# College Football Rankings — Week 5 (released Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026) ## What changed The Week 4 slate produced one of the season's biggest shake-ups, driven by ranked-vs-ranked collisions and home upsets. The new **AP Top 25** (via [Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25503519-ap-college-football-poll-2026-week-5-rankings-released-top-risers-and-fallers)): | Rank | Team | Record | |---|---|---| | 1 | Texas | 4-0 | | 2 | Georgia | 4-0 | | 3 | Notre Dame | 4-0 | | 4 | Miami | 4-0 | | 5 | Ohio State | 3-1 | | 6 | Indiana | 4-0 | | 7 | Alabama | 4-0 | | 8 | **Florida** | 4-0 | | 9 | **Ole Miss** | 3-1 | | 10 | BYU | 3-0 | | 11 | LSU | 3-1 | | 12 | Texas Tech | 4-0 | | 13 | Utah | 4-0 | | 14 | Iowa | 4-0 | | 15 | Oregon | 3-1 | | 16 | Mississippi State | 4-0 | | 17 | Tennessee | 3-1 | | 18 | USC | 4-1 | | 19 | Oklahoma State | 3-1 | | 20 | Houston | 3-1 | | 21 | SMU | 3-1 | | 22 | Boise State | 3-1 | | 23 | UCLA | 4-0 | | 24 | Kentucky | 3-1 | | 25 | Missouri | 3-1 | **The headline moves:** - **Florida jumped 13 spots, from No. 21 to No. 8** — its first top-10 AP ranking since 2021 and highest since 2020 — after a 52-28 blowout of then-No. 4 Ole Miss. RB Jadan Baugh ran for 142 yards and three TDs ([AP News](https://apnews.com/live/top-25-college-football-poll-9-27-2026); [Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25503519-ap-college-football-poll-2026-week-5-rankings-released-top-risers-and-fallers)). - **Ole Miss fell five spots, from No. 4 to No. 9**, taking its first loss ([Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25503519-ap-college-football-poll-2026-week-5-rankings-released-top-risers-and-fallers)). - **Miami rose to No. 4** and **USC dropped to No. 18** after Oregon's 41-27 road win in Los Angeles ([AP News](https://apnews.com/live/top-25-college-football-poll-9-27-2026)). - **Penn State and Michigan fell out of the Top 25 entirely** — Penn State lost at home to unranked Wisconsin, and Michigan lost 20-19 to Iowa on a last-second touchdown ([Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25503519-ap-college-football-poll-2026-week-5-rankings-released-top-risers-and-fallers)). - **Texas, Georgia and Notre Dame held the top three**; Texas survived a late scare at Tennessee ([AP News](https://apnews.com/live/top-25-college-football-poll-9-27-2026)). ## Coaches Poll (US LBM) — for comparison The [USA TODAY Coaches Poll](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2026/09/27/college-rankings-football-top-25-ap-coaches-poll-week-4/91971609007/) largely agrees at the top but differs in the middle: 1. Texas (45 first-place votes) · 2. Georgia (17) · 3. Notre Dame (3) · 4. Miami · 5. Indiana (8) · 6. Ohio State · 7. Alabama · 8. Florida · 9. BYU · 10. Texas Tech · 11. LSU · 12. Mississippi · 13. Utah · 14. Iowa · 15. Oregon · 16. Mississippi State · 17. Tennessee · 18. USC · 19. SMU · 20. Houston · 21. Duke · 22. Penn State · 23. UCLA · 24. Michigan · 25. Missouri. Notably, the **Coaches Poll kept Penn State (No. 22) and Michigan (No. 24) ranked**, while AP voters dropped both out — a real divergence between the two polls. ## Why it matters - **Florida's rise reshapes the SEC and Playoff picture.** A 4-0 start with a top-five win under first-year coach Jon Sumrall puts the Gators back in the national conversation for the first time in years ([AP News](https://apnews.com/live/top-25-college-football-poll-9-27-2026)). - **The Big Ten's second tier is wobbling.** Penn State and Michigan both losing to unranked teams (Wisconsin, Iowa) removes two preseason contenders from the AP poll and shifts the conference's challenger role toward Oregon, which won at USC despite losing QB Dante Moore to injury ([Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25503519-ap-college-football-poll-2026-week-5-rankings-released-top-risers-and-fallers)). - **The top of the poll is stabilizing.** Texas, Georgia and Notre Dame remain entrenched, though Texas's first-place vote share is expected to erode after a shaky win at Tennessee ([CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-rankings-tomorrows-top-25-florida-penn-state-michigan)). ## Note on sourcing The CBS Sports piece I started from was a **projection** ("Tomorrow's Top 25") published before the poll dropped; it correctly forecast Florida's top-10 jump but projected Florida at No. 5 and had Penn State/Michigan "on the outside looking in." The actual AP results above come from the released poll. The AP's official poll hub page (apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll) was blocked by a bot challenge and could not be opened directly; the AP live-updates page and Bleacher Report were used instead.