For the fifth consecutive week, the top three teams on my AP Top 25 ballot consist of Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State. However, I shuffled the top three slightly. I still have Georgia No. 1, despite sleepwalking past Kent State. But I moved Ohio State up to No. 2 and dropped Alabama one spot to No. 3.
Both teams dominated Saturday — Ohio State routed Wisconsin, 52-21, and Alabama blasted Vanderbilt, 55-3. At this point, I feel Ohio State’s entire body of work is ever so slightly better than Alabama’s right now.
It doesn’t mean it can’t — and won’t –—change. And with next week’s opponents — Bama visits Arkansas and Ohio State plays Rutgers — they could flip-flop on my ballot next week.
I have six new teams on my AP Top 25 ballot this week: unbeaten Ole Miss, Kansas, Minnesota, Florida State and TCU, plus 3-1 Kansas State.
Here's my Top 25 ballot compared to Action Network senior writer Collin Wilson’s betting power ratings.
Brett McMurphy's Week 5 AP Top 25 Ballot
AP denotes Brett McMurphy's Associated Press Top 25 ballot.
PR denotes Collin Wilson's College Football Betting Power Ratings.
1
Georgia
3
2
Ohio State
1
3
Alabama
2
4
Michigan
4
5
USC
24
6
Kentucky
28
7
Tennessee
10
8
Clemson
5
9
Oklahoma State
13
10
Washington
29
Even with its lackluster win, Georgia remains No. 1 on my ballot. It was the Bulldogs’ first clunker this season. Ohio State, based on its domination of Wisconsin, moved up to No. 2 on my ballot, while Alabama slid to third.
Michigan and USC stay at No. 4 and No. 5 by default — because there’s no one to move in front of either team right now.
Collin’s power ratings agree with my top four and include six of my top 10. The biggest differences are Kentucky and Washington: I have the Wildcats No. 6, and Collin ranks UK No. 28. I have the Huskies No. 10, while Collin ranks UW No. 29.
11
NC State
25
12
Utah
7
13
Penn State
20
14
Ole Miss
21
15
Oregon
19
16
BYU
27
17
Baylor
26
18
Oklahoma
6
19
Kansas
55
20
Minnesota
17
Only four teams I ranked between Nos. 11-20 are rated somewhat similarly by Collin: Penn State, Ole Miss, Oregon and Minnesota.
Our biggest disagreement is Kansas. I have the Jayhawks at No. 19, while Collin puts KU at No. 55
21
Texas A&M
12
22
Arkansas
11
23
Kansas State
40
24
Florida State
9
25
TCU
14
My final five teams on my AP ballot include three newcomers this season: undefeated Florida State and TCU, plus one-loss Kansas State, which won at Oklahoma. Collin’s biggest discrepancy was with K-State, rating the Wildcats No. 40.
Collin also had eight teams in his top 25 power ratings that I did not rank on my Top 25 ballot this week: No. 8 Texas, No. 15 Cincinnati, No. 16 LSU, No. 18 Mississippi State, No. 22 Pitt and No. 23 Notre Dame.
