1
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Ohio State
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Ohio State crushed Washington 24-6 and snapped the Huskies’ 22-game home win streak. The Buckeyes’ defense leads the nation, allowing only 5.5 points per game. Their season-opening win against Texas, along with this double-digit victory on the road and the strongest defense in the country, lifts the Buckeyes to No. 1.
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1
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4-0
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2
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Oregon
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Oregon picked up the biggest win of Week 5 in overtime at Penn State, defeating the Nittany Lions 30-23 for the program’s highest-ranked road win in history. The Ducks’ schedule wasn’t strong entering this trip to Happy Valley, but they drilled everybody they faced before this signature victory. Dante Moore is rising up the Heisman charts after throwing three touchdowns.
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3
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5-0
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3
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Miami (Fla.)
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Miami was idle as it prepares for its showdown with Florida State this week in Tallahassee. The Hurricanes slide two spots to No. 3 thanks to résumé-building wins on the road by Ohio State and Oregon. Now, the Hurricanes get their chance to pick up a signature road win.
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2
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4-0
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4
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Ole Miss
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Ole Miss owned LSU in the stat column, out-gaining the Tigers by 226 yards in a 24-19 win. LSU’s defense had allowed 10 or fewer points in the last four games, making this an achievement worth noting. The Rebels are 5-0 for only the third time in the FBS era.
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8
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5-0
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5
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Indiana
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Curt Cignetti said the trip to Iowa would be a tougher matchup than Illinois, which the Hoosiers dominated a week ago, and he was right. Elijah Sarratt caught the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter to take a 20-13 lead, and the Hoosiers hung on for a 20-15 road win against the Hawkeyes. Iowa has lost 11 straight against ranked teams. Indiana is idle this week before a critical trip to Oregon.
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1
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5-0
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6
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Oklahoma
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Oklahoma sat at home wondering what the future holds after do-everything quarterback John Mateer underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his right throwing hand. There’s hope he could return for the Red River Rivalry against Texas on Oct. 11, but that might be a stretch. Luckily for the Sooners, they get Kent State this week.
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1
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4-0
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7
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Penn State
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It’s not a narrative, it’s just a fact: James Franklin is now 2-21 against teams ranked No. 6 or higher. This was supposed to be the year the Nittany Lions took the next step, but they’re still dancing to the same song. The head coach has now lost 15 straight against top 6 teams.
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2
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3-1
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8
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Alabama
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Kalen DeBoer is phenomenal after bye weeks. Kirby Smart sees ghosts whenever Alabama is on the schedule. The two met Saturday with Alabama claiming a 24-21 win in Athens despite the Bulldogs holding the Tide scoreless in the second half. Ty Simpson was fantastic, scoring three touchdowns while also throwing for 276 yards. DeBoer is 7-1 against top-10 teams.
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9
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3-1
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9
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Georgia
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Georgia should have beaten Alabama. The Bulldogs out-rushed the Tide and shut them out in the second half, but Kirby Smart made two questionable decisions, opting to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the 8-yard line and then again near midfield. Cash Jones lost yardage on each play. Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak, an SEC record, is history. By the way, what has happened to Georgia’s once-feared defensive line?
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6
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3-1
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10
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Texas Tech
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Texas Tech took a breather this week before hosting undefeated Houston. The Cougars rallied to defeat winless Oregon State in overtime on the road Saturday.
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—
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4-0
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11
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Texas A&M
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The Aggies are 4-0 for the first time in nine years after a 16-10 win against Auburn. The game was ugly and should have been won by a wider margin, but it’s better to correct mistakes after a win than a loss. Texas A&M out-gained Auburn by 298 yards. Le’Veon Moss rushed for a career-high 139 yards and scored a touchdown.
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—
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4-0
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12
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Tennessee
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The offensive juggernaut had to rally to beat a resurgent Mississippi State team on the road in one of the more entertaining games Saturday. The Vols have scored 40 or more points in every game, marking the first time in program history through five games. They’re the first team in the FBS since 2021 (Pitt) to do so.
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1
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4-1
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13
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LSU
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Brian Kelly exploded on a reporter for asking about the Tigers’ struggling offense a few weeks ago. Maybe that’s because he knew the reporter was onto something. The Tigers looked listless much of the afternoon Saturday at Ole Miss and were out-gained by more than 225 yards for the first time in five years. LSU gets a bye week to find an answer before traveling to South Carolina.
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9
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4-1
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14
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Texas
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Arch Manning wasn’t in the headlines this week because Texas wasn’t on the field. That changes this week with a trip to Florida. Both programs were idle this week, meaning each coaching staff will have something new up their sleeves Saturday in The Swamp.
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—
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3-1
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15
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Vanderbilt
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Vanderbilt moved to 5-0 for the first time in seven years with a 55-35 win against Utah State. Diego Pavia scored six touchdowns, including five passing. Vandy has scored 50 points in back-to-back games for the first time in 110 years. Next up is a trip to Tuscaloosa, where Alabama will be out for blood after the Commodores upset the then-No. 1 Tide last season in Nashville.
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1
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5-0
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16
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Georgia Tech
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Georgia Tech rallied from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter at Wake Forest and held on for a 30-29 win in overtime. The Yellowjackets are 5-0 for the first time since 2014.
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1
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5-0
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17
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Florida State
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The Seminoles couldn’t overcome two early turnovers and lost to Virginia 46-38 in double overtime last Friday. The Seminoles return home to host rival Miami with an opportunity to potentially jump back into the top 10. The offense is not the problem; Gus Malzahn’s unit still ranks No. 1 nationally, averaging 600 yards per game.
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9
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3-1
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18
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Missouri
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Mizzou is 5-0 for the second time in three seasons. Ahmad Hardy ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns in the 42-6 win against UMass. He leads the nation with 730 rushing yards and nine touchdowns and should receive more attention next week before the Tigers play Alabama.
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—
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5-0
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19
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Michigan
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Michigan sat at home ahead of hosting Wisconsin this week, and yet the school still broke a record. Country artist Zach Bryan performed Saturday in front of 112,408 fans at Michigan Stadium, breaking the record for the largest-ticketed concert in U.S. history.
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—
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3-1
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20
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Illinois
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The Illini rebounded nicely following a 53-point loss the previous week at Indiana. David Olano lifted Illinois to a 34-32 win against USC with a 41-yard field goal as time expired. Quarterback Luke Altmyer threw, rushed and received a touchdown, becoming the first Illini player since 1999 to do so. Illinois is 5-3 against top 25 teams since last season.
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—
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4-1
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21
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Virginia
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The ‘Hoos did it again – 30 years later. Virginia knocked off Florida State in a 46-38, double-overtime thriller with a reloaded roster of transfers. Thirty years after the famous goal-line stand victory against No. 2 Florida State, the Cavs intercepted a pass in the end zone to beat the ‘Noles again. Have you seen the rest of the Cavs’ schedule? They got a chance in the ACC, folks.
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NR
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4-1
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22
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Notre Dame
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Notre Dame buried Arkansas 56-13 in its first-ever meeting with the Razorbacks, and the Irish provided a parting gift: the ouster of Arkansas coach Sam Pittman. Jeremiyah Love became the first player in school history with two rushing and two receiving touchdowns in a single game – and he did it all in the first half. The Irish chewed up 420 of their 641 yards in the first half.
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3
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2-2
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23
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Arizona State
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Never count out Kenny Dillingham. Arizona State rallied from a 17-0 deficit at home to knock off TCU 27-24 and moved to 5-1 against top 25 teams since 2024. The defending Big 12 champions have won eight straight games in the conference.
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NR
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4-1
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24
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Iowa State
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Iowa State is 5-0 in back-to-back years for the first time in program history. The Cyclones drilled Arizona 39-14. Rocco Becht scored three rushing touchdowns despite finishing with minus-10 yards rushing (darn sacks!). He didn’t throw a touchdown pass, snapping the longest active streak in the FBS at 22 games.
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NR
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5-0
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25
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BYU
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Saturday’s nightcap ended with BYU stretching its legs to a 4-0 start after defeating Colorado 24-21 on the road. The Cougars are allowing only 9.3 points per game, ranking fourth in the country.
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1
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4-0
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