Another week of college football is in the books. For many teams, it was the start of conference play, including in the Big Ten. The conference saw Michigan involved in another last-second game, this time losing to Iowa. They also saw Oregon and USC get into a fight after the contest. In the SEC, Florida made sure the college football world knew they were back, while Texas and Georgia took care of business. Elsewhere, some smaller schools pulled off big wins, and the Top 25 has been shuffled once again.
This week, four new teams join the Top 25, but there is only one change in the Top 5.
Previous Weeks: Preseason | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4
1. Texas (-)
It was not pretty, but Texas did what they needed to do to hold onto their top spot in the power rankings. Texas hit the road and faced Tennessee. The Texas defense was solid in the first half, forcing multiple punts, but they led just 10-3 heading into the halftime break. Tennessee tied the game on a punt return from Qua Moss, but Texas remained steadfast. Ralkeen Brown ended up with two touchdowns on the day, while Arch Manning completed 14 of 19 passes for 201 yards. Texas held on to a 20-17 victory. Now, the top team in the nation gets a week off before facing off against rival Oklahoma.
2. Georgia (-)
Georgia continues to take care of business and smother opponents. This week, the victim was Oklahoma. The Bulldogs dominated the early part of the game. After taking a lead in the first quarter, they scored on the first drive of the second quarter. Then, Chris Cole picked up a John Mateer fumble and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown. The Georgia defense caused two more turnovers before the end of the half, and the Bulldogs led 28-0 going into the break. Oklahoma was never able to make the game close, as Georgia won 41-13. The Bulldogs will host Vanderbilt next week.
3. Indiana (-)
Indiana got a scare on Friday night. Lee Beebe Jr. was a beast and covered well as Turbo Richard left the game with an injury. He ran for 203 yards and a touchdown in the contest, but it was still tight. Northwestern kicked a field goal with 58 seconds remaining in the game to make it a 29-23 contest. They could not recover the onside kick, though, as Indiana held on to win the contest. Indiana will hit the road next week to face Rutgers.
4. Notre Dame (-)
Notre Dame continues to stack wins. This week it was against Purdue. CJ Carr put up 237 yards and three touchdowns, but did throw an interception. Meanwhile, Aneyas Williams ran for 80 yards and a touchdown. Purdue did not find points until the third quarter, as Notre Dame put up 35 in the first half. The Boilermakers finally found the end zone for the first time with six seconds left in the game as Notre Dame took the 49-10 win. The Irish hit the road to face Bill Belichick and North Carolina next week.
5. Miami (FL) (+1)
The first change to the Top 25 comes in the fifth spot, as Ole Miss stumbles, but Miami continues to win. This week, Central Michigan was the sacrifice to the Hurricanes. Darian Mensah completed 23 of 27 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns, while Chris Wheatley-Humphrey scored one while running for 104 yards. Overall, Miami scored four times on the ground on the way to a 52-3 victory over Central Michigan. Next week they hit the road to face Clemson.
6. Ohio State (+1)
Ohio State left no doubt against Illinois. Julian Sayin proved he was one of the best in the nation, and Jeremiah Smith put himself in the conversation for both the Heisman and the top overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Sayin threw for 367 yards and four touchdowns, while Smith brought in 12 receptions for 217 yards and four scores. It was a complete beatdown as Ohio State took the 42-19 win. The Buckeyes hit the road next week, as Ohio State visits Iowa at the site of College GameDay.
7. Alabama (+1)
Alabama has not been flashy this year, but they keep moving up by just taking care of the task at hand. They dominated South Carolina on Saturday. Keelon Russel completed 21 of 27 passes in the game while throwing for 365 yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Ryan Coleman-Williams brought in two scores and 98 yards on five receptions. Alabama scored on four of six first-half possessions, while also having a pick-six of LaNorris Sellers, on the way to a 49-18 victory. They will hit the road next week, as they face off with Mississippi State, who has been surprising teams.
8. BYU (+1)
BYU also keeps climbing the power rankings as the teams in front of them fall. This week, it was an off week for the 3-0 Cougars. They will return to the field on Saturday to visit TCU.
9. Texas Tech (+1)
Texas Tech has moved to 4-0 on the season. It took a little time for the Red Raiders to get going. They scored just seven points in the first quarter, and led just 21-14 at the end of the first half against Sam Houston. The Bearkats would not find points again, as Texas Tech took off in the second half. Austin Romaine picked off two passes,and returned them both for touchdowns in the 49-14 win. Texas Tech faces Colorado in Week 5.
10. Utah (+4)
Utah is also 4-0 on the season, after taking a 31-17 win over Iowa State. The running game was solid for Utah, running for 6.2 yards per carry while holding Iowa State to just 3.4 yards per carry. The Utah defense also forced two turnovers. Devon Dampier threw for 206 yards while Wayshawn Parker ran for 174 yards in the win. The Utes get a week off before hosting Kansas on October 10.
11. Florida (+10)
The big jump of the week belongs to Florida and begins a massive cluster of SEC teams. With the win over Ole Miss, they sit in front of the Rebels, but the Ole Miss win over LSU also keeps Florida up at the top. Florida was dominant in the win over Ole Miss. Jadan Baugh ran for 142 yards and three scores, while Duke Clark added another 126 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Ole Miss kept it tight, but never held the lead as Florida took a 52-28 win over the Rebels. Florida has a chance to go 5-0 for the first time since 2019 when they hit the road to visit Missouri next week.
12. Ole Miss (-7)
Ole Miss made the big jump after beating LSU, but then took a tumble after the loss. Not having Kewan Lacy healthy was a major factor for Ole Miss in the loss. Trinidad Chambliss was solid in the game, running for two touchdowns while also throwing for one. Still, the run game was not great overall. The team ran 27 times for just 128 yards, as Florida shut down the Ole Miss offense in the 52-28 loss. Ole Miss has an off week to recover before visiting Vanderbilt.
13. LSU (-2)
LSU dropped some due to the Ole Miss loss, but they also put another solid win on their resume. After losing to Ole Miss in Week 3, they would face Texas A&M this past week. The Tigers' defense controlled the early game, allowing just three points in the first half. They would go on to allow just 197 yards of offense for Texas A&M as LSU took a 35-6 victory. LSU hosts McNeese State next week.
14. Iowa (+2)
Iowa took a massive win this week, moving to 4-0. Michigan was ahead 19-14 with 1:46 left to play. They punted the ball and pinned Iowa on their own nine-yard line. The Hawkeyes would drive through, hitting a pass to Reece Vander Zee as time expired to win the game 20-19. The Iowa run game was slowed down, but they found a different way to win, jumping them up in the rankings this week. Now, Iowa will face Ohio State and will be looking for another upset.
15. Mississippi State (+5)
Mississippi State takes another jump this week. They hosted a ranked Missouri team and were dominant. Kamario Taylor threw for 360 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Meanwhile, Fluff Bothwell ran for 122 yards and a score, as the Bulldogs took the 31-24 win. If the Bulldogs can pull off another win next week, they will be flying up the Top 25. Mississippi State hosts Alabama on October 3.
16. Tennessee (-3)
Article Continues BelowTennessee takes a drop this week, but put up a valiant effort. Faxion Brandon was solid against Texas, throwing for 145 yards and a score. Still, the running game just did not do enough. Overall, Tennessee had just 70 yards on the ground and did not score. They lost to Texas 20-17. The Volunteers can still make noise next week as they host Auburn.
17. Oregon (+6)
Oregon has recovered from their early season embarrassment. They took a 41-27 victory over USC. While Oregon took the win, the big concern is the health of Dante Moore. He left the game after a scary hit, as Dylan Raiola took over. Raiola would go on to throw for 289 yards and two scores, but not having Moore could be an issue for the Ducks moving forward. They do have a week off before they host UCLA.
18. Virginia Tech (+4)
Virginia Tech is now 4-0 on the year. They took a 21-14 win over Boston College in a rain-soaked affair. The biggest takeaway was the dominance of the run game for both sides. Virginia Tech saw Jeffery Overton run for 209 yards and a touchdown in the win. Still, the Hokies allowed Mason McKenzie to run for 138 yards and two scores. Virginia Tech gets a Friday night game this week, hosting Pitt.
19. USC (-7)
USC could not pull off the upset at home, and in the process, showed defensive flaws. The running game was not good enough, as the team racked up just 120 yards on 33 carries. Jayden Maiava was solid, throwing for 326 yards and two scores, but he had a pick. Still, the defense was bad. They allowed 504 yards and 41 points in the loss to Oregon. The Trojans will look to rebound against Washington at home this week.
20. Kentucky (+6)
Kentucky did not have a big game this week, but the 45-21 victory over South Alabama, combined with their last two weeks, puts them in the Top 25. Kentucky lost in Week Two to Alabama 45-17, but put up a strong first half. They would then hit the road against Texas A&M, taking a 31-21 win. This week, they hosted South Alabama and were dominant. Three different running backs ran for over 100 yards as Kentucky put up 390 yards on the ground in the win. They will visit South Carolina next week.
21. Oklahoma State (+5)
Oklahoma State was one of those fringe Top 25 teams to open the season. They dropped the first game of the year, losing to Tulsa 24-10. The Cowboys rebounded, though. They would defeat Oregon 39-31 before a 59-0 win over Murray State. This past week, Drew Mestemaker threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns in the 41-24 win over West Virginia. The Cowboys are now 3-0 and a contender in the Big 12. They have a week off before facing UCF at home.
22. North Dakota State (+2)
The top non-power conference team remains North Dakota State. They are 4-0 on the year and coming off an off week. They will host Wyoming this upcoming week and look to win a second conference game.
23. Michigan (-6)
Michigan won its first game of the year on a last-second miracle play. Now, they have lost on a last-second play. Iowa scored with no time left on the clock to take a 20-19 win over the Wolverines. It was the best game of the year for Bryce Underwood, though. He threw for 276 yards and two scores in the contest. JJ Buchanan was also solid, bringing in five receptions for 130 yards and two scores. Still, Michigan lost 20-19. They will face Minnesota on the road next week in the battle for the Little Brown Jug.
24. Nebraska (+2)
Nebraska has quietly moved to 4-0 on the season. They are coming off a 31-13 victory against Michigan State on the road this past week. Anthony Colandrea was great, passing for 212 yards and two scores. He also put up 66 yards on the ground. The defense was good as well, holding the Spartans to just 39 yards on the ground and forcing three turnovers in the win. Nebraska will host Maryland next week.
25. Boise State (+1)
Boise State put out a message this past week. They faced Western Michigan in a battle of two contenders for the Group of Six spot in the College Football Playoff. Boise dominated. They did not allow points until under two minutes left in the game, as Boise State won the game 32-7. The Broncos will face Utah State next week at home.
Joining the Top 25: Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Boise State
Dropped from the Top 25: Penn State, Louisville, Texas A&M, Missouri
Just Missed Out: Penn State, SMU, Houston, South Florida, UCLA