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ESPN experts update College Football Playoff picks after Week 5
By Andrew Olson
Published:
The first full month of the 2023 college football season has come to a close. September ended with Week 5, which delivered plenty of excitement. As we look ahead to Week 6, ESPN’s experts predicted their College Football Playoff fields following Saturday’s action.
Georgia remains undefeated, finishing strong at Auburn to win the rivalry clash 27-20. ESPN’s college football experts remain high on the Bulldogs. UGA is the only unanimous College Football Playoff pick among ESPN’s experts, making all 13 ballots.
Florida State had been the second-most popular pick to make the Playoff. The Seminoles were off in Week 5, and their stock took a hit. FSU went from being on 12-of-14 ballots to making just 7-of-13 after Week 5.
Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan have jockeyed for position throughout the early going. OSU made 8-of-14 ballots after its big win over Notre Dame in Week 4. The Buckeyes were off in Week 5, and saw their stock plummet as Notre Dame nearly picked up a second loss against Duke. Ryan Day’s team made just 1 of the 13 ballots submitted after Saturday’s games.
Ohio State’s loss was Michigan’s gain. The Wolverines were on 6-of-14 ballots after Week 4. Jim Harbaugh’s squad defeated Nebraska 45-7 in Week 5 and is now on 11-of-13 ballots.
Texas’ stock is also up. The Longhorns improved to 5-0 with a 40-14 win over Kansas. Steve Sarkisian’s team made 12-of-13 ballots after Week 5, up from 8-of-14 last week.
Washington picked up a couple of picks. The Huskies were on 6-of-14 ballots after Week 4. With a Week 5 win over Arizona, the number is now 8-of-13.
Here are the complete ballots:
Correction: The article previously indicated Notre Dame lost to Duke.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
