College Football’s Undefeated Teams Ranked From Best to Worst After Week 5

The Texas Longhorns lead the 15 undefeated teams left in the Football Bowl Subdivision entering Week 6, as ESPN's top strength of record outweighs an offense that hasn't matched the dominance shown by Alabama, Notre Dame and Miami.

The order blends advanced stats from Game on Paper, ESPN and some other resources. That mix lifts Alabama and Nebraska while dropping Georgia three spots from the unbeatens' order in Sunday's Associated Press Top 25.

15. North Dakota State Bison (5-0)

College Football’s Undefeated Teams Ranked From Best to Worst After Week 5 — North Dakota State Bison quarterback Nathan Hayes (2) after the game against the Air Force Falcons | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

North Dakota State shut out Wyoming 28-0 in its first Mountain West home game, and quarterback Nathan Hayes ran for two touchdowns. The Bison rank 64th in ESPN's Football Power Index and 137th in strength of schedule, so Saturday's 7 p.m. ET trip to UNLV offers a firmer test.

14. James Madison Dukes (5-0)

First-year coach Billy Napier's Dukes beat Marshall 45-17 in Harrisonburg with 573 yards of offense for their 10th straight Sun Belt regular-season win. James Madison leads the nation in ESPN's special teams efficiency, but a 132nd-ranked schedule and No. 49 Football Power Index ranking keep it 14th.

13. Duke Blue Devils (4-0)

Duke visits Georgia Tech on Saturday at 4-0 after a bye, and running back Nate Sheppard entered Week 5 leading the nation with 644 rushing yards. Head coach Manny Diaz's defense ranks 17th in Game on Paper's adjusted numbers, but the offense sits 54th in ESPN's efficiency ratings.

12. Pitt Panthers (5-0)

Pitt rallied from a 14-0 deficit to win 35-33 at Virginia Tech, but quarterback Mason Heintschel suffered a season-ending knee injury. Veteran backup Holden Geriner threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass in relief, and North Carolina visits at noon ET Saturday. The Panthers own ESPN's No. 9 strength of record.

11. UCLA Bruins (4-0)

UCLA ranks 17th in ESPN's overall efficiency after a 54-3 win at Maryland, its largest road conference win in more than 70 years. Head coach Bob Chesney said the 4-0 record "says one thing, and the film and the work that I see says something different." The Bruins visit Oregon on Saturday.

10. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-0)

Texas Tech forced four interceptions in a 29-7 win at Colorado, including linebacker John Curry's pick-six, and head coach Joey McGuire became the fastest coach in program history to reach 40 wins. "Some really ugly football at times," McGuire said. "Just finding a way to win the game."

The Red Raiders' defense ranks 15th in ESPN's efficiency ratings, but the offense sits 67th and quarterback Will Hammond threw for 134 yards in Boulder. BYU's No. 12 overall efficiency rating keeps the Cougars ahead.

9. BYU Cougars (4-0)

BYU beat TCU 17-10 in the rain for its first win in Fort Worth in 20 years, overcoming an injury to running back LJ Martin. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier completed 11 of 24 passes for 62 yards but ran for both touchdowns, including a 21-yarder with 2:06 left.

"That was a gritty win," head coach Kalani Sitake said. BYU ranks 12th in ESPN's overall efficiency, though its defense sits 36th in Game on Paper's adjusted numbers. Iowa State visits Provo at 10:15 p.m. ET Friday.

8. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-0)

Nebraska is 5-0 for the first time since 2016 after a 48-23 win over Maryland, and ESPN's Football Power Index ranks the unranked Cornhuskers 13th. Game on Paper's adjusted net rating puts them 11th, two spots ahead of Indiana. Head coach Matt Rhule said in August, "It's definitely our best team; there's no doubt."

A schedule ranked 126th by ESPN keeps Nebraska behind Utah. Indiana visits Lincoln at noon ET Saturday, and the Huskers haven't beaten a top-10 team since November 2015.

7. Utah Utes (4-0)

Utah climbed one spot to No. 12 in the Associated Press poll during its bye week. The Utes rank eighth in both ESPN's overall efficiency and Game on Paper's adjusted net rating, and quarterback Devon Dampier guides an offense ESPN rates 10th.

Head coach Morgan Scalley's team also ranks fifth in ESPN's game control metric after wins over Arkansas and at Iowa State. Utah's schedule ranks 111th, and Kansas visits Rice-Eccles Stadium at 10:15 p.m. ET Saturday.

6. Indiana Hoosiers (5-0)

Indiana beat Rutgers 47-15 for its 21st straight win, the longest streak since Washington won 21 in a row from 2022 to 2024. Running back Turbo Richard ran for 204 yards, and quarterback Josh Hoover threw four touchdown passes as the defending national champions piled up 593 yards.

"I thought the defense played outstanding," head coach Curt Cignetti said after Rutgers managed 59 rushing yards. ESPN ranks the Hoosiers seventh in overall efficiency and fifth on offense, but Game on Paper's adjusted defensive numbers place them 44th and their schedule ranks 108th. The Hoosiers visit unbeaten Nebraska at noon ET Saturday.

5. Georgia Bulldogs (5-0)

Vanderbilt trailed by seven at halftime before Georgia scored the final 17 points of a 38-14 win in Athens. Fifth-year quarterback Gunner Stockton completed 25 of 32 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns. "We really needed this kind of game, tough, physical, hard-fought," head coach Kirby Smart said.

ESPN ranks the Bulldogs first in offensive efficiency and second in its Football Power Index, but Game on Paper's adjusted net rating places them 31st, weighed down by an adjusted defense ranked 67th. Georgia's schedule also ranks 97th entering a 7:30 p.m. ET trip to unbeaten Alabama on Saturday.

4. Miami Hurricanes (5-0)

Miami won at Clemson for the first time since 2010, beating the Tigers 41-13 behind six sacks and a 192-55 rushing edge. Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Darian Mensah, a transfer from Duke, "had command of the offense, putting us in the right run checks," head coach Mario Cristobal said.

ESPN ranks Miami third in offensive efficiency, 10th on defense and fourth in strength of record, and its Football Power Index gives the Hurricanes a 92.9% playoff chance, the highest in the country. Miami hosts Florida State on Oct. 17 after a bye.

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-0)

Notre Dame extended its winning streak to 15 games with a 37-26 win at North Carolina, holding the ball for 13:18 of the third quarter while running 20 times for 122 yards in the rain. "Felt like we were imposing our will on them whenever we wanted to," quarterback CJ Carr said.

The Fighting Irish lead Game on Paper's adjusted net rating and rank second in ESPN's overall efficiency, trailing Alabama by one-tenth of a point there. Their defense ranks third in ESPN's efficiency ratings, but a 61st-ranked schedule keeps them behind the Crimson Tide. Stanford visits South Bend on Saturday.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0)

Alabama scored the most points in program history for a road game against a ranked opponent in a 56-23 win at Mississippi State. Sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell completed 73% of his passes, and ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum named the Crimson Tide college football's "most complete team" afterward.

"Love how our guys continue to just make sure it's a four-quarter game," head coach Kalen DeBoer said. ESPN rates Alabama first in overall efficiency, second on offense and fifth on defense, and a No. 23 schedule supports its No. 2 strength of record. Georgia visits Bryant-Denny Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

1. Texas Longhorns (4-0)

Texas spent Week 5 on a bye and kept No. 1 in the Associated Press poll with 61 of 70 first-place votes, its longest run atop the poll since a six-week stretch in 1977. Wins over Ohio State and at Tennessee give the Longhorns ESPN's top strength of record against a schedule ranked second.

The defense ranks second in ESPN's efficiency ratings, but the offense sits 32nd and quarterback Arch Manning made our list of college football's most overrated quarterbacks. "We can't just say, 'Well, Arch needs to play better,'" head coach Steve Sarkisian said. Hey Steve, you just did.

Oklahoma awaits in the Red River Rivalry on Saturday.

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