College football rankings: ESPN releases updated FPI Top 25 after Week 5

ESPN’s latest college football rankings are here after the network updated its FPI Top 25 following Week 5 of the season.

We had some exciting games on Saturday, especially down in Tuscaloosa, and some significant moves in the rankings. In addition to their love of movement, the top 10 teams also had to give up a bit in the second half.

After the fourth week of action, let’s dive into ESPN’s new FPI rankings.

Texas shined mostly with a 35:13 victory over Mississippi State, again led by Arch Manning as QB. This is still the top team in FPI.

Now it’s a bye week for the Longhorns. There they have two weeks to rest and prepare for Oklahoma and Red River. This could well include the return of Quinn Ewers.

Man, what a game and I don’t think we won’t be talking about it for a while. ESPN actually had the Crimson Tide ranked No. 2 and Georgia ranked No. 4 last week, the opposite of the AP poll.

It sounds like FPI was right considering the Crimson Tide won 41-34. Alabama nearly blew a 28-0 lead, but the last laugh was 17-year-old Ryan Williams’ score on a 75-yard touchdown.

Ohio State kept the train rolling and remained in the top three in FPI this week. The 38-7 win over Michigan State opened Big Ten play.

Jeremiah Smith threw five catches for 83 yards and a score and actually had one on the ground too! Will Howard threw for 244 yards and the team ran for a total of 185 yards. A balanced performance. Denzel Burke threw down an interception for an absolute team effort.

Had Georgia won, it would have stunned the college football world. Not stunned by the result, but by the comeback.

Trailing 28-0, Georgia took a 34-33 lead late in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, Ryan Williams happened and Georgia was left standing in FPI this week. College Football Playoff rematch? SEC Championship?

A week off was good for the Volunteers, they are 4-0 this season. Next up is a trip to Arkansas next week, but no game, no movement in the FPI.

Nico Iamaleava has 892 passing yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He was impressive completing 69.3% of his passes. However, don’t overlook running back Dylan Sampson: 69 carries, 449 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Here’s the surprise of the top 10: Ole Miss didn’t budge despite being upset by Kentucky on Saturday. No less at home!

While Kentucky suffered a massive setback in the FPI, the Rebels held steady after a 20-17 loss. Jaxson Dart looked human with 261 yards and just one touchdown. Henry Parrish Jr. was limited to 62 yards and a score on the ground. Tre Harris was great, though: 11 catches, 176 yards and the only score. But man, that was crazy.

Notre Dame moved up in the FPI this week after beating Louisville in the AP poll. The teams were tied in this ranking.

Riley Leonard opened up more room with 163 passing yards, two touchdowns, 52 rushing yards and a score on the ground. The 31-24 win was nice, but if they can use Jeremiyah Love as a focal point instead of 34 yards on the ground, this team will be really dangerous.

Penn State struggled this weekend, defeating Illinois 21-7 at home. However, the Nittany Lions have not changed in the FPI rankings.

The running game was great as Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton combined for 196 yards and two touchdowns. After a 7-7 tie in the first quarter, Penn State controlled the second half.

The last two games have seen a return to form for Oregon. Saturday? A 34-13 win against old and new Big Ten foe UCLA was just what the doctor ordered.

FPI moved them up one spot when Dillon Gabriel scored three touchdowns in the win. The Ducks are 4-0 against Michigan State in Week 6 on Friday night.

In the end, there was controversy surrounding Miami’s 38-34 win over Virginia Tech. Although it was a thriller, it looked like Kyron Drones threw a Hail Mary touchdown for the win and upset.

But after checking, there was no clear control and the receiver appeared to be out of bounds, nullifying the call. Miami won and improved to 5-0, but fell short in this week’s FPI.

ESPN FPI Top 25 Rankings after Week 5

11. USC (+1)
12. Louisville (-1)
13. Clemson (+1)
14. Missouri (-1)
15. LSU (+4)
16. Indiana (-1)
17. Oklahoma
18. Texas A&M
19. SMU (+7)
20. Kansas State (+12)
21. Boise State (+6)
22. Iowa State (+3)
23. Kentucky (+15)
24. Iowa
25. South Carolina (+4)

As you can see, there was a lot of movement in the back half of the top 25 FPI teams. Hell, look at the big jumps from Kansas State and Kentucky. Here’s to week 6!