College Football Top 25 Rankings (After Week 5)

Weekly college football top 25 rankings are a big part of every season, and Athlon Sports will update its top 25 following the games each weekend. The fifth weekend of the 2018 season featured its share of big matchups on Saturday night. In the marquee games for Week 5, Notre Dame defeated Stanford, and Ohio State edged Penn State to remain unbeaten. Alabama remains No. 1 in the top 25, but the Buckeyes jump to No. 2, followed by Georgia at No. 3 and Clemson at No. 4. Syracuse, Florida and NC State join the top 25 after Week 5 action. With the fifth week of the 2018 season officially in the books, here are the top 25 teams in college football:

 

College Football Top 25 Rankings (After Week 5)

 

1. Alabama (5-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Louisiana

 

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has yet to take a snap in the fourth quarter through five games this season.

 

2. Ohio State (5-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Penn State

 

Ohio State’s offense comes alive for two clutch touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to escape Happy Valley with a one-point win.

 

3. Georgia (5-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Tennessee

 

Bulldogs pound Tennessee for 251 yards on the ground to win 38-12 over the Volunteers.

 

4. Clemson (5-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Syracuse

 

Running game and redshirt freshman QB Chase Brice step up with Trevor Lawrence out to keep Clemson undefeated.

 

5. LSU (5-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Ole Miss

 

Joe Burrow’s huge performance leads LSU to 45-16 victory over Ole Miss.

 

6. Notre Dame (5-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Stanford

 

Brian Kelly’s switch to Ian Book looks even better after the win over Stanford.

 

7. Oklahoma (5-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Baylor

 

Kyler Murray doesn’t start but still accounts for seven touchdowns in Oklahoma’s win over Baylor.

 

8. Penn State (4-1)

Week 5 Result: Lost to Ohio State

 

Fourth-down run was a questionable call, but Penn State’s defense couldn’t contain Ohio State’s offense when the game was on the line.

 

9. Auburn (4-1)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Southern Miss

 

Auburn’s offense sputters for the second week in a row, but coach Gus Malzahn’s team held off an upset bid by Southern Miss.

 

10. Washington (4-1)

Week 5 Result: Defeated BYU

 

Jake Browning was sharp, and Washington’s defense allowed only 194 yards in a 35-7 win over BYU.

 

11. Michigan (4-1)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Northwestern

 

Wolverines overcome slow start to dominate second half and avoid road loss at Northwestern.

 

12. UCF (4-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Pitt

 

Knights averaged 7.2 yards a play in Saturday’s easy 45-14 win over Pitt.

 

13. West Virginia (4-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Texas Tech

 

Mountaineers hold off a second-half charge by Texas Tech to remain unbeaten.

 

14. Kentucky (5-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated South Carolina

 

Kentucky’s defense and rushing attack once again lead the way to beat South Carolina. Next Saturday’s game against Texas A&M is suddenly one of the top games for Week 6.

 

15. Stanford (4-1)

Week 5 Result: Lost to Notre Dame

 

Stanford struggled in the trenches and managed only 229 yards in Saturday’s loss at Notre Dame.

 

16. Miami (4-1)

Week 5 Result: Defeated North Carolina

 

The turnover chain made several appearances in the Thursday night victory against South Carolina.

 

17. Wisconsin (3-1)

Week 5 Result: Bye Week

 

The Badgers were off in Week 5 and return to action next Saturday against Nebraska.

 

18. Texas (4-1)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Kansas State

 

Longhorns hold off Kansas State to earn first victory in Manhattan since 2002.

 

19. Oregon (4-1)

Week 5 Result: Defeated California

 

No hangover from last week’s loss against Stanford, as the Ducks beat California 42-24.

 

20. Colorado (4-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated UCLA

 

Quarterback Steven Montez and receiver Laviska Shenault deliver big performances to improve Colorado to 4-0 for the first time since 1998.

 

21. Texas A&M (3-2)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Arkansas

 

Aggies a little sluggish, but find a way to beat Arkansas for seventh consecutive season.

 

22. NC State (4-0)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Virginia

 

Ryan Finley was solid as usual, and NC State’s rushing attack showed signs of life in the win over Virginia.

 

23. Florida (4-1)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Mississippi State

 

Dan Mullen was victorious in his return to Starkville.

 

24. TCU (3-2)

Week 5 Result: Defeated Iowa State

 

Bye week comes at a good time for coach Gary Patterson’s team. Quarterback Shawn Robinson and receiver KaVontae Turpin were injured in Saturday night’s win against Iowa State.

 

25. Syracuse (4-1)

Week 5 Result: Lost to Clemson

 

Despite falling short of another upset win over Clemson, coach Dino Babers’ team deserves a spot in the top 25.