I should have seen this coming. Of course, the season I spend all summer working on an objective college football ranking system is the same season Alabama seems to figure things out and ascend back to the top of the sport…at least in the first half of the season. You can call me a homer if you want to, but you can’t objectively tell me that Alabama doesn’t have a case to be ranked first right now.

1. Alabama (5-0) (Power: 1, Resume: 2, Last Week: 4)

I know you are, but what am I? Childish jokes aside, this week is the big one. Alabama has owned Georgia in the regular season for nearly two decades now. In fact, the last time Georgia beat Alabama in the regular season it was Matt Stafford walking Alabama off in overtime.

2. Texas (4-0) (Power: 4, Resume: 1, Last Week: 1)

Red River tends to be one of the weirdest rivalries in this sport. I’m not saying bet Oklahoma, but be careful laying heavy lumber on the Horns this weekend.

3. Notre Dame (5-0) (Power: 2, Resume: 3, Last Week: 3)

There’s a case that Notre Dame let North Carolina hang around longer than they should have, but the Tar Heels are improved this year…although that wouldn’t have been hard to accomplish.

4. Miami (5-0) (Power: 3, Resume: 12, Last Week: 9)

Darian Mensah, Malachi Toney and the rest of the offense get all the attention, but don’t sleep on the defense. The Hurricanes sent relentless blitz packages after Tait Reynolds all night.

5. Pitt (5-0) (Power: 8, Resume: 4, Last Week: 2)

Enjoy it for one more week at least. The Mason Heintschel injury is a devastating blow. Also, when I joked about Mason performing Jaxson Dart cosplay this wasn’t what I had in mind. I expect the offense to crater without him. Holden Geriner doesn’t have the same juice that Heintschel does.

6. LSU (4-1) (Power: 6, Resume: 19, Last Week: 5)

Sam Leavitt returned to action this week putting LSU firmly back in contender territory. Unsure how to interpret him having zero carries against McNeese. Didn’t need him to so just keep him safe or he’s still nursing a minor injury and trying to avoid using the legs. Time will tell, but I suspect it’s the former or he wouldn’t have played at all.

7. UCLA (4-0) (Power: 14, Resume: 5, Last Week: 6)

This weekend will be the opportunity for the Bruins to declare that they are for real, and for Chesney to declare the Cignetti comps were appropriate.

8. Georgia (5-0) (Power: 7, Resume: 15, Last Week: 7)

As mentioned earlier, Tuscaloosa has been a house of horrors for Georgia in the Kirby Smart era. It is spooky season after all…

9. Ohio State (4-1) (Power: 5, Resume: 26, Last Week: 17)

Honestly why do we keep having these conversations? Just give Jeremiah Smith the Heisman now.

10. Indiana (5-0) (Power: 9, Resume: 13, Last Week: 13)

That “lackluster” win over Northwestern might not have been so lackluster.

11. Houston (4-1) (Power: 10, Resume: 10, Last Week: NR)

They came up just short against Texas Tech a few weeks ago, but they are very much in the Big XII and playoff mix. Willie Fritz is a ball knower’s darling of a head coach.

12. BYU (4-0) (Power: 19, Resume: 7, Last Week: 19)

The Coogs are coming. They play grown man football, which is refreshing in 2026.

13. Texas Tech (5-0) (Power: 22, Resume: 6, Last Week: 21)

Anyone else notice that the Big XII cluster is consistently shifting up in the rankings? This is the most fun conference hands down.

14. Utah (4-0) (Power: 12, Resume: 16, Last Week: 15)

The Utes have to feel great about their start…especially compared to Michigan’s.

15. Mississippi State (4-1) (Power: 20, Resume: 8, Last Week: 11)

Tough beat last week with an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from Super Kamario. The lines got overwhelmed on both sides of the ball too, which will limit this team’s ceiling.

16. Oregon (3-1) (Power: 13, Resume: 17, Last Week: 12)

We’ll see how long the Ducks will be without Dante Moore, but all their lofty preseason goals are still attainable. The defense will need to be better and offense more consistent to keep those in reach.

17. UCF (3-2) (Power 11, Resume: 28, Last Week: 10)

They jumped all over Houston in the first half, but getting shutout in the second half isn’t great.

18. Florida (4-1) (Power: 15, Resume: 18, Last Week: 8)

This team would have been dominant in 1926…100 years later the passing game matters.

19. Oklahoma State (3-1) (Power: 17, Resume: 20, Last Week: 16)

The season seemed lost after week one and yet, the Cowboys should feel pretty good about their chances in a wide open conference.

20. Tennessee (4-1) (Power: 16, Resume: 27, Last Week: 22)

Benching Faizon Brandon for George MacIntyre after Brandon won a lengthy Spring and Fall quarterback battle isn’t a great look, but it was clearly the right call on Saturday.

21. Missouri (4-1) (Power: 24, Resume: 14, Last Week: NR)

Austin Simmons looked awesome. The defensive gameplan was excellent. Where had that been in the first four weeks?

22. Nebraska (5-0) (Power: 23, Resume: 21, Last Week: NR)

No Dylan Raiola. No problems. I know my good buddy and podcast host emeritus Brian Hall will smile at this…before telling me I’m an idiot.

23. Northwestern (3-1) (Power: 21, Resume: 32, Last Week: NR)

The new Ryan Field looks like a sick gameday experience. It’ll be even better if the Cats can stay nationally relevant.

24. James Madison (5-0) (Power: 27, Resume 25, Last Week: 18)

The Dukes should have an inside track to the playoff, but they may get edged out by the bigger “name brand” in Boise.

25. Wisconsin (4-1) (Power: 28, Resume: 22, Last Week: NR)

Luke Fickell is doing his damnedest to turn this thing around.

First Five Out: Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Baylor, Wake Forest, Iowa

The Dropouts: Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Ole Miss, Virginia, Iowa

Cover Photo Courtesy of Todd Kirkland/Getty Images