Week 5 College Football Recap: How Four Top-10 Losses Reshaped the College Football Rankings
- Gareth Evans
- Sep 29, 2025
- 5 min read
An action packed slate of college football action didn't disappoint. Four Top-10 teams suffered upsets, shaking up the AP Top 25 rankings and blurring the playoff picture further, while one team moved to a 5-0 record for only second time in 80 years. What is happening this season?
Four Top 10 teams go down
Alabama Ends Georgia’s 33-Game Home Winning Streak
Was the University of Alabama's opening day loss to Florida State a necessity to kick start the Crimson Tide's season? The Tide have since put 73 unanswered points past Louisiana-Monroe and brushed aside Wisconsin before travelling to Athens, where Georgia were proudly defending a 33-game winning streak.
"It's us against them!" screamed junior quarterback Ty Simpson to his Alabama team mates as they prepared to run out into a hostile Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. He and his team played like it was. Alabama converted their first nine third downs, and Simpson, visibly growing in stature by the game, threw for 192 yards in the first half alone, leading his team to a 24-14 lead at the interval. He would finish the game having completed 24 of 38 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns.
Ryan Grubb is clearly starting to make an impact pulling the strings of the Crimson Tide offense. Alabama could have been further ahead. Ryan Williams inexplicably dropped a deep pass from Simpson with Georgia's defense and the end zone at his mercy. Grubb called Kadyn Proctor, the 359lb offensive tackle into action. Catching a screen pass, Proctor bulldozed his way through the Bulldogs' secondary, scattering defenders before being brought down close to the goal line.
Georgia were making some explosive plays on the ground, averaging 8 yards per carry, and racked up 227 rushing yards but Gunner Stockton managed just 130 in the air. Freshman Chauncey Bowens picked up the mantle with 119 yards and a touchdown after Nate Frazier had fumbled in the second quarter.
Remarkably, Alabama were scoreless in the second half and held on to beat Georgia, previously unbeaten at home since 2019, 24-21, for a priceless victory on the road, lifting the Tide to No.10 in the AP Top 25 poll. Alabama face a resurgent 5-0 Vanderbilt in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. Georgia slip to No.12 and host Kentucky this weekend.
"We talked about it as an old school 15-round heavyweight fight." - Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer.
Ole Miss Stuns LSU Behind Heisman Hopeful QB Trinidad Chambliss
Just three weeks into assuming the Ole Miss starting quarterback job following the unfortunate injury to Austin Simmons, Trinidad Chambliss is being talked of as a Heisman Trophy contender. Chambliss has passed for over 300 yards and rushed for over 50 for three games in a row. The Rebels' 24-19 victory over No.3 LSU has thrust them into the Playoff reckoning and their new quarterback, a transfer from Division II Ferris State, into Heisman Trophy contention. Chambliss accounted for 385 total yards as the Ole Miss offense kept LSU's defense on the field for long spells, wearing them out.
LSU's offense, by comparison, is misfiring. The Tigers were without feature back Caden Durham and were restricted to just 57 rushing yards. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, himself a preseason Heisman contender, threw for 197 yards a touchdown and interception. His coach was not sympathetic.
"Garrett Nussmeier has got to play better. Every player on offense has to play better." - LSU head coach Brian Kelly.
This was a damaging loss for LSU, who tumble to No.13 in the AP Top 25. Their wins against Clemson and Florida, both programs who have struggled, will hold less weight in the rankings as the season develops.
Both teams have a week off. LSU host unpredictable South Carolina while Ole Miss, who shot up to No.4 after this upset win, welcome Washington State to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Oregon Outlasts Penn State in Double Overtime Thriller
Even in the white-hot atmosphere of the infamous "White Out" atmosphere created by 111,015 fans, Oregon refused to wilt. Pardon the pun, but the Oregon have taken to the Big Ten like, well, Ducks to water. Dan Lanning's team haven't looked back since departing the Pac-12. Oregon are now 12-0 in regular-season Big Ten conference games, and have won 23 straight regular season games.
A 3-3 scoreline didn't suggest the most compelling of games to watch. Oregon asserted control early in the second half, building a 14-point lead with touchdowns from Dierre Hill, Jr. and Jordan Davison.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar was constantly pressured by Oregon's defense, passing for just 137 yards on 14-of-25 passing, but found Devonte Ross for a 7-yard touchdown to force the game into overtime. Opposite number Dante Moore completed 80% of his passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns, overcoming a stiff test in a hostile environment.
Jamari Johnson's touchdown and Dillon Thieneman's interception of Allar's pass in double overtime clinched a critical 30-24 win for Oregon, who leap into No.2 in the rankings. Penn State, in their first test against a big conference rival, again fell short and fall to No.7 in the rankings.
While Dan Lanning's star continues to rise at Oregon, questions will continue to be asked of James Franklin's ability to beat the big teams. The Penn State coach's record is just 4-21 against AP top-10 ranked opponents
Virginia Knocks Off Florida State in Charlottesville Showdown
The tone for a highly entertaining weekend of college football was set in Charlottesville, VA. where the University of Virginia stunned No.8 Florida State, 46-38, in double overtime.
Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos's hopeful pass into the end zone was picked off by Cavaliers defensive back Ja'Son Prevard who, along with intended receiver Squirrel White, was swiftly engulfed by a swarming Virginia crowd who stormed the field in jubilation. A joyous moment turned ugly as 19 people were treated for injuries at UVA Health University Medical Center.
Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris completed 26 of 35 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for another three. Both teams combined for a staggering 954 yards of offense.
Florida State have little time to lick their wounds as they host No.3 Miami, fresh off a bye week on Saturday night. Virginia travel to Louisville in another intriguing ACC encounter.
High Drama
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman was fired after the Razorbacks 56-13 home defeat to Notre Dame, who improved to 2-2.
Elsewhere in the SEC, No.15 Tennessee just held off Mississippi State 41-34 to maintain their interest in the SEC conference race while Texas A&M, 16-10 winners over Auburn, improve to 4-0 and No.6 in the AP Top 25. Vanderbilt's maverick quarterback Diego Pavia threw for 329 yards and five touchdowns in a 55-24 trouncing of Utah State and move to No.16.
In the ACC, Georgia Tech look like Miami's closest challengers with a 5-0 record, but escaped with a 30-29 overtime win over Wake Forest. Syracuse followed up theIr upset win over Clemson with a disappointing 38-3 loss to Duke, while California moved to 4-1 with a close 28-24 win over Boston College.
No.1 Ohio State eased past Washington 24-6. Indiana, who destroyed Illinois last weekend, narrowly escaped Kinnick Stadium with a late touchdown which overcame Iowa, 20-15. The Hoosiers travel to Oregon in a match up that will have some impact on the Big Ten standings. Illinois outlasted No.21 USC 34-32 to return to the Top 25 at 4-1.
Texas Tech, idle this week, remain the pick of the Big 12, but will be pushed by Iowa State, who moved to 5-0 with a convincing 39-14 win over Arizona. BYU and Houston remain unbeaten at 4-0 with a wins on the road at Colorado and Oregon State respectively.
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