A Saturday of commentary wins and shakeups at the tip of the faculty football rankings can score to existing a tag unique characterize of energy in relation to the unique AP High 25 poll after Week 5. Alabama and Georgia will remain at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, however on a day when each groups performed top-12 opponents and cruised to wire-to-wire wins, one in every of the day’s broad storylines became the distance between these two groups at the tip and the rest of faculty football.
That perceived gap became enhanced by an additional time loss for third-ranked Oregon at Stanford, bouncing but any other team from the conversation of “subsequent simplest” in the back of the frontrunners in the SEC. Nonetheless Oregon’s plunge would possibly perchance perhaps no longer be as dramatic because it can perchance perchance even score been resulting from losses for diversified top groups ranked in the back of the Ducks in the AP High 25. In total, six of the tip 15 groups lost, three of them shedding to diversified top 15 groups (all as underdogs) and two falling in upsets. Oregon became joined by 10th-ranked Florida falling at Kentucky. The Wildcats are obvious to be ranked now at 5-0 with a quality take care of the profile, however the Gators will restful be penalized greater than Arkansas or Ole Miss for their loss.
Most definitely essentially the most attention-grabbing commentary of the day came from Cincinnati, which logged one in every of its most attention-grabbing wins in program history at Notre Dame. There would possibly be no longer all the time a ton of room for the Bearcats to plod up in the rankings, however they’ll be in a certain starting draw in the College Soccer Playoff ride as prolonged as they proceed to score care of help as a current. For now, we’re predicting Cincinnati lands in the tip 5 after the take, good in the back of Penn Issue and Iowa.
Michigan had something to tell as effectively, rolling into Madison, Wisconsin, as a narrow underdog and in a similar style rolling to a audacious double-digit take over Wisconsin. The Badgers weren’t the ranked opponent that Alabama or Georgia confronted, however given the history of that Michigan-Wisconsin sequence and the expectations for the game the consequence became as principal. So principal that the Wolverines can score to search out themselves in the tip 10 when all the pieces shakes out.
After a week of fallout from ranked-on-ranked matchups, there’s loads of tricky decisions for voters on Sunday. Here’s how we judge the unique AP High 25 will perceive after Week 5:
1. Alabama (Final week — 1): A commitment to the bound game with Brian Robinson leading the technique defined a commentary take for Alabama, particular person that solidifies its preserve on No. 1 irrespective of with surging self belief of the team straight in the back of it.
2. Georgia (2): Even enthralling about the affect of Alabama’s wire-to-wire take in opposition to Ole Miss, there would possibly perchance perhaps also restful be some first-narrate votes that plod from Alabama to Georgia consistent with the 37-0 take in opposition to Arkansas with Stetson Bennett IV starting in narrate of JT Daniels, who uncared for the game with a lat injure.
3. Penn Issue (4): Exact college football groups stroll far flung from dominant midseason wins with some things to toughen however loads of self belief in leaning on the success of the victory. Penn Issue had that form of take in opposition to Indiana on Saturday night time, retaining the advantage for all four quarters in a 24-0 shutout take.
4. Iowa (5): There would possibly be good no longer loads of real property for upward circulation, however Friday night time’s 51-14 take in opposition to Maryland obvious felt luxuriate in a second of acceptance at some level of the celebrated college football populace, which entails many if no longer most AP voters. The Hawkeyes would possibly perchance perhaps also no longer score the stylistic makeup of what we predict about from a “playoff team,” however there’s no longer any quiz there are no longer four groups in the country which score performed better as much as now in 2021.
5. Cincinnati (7): Thanks to the Bearcats’ take, we score got one in every of essentially the most attention-grabbing reviews in college football with the team’s playoff push. Cincinnati being at No. 5 in the polls at this level in the three hundred and sixty five days devices a monumental ugly line for rankings beneficial properties as prolonged because the team keeps a success.
6. Oklahoma (6): A shut consequence in opposition to Kansas Issue is no longer all the time surely going to appear too international to AP voters conversant in the technique the Wildcats score matched up in opposition to the Sooners over the years.
7. Oregon (3): Here’s a real take a look at of how unprecedented the 2021 voters cost a head-to-head consequence, attributable to the Ducks’ take at Ohio Issue would possibly perchance perhaps also halt up surroundings a would possibly perchance perhaps also better floor for the rankings plunge after Saturday’s extra time loss at Stanford. If Oregon is an undefeated team with out that take care of the profile, this loss doubtlessly has the Ducks closer to No. 20. Nonetheless, in relation to evaluating one-loss groups, no one else in the country has a take as spectacular as what they finished in Week 2 in Columbus, Ohio.
8. Ohio Issue (11): C.J. Stroud looked healthy and extremely efficient in a 5-landing effort in opposition to Rutgers after missing final week’s take in opposition to Akron. After the Scarlet Knights’ performed Michigan shut final week, there became some real intrigue here, however the Buckeyes shut that down mercurial in a 51-13 runaway take.
9. Michigan (14): Even supposing Wisconsin wasn’t a ranked team, the 38-17 soak up Camp Randall Stadium conquered too many predetermined stereotypes of the Jim Harbaugh program for there now to no longer be a bump in the rankings. It became the first time Michigan gained as an underdog below Harbaugh. It became also his first take at Wisconsin because the Wolverines coach, and the game became gained in a decisive manner that highlighted the Wolverines as noteworthy of top-10 consideration.
10. BYU (13): The Cougars didn’t let Utah Issue be a avenue entice on Friday night time. The 14-level take would possibly perchance perhaps also no longer spark a gigantic flee of votes it didn’t already own, however the losses some establish else acquire room to plod up.
11. Arkansas (8): There would possibly be no longer all the time loads of positives to near out of the Georgia game for Arkansas by strategy of rating, so it’s narrate in the poll will be largely reliant on its simplest wins, and no longer lower than Texas bolstered that argument in Week 5.
12. Ole Miss (12): No purpose to query the voters to change the characterize of the 2 excessive-profile SEC underdogs who lost to the tip two groups in the country. The Rebels lost by much less aspects in the 42-21 defeat to Alabama however the game became in a similar style tilted in the Crimson Tide’s prefer for far of the contest.
13. Coastal Carolina (16): The 53-level take in opposition to ULM adds to a wild establish of living of blowouts here for the Chanticleers in 2021, however all attention turns to the placement of starting quarterback Grayson McCall. Coach Jamey Chadwell urged journalists the walking boot McCall sported after halftime became for extra precaution resulting from a rolled ankle, which is good info for a team that has one in every of its most attention-grabbing games good a couple weeks away, at Appalachian Issue on Oct. 20.
14. Michigan Issue (17): Western Kentucky has given loads of groups suits with its offense, and Michigan Issue became no diversified. Fortunately, the Spartans score an efficient offense themselves this season and had answers when the Hilltoppers made their push unhurried.
15. Oklahoma Issue (19): One among the below the radar ranked-on-ranked matchups of Week 5 became Oklahoma Issue and Baylor, and the Cowboys emerged victorious to toughen to 5-0 on the season.
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16. Notre Dame (9): A revolving door at quarterback and a reevaluation of Notre Dame’s profile — especially after Wisconsin’s Week 5 loss — elaborate this week in South Bend, Indiana, because the reeling Scuffling with Irish are attempting to cease far flung from falling extra in the rankings subsequent week at Virginia Tech.
17. Auburn (22): Outlasting LSU in Loss of life Valley goes to solidify the Tigers’ draw in the rankings, nonetheless it can perchance perchance no longer be adequate for a plod for the length of the tip 15. Level-headed, it’s a monumental take for the team and even better with a Bo Nix highlight reel of clutch plays powering the anguish.
18. Wake Wooded space (24): The case for Wake Wooded space as essentially the most attention-grabbing team in the ACC is solidified by a success the form of sideways game that tends to pop up in opposition to Louisville. The culprits from WakeyLeaks are prolonged long gone, however Dave Clawson restful likely relishes getting a take in opposition to a tricky division rival luxuriate in the Cardinals.
19. NC Issue (23): The letdown narrate bought a tiny dicey for the Wolfpack after beating Clemson final week, however they held on to toughen to 4-1.
20. Texas (NR): One among the highest-ranked groups initiate air the tip 25 final week is ugly to be in the poll after the take at TCU. It became an ugly take with loads of uncared for alternatives, however can score to you’ve got lost seven of the final 9 to an in-narrate foe luxuriate in the Horned Frogs, you acquire to score an excellent time this avenue take league play.
21. SMU (NR): Cincinnati has understandably been the account of the week, however I judge AP voters will glimpse SMU’s 5-0 open, which entails a take in opposition to TCU, and provides the Mustangs a enhance. After checking in 30th in vote casting aspects final week, crashing the tip 25 can score to be easy for the American Athletic Convention’s subsequent-simplest challenger to the Bearcats.
22. Kentucky (NR): AP voters hadn’t given Kentucky unprecedented credit for its undefeated open, however the take in opposition to Florida is ugly to rally improve because the Wildcats for the time being are 5-0 with a ranked take care of the profile.
23. Arizona Issue (NR): The lone loss on Arizona Issue’s 4-1 profile is to BYU, a team that has confirmed to be increasingly price appreciate with a week, and now it’s bought its simplest take of the season after beating UCLA. All of it can perchance perchance build the Sun Devils back in the tip 25 after getting bounced from the rankings following the loss to the Cougars.
24. Florida (10): Here’s a frustrating loss for Gators fans, who noticed the shut defeat in opposition to Alabama as handbook of the proximity the team held to the tip of the SEC. Saturday night time’s loss in Lexington, Kentucky, published the floor to that Week 3 ceiling.
25. Clemson (25): Even after final week’s loss, the Tigers had a well-known advantage in vote casting aspects in opposition to the likes of SMU and Kentucky. That, plus the indisputable truth that Boston College became the 29th simplest team in final week’s balloting, cements the prediction that Clemson will restful be ranked. The typical of efficiency surely didn’t encourage self belief because the team wanted a fourth down halt in a 19-13 take as a two-landing current, nonetheless it became a take. Moreover it helps Clemson’s case with the voters that so many ranked groups lost. The Tigers would possibly perchance perhaps also need gained ugly, however they gained.
Projected to plunge out: Texas A&M (15), Fresno Issue (18), UCLA (20), Baylor (21)
