Graphic by the Author and Google AI
The defending champs are still ranked at the top in Week 5 of the Power Rankings
1. Indiana (5-0) (Last Week #1) (Ranked #7 and #5 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
I’m still sticking with the Hoosiers until they give me a reason not to. The final two months of the 2025 season have taught me not to doubt Curt Cignetti. Josh Hoover and Charlie Becker have been all season, and their rushing attack is getting better every week. The Hoosiers’ veteran defense is only going to be tougher to beat as the season goes on. Indiana plays at 5-0 Nebraska this Saturday before hosting Ohio State the following week.
2. Notre Dame (5-0) (Last Week #2) (Ranked #3 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Marcus Freeman and the Irish aren’t always flashy, but they just get the job done and overpower people. Their offense is balanced between quarterback CJ Carr and the rushing attack. It carried them to a 37-26 win over North Carolina. The Irish return home for a rivalry game against Stanford that should be a layup win. Stanford is struggling, and Notre Dame is a behemoth right now.
3. Texas (4-0) (Last Week #3) (Ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Longhorns had a bye this week. They’ll be in action next week in the Red River Shootout against a struggling Oklahoma.
4. Georgia (5-0) (Last Week #4) (Ranked #2 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Georgia’s win over Vanderbilt was too close for comfort in the first half. The Bulldogs led by only a touchdown at the break, 21-14. The second half was all Georgia, though. Kriby Smart and Gunnar Stockton’s team outscored Vandy 17-0 in the second half and got the 38-14 win. Georgia will be undefeated when they head to Alabama next week for a top-ten rivalry game between two unbeatens. Georgia is good, but their opponents are a combined 1-10 against Power Four teams. That’ll change against Alabama this week.
5. Miami (5-0) (Last Week #5) (Ranked #4 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Like Indiana, I believe in Miami. Their stars Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney weren’t at their best at Clemson, and they still won 41-13. Mark Fletcher had a good game running the ball, and the Canes’ defense has been pretty good, allowing only 9.8 points per game. Miami will have the week off this Saturday before hosting archrival Florida State on October 17th.
6. BYU (4-0) (Last Week #6) (Ranked #8 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Cougars won an ugly game and sustained a lot of injuries. But they are one of only 15 FBS teams still undefeated. They’ll need those injured players back soon. They’ll play Iowa State at home on Friday. With that being a home game, they may be able to win without some stars like LJ Martin, but that won’t be true the following week when they host Notre Dame. Bear Bachmeier and the defense can carry you to victory against TCU, but you’ll need the whole team against the #2 Fighting Irish.
7. Texas Tech (5-0) (Last Week #7) (Ranked #11 and #9 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Red Raiders just keep winning like their Big 12 counterparts from Provo. One problem for both teams is that they unfortunately need style points. If they don’t start getting them when they outmatch teams like TCU and Colorado, the biased powers at the top will use it to justify keeping the Big 12 as a one-bid league for the College Football Playoff. Texas Tech has their bye this week and will be back in action on October 17th at home against Arizona State.
8. Utah (4-0) (Last Week #8) (Ranked #12 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Utah has the week off and will host Kansas at home in Salt Lake City next week.
9. Alabama (5-0) (Last Week #10) (Ranked #6 and #7 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The argument can be made that the Tide haven’t played the best defenses on their schedule in their 5-0 start. It doesn’t hold much weight, though. Alabama has scored 45 points or more in five straight games to open this season. They took being held to 3 in the Rose Bowl by Indiana personally. This is why, when Saban retired, Alabama hired Kalen DeBoer for this kind of offensive juggernaut that the Tide have been early in this season. With the offense being as great as it has been, the defense just has to be steady and show improvement. Beating Georgia at home next week would silence any remaining doubters.
10. UCLA (4-0) (Last Week #11) (#21 and #22 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Bob Chesney’s Bruins had a bye this week. UCLA will be on the road next week at Oregon.
11. North Dakota State (5-0) (Last Week #12) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Bison are one of two Group of Six unbeatens remaining. If you followed NDSU in the FCS, you can’t help but cheer for them as they have started 5-0 in the FBS. They won the Craig Bohl Bowl at home this past weekend, beating Wyoming 28-0. This week they’ll be on the road, and their great defense will be tested against a UNLV offense that seems to be finding its stride
12. Pitt (5-0) (Last Week #15 (#25 and #24 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
That was a rough game for the ACC. Their officials may have gotten the game-deciding field goal attempt wrong. Worse yet, the 5-0 Panthers lost their starting quarterback, Mason Heintschel, which may affect the quality of their league for the rest of the season. Give Pitt credit for gutting out a win in a very hostile environment after losing Heintschel and should have lost. Sadly, Heintschel suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Pitt hosts North Carolina next week for their fifth home game of the season after their 35-33 bittersweet victory.
13. Nebraska (5-0) (Last Week #18) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The forgotten team of the Big Ten this year is 5-0. Nebraska has had many seasons this century where they got off to strong starts and had rough finishes. Last year they started 5-1 and finished 2-5. Their schedule hasn’t been too tough, but they’ve done what 123 other FBS teams have failed to do, and that’s win all the games on their schedule so far. Saturday is a huge opportunity for them as they host the defending national champions at home. Getting a win over the Hoosiers would be monumental for Nebraska, but it’s easier said than done.
14. Duke (4-0) (Last Week #19) (Unranked and #23 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Blue Devils are off this week. They’ll return next Saturday when they play Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
15. James Madison (5-0) (Last Week #21) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
I don’t know how JMU does it. The last few years, they’ve passed a seemingly great pair of coaches to the Big Ten who have turned around basketball schools and are still going strong themselves. They’ve been able to win defensive battles, road games, and score a lot of points in their five wins so far this season. This week they’ll have a big Sun Belt matchup at Georgia Southern.
16. Ohio State (4-1) (Last Week #23) (Ranked #5 and #6 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
If Jeremiah Smith keeps playing the way he has through five games, Ohio State may be able to let him carry them to a national championship. Smith is just unreal at this point. 44 catches for 823 yards and nine touchdowns in five games is ridiculous. Sometimes it seems like he’s almost all Ohio State has, but during those times it’s obvious that just having him may be enough to win titles. OSU hosts Maryland this week before a big game on the road at Indiana the following week.
17. Ole Miss (3-1) (Last Week #24) (Ranked #9 and #11 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Ole Miss had a bye this week. They’ll try to get back on track with a win next week at Vanderbilt.
18. Wisconsin (4-1) (Last Week #25) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
That’s four wins in a row for Luke Fickell and the Badgers. Quarterback Colton Joseph had a big game for Wisconsin. Joseph had 145 yards with three touchdowns passing, and 141 yards with a touchdown rushing in the 31-3 win. The Badgers looked sharp in their all-red uniforms at home. Wisconsin will have a bye this coming week and will follow that up with a trip to the Rose Bowl to play another team that’s much improved this year, the UCLA Bruins.
19. Oregon (3-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Ranked #13 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Ducks were off this week. Oregon will play UCLA at home next Saturday.
20. Iowa (4-1) (Last Week #9) (Ranked #20 and #18 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
It may be my bias for my team showing, but I think Iowa’s loss to Ohio State says more positive things about the Buckeyes than it does negative things about the Hawkeyes. Time will tell, but with their remaining schedule, there’s no reason Iowa shouldn’t be 10-2 going into December. There are a lot of solid teams left for them to play, but none as good as Ohio State, Indiana, or Oregon. They have a good test this week on the road at Washington on Friday night.
21. Northwestern (3-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Speaking of good Big Ten teams whose lone loss says more good about the opponent than it says bad about them, Northwestern is a good team. The thing about them and Iowa is the big wins they’ve had so far, like Iowa pulling out the win against UM and Northwestern beating Penn State, is that these are games that they oftentimes have lost in the past. So, seeing them win them now makes one believe they are better in the present. Northwestern plays their final non-conference game at home this week against Ball State.
22. Wake Forest (4-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Wake Forest is a good team. Like Northwestern in the Big Ten, this school, which usually is near the back of the pack, is having a good season. Playing Miami well into the fourth quarter, beating Louisville on the road, and mauling Stanford at home shows that these aren’t your usual Demon Deacons. Gio Lopez is a good quarterback. He and Wake have a chance to prove they’re different than normal when they play at in-state rival NC State on Saturday.
23. Houston (4-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Ranked #22 and #19 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
A huge second-half rally by the Cougars propels them to victory in the NASA Rivalry. UCF got out to a lead early in this game, but Houston battled back. Trailing 17-0 in the third quarter, Houston decided they didn’t have a problem, remained calm, and, behind Connor Wiegman, battled back, scoring 27 unanswered in the 27-17 win. Houston plays at Kansas State this Saturday.
24. SMU (4-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Ranked #24 and #21 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
SMU gutted out a win against Boston College on a day that their offense was a little slower than usual thanks to a rainy day in Texas. With only 218 total yards of offense, SMU got the win, 25-16 at home in the rain. SMU has this week off before hosting Virginia on October 17th.
25. Minnesota (4-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Winning on the road at Washington last week and at home against a rival for the Little Brown Jug is huge for PJ Fleck and his boat rowers. These are games Minnesota would have been more uncertain to win in the past, and getting them done this year shows how improved and legit this team is.
Playoff Projection
