Week 5 of the college football season may not have featured the most enticing slate of games, but if we’ve learned anything about the bipolar sport we adore, it’s that the least-suspecting weeks consistently deliver the drama.
This past weekend only showcased three matchups between ranked opponents, but when all the dust settled on Sunday, we saw a significant amount of movement throughout the new AP Top 25 poll.
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The biggest leap belongs to Missouri after the Tigers throttled Florida, 45-17, just a week after the Gators looked like worldbeaters in their dominant win over Ole Miss. Sticking in the SEC, Alabama moved up just one spot to No. 6 despite the Crimson Tide’s domination of Mississippi State, but did manage to leapfrog defending national champion Indiana, which dropped a spot despite a road win at Rutgers.
Missouri Tigers wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery (0) congratulates Missouri Tigers running back Jamal Roberts (20) on his touchdown during a SEC conference game between the Florida Gators and the Missouri Tigers held on Saturday October 3, 2026 at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia MO. (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Week 5 AP Top 25 Poll
- Texas
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Miami (FL)
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- Indiana
- BYU
- Ole Miss
- LSU
- Texas Tech
- Utah
- Oregon
- Missouri
- Tennessee
- Florida
- Mississippi State
- Oklahoma State
- USC
- Iowa
- UCLA
- Houston
- Boise State
- SMU
- Pittsburgh
The Top 8 teams in the latest poll – including the untouched Top 5 from a week ago – are essentially inarguable at this point, but beyond that, things get messy in a hurry, especially among SEC teams.
Keelon Russell #12 of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ryan Coleman-Williams #1 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrate during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on October 03, 2026 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images) (Justin Ford/Getty Images)
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Ole Miss remained at No. 9 while enjoying a much-needed bye week after being embarrassed at Florida. LSU moved up one spot to No. 10 after moving to 4-1 with a win over McNeese, but then you have Missouri’s 11-spot bump to No. 14 after its huge win over Florida. Meanwhile, the Gators dropped eight spots in the newest poll after their 28-point loss to the Tigers, while Mississippi State only fell one spot to No. 17 despite losing at home by 33 points to Alabama.
The Kentucky Wildcats may be the most irritated team in the conference after going from No. 24 a week ago to unranked despite picking up an overtime win on the road against South Carolina in Week 5.
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USC defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart (4) runs for a touchdown after picking up a fumble during a game against the Washington Huskies at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 3, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images) (Jeff Antenore/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
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Big Ten fans shouldn’t have too much to complain about with six teams featured in the latest AP Poll, but if they are going to issue a complaint, it has to involve USC after the Trojans dropped six spots to No. 18 after coming from behind to beat Washington 25-21 on Saturday.
The Trojans dropped six spots with a win, while Oregon moved up five spots despite being off in Week 5, and then you have Iowa, which got a three-spot bump in the poll after losing to Ohio State by 17 points.