College football ranking prediction for US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25 after Week 5 - USA Today
One team will out of the top 10 of this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll and another will step in, while the poll gets ready for some major matchups over the next two weeks.
Florida soared to No. 8 after beating Ole Miss but will fall back after losing 45-17 at Missouri. A new SEC team will climb to No. 10 in this week’s poll. But will that be LSU or Ole Miss?
The top 10 is guaranteed of major changes given the heavyweight bouts set in the SEC and Big Ten, starting this Saturday with Georgia and Alabama. While currently stuck behind Texas, the Bulldogs would have a case for No. 1 with a win.
And a week later, Ohio State travels to Indiana in a rematch of last year’s Big Ten championship game.
Texas got an extra week to get ready for Oklahoma. Like they’ll need it. While the Longhorns didn’t really look the part of a No. 1 last time out against Tennessee, they’ve been juggernauts compared to the Sooners, who are one of the biggest flops of the first month.
The Bulldogs would’ve taken care of things against Vanderbilt even if freshman Jared Curtis had played on Saturday. Blaze Berlowitz had 208 yards as the starter but Georgia gave up just 293 yards overall in a 38-14 win. Now comes the first real test of how good this team really is.
The running game showed up in the second half of a 37-26 win at North Carolina and a breakout candidate was unearthed in freshman back Jonaz Walton, who had 120 yards. The Irish made this one closer than it needed to be, though.
Clemson’s defense did a pretty good job against Darian Mensah, who threw for 227 yards and just one touchdown, but the Hurricanes’ defense and general talent was too much to overcome in a 41-13 final. Miami’s first test went well enough, though not enough to move ahead of Notre Dame.
Look for Indiana to stay ahead of Ohio State, if only because of the unbeaten record. But the Hoosiers’ win against Northwestern looks much better after the Wildcats topped Penn State and this week’s opponent, Nebraska, could sneak into the Top 25.
The Buckeyes’ defense has been outstanding all year minus the final quarter against Texas, when the Longhorns just wore them down in the Austin heat. And the offense has Jeremiah Smith. OSU gets a week off against Maryland this Saturday before going to Bloomington.
Alabama’s flying under the radar after a slip to nine wins in 2025. The Crimson Tide blew out Mississippi State 56-23 and showed off what might be the deepest receiver room in the country. That’s making things look easy for Keelon Russell, who outplayed Kamarion Taylor.
The Cougars will move one spot to replace Florida. Playing for the first time in two weeks, BYU pulled out a 17-10 win at TCU after losing star running back LJ Martin in the second quarter.
Tech had just three points at halftime against Colorado but kind of put things together in the second half, especially on defense, to win 29-7. This was more about the Buffaloes’ terribleness, though. There still are some serious questions about the Red Raiders as they enter the tougher part of their schedule.
The No. 10 spot gives voters a chance for a redo after putting LSU ahead of Ole Miss in last week’s poll despite the Rebels’ 32-28 head-to-head win. Look for the Tigers to stay in front to close out the top 10, with the Rebels right behind.
The US LBM Coaches Poll is released usually by 1 p.m. ET Sunday after USA TODAY tabulates the more than 70 coaches votes.
