Each week, the Sports' editorial team selects its Top 25 FBS college football teams for the Student Media Poll.
The SMP is a nationwide poll featuring 25 student journalists from schools nationwide.
The Post Sports will break down its ballot each week. Here is a breakdown of the top five, those dropped from the Top 25, and those added.
Top 5
1. Ohio State (4-0)
The Ohio State faithful may have thought they were watching history repeat itself on Saturday against Washington, trailing 3-0 in the second quarter. The Buckeyes rebounded the rest of the game, outscoring the Huskies 24-3, as the best defense in the country stood tall once again in the second half as the offense pulled away in this 27-6 road victory, snapping a 22-game home win streak for the Huskies.
2. Miami (FL) (4-0)
The Hurricanes did not play in a hectic week five around the country. They will have to play some catch up on the field this week but can do so when they travel to Tallahassee on Saturday to take on Florida State in another top 25 matchup, their third of the season. They should continue to use what’s working, a steady balance of run and the arm of quarterback Carson Beck.
3. Oregon (5-0)
The Ducks were out to prove they are the top dog in the Big 10 Saturday night, and while I think they would still have to beat the Buckeyes to do so, they took a big step. They travelled to Happy Valley and beat Penn State in double overtime to capture a pivotal win and jump back into the top five.
Quarterback Dante Moore kept rolling, throwing three touchdowns and completing almost 75% of his passes. Even though Penn State did not go down quietly, it was the defense that stepped up and intercepted Drew Allar to win the game 30-24 and remain undefeated heading into the bye.
4. Oklahoma (4-0)
Oklahoma got a much needed week off in week five with John Mateer going down with an injury after their victory over Auburn. They have a gauntlet of a schedule this season but will have to push through this stretch. The Sooners play Kent State in week six but may already be looking past it to the Red River Rivalry against Texas that may define their SEC title push.
5. Ole Miss (5-0)
Saturday night in Oxford, Mississippi, must have been electric. Ole Miss welcomed LSU to town and dominated the game. The Tigers may have started with a touchdown but an unfazed Rebel squad marched down the field three times in the first half, tallying two touchdowns and a field goal.
The second half was tamer but when Ole Miss needed it most, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss stepped, driving down the field to close out the game and cap off his day that saw him have 385 yards from scrimmage. The Rebels continue to play stellar football and will have to keep it up to remain the SEC frontrunner.
Who I Added: 24 USF and 25 Utah
USF and Utah both are returning to the rankings this week after being benefactors of other team’s misfortune. USF was on bye but had strong wins against Boise State 34-7 and Florida in the Swamp 18-16 to push them up. Utah fell after week four after being blown out by Texas Tech but rebounded well with a 48-14 win over West Virginia, firmly placing it back in the Big 12 title picture.
The Rest of the Top 25
6. Penn State (3-1)
7. Texas A&M (4-0)
8. Indiana (4-0)
9. LSU (4-1)
10. Alabama (3-1)
11. Texas (3-1)
12. Georgia Tech (5-0)
13. Texas Tech (4-0)
14. Michigan (3-1)
15. Georgia (3-1)
16. Iowa State (5-0)
17. Tennessee (4-1)
18. Vanderbilt (5-0)
19. Florida State (3-1)
20. llinois (4-1)
21. Notre Dame (2-2)
22. Missouri (4-0)
23. Arizona State (4-1)
24. USF (3-1)
25. Utah (4-1)
Who I Dropped: USC and TCU
USC and TCU fell victim to atmospheres coming into play during high volume matchups. They both traveled on the road and lost by field goals within the final minutes of the game. USC fell to Illinois 34-32 and TCU lost to Arizona State 27-24 but both team’s seasons are far from over.
