College Football Rankings: Teams Rising & Falling in New ESPN FPI Ratings After Week 5

The shift of the calendar to October turned ESPN's FPI ratings more than a bit wacky. After a week where the rises and falls were mostly minor, this time around plenty of teams were making 15+ spot leaps and plunges in the ratings. The math-based ratings are always a little controversial (Ohio State at No. 1 and not Texas anybody?) but here's where those ESPN computer have the week's biggest gainers and losers from the power four conferences.

Rising

Kansas (up 19 spots to 51st)

The FPI computers like blowouts, and Kansas's 55-0 beatdown of Middle Tennesssee State is yet another reminder of that fact. The 2-2 Jayhawks still have just a 37.7% chance of reaching six wins according to FPI, but they did jump from near their league's basement toward its middle.

Wake Forest (up 17 spots to 31st)

The Deacons 57-3 win at Stanford sent them leaping, all the way to fourth in the ACC-- and one spot out of third. Wake is now third in the league in playoff chances, with a 13.3% shot. With only Pitt and Miami ahead of them, Wake's CFP strategy would be to outlast Pitt and hope the conference proves worthy of a second CFP spot. By the way, Florida State jumped 15 points after their win and is the team in third in the ACC FPI rankings.

Missouri (up 17 spots to 18th)

The big mover in the SEC, Mizzou parlayed its 45-17 beatdown of Florida into some mathematical respect. Still, how tough is the SEC? Missouri is 18th nationally and eighth in the conference. Their Playoff shot is at 10%-- well below near-locks (Texas, Alabama, Georgia), and still a good bit behind the teams batting for a potential fourth spot (LSU, Tennessee). But the Tigers gave those hopes some life, and can keep moving forward with three top-ten opponents still remaining ahead.

Falling

Virginia (down 18 spots to 44th)

Virginia's ugly 38-7 loss to Florida State gave them the biggest FPI deep of the week. The 3-2 Cavaliers fell from near the top of the ACC to ninth in the league. While the Hoos are still likely to make a bowl (81.3% chance at six wins), those Playoff dreams (0.6% chances) are vanished.

Stanford (down 16 spots to 108th)

There's losing and then there's losing 57-3 to Wake Forest. Stanford is the basement of power four teams, but here are a few teams rankings ahead of the 2-3 Cardinal: Arkansas State, Jacksonville State, 1-3 Kennesaw State, Miami of Ohio, and Colorado State. There's just a 2.8% shot at six wins for Stanford per FPI.

Cincinnati (down 14 spots to 56th)

A 34-7 loss to Arizona dipped the Bearcats substantially. They were previously undefeated, but at 4-1, their Playoff chances (0.5%) are gone... and even six wins and a bowl bid (75.9%) isn't a locked cinch of a certainty.

A thumping from Florida State left Virginia plunging in ESPN's FPI ratings. (Melina Myers-Imagn Images) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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