October arrived with a reminder that last week’s celebration guarantees nothing this week. Florida followed its impressive victory over Ole Miss with a humbling loss at Missouri, Alabama overwhelmed Mississippi State, and Miami made a statement at Clemson. Ohio State handled its trip to Iowa, while Pitt survived a Friday night thriller in Blacksburg. Texas remained idle, but the teams chasing the Longhorns gave Sportsvival’s voters plenty to consider.
The rankings below reflect Sportsvival’s Week 5 Top 25 entering the games.
Every Week 5 Top 25 Team
No. 1 Texas: BYE. The Longhorns held their position while preparing for Oklahoma. With October bringing tougher conference tests, Texas now gets another opportunity to defend its No. 1 ranking.
No. 2 Georgia 38, Vanderbilt 14. Vanderbilt kept things competitive early, but Georgia pulled away after halftime. The Bulldogs took care of business before their much bigger assignment against Alabama.
No. 3 Notre Dame 37, North Carolina 26. The Irish had to work for this road victory. CJ Carr accounted for five touchdowns, while Jordan Faison caught eight passes for 132 yards and two scores. Notre Dame survived, although its performance left room for Miami to move ahead in Sportsvival’s poll.
No. 4 Miami (FL) 41, Clemson 13. Winning at Clemson is one thing, controlling the game this decisively is another. Miami’s defense produced six sacks, while Darian Mensah and the running game kept the offense moving. The Hurricanes looked like a team capable of setting the pace in the ACC.
No. 5 Ohio State 31, No. 14 Iowa 14. Jeremiah Smith delivered another spectacular afternoon, catching 11 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Ohio State turned a dangerous road assignment into a convincing victory. For Iowa, this exposed the challenge of keeping up with an offense featuring that much talent.
No. 6 Indiana 47, Rutgers 15. Indiana left little suspense in this one. A comfortable conference road victory kept the Hoosiers moving forward, even as other contenders produced results that attracted more attention nationally.
No. 7 Alabama 56, No. 16 Mississippi State 23. Alabama delivered one of the weekend’s strongest statements against a previously unbeaten opponent. The Crimson Tide outscored Mississippi State 28-6 after halftime, turning a ranked SEC matchup into a runaway. That performance sets up a fascinating meeting with Georgia.
No. 8 BYU 17, TCU 10. BYU won a defensive struggle on the road. The Cougars showed they could collect an important conference victory without needing a shootout.
Missouri 45, No. 9 Florida 17. Florida’s momentum disappeared in Columbia. Missouri’s decisive victory was the weekend’s biggest surprise involving a Sportsvival top-10 team. The Tigers earned their way into the new poll, while Florida faces the task of regrouping.
No. 10 Texas Tech 29, Colorado 7. Trailing 7-3 at halftime, Texas Tech took control after the break. Three third-quarter Colorado possessions ended in interceptions, giving the Red Raiders the opening they needed.
No. 11 Ole Miss: BYE. The Rebels had a week to regroup following their loss at Florida. Their next opportunity comes at Vanderbilt.
No. 12 Utah: BYE. Utah remained in the middle of Sportsvival’s rankings while preparing to resume its Big 12 schedule against Kansas.
No. 13 LSU 63, McNeese 14. LSU handled its assignment emphatically. The Tigers now return to SEC competition, where their place in the contender conversation will face a more demanding examination.
No. 14 Iowa: Lost to No. 5 Ohio State, 31-14. Iowa could not contain Smith and the Buckeyes’ passing attack. The Hawkeyes suffered their first loss and now must respond at Washington.
No. 15 Oregon: BYE. Oregon had time to build on its previous victory at USC. A ranked matchup with UCLA now gives the Ducks another chance to strengthen their position.
No. 16 Mississippi State: Lost to No. 7 Alabama, 56-23. The Bulldogs ran into an Alabama team that controlled the second half. Mississippi State enters its bye with defensive corrections to make after surrendering eight touchdowns.
No. 17 USC 25, Washington 21. USC collected a much-needed victory after its loss to Oregon. The four-point margin offered little comfort, but the Trojans avoided another damaging setback.
No. 18 Houston 27, UCF 17. Houston rallied after halftime to secure a conference win. Finding a way through a difficult afternoon matters as the Big 12 race develops.
No. 19 Tennessee 24, Auburn 14. Tennessee bounced back from its narrow loss to Texas. The Volunteers earned their first SEC victory of the season with a physical performance at home.
No. 20 Oklahoma State: BYE. The Cowboys had an open weekend before their upcoming game against UCF.
No. 21 Boise State 37, Utah State 18. Boise State protected its home field with a 19-point victory. The Broncos now turn toward a road test at Fresno State.
No. 22 SMU 25, Boston College 16. SMU secured the victory, although the nine-point margin left voters less impressed than some of the weekend’s other results.
No. 23 UCLA: BYE. The Bruins rested ahead of their trip to Oregon, a matchup that offers a major opportunity for both teams.
No. 24 Duke: BYE. Duke had no game this weekend and slipped outside the new Top 25 as Missouri entered the rankings.
No. 25 Pitt 35, Virginia Tech 33. Pitt escaped Lane Stadium with its unbeaten record intact despite losing Mason Heintschel to an injury in the third quarter. Holden Geriner stepped in, and Cataurus “Blue” Hicks caught touchdown passes from both quarterbacks. Virginia Tech missed a potential winning field goal at the finish. The Panthers showed resilience and found a way to leave Blacksburg with another victory.
Additional final scores were verified against the complete Week 5 scoreboard.
When the Smoke Cleared: Sportsvival’s NEW Week 6 Top 25
When the smoke cleared on Week 5, Texas still stood at the top with Georgia close behind. Miami climbed to third, Alabama entered the top five, and Missouri arrived at No. 14 following its statement victory over Florida. Here are Sportsvival’s new Week 6 rankings, with each team’s overall record and votes.
1) Texas (4-0): 99 votes (3 first-place votes)
2) Georgia (5-0): 97 votes (1 first-place vote)
3) Miami (FL) (5-0): 90 votes
4) Notre Dame (5-0): 89 votes
5) Alabama (5-0): 82 votes
6) Ohio State (4-1): 81 votes
7) Indiana (5-0): 78 votes
8) BYU (4-0): 71 votes
9) Texas Tech (5-0): 67 votes
10) Ole Miss (3-1): 61 votes
11) LSU (4-1): 59 votes
12) Utah (4-0): 57 votes
13) Oregon (3-1): 54 votes
14) Missouri (4-1): 45 votes
15) USC (5-1): 39 votes
16) Tennessee (4-1): 33 votes
17) Florida (4-1): 33 votes
18) Houston (4-1): 32 votes
19) Boise State (4-1): 20 votes
20) Oklahoma State (3-1): 17 votes
21) UCLA (4-0): 17 votes
22) Mississippi State (4-1): 17 votes
23) Iowa (4-1): 17 votes
24) Pitt (5-0): 16 votes
25) SMU (4-1): 13 votes
Others receiving votes: Duke: 11 votes; James Madison: 3 votes; Kentucky: 1 vote.