Five weeks into the season, we’re finally seeing the College Football Playoff situation start to clear up a bit. Alabama and Ohio State stayed on track at the top of the poll, while Clemson won its titanic battle with upstart Louisville. Meanwhile, another contender saw its playoff hopes dashed, as Florida State fell prey at home to North Carolina. The Seminoles will look to derail uber-rival Miami this week. The Hurricanes remained unbeaten by toppling Georgia Tech, and are a surprising early favorite to beat the Seminoles. Meanwhile, Western Michigan, which I have been tracking as a potential New Year’s bowl party-crasher all season, finally cracked the Coaches Poll, though the AP has yet to show the Broncos the love they deserve.
| Rank | Team | Wins | Losses | Last Week | Last |
| 1 | Alabama | 5 | 0 | Beat Kentucky, 34-6 | 1 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 4 | 0 | Beat Rutgers, 58-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Clemson | 5 | 0 | Beat Louisville, 42-36 | 3 |
| 4 | Houston | 5 | 0 | Beat Connecticut, 42-14 | 4 |
| 5 | Michigan | 5 | 0 | Beat Wisconsin, 14-7 | 6 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 5 | 0 | Beat Georgia, 34-31 | 8 |
| 7 | Washington | 5 | 0 | Beat Stanford, 44-6 | 11 |
| 8 | Western Michigan | 5 | 0 | Beat Central Michigan, 49-10 | 9 |
| 9 | Boise State | 4 | 0 | Beat Utah State, 21-10 | 7 |
| 10 | Louisville | 4 | 1 | Lost to Clemson, 42-36 | 5 |
| 11 | Nebraska | 5 | 0 | Beat Illinois, 31-16 | 14 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 4 | 1 | Lost to Michigan, 14-7 | 10 |
| 13 | Ole Miss | 3 | 2 | Beat Memphis, 48-28 | 16 |
| 14 | Miami (Fla.) | 4 | 0 | Beat Georgia Tech, 35-21 | 18 |
| 15 | North Carolina | 4 | 1 | Beat Florida State, 37-35 | 20 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 2 | 2 | Beat TCU, 52-46 | 17 |
| 17 | Florida | 4 | 1 | Beat Vanderbilt, 13-6 | 15 |
| 18 | West Virginia | 4 | 0 | Beat Kansas State, 1716 | 24 |
| 19 | Texas A&M | 5 | 0 | Beat South Carolina, 24-13 | 22 |
| 20 | Baylor | 5 | 0 | Beat Iowa State, 45-42 | 21 |
| 21 | Florida State | 3 | 2 | Lost to North Carolina, 37-35 | 13 |
| 22 | Stanford | 3 | 1 | Lost to Washington, 44-6 | 12 |
| 23 | Virginia Tech | 3 | 1 | OFF | 23 |
| 24 | Oklahoma State | 3 | 2 | Beat Texas, 49-31 | 30 |
| 25 | UCLA | 3 | 2 | Beat Arizona, 45-24 | 29 |
| 26 | Auburn | 3 | 2 | Beat ULM, 58-7 | 31 |
| 27 | LSU | 3 | 2 | Beat Missouri, 42-7 | 33 |
| 28 | USF | 4 | 1 | Beat Cincinnati, 45-20 | 38 |
| 29 | USC | 2 | 3 | Beat Arizona State, 41-20 | 44 |
| 30 | Air Force | 4 | 0 | Beat Navy, 28-14 | 37 |
| 31 | TCU | 3 | 2 | Lost to Oklahoma, 52-46 | 28 |
| 32 | Utah | 4 | 1 | Lost to California, 28-23 | 27 |
| 33 | Notre Dame | 2 | 3 | Beat Syracuse, 50-33 | 40 |
| 34 | Georgia | 3 | 2 | Lost to Tennessee, 34-31 | 34 |
| 35 | Texas | 2 | 2 | Lost to Oklahoma State, 49-31 | 26 |
| 36 | Toledo | 3 | 1 | Lost to BYU, 55-53 | 36 |
| 37 | Iowa | 3 | 2 | Lost to Northwestern, 38-31 | 25 |
| 38 | Arizona State | 4 | 1 | Lost to USC, 41-20 | 32 |
| 39 | Southern Miss | 4 | 1 | Beat Rice, 44-28 | 41 |
| 40 | Colorado | 4 | 1 | Beat Oregon State, 47-6 | 64 |
| 41 | Penn State | 3 | 2 | Beat Minnesota, 29-26 OT | 45 |
| 42 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 2 | Beat Marshall, 43-27 | 48 |
| 43 | Arkansas | 4 | 1 | Beat Alcorn State, 52-10 | 43 |
| 44 | BYU | 2 | 3 | Beat Toledo, 55-53 | 51 |
| 45 | California | 3 | 2 | Beat Utah, 28-23 | 57 |
| 46 | Washington State | 2 | 2 | Beat Oregon, 51-33 | 59 |
| 47 | Maryland | 4 | 0 | Beat Purdue, 50-7 | 62 |
| 48 | Memphis | 3 | 1 | Lost to Ole Miss, 48-28 | 42 |
| 49 | Indiana | 3 | 1 | Beat Michigan State, 24-21 OT | 68 |
| 50 | Minnesota | 3 | 1 | Lost to Penn State, 29-26 OT | 46 |
| 51 | Michigan State | 3 | 2 | Lost to Indiana, 24-21 OT | 19 |
| 52 | Temple | 3 | 2 | Beat SMU, 45-20 | 53 |
| 53 | Troy | 4 | 1 | Beat Idaho, 34-13 | 54 |
| 54 | Ohio | 3 | 2 | Beat Miami (Ohio), 17-7 | 58 |
| 55 | Navy | 3 | 1 | Lost to Air Force, 28-14 | 47 |
| 56 | Georgia Southern | 3 | 1 | OFF | 56 |
| 57 | Appalachian State | 3 | 2 | Beat Georgia State, 17-3 | 52 |
| 58 | Middle Tennessee | 4 | 1 | Beat North Texas, 30-13 | 60 |
| 59 | Georgia Tech | 3 | 2 | Lost to Miami, 35-21 | 49 |
| 60 | Oregon | 2 | 3 | Lost to Washington State, 51-33 | 39 |
| 61 | N.C. State | 3 | 1 | Beat Wake Forest, 33-16 | 72 |
| 62 | Northwestern | 2 | 3 | Beat Iowa, 38-31 | 74 |
| 63 | Texas Tech | 3 | 1 | Beat Kansas, 55-19 | 67 |
| 64 | Kansas State | 2 | 2 | Lost to West Virginia, 17-16 | 63 |
| 65 | San Diego State | 3 | 1 | Lost to South Alabama, 42-24 | 35 |
| 66 | Tulsa | 3 | 1 | OFF | 66 |
| 67 | Wake Forest | 4 | 1 | Lost to N.C. State, 33-16 | 61 |
| 68 | Cincinnati | 3 | 2 | Lost to USF, 45-20 | 50 |
| 69 | Central Michigan | 3 | 2 | Lost to Western Michigan, 49-10 | 55 |
| 70 | Army | 3 | 1 | OFF | 70 |
| 71 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 3 | Lost to Florida, 13-6 | 71 |
| 72 | Virginia | 2 | 3 | Beat Duke, 34-20 | 84 |
| 73 | South Alabama | 3 | 2 | Beat San Diego State, 42-24 | 88 |
| 74 | Missouri | 2 | 3 | Lost to LSU, 42-7 | 65 |
| 75 | Kentucky | 2 | 3 | Lost to Alabama, 34-6 | 73 |
| 76 | Duke | 2 | 3 | Lost to Virginia, 34-20 | 69 |
| 77 | Western Kentucky | 3 | 2 | Beat Houston Baptist, 50-3 | 76 |
| 78 | Mississippi State | 2 | 2 | OFF | 78 |
| 79 | Utah State | 2 | 3 | Lost to Boise State, 21-10 | 75 |
| 80 | Akron | 3 | 2 | Beat Kent State, 31-27 | 79 |
| 81 | South Carolina | 2 | 3 | Lost to Texas A&M, 24-13 | 77 |
| 82 | Louisiana Tech | 2 | 3 | Beat UTEP, 28-7 | 85 |
| 83 | Boston College | 3 | 2 | Beat Buffalo, 35-3 | 86 |
| 84 | Old Dominion | 3 | 2 | Beat Charlotte, 52-17 | 94 |
| 85 | Marshall | 1 | 3 | Lost to Pittsburgh, 43-27 | 80 |
| 86 | Arizona | 2 | 3 | Lost to UCLA, 45-24 | 82 |
| 87 | Tulane | 3 | 2 | Beat Massachusetts, 31-24 | 89 |
| 88 | Purdue | 2 | 2 | Lost to Maryland, 50-7 | 81 |
| 89 | UCF | 3 | 2 | Beat East Carolina, 47-29 | 99 |
| 90 | New Mexico | 2 | 2 | Beat San Jose State, 48-41 | 100 |
| 91 | Eastern Michigan | 4 | 1 | Beat Bowling Green, 28-23 | 102 |
| 92 | Hawaii | 2 | 2 | Beat Nevada, 38-17 | 120 |
| 93 | Rutgers | 2 | 3 | Lost to Ohio State, 58-0 | 87 |
| 94 | Nevada | 2 | 3 | Lost to Hawaii, 38-17 | 83 |
| 95 | Wyoming | 3 | 2 | Beat Colorado State, 38-17 | 104 |
| 96 | Illinois | 1 | 3 | Lost to Nebraska, 33-16 | 95 |
| 97 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 2 | 3 | Lost to New Mexico State, 37-31 2OT | 90 |
| 98 | New Mexico State | 2 | 3 | Beat Louisiana-Lafayette, 37-31 2OT | 108 |
| 99 | Syracuse | 2 | 3 | Lost to Notre Dame, 50-33 | 92 |
| 100 | Idaho | 2 | 3 | Lost to Troy, 34-13 | 93 |
| 101 | Colorado State | 2 | 3 | Lost to Wyoming, 38-17 | 91 |
| 102 | Iowa State | 1 | 4 | Lost to Baylor, 45-42 | 101 |
| 103 | Northern Illinois | 1 | 4 | Beat Ball State, 31-24 | 106 |
| 104 | Bowling Green | 1 | 4 | Lost to Eastern Michigan, 28-25 | 96 |
| 105 | Ball State | 3 | 2 | Lost to Northern Illinois, 31-24 | 97 |
| 106 | Connecticut | 2 | 3 | Lost to Houston, 42-14 | 98 |
| 107 | Arkansas State | 0 | 4 | OFF | 107 |
| 108 | East Carolina | 2 | 3 | Lost to UCF, 47-29 | 103 |
| 109 | San Jose State | 1 | 4 | Lost to New Mexico, 48-41 | 105 |
| 110 | UNLV | 2 | 3 | Beat Fresno State, 45-20 | 117 |
| 111 | Buffalo | 1 | 3 | Lost to Boston College, 35-3 | 109 |
| 112 | UTSA | 1 | 3 | OFF | 112 |
| 113 | North Texas | 2 | 3 | Lost to Middle Tennessee, 30-13 | 111 |
| 114 | FIU | 1 | 4 | Beat FAU, 33-31 | 128 |
| 115 | Oregon State | 1 | 3 | Lost to Colorado, 47-6 | 110 |
| 116 | FAU | 1 | 4 | Lost to FIU, 33-31 | 113 |
| 117 | UTEP | 1 | 4 | Lost to Louisiana Tech, 28-7 | 114 |
| 118 | Kansas | 1 | 3 | Lost to Texas Tech, 55-19 | 116 |
| 119 | Georgia State | 0 | 4 | Lost to Appalachian State, 17-3 | 119 |
| 120 | Rice | 0 | 5 | Lost to Southern Miss, 44-28 | 115 |
| 121 | SMU | 2 | 3 | Lost to Temple, 45-20 | 118 |
| 122 | Texas State | 2 | 2 | Beat Incarnate Word, 38-17 | 124 |
| 123 | ULM | 1 | 3 | Lost to Auburn, 58-7 | 121 |
| 124 | Kent State | 1 | 4 | Lost to Akron, 31-27 | 125 |
| 125 | Massachusetts | 1 | 4 | Lost to Tulane, 31-24 | 123 |
| 126 | Fresno State | 1 | 3 | Lost to UNLV, 45-20 | 122 |
| 127 | Miami (Ohio) | 0 | 4 | Lost to Ohio, 17-7 | 127 |
| 128 | Charlotte | 1 | 4 | Lost to Old Dominion, 52-17 | 126 |
Copyright © 2016 Doug DeBolt
