Kirk Herbstreit names the best team in college football right now

As college football moves into what figures to be a very consequential Week 5 slate of games, veteran analyst Kirk Herbstreit has revealed who he believes are the five best teams in the country, and Ohio State was noticeably absent from the No. 1 position.

Ohio State received 52 first-place votes in the latest AP top 25 college football rankings coming out of Saturday’s games, although they did name a new No. 2 team this week.

Miami leapfrogged both LSU and Penn State to debut in second-place in this week’s poll after an important victory against Florida, and it was among Herbstreit’s top five, too.

That place was reserved for an SEC Championship contender, while another Big Ten hopeful other than the Buckeyes came in at No. 2 in Herbstreit’s updated rankings.

Kirk Herbstreit’s Week 5 college football rankings

Kirk Herbstreit Week 5 college football rankings — Kirk Herbstreit reveals his Week 5 college football rankings | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

1. LSU

LSU predictably took care of business in a 56-10 shellacking against Southeastern Louisiana over the weekend, as Garrett Nussmeier hit 25 of 31 passes for 273 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Already up a game at 1-0 in SEC play after beating Florida, now the Tigers hit the road in the Magnolia Bowl rivalry against Ole Miss, a critical test for both teams where the Rebels emerged as an early favorite at home.

More: LSU vs. Ole Miss prediction, odds

2. Penn State

Idle this past weekend, the Nittany Lions open up the Big Ten schedule in one of college football’s most impactful games this coming Saturday against No. 6 Oregon.

Penn State is beating opponents by an average of more than 38 points per game, but this offense -- led by a veteran core that includes quarterback Drew Allar and tailbacks Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen -- faces a stiffer test against the Ducks.

More: Penn State vs. Oregon early prediction, odds

3. Ohio State

College football’s reigning national champions stayed put at No. 3 in Herbstreit’s rankings despite remaining as the near-consensus No. 1 team in the latest AP poll.

Also off last weekend, the Buckeyes own a signature victory over Texas and beat up on Grambling and Ohio heading into the Big Ten opener on the road against a Washington team that is among the nation’s best at scoring and running the ball.

4. Miami

With the collapse of Clemson and on the back of two important victories, the Hurricanes have moved definitely into pole position as the favorite to win the ACC championship.

Already building off that key win over Notre Dame in the opener, Miami built on it by earning a hard-won victory over rival Florida this past weekend, as Mark Fletcher picked up 116 rushing yards and a TD while Charmar Brown scored twice.

5. Georgia

The reigning SEC champion also took last weekend off, getting some needed rest after an emotional comeback win over rival Tennessee the week prior and preparing for a home date against SEC hopeful Alabama this coming Saturday in the game of the week.

Gunner Stockton completed 23 of 31 pass attempts for 304 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers, a performance that inspired head coach Kirby Smart to say the quarterback grew up in the game.

More: Alabama vs. Georgia prediction, odds