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Here’s our best guess at Sunday’s new Top 25 Poll after Week 5 results featured Florida State falling into a 17-point hole at N.C. State before recovering and Texas A&M escaping in overtime against upset-minded Arkansas.
The Seminoles have not played like the best team in college football this season and likely lost many first-place votes after Saturday.
Mizzou also gets back in with an upset win at South Carolina.
We’ve included last week’s rankings as a guide.
PROJECTING SUNDAY’S WEEK 6 AP TOP 25
1. Oregon (4-0) BYE. Next: vs. Arizona, Thursday
2. Florida State (4-0) beat N.C. State 56-41. Next: vs. Wake Forest, Saturday
3. Alabama (4-0) BYE Next: at Ole Miss, Saturday
4. Oklahoma (4-0) BYE Next: at TCU, Saturday
5. Auburn (4-0) beat Louisiana Tech 45-17. Next: vs. LSU, Saturday — It wasn’t perfect, but the Tigers moved to 4-0 in a game that was never really in doubt. The SEC gauntlet begins next week.
6. Texas A&M (5-0) beat Arkansas 35-28 OT. Next: at Mississippi State, Saturday — Thanks to a heroic fourth quarter effort from quarterback Kenny Hill and a stingy defense against the rush late, the Aggies overcame a 14-point deficit to stay unbeaten.
7. Baylor (3-0) leads Iowa State. Next: at Texas, Saturday
8. Notre Dame (3-0) leads Syracuse. Next: vs. Stanford, Saturday
9. Michigan State (3-1) beat Wyoming 56-14. Next: vs. Nebraska, Saturday
10. Ole Miss (4-0) beat Memphis 24-3. Next: vs. Alabama, Saturday — The Rebels move to 4-0 for the first time in more than four decades with a heavyweight fight with the Crimson Tide looming.
11. UCLA (4-0) beat Arizona State 62-27, Thursday. Next: vs. Utah, Saturday
12. Georgia (3-1) beat Tennessee 35-32. Next: vs. Vanderbilt, Saturday — The Bulldogs escaped a hard-fought game against the Vols behind a career-high rushing effort from their best player, Todd Gurley.
13. Mississippi State (4-0) BYE. Next: vs. Texas A&M, Saturday
14. Stanford (3-1) beat Washington 20-13. Next: at Notre Dame, Saturday
15. LSU (4-1) beat New Mexico State 63-7. Next: at Auburn, Saturday — Quarterback Brandon Harris helped the Tigers overcome a slow start with a dominant win over an out-of-conference cupcake.
16. USC (2-1) leads Oregon State. Next: vs. Arizona State, Saturday
17. Wisconsin (3-1) beat South Florida, 27-10. Next: at Northwestern, Saturday
18. BYU (4-0) BYE. Next: vs. Utah State, Friday
19. Nebraska (4-0) leads Illinois. Next: at Michigan State, Saturday
20. Ohio State (2-1) BYE. Next: vs. Cincinnati, Saturday
21. Mizzou (3-1) beat South Carolina 21-20. Next: vs. Georgia, Oct. 11 — The Tigers pulled a rabbit of the hat, beating the Gamecocks on the road on Russell Hansbrough’s game-winning score with 1:36 left after Mizzou had trailed 20-7 midway through the fourth quarter.
22. East Carolina (3-1) BYE. Next: vs. SMU, Saturday
23. Arizona State (3-1) lost to UCLA 62-27, Thursday. Next: at USC, Saturday
24. South Carolina (3-2) lost to Mizzou 21-20. Next: at Kentucky, Saturday — Thanks to a lackluster offensive effort and a late rally by the Tigers, South Carolina lost its second home game of the season and consequently, its lead in the SEC East.
25. Oklahoma State (3-1) beat Texas Tech 45-35, Thursday. Next: vs. Iowa State, Saturday
