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College football power rankings: Predicting the AP Top 25 after Week 5

By Connor Muldowney

TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 29: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts with Hale Hentges #84 after passing for a touchown to Henry Ruggs III #11 against the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 29: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts with Hale Hentges #84 after passing for a touchown to Henry Ruggs III #11 against the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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SOUTH BEND, IN – SEPTEMBER 29: Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Dexter Williams (2) runs for a 45-yard touchdown in the first quarter of the college football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Stanford Cardinals on September 29, 2018, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN – SEPTEMBER 29: Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Dexter Williams (2) runs for a 45-yard touchdown in the first quarter of the college football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Stanford Cardinals on September 29, 2018, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

This was Penn State’s chance to make a serious statement in the race for the College Football Playoff as well as for the Big Ten East crown. The top team in the conference, Ohio State, came to town and, like the previous meetings between James Franklin and Urban Meyer, the game went down to the wire. The Nittany Lions had a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter erased, but they had the ball with a chance to drive down and win the game down 27-26 but were unable to come up with a fourth-down conversion on the last drive to blow a chance at an upset.

No one wants to hit the road to take on a ranked team with momentum but West Virginia’s offense was ready for the task in Lubbock, facing off against No. 25 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were coming off a blowout win over Oklahoma State, but they couldn’t handle the Mountaineers. Will Grier continued his Heisman campaign but West Virginia nearly let its foot off the gas and lost after mounting a big lead.

The Huskies will get a little boost in the rankings this week after a nice win over No. 20 BYU. Not only does this win look good for Washington, but it also looks bad for Wisconsin who wasn’t able to take care of the Cougars in Madison. This game was never in question as Jake Browning had his most accurate game of the season. Washington’s defense showed up and the offense looked like a well-oiled machine. Watch out for these Huskies, they’re gaining some steam.

Ian Book may just be the answer. Through the better part of four weeks, Brian Kelly stuck with Brandon Wimbush because of his ability to pick up yardage on the ground, but Book has been solid through the air, picking up steam against Stanford in a convincing win. He passed for over 250 yards with four touchdowns and looked like the true starter. The Irish offense may be finally taking shape and they may just win out and head to the playoff if that’s the case.

You would think losing a Heisman-winning quarterback would slow down the offense, but that hasn’t been the case. Kyler Murray was a monster against Baylor, passing for 432 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 45 and another score. He may be the Heisman front-runner after the Baylor blowout, but I’m sure Lincoln Riley would tell you he’s more upset about his defense allowing 33 points to the Bears.

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