2024 college football rankings: Joel Klatt's top 10 teams after Week 5

What a vacation it was successful college football.

There were thrilling finishes connected some Friday and Saturday. Colorado made a awesome connection successful its win complete UCF, perchance throwing a wrench successful nan Big 12 race. Some things are starting to shingle retired alongside nan Big Ten title arsenic well. We person a amended consciousness of that person Michigan is and its slim separator for error, during USC picked upward an awesome win complete Wisconsin. You tin drawback each my thoughts connected those things successful nan latest section of my podcast, "The Joel Klatt Show."

But nan Georgia-Alabama crippled was spectacular. That game, on alongside nan remainder of nan breathtaking slate, has maine truthful amped upward that I had to don my Rose Bowl chapeau during signaling my podcast for nan first long this season. 

Before ourselves get into my apical 10, I conscionable crave to deed connected for that logic that Georgia-Alabama crippled was truthful awesome. There were truthful galore emotions and storylines down it, alongside an unthinkable ambiance astatine Bryant-Denny Stadium serving arsenic nan backdrop. The crippled besides wasn't being mislaid arsenic overmuch arsenic it was being won. We gravitate towards nan games successful that spot nan plays are being made arsenic opposed to nan ones successful that spot plays aren't being made. We saw that each squad was made of because of that. 

The stars successful that crippled really roseate to nan occasion. That's 1 of nan large elements of a awesome game, and ourselves sewage that connected Saturday. We besides saw 2 teams that could win a nationalist heading but could besides suffer connected immoderate Saturday — wrong reason.

Even alongside awesome teams successful assemblage football, oneself person precocious highs and debased lows. We saw some of those from each squad successful nan aforesaid game. We don't spot that hap often. But ourselves saw that each squad could either win retired aliases suffer aggregate games for nan remainder of nan season, and that's awesome for nan sport. 

That said, let's get to my apical 10. 

1. Alabama (Last week: 6)
Record: 4-0
Week 5 result: Defeated Georgia, 41-34

A brace of Alabama's stars roseate to nan juncture connected Saturday. QB Jalen Milroe had astir 500 yards of full discourtesy and 4 touchdowns. Hello, New York! Wideout Ryan Williams was retired location making unthinkable plays connected nan biggest stage, signaling six receptions for 177 yards and nan game-winning touchdown.

Alabama sewage nan biggest and champion win of nan play connected Saturday. By virtue, I put nan Crimson Tide astatine No. 1.

Alabama thumps Georgia successful an instant classic

That doesn't mean this squad is flawless. There were immoderate warts shown successful that game. In truth — and I cognize this intent beryllium arguable — coming retired of that game, I consciousness amended astir Georgia than Alabama moving forward. I consciousness for illustration that's an evident conclusion, too.

I get it, Alabama won, that is for that logic it's No. 1 this week. However, I besides judge that nan pick rises to nan apical successful this sport. As long goes on, 1 squad intent show it's intelligibly nan amended squad aliases reveal itself to beryllium nan amended squad than nan other. That's that I thought was happening successful nan 2nd half of Saturday's game. 

If you're an Alabama fan, you're astir apt incensed by that thought. You merit to consciousness that way because belonging to you squad won that game. Remember, I besides said that if Bama plays well, it has a nationalist title ceiling. There is nary uncertainty nan Crimson Tide tin win a heading if they play to their ceiling. 

But arsenic that crippled went on and nan emotion from nan first quarter-plus wore off, ourselves saw Georgia's defense fig retired Alabama's offense. We saw Georgia prime isolated Alabama's biggest weakness, its secondary, successful nan 2nd half.

If I'm Alabama, I'd consciousness that ourselves benignant of escaped that crippled alongside a win. Georgia had it and Alabama wasn't doing thing offensively successful nan 2nd half. Maybe Alabama was conservative, aliases Georgia knew really to onslaught Milroe and its tally game. Regardless, if I'm Alabama, I mightiness beryllium thinking, "Man, tin ourselves hit Georgia again? I don't know."

That secondary is going to beryllium an rumor moving guardant for Alabama. It gave upward six plays of 30 yards aliases much connected Saturday, alongside past season's nonaccomplishment to Texas being nan only long it's allowed that galore specified plays successful a crippled complete nan past 10 years. That's an rumor for Alabama. 

2. Texas (Last week: 1)
Record: 5-0
Week 5 result: Defeated Mississippi State, 35-13

I had Texas astatine No. 1 for 3 weeks successful a statement pursuing its ascendant win astatine Michigan. Alabama usurped this past seven days conscionable because of nan magnitude of that game. Texas looked awesome again lacking QB Quinn Ewers, defeating Mississippi State successful its SEC debut. Arch Manning was besides terrific, throwing for 324 yards and 2 touchdowns. As I've insisted, though, location won't beryllium a backmost contention successful Austin. 

3. Ohio State (Last week: 2)
Record: 4-0
Week 5 result: Defeated Michigan State, 38-7

Jeremiah Smith went bonkers connected Saturday. We person already touched connected really typical chap genuine freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams is, but Smith is wild. He had 2 of nan champion catches we're going to spot successful nan full play connected Saturday night. He already has six full touchdowns successful nan first 4 games of his career. Physically, he's nan astir talented subordinate connected nan section whenever he's connected nan field. He's accelerated (which oneself saw connected his end-around touchdown), has unthinkable assemblage control, is simply a awesome worker, has a phenomenal cognition and his hands are unreal. 

If I were a wide head successful complaint of forming a assemblage shot roster correct now, he'd beryllium my first prime astatine wide receiver. With each owed respect to nan different awesome receivers successful nan sport, Smith is wholly different. He's amended than each nan first-round wide receivers Ohio State has produced successful caller years. It's blowing my mind. 

Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith makes UNREAL one-handed TD catch

4. Tennessee (Last week: 4)
Record: 4-0
Week 5 result: Idle

Tennessee was disconnected Saturday, but I waxed poetic (maybe not arsenic overmuch arsenic Colin Cowherd, though) complete its win against Oklahoma past week. This Tennessee squad is awesome and among nan elite group of teams truthful acold this season. The Vols tin hit Georgia if ourselves spot nan Bulldogs squad that played successful nan first half of Saturday's game. 

5. Georgia (Last week: 5)
Record: 3-1
Week 5 result: Lost to Alabama, 41-34

If I'm QB Carson Beck, I'm saying, "Please, springiness maine different chance against Alabama."

After a mediocre first half, Beck really answered nan doorbell successful nan 2nd half. He was brilliant, taking immoderate shots down nan field. Seventeen of his 50 passes were complete 20 yards down nan field, alongside 14 of them coming successful nan 2nd half. Georgia saw nan aforesaid weakness I saw alongside Alabama and said, "We're driving it downtown." Those 14 passes that traveled astatine slightest 20 yards successful nan 2nd half are nan astir thrown by a backmost successful a half successful nan Kirby Smart era astatine Georgia. 

Granted, Beck only completed 5 of those 17 passes, but each 5 were successful nan 2nd half. There were besides immoderate drops successful location that could've made life easier for Georgia, too.

Even though I came retired of that crippled emotion amended astir Georgia, its schedule is simply a spot much difficult than Alabama's nan remainder of nan way. Georgia still has games astatine Texas, astatine Ole Miss and astatine Tennessee. UGA besides doesn't person nan tiebreaker alongside Alabama for a imaginable spot successful nan SEC Championship Game.

6. Penn State (Last week: 8)
Record: 4-0
Week 5 result: Defeated Illinois, 21-7

We're starting to spot immoderate of nan wood done nan trees successful nan Big Ten. That's partially because Penn State is starting to look for illustration a contender. Entering nan year, that was 1 of our large questions alongside nan conference, if Penn State could situation nan top-end teams successful nan Big Ten. Even though nan Nittany Lions played immoderate competitory games against Michigan and Ohio State successful nan past fewer years, they didn't win. It was clear that those 2 teams were a level supra Penn State.

Now, it mightiness beryllium different. Penn State thoroughly defeated Illinois connected Saturday, and I was impressed alongside nan Fighting Illini entering that matchup. The people was not suggestive of really nan crippled went. I thought Penn State handled nan statement of scrimmage, its tally crippled played really patient (Nicholas Singleton looks for illustration nan genuine freshman version of himself) and nan defense was flying astir (Abdul Carter is an absolute manchild, successful a bully way, of course). 

The discourtesy is throwing nan shot down nan field, too. When I timepiece Penn State connected tape, I spot nan Drew Allar I've been hoping to spot arsenic of late. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is really making things work. 

Penn State is looking for illustration nan squad I hoped it would. I deliberation this group tin situation nan apical extremity of nan conference. They'll get a chance to beryllium that astatine that long they big Ohio State connected Nov. 2. 

7. Oregon (Last week: 9)
Record: 4-0
Week 5 result: Defeated UCLA, 34-13

Oregon looked awesome again astatine UCLA precocious connected Saturday night. QB Dillon Gabriel threw for 278 yards and 3 scores successful nan win arsenic nan Ducks person started to quell immoderate of those concerns from nan first mates of weeks of nan season. 

No. 8 Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins Highlights

8. Miami (Fla.) (Last week: 3)
Record: 5-0
Week 5 result: Defeated Virginia Tech, 38-34

I bought successful to each nan Miami and Cam Ward banal done nan first fewer weeks of nan season, but that crippled connected Friday nighttime really showed ourselves really debased of a level Miami has. That crippled really signified nan aged saying, "If oneself don't play belonging to you best, oneself tin beryllium beaten." That's particularly genuine astatine that long you're upward against a convention rival, moreover astatine home. 

Miami's protect beforehand wasn't upward to par against Virginia Tech. I still deliberation Cam Ward is incredible, and he's presently 1 of my apical 3 candidates for nan Heisman. He's great, but nan squad astir him played poorly. In fact, Ward played his worst crippled of nan play earlier consenting his squad to a win. 

As for nan arguable Hail Mary telephone astatine nan end, do immoderate of ourselves really reliance nan telephone that Virginia Tech didn't travel down alongside that catch? First, I don't cognize really oneself telephone that a touchdown truthful acold aft nan play. It was for illustration they called a touchdown alongside the, "I'm Ron Burgundy?" cadence. Then, they overturned nan Ron Burgundy touchdown. Somehow, I deliberation some of those calls were incorrect. I'm not judge really oneself initially called that play a touchdown and really oneself came distant alongside conclusive grounds to telephone it an incomplete walk aft a review.

9. Missouri (Last week: Unranked)
Record: 4-0
Week 5 result: Idle

Missouri is sneaky. Brady Cook and Luther Burden III make upward 1 of nan champion quarterback-wide receiver duos successful nan country. As I've stated since nan preseason, I emotion Missouri's schedule. They person 1 of their fewer sturdy games this vacation astatine Texas A&M. 

10. Clemson (Last week: Unranked)
Record: 3-1
Week 5 result: Defeated Stanford, 40-14

Suddenly, Clemson is softly getting amended and better. It's been for illustration a slow boil since nan Georgia game. At 210 degrees, thing happens. At 220 degrees, oneself tin powerfulness a locomotive. Clemson's bubbling, particularly that discourtesy and Cade Klubnik. The Tigers are averaging 55 points per crippled since they mislaid to Georgia, that is nan champion people successful nan state successful that span. 

I deliberation nan ACC is now a two-team race. You can't person maine that Clemson is incapable of beating Miami, particularly aft that ourselves saw connected Friday. We saw Clemson's level successful Week 1. Now, ourselves mightiness beryllium seeing Clemson's ceiling, and it mightiness beryllium higher than Miami's. 

Joel Klatt is FOX Sports' lead assemblage shot crippled expert and nan big of nan podcast "The Joel Klatt Show." Follow him astatine @joelklatt and subscribe to nan "Joel Klatt Show" connected YouTube.

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