Poll Watching: Top 10 Sees More Changes after Week 5

Oregon, Florida, and Notre Dame all lost, allowing other teams to move into the Top 10. SMU debuts in the Top 25. Texas is back (in the rankings).
Photo: © Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Week 5 of the college football season did not disappoint. In what may have been the best game of the week, #7 Cincinnati defeated #9 Notre Dame, allowing the future Big 12 team to move two spots in both polls. Kentucky defeated Florida, and Stanford beat Oregon, dropping both of those teams down.

The TCU Horned Frogs have lost two consecutive games. The opponents in both of those losses are now ranked in both polls. Texas had previously been ranked, but after the loss to Arkansas in Week 2 they were dropped. After defeating TCU 32-27 on Saturday, they re-entered both polls this week. The SMU Mustangs are now 5-0 and are poised to give Cincinnati a chase for the American Athletic Conference championship. 

Oklahoma State jumped several spots after defeating then-ranked Baylor, who dropped out of both polls. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas are the only Big 12 schools in the Top 25. Two of the future Big 12 schools are also in the Top 10, Cincinnati and BYU. 

Here are highlights of both polls:

AP Top 25

1 - Alabama 

2 - Georgia

3 - Iowa, up 3

4 - Penn State

5 - Cincinnati, up 2

6 - Oklahoma

7 - Ohio State, up 4

8 - Oregon, down 5

9 - Michigan, up 5

10 - BYU, up 3

12 - Oklahoma State, up 7

21 - Texas, previously not ranked

24 - SMU, previously not ranked

Dropped from rankings: Texas A&M, Fresno State, UCLA, Baylor, Clemson

Big 12 schools also receiving votes: Baylor (#29), Texas Tech (#36), Kansas State (#37)

USA Today Sports AFCA Coaches Poll

1 – Alabama

2 – Georgia

3 - Iowa, up 2

4 - Penn State, up 2

5 - Oklahoma, down 1

6 - Cincinnati, up 2

7 - Ohio State, up 3

8 - Michigan, up 6

9 - Oregon, down 6

10 - BYU, up 5

12 - Oklahoma State, up 6

23 - Texas, previously not ranked

24 - SMU, previously not ranked

Dropped from rankings: Texas A&M, UCLA, Fresno State, Baylor

Big 12 schools also receiving votes: Baylor (#28), Iowa State (#31), Texas Tech (#42), 


Published
Barry Lewis
BARRY LEWIS

Barry is the managing editor/publisher of TCU Horned Frogs On SI and oversees a team of 15+ writers, photographers, and podcasters covering all 22 of TCU’s sports. He writes on football, basketball (men’s and women’s), baseball, men’s tennis, and other sports as needed. His weekly articles include Big 12 Power Rankings and Poll Watching during the football, basketball, and baseball seasons. He is a frequent guest on one of the many podcasts that TCU Horned Frogs On SI writers host covering football, baseball, basketball, and other sports. Barry is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He has represented TCU Horned Frogs On SI at the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, the 2023 College Football National Championship, the 2023 College World Series, the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tennis National Championship, Big 12 Football Media Days, and Big 12 Basketball Media Days. Barry has followed TCU sports since the Jim Wacker days. He is an avid sports fan and traveler, and he loves any opportunity to see a sporting event in person. He has been to 18 of the 30 MLB ballparks, experienced game day at 25 college football stadiums, seen 21 NFL stadiums, and been to 16 bowl games.

Share on XFollow barryrlewis