• Alabama moves up to No. 1: The Crimson Tide are the new top team in the country after a thrilling victory over Georgia.
• Ole Miss falls out of the top-15: After losing to unranked Kentucky, the Rebels fell 10 spots to No. 16 in our latest ranking.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
Holy (expletive). What a weekend of college football.
Week 5 saw three top-10 teams go down, two of which came to unranked opponents. We saw the potential game of the year in Alabama–Georgia, a failed Hail Mary that preserved Miami’s perfect season (but wait, was it actually completed?) and plenty of other close finishes.
A chaotic weekend brings a multitude of changes to our top 25, including our third top-ranked team in just six rankings. Here’s a look at our top-25 teams in the country entering Week 3. Please note that these are not the same as PFF’s power rankings.
Alabama skyrockets all the way up to first after a thrilling 41-34 win over then-No. 2 Georgia on Saturday. The Crimson Tide held a 28-0 lead over the Bulldogs at one point before barely squeaking out the victory. Jalen Milroe is the new betting favorite for the Heisman Trophy following a stellar performance against the blitz, posting a career-high 92.4 passing grade against the blitz.
Texas took care of business with a 35-13 win over Mississippi State on Saturday. Arch Manning was stellar in his second career start, leading all FBS quarterbacks with a 94.2 grade in Week 5. The Longhorns now enjoy a bye week before taking on Oklahoma and Georgia in back-to-back weeks, though Quinn Ewers should be back by then.
Tennessee was off this past weekend and will resume play with a road game against Arkansas in Week 6.
Ohio State dominated Michigan State in the Buckeyes’ first road game and first conference game, winning by a final score of 38-7. Ohio State’s defense allowed just -0.446 EPA per play and hasn’t allowed positive EPA per play in any game this season. The Buckeyes face their toughest test yet this week against Iowa, who’s fourth in defensive EPA per play this year.
Oregon’s defense was excellent in its 34-13 win over UCLA, allowing just 3.6 yards per play. The unit has had back-to-back strong performances, allowing the third-fewest expected points per play in the last two weeks. The Ducks will now face a Michigan State offense that struggled mightily against the aforementioned Ohio State in Week 5.
Despite a furious second half comeback in which Georgia outscored Alabama 27-11, the Bulldogs still came up just short on Saturday. It really was a tale of two halves for everyone on Georgia, but especially quarterback Carson Beck. After posting a 52.0 passing grade in the first half, he earned an 81.2 mark in the second half.
Penn State was practically unblockable against then-No. 19 Illinois on Saturday. The Nittany Lions posted a 79.5% pass-rush win rate as a team, their best in a game in five years.
Missouri was off this past week and has a big road game against Texas A&M on Saturday.
Miami needed an overturned Hail Mary to escape with a 38-34 victory over Virginia Tech. Cam Ward continued to show why he’s a bit of a rollercoaster. The Heisman candidate’s five big-time throws were tied for the most he’s had in his career, but his three turnover-worthy plays were the most he’s had all season.
Michigan survived a scare from Minnesota, getting away with a 27-24 victory. The Wolverines are completely one-dimensional on offense, as quarterback Alex Orji only had 86 passing yards to go along with a 66.6 passing grade. Michigan next will travel to Washington in a rematch of last year’s national championship game.
