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Week 5 of college football was packed with unforgettable moments that will likely shape the trajectory of the season moving forward. There were several games that impacted our post-Week 5 college football power rankings.
In the SEC, we had an instant classic between top-five opponents Alabama and Georgia. Then there was the Freaky Friday night finish between Miami and Virginia Tech, which ended in controversy (to say the least).
While the Hurricanes narrowly avoided a loss and managed to hold onto their spot in the Top 10 of the AP Poll, Ole Miss wasn’t as fortunate, suffering an upset at home to Kentucky.
As always, there's movement in the 11-25 rankings from last week as well, with new teams entering and others dropping out of our Top 25.
With that in mind, here are our college football power rankings following Week 5.
1. Texas Longhorns (previous 1)
Some in Tuscaloosa might argue against Texas being ranked No. 1 in our college football power rankings, but the Longhorns still look like the most complete team in the country. Arch Manning stepped in once again for Quinn Ewers and helped Texas football secure their first SEC win against Mississippi State.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (previous 7)
Alabama football makes one of the biggest jumps in our college football power rankings after Week 5. Kalen DeBoer had quite the introduction to the SEC, facing Georgia. The Crimson Tide got off to a dominant start, outscoring the Bulldogs 30-7 in the first half. However, they were outscored 27-11 in the second half, nearly turning the game into a disaster. In the end, it became an unforgettable showdown, with 17-year-old Ryan Williams securing the game-winning touchdown for Alabama.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (previous 2)
Ohio State had yet another easy victory, even against Big Ten competition, as they cruised past Michigan State. The Buckeyes did face a brief scare when transfer quarterback Will Howard was forced out of the game after taking a big hit. On a positive note, the world got a glimpse of just how good freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith truly is and will be. He made five catches for 83 yards, including an unbelievable one-handed touchdown grab.
4. Tennessee Volunteers (previous 4)
Tennessee had Week 5 off, but they'll head to Arkansas next weekend to take on the 3-2 Razorbacks.
5. Georgia Bulldogs (previous 3)
Despite Georgia's struggles in the first half, they made serious adjustments to overcome a 23-point deficit, which is why they remain in the top five of our college football power rankings. Carson Beck likely ended any Heisman Trophy hopes he had, though at one point, he almost made himself a frontrunner. However, his comeback attempt fell short as he threw an interception on a potential game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter. Beck finished the game 27-of-50 for 439 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions, and one lost fumble. Georgia football lost its first regular-season game since 2020.
6. Miami Hurricanes (previous 5)
Miami took a punch in the mouth in their first ACC matchup against Virginia Tech, nearly facing disaster with a loss that could have derailed their season. The Hurricanes struggled on the line of scrimmage all evening, and Cam Ward contributed three turnovers to the mix. However, Ward flipped the script, orchestrating a drive that had all the markings of a Heisman Trophy-worthy performance, ultimately giving Miami the lead.
The drama wasn’t over, though. A Virginia Tech Hail Mary on the final play of the game nearly ruined it all. The referees initially called it a touchdown, but after almost seven minutes of review, the play was overturned, securing Miami's narrow victory.
7. Oregon Ducks (previous 8)
This looks to be the Oregon football team everyone expected. Opening Big Ten play against a familiar Pac-12 foe, the Ducks easily handled UCLA. Now, it's just two weeks until their showdown with Ohio State at Autzen Stadium.
8. Penn State Nittany Lions (previous 9)
Even though the Nittany Lions struggled offensively in their Top 25 showdown with Illinois, they’ll gladly take the win. Thanks to two second-half scores, Penn State avoided any sort of upset and remains in contention as a top-10 team in the country, including in our college football power rankings.
9. Clemson Tigers (previous 11)
Ever sense they were demolished by Georgia in Week 1, the Clemson Tigers and have been doing their own bit of demolishing. Since that loss, Clemson has scored 66, 59 and 40 points on their opponents. New ACC member Stanford was the victim this week. Don't look now, but the class of the ACC could be making a comeback.
10. Missouri Tigers (previous 10)
No narrow upset for the Tigers to escape this week like in the previous two — they were off in Week 5. However, they'll head to Texas A&M in Week 6.
College football power rankings post-Week 5 teams 11-25
Ole Miss falls out of the top 10 in our college football power rankings after their loss to Kentucky, but they’re just on the outside looking in at No. 11. Meanwhile, Notre Dame continues its redemption tour following the loss to Northern Illinois, securing a win over a stout (and ranked) Louisville team.
This week’s newcomers include Indiana, which is 5-0 for the first time since 1967. Boise State also enters the rankings, making a significant jump after an impressive win over Washington State, knocking the Cougars out just a week after they broke into the rankings.
Also, welcome back Arizona, who reclaims a spot after defeating AP No. 10 Utah. The Utes' offense continues to struggle without Cam Rising behind center.
