Week 5 brought a modest shakeup to the AP Top 25, even without a full slate of chaos. The headliners were clear enough: Missouri delivered the weekend’s loudest statement, Pittsburgh cracked the poll for the first time, and several familiar names slid after losses that changed the shape of the rankings.
Texas remains No. 1 in the AP Top 25 with 61 first-place votes, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami (FL), Ohio State and Alabama. Indiana sits at No. 7 with one first-place vote, then BYU, Ole Miss, LSU, Texas Tech, Utah, Oregon, Missouri, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, USC, Iowa, UCLA, Houston, Boise State, SMU and Pittsburgh.
Missouri was the biggest riser of the week, climbing 11 spots to No. 14 after rolling past then-No. 8 Florida, 45-17.
That win carried extra weight because the Tigers had dropped their previous nine games against ranked teams. Florida, meanwhile, tumbled eight places to No. 16 after absorbing that loss.
Pittsburgh’s rise into the poll was just as notable, if for a different reason. The Panthers arrived at No. 25 after winning on the road at Virginia Tech, 35-33, in a matchup of undefeated teams. It was enough to get them into the rankings for the first time.
There was movement near the bottom, too. Iowa fell six spots to No. 20 after a 31-14 home loss to No.
5 Ohio State. Kentucky also took a hit in the broader picture, dropping from No. 24 to unofficial No. 26 despite rallying from a 17-0 deficit to beat South Carolina 35-34 in overtime.
As for North Carolina, the Tar Heels are still outside the AP Top 25 even after making things interesting against No. 3 Notre Dame.
Their path forward runs through Pittsburgh this week, where a win could at least get them noticed. Still, they likely need more than one good result before landing on ballots.
The conference breakdown in the AP poll shows the SEC with nine teams, followed by the Big Ten with six, the Big 12 with five, the ACC with three, the Pac-12 with one and one independent.
This week’s marquee games are No. 21 UCLA at No.
13 Oregon on Saturday at 3:30 PM ET on CBS, and No. 2 Georgia at No.
6 Alabama on Saturday at 7:30 PM ET on ABC.
The Coaches Poll told a slightly different story at the top. Texas leads there as well, with 45 first-place votes, ahead of Georgia with 20. Notre Dame is third, followed by Miami (FL), Indiana with eight first-place votes, Ohio State, Alabama, BYU, Texas Tech, LSU, Ole Miss, Utah, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, USC, Iowa, Houston, Mississippi State, SMU, UCLA, Duke, Pittsburgh and Kentucky.
In Other News...
UNC Just Took A Big Step In Building Belichicks Football Operation
North Carolinas football overhaul is moving into a more formal phase, with the school bringing in ZRG Turnkey to run the search for its next football general manager. The hire fits the larger push around Bill Belichicks program, where the Tar Heels are building out the kind of front office structure more commonly seen in the NFL than in college football.
Sean Magee, ZRG Turnkeys vice president of GM solutions and a former Michigan football general manager, will also serve as a consultant to support the GM role, athletic director Steve Newmark and Belichick. Magees background stretches across the college and pro game, including stops with Michigan, the Chicago Bears and Navy, giving UNC an experienced hand as it shapes the operation around its new head coach. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Jordan Just Gave UNC Fans Another Reason To Be Proud
Michael Jordan has added another major chapter to his long UNC legacy, this time off the court. The Basketball Hall of Famer made a $10 million donation to the University of North Carolina School of Social Work in honor of his mother, Deloris P. Jordan, giving the school its largest gift ever and tying his name to work that will support students and families for years to come.
The money is set to help the Global Social Development Innovations Center, the Jordan Institute for Families, and scholarships for Master of Social Work students, while UNC has also created the Jordan Family Scholars program to award scholarships to 10 students as part of the commitment. For Tar Heels fans, it is another reminder that Jordan's bond with Chapel Hill still runs deep, and it comes with the kind of impact that reaches well beyond the basketball program. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Faces One Pittsburgh Problem That Could Dig The ACC Hole Deeper
North Carolina heads into another demanding ACC test this week, and the setup does not get any easier after the Tar Heels ran into No. 3 Notre Dame. Now it is No. 25 Pittsburgh on the schedule, a team that has already shown it can win tight games and put real pressure on a defense for four quarters.
The Panthers offense runs through sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel, whose production has made him one of the leagues most dangerous passers and helped Pittsburgh stay on the right side of several close calls. With two games already decided by five points or fewer, including a recent win over Virginia Tech, this is the kind of matchup that can deepen North Carolinas ACC trouble if it cannot slow the passing game early. [Read more 🡒]