After the Gators ran over No. 4 Ole Miss last week, Missouri ran over Florida, 45-17. Apparently that's life in the SEC this fall. Win big one Saturday, lose big the next.
Such bipolar behavior deserves a similar reaction in the CBS Sports Power Rankings. We also thinned the ranks of the unbeaten to 15 teams, the fewest through Week 5 since 2018. The week got off to a wild start when Pitt survived Virginia Tech as John Love missed – did he miss? – a 36-yard field goal as time expired, but lost in the win was the loss of quarterback Mason Heintschel to a torn ACL.
Meanwhile, Northwestern reopened Ryan Field with a 413-yard rushing attack on Penn State, embarrassing first-year coach Matt Campbell and his two dozen Iowa State transfers. Then Saturday opened with Alabama blowing out undefeated Mississippi State in Starkville. Unsurprisingly, the CBS Sports Power Rankings once again face a shakeup, primarily in the middle of the pack.
Missouri vaulted 13 spots after its dominant performance. On the other side, Florida fell 12 and Mississippi State plummeted 13 spots following the 33-point loss at home to the Tide. We also have some newcomers, with Arizona and Houston joining the party after nice wins.
At the top of the Top 25, Ohio State climbed to No. 2, right behind the only team to beat it: Texas, which spent the weekend resting and preparing for a trip to the Red River. The Buckeyes were impressive again, in a 31-14 win at Iowa, and Jeremiah Smith vaulted to No. 1 on the Heisman Trophy ballot with his second consecutive 200-yard performance. The undefeated ranks will shrink even further after Week 6.
Two battles featuring unbeatens headline the slate, as Georgia travels to Alabama and Indiana tests its 21-game winning streak at Nebraska. Over at the Cotton Bowl, Texas and Oklahoma clash in the Red River Rivalry, where the game's tide shifts on which end of the split stadium is roaring. Don't forget about undefeated UCLA and first-year coach Bob Chesney.
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