The latest USA Today Coaches Poll top 25 rankings were released following Week 5 of the college football season.
There hasn’t been too much movement in terms of monumental upsets, but the rankings were definitely impacted this week. Are there currently any other national title contenders? Do we know who is really the best right now?
Let’s take a look at the Coaches’ Poll top 25 rankings after Week 5.
(John Reed-USA TODAY Sports)
Georgia is looking a little shaky right now. The Bulldogs beat Auburn 27-20 at home and remained undefeated.
Yes, the two-time champions have yet to be beaten, but there’s no question that there have been close calls this year that would have seen last year’s team stick to that schedule. Hosting Kentucky next week just got a whole lot more interesting.
(Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports)
Michigan ran away from Nebraska so quickly that the Wolverines were able to use four different quarterbacks. JJ McCarthy looked good, completing 12 of 16 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
This is the type of performance Michigan needed after being criticized for its schedule. We know that Nebraska is not a world champion. But the Wolverines went out on the road and dominated from the start.
(Kyle Robertson_Columbus Dispatch _ USA TODAY NETWORK)
Ohio State looked pretty good during the week off. After beating Notre Dame on the road last week, the win looked pretty good as the Fighting Irish defeated a ranked Duke team.
A week off is obviously good for a fresh start, and the Buckeyes return home for Big Ten competition. Maryland shouldn’t be overlooked next weekend, especially at quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.
(Sara Diggins_American-Statesman _ USA TODAY NETWORK)
Texas gained a big advantage before the game when the Longhorns found out Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels was unavailable due to injury. That was pretty much all she wrote.
Quinn Ewers threw for 325 yards, one touchdown and one interception. But it was Jonathan Brooks Who could be a real difference maker later this year? He ran for 217 yards and two touchdowns.
(Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Florida State was also missing this week after picking up an emotional overtime win against Clemson last week. Just like Ohio State, Florida State avoided any chaos this weekend.
Jordan Travis is still in the running for the Heisman Trophy and the Seminoles are still undefeated. That’s the most important thing so far. FSU returns to Tallahassee next weekend to play Virginia Tech.
(David Banks-USA TODAY Sports)
Things didn’t look good for Penn State at first against Northwestern. Yes, it was a 41-13 win, but the score was 10-10 at halftime, which unsettled Nittany Lions fans.
Northwestern has been competitive this season despite a tumultuous summer that included the firing of Pat Fitzgerald. But maybe, Drew Allar and Penn State’s offense retreated. It wasn’t the prettiest, but the team took care of business.
7. USC (-1)
(John Leyba-USA TODAY Sports)
USC beat Colorado, so that was pretty much to be expected if you were just waiting for a result on Sunday morning. But the score of 48:41 indicated problems in the Trojans’ defense.
Maybe it’s largely due to USC’s inability to truly knock out teams. Colorado trailed 41-14 at one point and fought back. It would have been a miracle win, but USC must have been nervous.
(Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports)
Ugh, Washington is a human being, or something like that. The Huskies remained undefeated with a 31-24 road win against Arizona. It was a bit tight for comfort reasons.
Michael Penix Jr. and the offense was usually a boat race, but he didn’t throw a touchdown that night. Still, he threw for 363 yards while the running game put scores on the board, including two of them Dillon Johnson.
(Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports)
Oregon’s 42-6 win didn’t come without a little drama. Stanford led 3-0 after the first quarter and was down 14-6 at halftime. But then the Ducks took over.
Of course, that’s what great teams do. Bo Nix was great in this one, finishing the game completing 27 of 32 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Heisman time for Nix? Definitely in the mix.
(Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News)
Remember the Alabama panic a few weeks ago? Yes, forget this nonsense. The Crimson Tide earned a 40-17 win on the road against Mississippi State.
After a ranked win over Ole Miss, Alabama’s offense rolled through the air and on the ground. The Bulldogs were down 31-10 at halftime and never recovered.
Rest of the coaches top 25
11. Notre Dame (+2)
12. Oklahoma (+2)
13. North Carolina (+2)
14. Washington (+3)
15. Ole Miss (+5)
16. Oregon State (+5)
17. Miami (+1)
18. Tennessee (+1)
19. Utah (-9)
20. Kentucky (NO)
21. duke (-5)
22. Missouri
23. LSU (-11)
24. Fresno State (NO)
25. Louisville (NO)
Dropped out: No. 23 Florida; No. 24 Kansas; No. 25 Kansas State.
Others receiving votes: Maryland 81; Kansas State 73; Texas A&M 59; Air Force 32; UCLA 29; Clemson 18; Iowa 17; Wyoming 12; Kansas 11; Tulane 10; James Madison 8; West Virginia 6; Brigham Young 5; Wisconsin 3; Marshall 3; Ohio 2; Memphis 1; Florida 1.
There’s another week ahead of us and we’re almost halfway through the regular season. Boy, that happened pretty quickly. Week 6 should bring the noise again.