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As the first weekend of October concludes, AP Top 25 voters are preparing to adjust their ballots, though the changes may be less dramatic than in previous weeks. Only three ranked teams suffered losses, but with one top-10 team and two others nearby falling, pollsters have room to rearrange the rankings before another pivotal week of college football.
Teams Dropping Out
Iowa, previously ranked No. 14, is likely to fall out of the poll after a loss to Ohio State. Pittsburgh, which remained undefeated with a win at Virginia Tech, could take Iowa's place, despite losing quarterback Mason Heintschel to a torn ACL in that game.
UCLA, which was idle, will face a tough test against Oregon next, putting its undefeated record on the line.
Teams on the Rise
Kentucky needed a two-point conversion and a comeback to beat South Carolina on the road, but the Wildcats are 4-1 and should see a modest bump in the new poll.
Boise State remains the top Group of Six team, though Oregon State is close behind. The Broncos lead the Pac-12 after a league debut win over Utah State, powered by a top-25 ranked rushing offense.
Mississippi State is expected to drop after allowing 56 points at home to Alabama, but voters still value the Bulldogs' wins against Missouri and Minnesota.
Week 6 Teams on the Make
Houston had a shaky win against UCF, scoring no first-half points, but Conner Weigman threw three second-half touchdowns to secure the victory.
SMU's nine-point win over Boston College isn't huge, but it's enough for a slight jump.
Florida, once considered the hottest team in college football, was beaten by four touchdowns at Missouri, struggling on both sides of the ball. However, the Gators' win over Ole Miss should prevent a steep drop.
Oklahoma State was off this Saturday and will return against UCF next week.
Missouri's Austin Simmons passed for 340 yards, and the Tigers' strong run defense contained Florida's ground game, validating the faith AP voters have shown in Mizzou.
The Middle of the Pack
Tennessee's DeSean Bishop rushed for over 200 yards and three scores to beat Auburn, but the Vols have a quarterback question after Faizon Brandon was benched early.
USC's defense stepped up, returning a fumble for a touchdown to edge Washington at home. The Trojans face road games at Penn State and Wisconsin next.
Oregon, coming off a bye, is riding high after dismantling USC on the road with backup quarterback Dylan Raiola. The Ducks will face newly-ranked UCLA next Saturday.
Texas Tech remains the top Big 12 team, but the offense needed a comeback to hold off Colorado.
Utah, another idle team, boasts a two-touchdown win at Iowa State and is playing efficient football. The Utes are likely to be favored in all but one game for the rest of the season.
Rounding Out the Top Ten
LSU, under Lane Kiffin, easily defeated McNeese, but the schedule ahead is much tougher.
Ole Miss was off this past weekend and aims to avoid falling below .500 in SEC play as they visit Vanderbilt in Week 6.
BYU is monitoring an injury to rusher LJ Martin, but Bear Bachmeier ran for two scores to narrowly win at TCU and keep the Cougars atop the Big 12.
Indiana's Turbo Richard rushed for 200 yards, and the Hoosiers had two 100-yard receivers in a dominant road win over Rutgers.
Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith became the school's record holder in receiving touchdowns with 36 career grabs after a dominant win at Iowa, improving to 2-0 in Big Ten play. However, the Buckeyes could drop due to the caliber of Alabama's win.
The Cream of the Crop
Alabama's rout of Mississippi State made the Crimson Tide the first FBS team since Oklahoma in 2019 to score 45-plus points in each of its first five games, averaging 50 points per game. A win over Georgia next week could propel them to No. 1.
Miami's 41-13 road win over Clemson may not be as impressive as it once seemed, but the Hurricanes' defense performed well despite injuries, and Mark Fletcher led another strong rushing effort.
Notre Dame had a closer-than-expected game at North Carolina, winning by 11 as 21-point favorites. CJ Carr led critical touchdown drives, while the defense kept the game tighter than anticipated.
Georgia started slowly at home against Vanderbilt, allowing a backup quarterback to lead two long touchdown drives, but the Bulldogs shut out the Commodores in the second half. The SEC champions visit Alabama next.
Texas, idle this past weekend, could lose some of its 62 first-place votes to Georgia after the Bulldogs' dominant win over Vanderbilt, but the Longhorns' No. 1 spot should remain secure thanks to their win over Ohio State.
James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also appeared on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.