’t look quite as bad in hindsight.
Related: 2024 NFL Draft order
12. Oklahoma Sooners
- Next Opponent: Oklahoma vs Texas
- Previously: 14th in college football rankings
The stage is set for the Red River Rivalry. Oklahoma vs Texas, the final meeting between these two rivals in the Big 12 Conference. It’s fitting that the stakes couldn’t be higher for this game and both teams will take the field with explosive offenses. If the Sooners pull off the Sunner, they’ll be catapulted up the top 25 rankings.
Related: More than half of NFL teams scouted USC-Colorado game
11. Washington State Cougars
- Next Opponent: Washington State vs UCLA
- Previously: 13th in college football rankings
Led by quarterback Cameron Ward, the Washington State Cougars are making the Pac-12 look better than ever in its final season of relevance. While Washington State didn’t take the field on Saturday, it definitely gained a boost to its reputation after beating Oregon State in Week 4 and then seeing the Beavers take out Utah in Week 5. If the Cougars take care of business in the next two weeks, Oregon vs Washington State could be a top-10 battle.
Related: Top 25 college football rankings
Top 25 rankings after Week 5: Best teams in college football
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Next Opponent: Notre Dame @ Louisville
- Previously: 11th in college football
On a night when Sam Hartman had nothing going, Howard Cross III (3.5 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles) and Mitchell Evans (134 receiving yards) stepped up for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This is what good teams do, win hard-fought games on the road when things aren’t going right for some of their best players. A nice recovery for the Fighting Irish after the loss to Ohio State. Now, Notre Dame needs to start clawing its way back into the playoff picture.
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9. Washington Huskies
- Next Opponent: Oregon vs Washington
- Previously: No. 9 in college football rankings
The Washington Huskies are staring down a golden opportunity. This has been one of the best teams in college football in the last calendar year, with just a single loss on the resume since October 2022. If the Huskies can find a way to take out Oregon in Week 6, everyone will start talking up Michael Penix Jr. as the Heisman favorite as he leads Washington into the playoff hunt.
Related: Best college football teams ever
8. Georgia Bulldogs
- Next Opponent: Kentucky vs Georgia
- Previously: No. 7 in college football rankings
The Georgia Bulldogs have won 22 consecutive games and the victory in Week 5 is thanks to Brock Bowers. With 160 scrimmage yards on just nine touches, Bowers once again demonstrated why he’s an NFL star in the making. With that said, Georgia drops in the college football rankings again because it’s still not performing at the level you’d expect from a championship contender.
Related: Grading college football coaching hires 2022-’23
7. Penn State Nittany Lions
- Next Opponent: Massachusetts vs Penn State (Oct. 14)
- Previously: No. 8 in college football rankings
It’s happening. On a Saturday afternoon that saw Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen combine for just 107 rushing yards on 27 attempts, quarterback Drew Allar stepped up. The efficiency (5.7 yards per attempt, 54.5% completion rate) was bad, but Allar responded to a 10-10 halftime score with two touchdowns and he helped the Nittany Lions outscore Northwestern 31-3 in the second half of the game.
Related: College Football Coaches Hot Seat
6. USC Trojans
- Next Opponent: Arizona vs USC
- Previously: No. 2 in college football rankings
If teams were ranked based purely on offenses, Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans belong at No. 1. Unfortunately for Williams and Lincoln Riley, this Trojans’ defense is just as bad this season as it was in 2022. If you can only escape Colorado with a 48-41 victory, that doesn’t bode well for your program’s chances against Notre Dame, Utah, Washington and Oregon.
5. Michigan Wolverines
- Next Opponent: Michigan @ Minnesota
- Previously: 6th in college football rankings
Complete domination. The Michigan Wolverines offense did its thing on Saturday, but the real standout performance in Week 5 came from Michigan’s defense. The Wolverines held Nebraska to 210 total yards on their first eight drives, pitching a shutout against the Cornhuskers’ starting offense. With more performances like this one or a signature win, Michigan can grab a top-4 spot in our rankings.
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4. Oregon Ducks
- Next Opponent: Oregon vs Washington
- Previously: No. 5 in college football rankings
After what happened to USC in Boulder, the Oregon Ducks look even better. While Oregon might not have an offense that’s on the same level as the Trojans, it’s evident the Ducks’ defense is much better. Of course, head coach Dan Lanning will need to bring out every defensive trick and need his team to execute to near perfection for the Ducks to stop Michael Penix Jr. in Week 6.
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3. Florida State Seminoles
- Next Opponent: Virginia Tech vs Florida State
- Previously: No. 4 in college football rankings
After a one-week recovery coming off the overtime victory on the road against Clemson, the Florida State Seminoles now stare down a perfect opportunity to be 6-0. The Seminoles went undefeated in September for the first time in years and if they can beat Virginia Tech and Syracuse, it will be the first time Florida State is 6-0 since 2015.
Related: NFL defense rankings
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
- Next Opponent: Maryland vs Ohio State
- Previously: No. 3 in college football rankings
Coming off the Week 5 bye, the Ohio State Buckeyes head into a favorable two-game stretch of their schedule. Maryland will be competitive, but it’s a matchup the Buckeyes should walk away with fairly comfortably and the same goes for Purdue. If all goes well, we’ll get Ohio State vs Penn State on Oct. 21 with both programs boasting perfect records.
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1. Texas Longhorns
- Next Opponent: Oklahoma vs Texas
- Previously: No. 1 in college football rankings
It wasn’t always pretty on Saturday, but it doesn’t have to be when facing a top-25 team. Quinn Ewers made one mistake that cost the Texas Longhorns some points, but Jonathan Brooks came through with 200 yards and a score while Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy combined for over 190 receiving yards. Now, we get what we wanted, a classic rivalry of Oklahoma vs Texas.
Related: Texas Football schedule