Ohio State’s win over Iowa did more than keep the Buckeyes rolling at home. It also pushed them to the top of ESPN’s latest FPI rankings after Week 5.
The Buckeyes handled the Hawkeyes 31-14, and that result was enough to move Ohio State into the No. 1 spot in ESPN’s tally. Jeremiah Smith was right in the middle of it, adding another chapter to his Ohio State legacy with a performance against Iowa that also earned him another place in the school history book. Smith now owns program records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, and he played a major role in the Buckeyes’ dominant showing.
Ohio State gets Maryland next, but the road gets tougher soon enough. The Buckeyes are set for a highly anticipated matchup with Indiana on Oct. 17.
Missouri also made noise in a big way. The Tigers beat Florida 45-17, a result that sent the Gators tumbling five spots in the rankings.
That’s where college football stands now: the season is tightening, the pressure is rising, and every week starts to matter a little more. Ranked teams are fighting to protect their place in the playoff conversation, and the margin for error keeps shrinking as conference races start to take shape.
Here’s ESPN’s FPI Top 25 before Week 6:
Ohio State (+2)
Georgia (-1)
Notre Dame (-1)
Texas
Miami
Alabama
Indiana
LSU
Oregon
Tennessee (+1)
Texas Tech (+2)
Utah
Nebraska (+1)
Texas A&M (+2)
Florida (-5)
BYU (+1)
Northwestern (+11)
Missouri (+17)
USC (-1)
Penn State (-5)
Oklahoma
Ole Miss (-3)
Pittsburgh (-1)
Auburn
Houston (+2)
In Other News...
Indiana Will Help Reveal What Nebraskas Hot Start Really Means
Nebraskas unbeaten start has turned heads, but the next stretch of Big Ten play should tell a lot more about what this team actually is. The Huskers are 5-0 and have already shown some grit, including in a recent win over Maryland, yet there is still plenty of uncertainty about how steady they are on both sides of the ball as the schedule gets tougher.
Indiana is part of the test now, and that matters because conference games tend to strip away the early-season noise. Nebraska has looked capable enough to keep winning, and Anthony Colandrea has been among the players drawing attention for his role in that run, but the Hoosiers are one of the teams that can help show whether this hot start is a true sign of progress or just a strong opening month waiting for a reality check. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Became Nebraskas Biggest Unbeaten Test Yet
Nebraska is rolling into a marquee Big Ten matchup with real momentum after handling Maryland 48-23 to stay unbeaten at 5-0, even if the start was not nearly as clean as the final score suggested. The Huskers have now put themselves in the thick of the conference conversation, and the stakes only get bigger with Indiana waiting next, another undefeated team at 5-0.
For Nebraska, this is the kind of game that can say a lot about where a season is headed, especially with other league contenders like Ohio State and Wisconsin also adding wins and the College Football Playoff picture beginning to take shape. Indiana has its own perfect record and plenty to protect, which makes this one of those early-season tests that can change the tone for both programs long before November arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Still Found One Problem In Indianas Blowout Win
Indiana rolled to a 47-15 win over Rutgers and backed it up with the kind of statistical edge that usually makes a coach feel pretty good about the afternoon. The Hoosiers outgained Rutgers 593-254 and piled up big numbers on the ground and through the air, but Curt Cignetti still came away with a sharper view of the performance than the scoreboard suggested.
Cignetti pointed to second-half mistakes as the part that bothered him most, especially the two Rutgers touchdowns allowed after Indiana had already built control of the game. For a team trying to stack complete performances, the lopsided finish still left a lesson in how quickly a comfortable lead can get a little messier than it should be. [Read more 🡒]