College Football Rankings: Predicting AP Top 25 After Week 5

Week 5 of college football had tons of amazing action and reality factors, for an instance, take Oregon beating Penn State in front of a 111k white-out crowd, and Drew Allar once again proving us right. This week also exposed plenty of heavy-hitters. Some of the AP teams faced tough competition for the first time this season and dipped badly. There have been plenty of upsets in the top 25, and a couple of surprises too. Anyway, let’s get into the top 25 AP ranking prediction.

(1) Ohio State Buckeyes

Buckeyes are still at the top of the food chain. Ryan Day’s Buckeyes are looking pretty untouchable so far. The No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes made an emperor-style performance in Week 5 by beating the Washington Huskies 24-6 in Seattle. They massacred Washington’s impressive 22-game home winning streak and stamped Ohio State’s undefeated record at 4-0. But the real MVP was Buckeyes’ defense, holding a team that had been averaging 55.8 points per game to just six. Crazy stuff. Right now, they look like the best college football team in the world, by miles.

2) Oregon Ducks

Dan Lanning did it again, the Oregon Ducks defeated No. 3 Penn State 30-24 in double overtime at Beaver Stadium in front of white-out crowd, but it wasn’t easy though. Oregon had a 17-3 lead before Penn State tied the game in the final minute of regulation. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, but the Ducks secured the win in the second on a Dante Moore touchdown pass to Gary Bryant Jr. and a game-clinching interception by safety Dillon Thieneman.

3) Miami Hurricanes

The Miami Hurricanes football team did not play a game in Week 5 of the 2025 college football season as it was their bye week. They entered the bye week with a 4-0 record and will return to action in Week 6 on October 4, facing the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee.

4) Ole Miss Rebels

Lane Kiffin always wins in the feud when the stakes involve getting revenge. The Ole Miss Rebels pulled off a clutch 24-19 upset over the No. 4 LSU Tigers. Former Division II transfer Trinidad Chambliss was the real hero Lane Kiffin never knew he needed. Chambliss threw for over 300 yards and a touchdown and looked completely unfazed against Brian Kelly’s defense. Also needs to give credit to Rebels D, putting the pressure on Garrett Nussmeier and LSU’s offense all game. Post-game, Ole Miss dropped some playful shade on their rival with a troll-worthy victory message. After a bye in Week 6, the Rebels will be back at home in Week 7 to face the Washington State Cougars.

5) Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners needed a little R&R, apparently. They enjoyed their first bye week of the season, perhaps to celebrate their narrow 24-17 win over Auburn in Week 4, a victory aided by some questionable officiating and a touchdown that the SEC later admitted should have been overturned. The Sooners now have to prepare for their next opponent, Kent State, without John Mateer, who is out with a broken hand for about a month.

6) Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M Aggies squeezed out a rather unimpressive 16-10 home victory against Auburn, despite being a 6.5-point favorite and having a bye week to prepare. With a surprisingly anemic offensive performance, the Aggies relied heavily on their defense to hold off an Auburn team. The Texas A&M Aggies barely beat Auburn 16-10 at home,  game where the Aggies had many penalties and their offense struggled. The Aggies are not going to get away with a performance like this every time.

7) Penn State

What a disappointing night for James Franklin and squad at white-out. Penn State fell to No. 6 Oregon 30-24 in double overtime at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions trailed by 14 points late in the fourth quarter but rallied to tie the game and force overtime. Penn State scored first in the opening overtime, but Oregon answered quickly. The game ended when quarterback Drew Allar threw an interception on the first play of the second overtime, giving the Ducks the victory.

8) Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns had their bye week after dismantling Sam Houston State 55-0 in Week 4. But Steve Sarkisian has some work to do on their offense before they start their SEC conference slate on the road against Florida in Week 6.

9) Alabama Crimson Tide

Kalen DeBoer and Ty Simpson finally caught a break after months of social harassment. Alabama’s defense iced the game with a clutch stop, snapping Georgia’s insane 33-game home winning streak. The Tide pulled off a signature road win, shocking No. 5 Georgia 24-21 in a wild finish. Alabama jumped out early, scoring on back-to-back drives to grab a 14-point lead. But the real madness came later, after Georgia clawed back, a wild sequence with a tricky wide receiver pass and a screen to a massive lineman set up the Tide’s game-winning touchdown. With a dub over teams like Georgia, Alabama would be climbing ranks, and potentially be in the top 10, hopefully.

10) Indiana Hoosiers

It took 5 weeks of college football to see Curt Cignetti sweat on the national media. The Indiana Hoosiers failed to put up troubling numbers on the Iowa Hawkeyes, but did enough to escape with a 20-15 dub. Despite being held to their lowest scoring output of the season by a stingy Iowa defense, Indiana’s offense made plays when it mattered most. The game was decided late when quarterback Fernando Mendoza connected with Elijah Sarratt for a 49-yard game-winning touchdown. The win came after Iowa missed a field goal, yikes.

11) Texas Tech Red Raiders

Texas Tech had a bye week after a strong start to the season. They previously dominated Utah 34-10 on the road, boosting their Big 12 standing. Now 4-0, the Red Raiders aim to keep their momentum as they head into a busy stretch, starting with an away game at Houston in Week 6.

12) Iowa State Cyclones

After 4 weeks of gritty, one touchdown game dubs, Matt Campbell and Iowa State finally got their comfortable 39-14 win against the Arizona Wildcats. But it came at the price of Rocco Becht’s 22 games of passing touchdowns. However, the Cyclones jumped to a 22-0 lead, with QB Rocco Becht rushing for three touchdowns and throwing for 243 yards.

13) Georgia Bulldogs

Kirby Smart’s is now officially 1-7 against Alabama football. The Georgia Bulldogs fell to Alabama 24-21, suffering their first home loss since 2019. After falling behind 14-0 early, Georgia’s offense and defense were both unable to secure the win late in the game. The Tide’s offense successfully chewed up the clock down the stretch, frustrating the Georgia home crowd and ending the Bulldogs’ 33-game home winning streak.

14) Tennessee Volunteers

You can’t simply bet against Josh Heupel’s offense. Period. Tennessee pulled off a thrilling 41-34 overtime comeback at Mississippi State. Trailing 34-27 late, QB Joey Aguilar led a 13-play, 75-yard drive to tie it with a 6-yard rushing TD. In OT, DeSean Bishop powered in a 25-yard score, and the defense sealed the win with a fourth-down stop inside the 5. The victory kept the Vols from starting 0-2 in SEC play after a previous OT loss to Georgia.

15) Vanderbilt Commodores

Vanderbilt’s rolling with their generational run, they are 5-0 since 2005. Vanderbilt schooled Utah State with a 55-35 victory. People’s Heisman Diego Pavia looked like a legit candidate after throwing five TDs, plus running for one. No wonder why he’s the heart of this team. The offense racked up 561 yards, scoring on eight straight drives, while the defense tightened in the second half to seal the win. Next up: a big road test at Alabama, hoping to repeat last year’s upset.

16) LSU Tigers

Tough night for Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers on the road. The former No.4 ranked LSU fell 24-19 to Lane Kiffin’s defense, suffering their first loss of the season. Despite scoring first, the Tigers’ offense then struggled, rushing for just 57 yards on 22 carry. Garrett Nussmeier looked very uncomfortable with constant pressure as Ole Miss limited LSU to 254 total yards and 2-for-11 on third downs. LSU now heads into Week 6 at 4-1, hosting South Carolina, but the playoff picture looks bit dull.

17) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech pulled off a gritty 30-29 overtime road victory against Wake Forest to remain undefeated. The Yellow Jackets had to dig deep after falling into a 20-3 hole early in the second half. Haynes King led the comeback with two rushing touchdowns and 243 yards passing. In overtime, the defense sealed the win by intercepting Wake Forest’s two-point conversion attempt, capping a resilient performance for the Yellow Jackets.

18) Missouri Tigers

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