Midseason rankings: All Power Five teams, from 1 to 65
As we head into Thanksgiving and the first College Football Playoff poll has been released, what better time to rank all the Power Five programs from 1 to 65 in this insane year? Keep in mind these are power rankings, so head-to-head doesn’t always matter.
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1. ALABAMA
Ranked atop the AP poll, Alabama has won every game this season by double digits, the Crimson Tide are outsourcing opponents by an average of 49-19 and quarterback Mac Jones is entering the first-round discussion of the NFL Draft. Running back Najee Harris has 16 rushing TDs and receiver DeVonta Smith is unstoppable with 65 catches for 903 yards and 10 TDs.
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2. OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes have only played four games and Indiana came back late in the game this past weekend, but Ohio State remains the best team by far in the Big Ten and could be cruising to a playoff berth. Quarterback Justin Fields is one of the best in the country, but the defense remains suspicious at times.
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3. NOTRE DAME
The Irish are undefeated and face a challenge this weekend against North Carolina, but they could be cruising for a showdown against Clemson in the ACC title game. Worries about the offense? Notre Dame has scored 45 or more points in three of its last four victories, including an overtime thriller over the Tigers.
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4. CLEMSON
The Tigers are one of the top teams nationally every season, quarterback Trevor Lawrence and backup D.J. Uiagalelei have the offense humming and a rematch with Notre Dame could be coming in the ACC Championship. The Tigers are outscoring their opponents 45-19.
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5. TEXAS A&M
Alabama whipped A&M, but other than that, the Aggies have been excellent this season, upsetting a talented Florida squad and then taking out the rest of their SEC competition. Coach Jimbo Fisher appears to have turned a corner in College Station and quarterback Kellen Mond is having a solid season. Running against that Texas A&M front has been futile.
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6. FLORIDA
Florida is charging through its schedule and quarterback Kyle Trask is putting together a Heisman-worthy season. The only loss came at Texas A&M and since then Florida has beaten Georgia and others all by double digits. A showdown in the SEC championship against Alabama is anticipated.
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7. OREGON
The Ducks have been recruiting very well, and it’s showing with big-time players across the board in Oregon’s three wins this season over Stanford, Washington State and UCLA. The schedule lines up - save for a battle against Washington and the Pac-12 title game - for Oregon to be undefeated. The question remains: Does a Pac-12 champ with no losses deserve a playoff spot with such a shortened schedule?
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8. NORTHWESTERN
Last year, Northwestern won three games, but this is a program with three 10-win seasons since 2012 and also a nine-win season, so Pat Fitzgerald knows how to build a winning team. This might be one of his best yet, especially since there is some offensive firepower and a tough-as-nails defense. A shot at the Big Ten title would be huge.
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9. MIAMI
Last year, Miami was 6-7. The Hurricanes are now 7-1 albeit after some close victories. Transfer quarterback D’Eriq King has been a godsend, defensive end Jaelan Phillips is one of the best pass rushers in the country and Miami is showing fortitude it lacked only a season ago.
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10. INDIANA
One of the best stories in all of college football, Indiana went into Ohio State last weekend and battled back after being down big. The Hoosiers showed the type of team coach Tom Allen is crafting in Bloomington. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been great, the Hoosiers have some threats in the passing game and the defense has been solid.
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11. GEORGIA
Georgia has won the last three team recruiting titles but the Bulldogs are 5-2 right now with double-digit losses to Alabama and Florida. Recent wins over Kentucky (14-3) and Mississippi State (31-24) have not been all that impressive. A quarterback change to JT Daniels makes things interesting as the former five-star threw for 401 yards and four TDs last week.
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12. IOWA STATE
The Cyclones are the only team in the Big 12 with one conference loss as it’s been a highly impressive season so far for Iowa State. A win over Oklahoma earlier this season was especially impressive, but a challenging finish is ahead with games against Texas and West Virginia.
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13. OKLAHOMA
After a terrible start to the season with losses to Kansas State and Iowa State, Oklahoma is Oklahoma again. The Sooners beat Texas in overtime and then overwhelmed their Big 12 opponents over the last several weeks, including a 41-13 decision over Oklahoma State in Bedlam this past weekend. Win the Big 12 and a playoff berth might be warranted.
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14. WISCONSIN
Wisconsin had played only two games prior to this weekend because of COVID-19 protocols but things were rolling along as the Badgers blew out Illinois and Michigan and showed signs that quarterback Graham Mertz could be one of the nation’s best. But the Badgers’ offense laid an egg at Northwestern this past weekend and Mertz struggled.
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15. USC
The Trojans are 3-0 and they deserve credit for that, but it’s also worth mentioning that the Trojans needed late-stage comebacks to beat Arizona State and Arizona before handling Utah this past weekend. USC has four outstanding receivers, and the ball is being spread around to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Drake London, Tyler Vaughns and Bru McCoy.
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16. TEXAS
Coach Tom Herman could be on the hot seat as Texas has lost some key recruits and the Longhorns can’t seem to get over the hump as a national player. Wins over Oklahoma State and West Virginia in the last few weeks have been impressive, but Iowa State comes to town Friday and that’s another challenge.
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17. OKLAHOMA STATE
Quarterback Spencer Sanders, running back Chuba Hubbard and receiver Tylan Wallace are all explosive playmakers, but Oklahoma State averages just 25.8 points per game and got blown out by Oklahoma this past weekend. At 5-2, the Cowboys have the talent to win out, but this could have been a bigger season.
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18. AUBURN
Auburn is 5-2, another season of solid, if not spectacular, showings by coach Gus Malzahn and his team. Losing at South Carolina almost seems inexcusable at this point, but the Tigers have looked strong in other games like wins over LSU and a battle at Ole Miss. The Iron Bowl against Alabama awaits this weekend.
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19. NORTH CAROLINA
The last part of the schedule is challenging for the Tar Heels, with games against Notre Dame and Miami, but North Carolina’s offense is so good it could keep the Tar Heels in both of those games - and win them. Quarterback Sam Howell should be in the Heisman conversation with 2,631 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, and RB Javonte Williams has 868 yards and 15 scores. But the defense has been porous.
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20. WASHINGTON
First-year coach Jimmy Lake is off to a 2-0 start in the shortened Pac-12 schedule with wins over Oregon State and Arizona, but the passing game is just OK so far. A big matchup against Oregon awaits.
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21. IOWA
The season could not have started worse for Iowa, with close losses to Purdue and Northwestern, but the Hawkeyes bounced back in a huge way with blowout wins over Michigan State, Minnesota and Penn State. A rivalry game against Nebraska is this weekend. As always, Iowa’s run defense and rushing attack have been stellar.
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22. MISSOURI
The Tigers are 3-3 so far this season, but it’s been a solid start for first-year coach Eli Drinkwitz, and the program shows promise moving forward. Missouri got handled by Tennessee, which is a surprise, and also lost to Alabama and Florida. But wins over Kentucky, South Carolina and especially LSU show the program is moving in the right direction.
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23. MARYLAND
Wins over Minnesota and Penn State don’t look as impressive - although victories should rarely, if ever, be criticized. Northwestern crushed the Terrapins in the opener and the team has been off for weeks because of COVID-19. There are some weapons here, but how big of a threat is Maryland?
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24. BOSTON COLLEGE
First-year coach Jeff Hafley has made Boston College a really tough out in the ACC as the Eagles battled North Carolina and largely shut down that offense. They also almost pulled the stunner at Clemson and made it tough on Notre Dame for large stretches. Boston College isn’t there yet, but it’s headed in the right direction.
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25. NC STATE
There have been bright spots and things to build on for the Wolfpack. The offense has done well and a win over Liberty this past weekend was impressive as the defense stepped up in a big way. But North Carolina throttled them and an early loss to Virginia Tech doesn’t look great now.
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26. COLORADO
First-year coach Karl Dorrell is off to a strong 2-0 start with victories over UCLA and Stanford, but a big test comes this weekend as the Buffaloes travel to USC. The running attack, with either Jarek Broussard or even quarterback Sam Noyer, has been especially impressive early on.
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27. PURDUE
The Boilermakers are 2-2 with close victories over Iowa and Illinois, and they battled Northwestern but lost 27-20. This past weekend, Purdue got completely jobbed on a phantom offensive pass interference call which would have given them the lead very late in the game against Minnesota. But that call took a TD off the board and Purdue lost 34-31. Three wins and a loss would feel so much better than 2-2 right now.
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28. LSU
Less than a year after winning the national championship, LSU’s defense has gone into the tank for long stretches, and losses to Mississippi State, Missouri and a blowout defeat to Auburn are mind-boggling. A big showdown at Texas A&M comes this weekend. With a new quarterback and many new pieces on defense, LSU is not clicking quite right.
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29. ARKANSAS
The Razorbacks are 3-5, but first-year coach Sam Pittman has done a phenomenal job not only winning some SEC games but showing the Razorbacks can be competitive across the board. It’s been an excellent first season of building in Fayetteville, a place that teams went for easy victories in recent years. Pittman is changing things quickly, but this is still the unforgiving SEC.
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30. WEST VIRGINIA
The Mountaineers’ defense has been for real, allowing less than 20 points per game and running back Leddie Brown is having a great season. But two big challenges are ahead. Oklahoma and Iowa State are coming up and West Virginia’s meddle will really get tested.
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31. PITTSBURGH
This Pitt season has been middle of the road. It could have been so much better if one-point losses just turned the other way. The Panthers lost by one to NC State and then the following week lost again by that margin in overtime when their kicker missed an extra point vs. BC. Notre Dame whipped Pitt, but the tough-minded team bounced back and has blown out Florida State and Virginia Tech in recent weeks.
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32. MICHIGAN
One of the bigger disappointments in college football this year, Michigan needed triple overtime to beat Rutgers this past weekend. Prior to that, the Wolverines lost three straight to Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan State. Coach Jim Harbaugh might be on the hot seat as people are getting fed up with mediocrity.
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33. UCLA
After losing a 48-42 shootout to Colorado in the opener, the Bruins responded by soundly beating Cal. But the Bruins were without quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson when coach Chip Kelly returned to Oregon this past weekend, and they put up a fight in a 38-35 loss. Thompson-Robinson has had a strong start to the season as he spreads the ball out to numerous receivers.
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34. WAKE FOREST
There have been some bright spots and some low points for Wake Forest, and if some of those went the other way the season could be that much brighter. Wins over Virginia and Virginia Tech were impressive but the Demon Deacons were not on the same level as Clemson - who is? - and lost to NC State and North Carolina in shootouts. If the defense could have only stepped up in those big moments.
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35. OLE MISS
The Rebels are 3-4, but it’s been a fun season - especially watching this offense. First-year coach Lane Kiffin has Ole Miss’ offense in high gear as quarterback Matt Corral has thrown for 2,359 yards and 22 touchdowns and Elijah Moore (74 catches for 1,054 yards and eight TDs) has emerged as one of the best receivers in college football. If only the Rebels’ defense had a pulse.
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36. KANSAS STATE
Kansas State was 4-1 to start the season, but late October and the month of November have been bad for the Wildcats as quarterback Skylar Thomspon went down and the Wildcats have lost three straight to West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. A win over Oklahoma is now even more inexplicable.
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37. MINNESOTA
Minnesota is 2-3 and if not for a mistaken pass interference call against Purdue last weekend in the final minute it could be even worse for the Golden Gophers. It’s strange how quarterback Tanner Morgan and receiver Rashod Bateman have regressed this season, and the defense is giving up nearly 35 points per game.
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38. VIRGINIA
The last two years, Virginia has had eight and nine wins, but the Cavaliers have slipped into mediocrity a little this season at 4-4. A tough October with four losses was smoothed over a little bit when Virginia took down North Carolina in a shootout.
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39. TCU
TCU is 3-4 and has never really gotten the passing game going this season. Quarterback Max Duggan has only five touchdown passes but leads the team with six rushing scores. A win over Texas has been the highlight.
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40. ARIZONA STATE
It has also been a frustrating start-and-stop opening for Arizona State, which was on the losing end of a miracle comeback by USC in the season opener, a game the Sun Devils had in their hands late. Since then, games against Cal and Colorado have been canceled. Arizona State faces Utah this weekend. In the opener, quarterback Jayden Daniels had 134 passing yards and 111 rushing yards and gave USC trouble.
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41. TEXAS TECH
The Red Raiders are 3-5 and that’s disappointing, but it actually could be much worse. Texas Tech only beat Houston Baptist by two in the season opener, and then it slipped by Baylor 24-23 earlier this month. Texas Tech is being outscored by about nine points per game.
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42. ILLINOIS
After an 0-3 start with blowout losses to Wisconsin and Minnesota, the Illini are showing real signs of life with a win over Rutgers and then a blowout victory at Nebraska this past weekend. The schedule gets much tougher from here, though, with Ohio State, Iowa and Northwestern to close out the regular season.
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43. WASHINGTON STATE
First-year coach Nick Rolovich is off to a 1-1 start with a victory over Oregon State in the opener, but then Washington State fell to Oregon, although the Cougars battled. Freshman quarterback Jayden de Laura could be a future star in Pullman as Wazzu looks for more playmakers all over the field.
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44. VIRGINIA TECH
Justin Fuente is on the hot seat and it could be argued - rightly or wrongly - but that’s the situation in Blacksburg. A loss to Wake Forest doesn’t look good for the proud Hokie faithful, and now a string of losses to Liberty and Miami and getting blown out by Pitt makes things more difficult. Clemson is next in early December.
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45. UTAH
COVID-19 protocols have hit Utah hard early in the season as the Utes’ games against Arizona and UCLA were canceled. Utah opened the season Saturday night with a 33-17 loss to USC. The quarterback play from Jake Bentley and Cam Rising was uneven.
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46. KENTUCKY
There were hopes that Kentucky turned a major corner in the SEC East, but the Wildcats are 3-5, just got blitzed by 60 vs. Alabama and they just don’t have an offense that poses any significant threat. Kentucky averages just 20.75 points per game and quarterback Terry Wilson has thrown just six touchdowns this season. The defense has been solid, but it can only stand up for so long.
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47. TENNESSEE
It’s been another frustrating year in Knoxville as Tennessee showed promise with a 2-0 start but has since lost five straight, all by double digits. The offense is lifeless as the Volunteers average just 20.14 points per game, and no receiver other than Josh Palmer has more than 200 receiving yards or more than one touchdown.
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48. MICHIGAN STATE
Michigan State has one win in four games, but it’s against Michigan so that’s enough for first-year coach Mel Tucker to hang his hat on, for now. But the Spartans lost to Rutgers in the opener, got blown out by Iowa and were held scoreless against Indiana.
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49. SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach Will Muschamp got fired midseason during a pandemic, so that’s the overview of how this season has gone in Columbia. Following wins over Vanderbilt and a ranked Auburn team the Gamecocks have lost four straight. The team has switched quarterbacks, but after RB Kevin Harris there have been major issues on both sides of the ball, especially in pass defense.
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50. RUTGERS
Things are actually looking up in coach Greg Schiano’s first year - at least the Scarlet Knights are competitive and staying in games. Rutgers beat Michigan State in the opener, battled Illinois a few weeks ago and took Michigan to triple overtime before losing. Rutgers is 1-4, but it is playing much better.
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51. GEORGIA TECH
Geoff Collins’ rebuild is still in motion, so people are being patient. Beating Florida State in the season opener was good, although not as impressive now knowing what the Seminoles have become. There’s still a long way to go for Georgia Tech, though, as evidenced by a 49-21 loss to UCF or a 37-20 loss to Syracuse or a 73-7 loss to Clemson.
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52. OREGON STATE
A 1-2 start for Oregon State gets tougher this weekend as it plays its rivalry game against Oregon. It could also be a major opportunity for third-year coach Jonathan Smith as the Beavers offense try to find their footing on offense with running back Jermar Jefferson leading the way. The schedule does remain tough throughout.
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53. MISSISSIPPI STATE
It’s been a strange season for first-year coach Mike Leach. It started with a win over LSU, but then the Bulldogs scored two points against Kentucky, didn’t score against Alabama but then battled Georgia this past weekend. There have been quarterback changes and players have opted out midseason for a team that’s now 2-5.
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54. LOUISVILLE
The stats aren’t that bad for Louisville as the Cardinals are outscoring opponents on average but are still 3-6. That’s disappointing for coach Scott Satterfield and company, who have seen close losses to Pitt, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame make this season frustrating really quickly.
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55. DUKE
David Cutcliffe is a great coach, but this is just not a very good football team at 2-6 with those victories coming over Syracuse and Charlotte. Clemson QB transfer Chase Brice has struggled with seven passing TDs and 12 interceptions.
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56. NEBRASKA
Third-year coach Scott Frost is now 10-18 at Nebraska and the start of this season has been another struggle with a quarterback change, a lone win over Penn State and three losses - blowouts to Ohio State and Illinois of all teams - and an 8-point decision at Northwestern. The Huskers visit Iowa this weekend. They have lost five in a row against the Hawkeyes and six of the last seven.
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57. ARIZONA
The Wildcats looked formidable in the season opener against USC, a game that they were leading in the closing minutes but in which they were unable to keep the lead. Then Arizona went to Washington this past weekend, where it trailed 37-0 heading into the fourth quarter. Arizona closed out strong in a 44-27, loss but it is 0-2 heading into a matchup against UCLA this weekend.
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58. FLORIDA STATE
Once a national power, Florida State has now lost by 16 to NC State and has been blown out by Miami, Louisville, Pitt and others. Yet, the Seminoles also upset North Carolina, which looks more mind boggling by the week. There are major problems on both sides of the ball for Florida State as the two quarterbacks who have played four or more games have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns.
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59. BAYLOR
First-year coach Dave Aranda is having a tough time so far at Baylor, as he has gone 1-5, but many of those losses have been close games in the fourth quarter. The running attack is not really a threat at all and quarterback Charlie Brewer doesn’t have the weapons he once had in the pass game.
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60. PENN STATE
Penn State has been playing football since 1889, and the Nittany Lions have never started a season 0-5. What makes this even more unimaginable is that Penn State started the season ranked seventh in the AP poll. Injuries have decimated the running back spot and linebacker Micah Parsons opting out was a big loss, but this team has so many issues.
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61. STANFORD
Stanford has already lost to Oregon and Colorado this season and then had its game against Washington State canceled because of COVID-19 protocols. The rivalry game against Cal awaits. The offense has not found its footing yet, especially in the pass game as no receiver has a touchdown catch.
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62. VANDERBILT
Vanderbilt is winless this season and coach Derek Mason has to be on a major hot seat. The Commodores are being outscored 36-16 this season and they have only four rushing touchdowns in seven games. Opposing offenses have exploited them all over the field, but especially in the passing attack.
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63. SYRACUSE
There’s no two ways about it: It’s been an ugly year for the Orange (1-8), who could finish with only one victory this season as NC State and Notre Dame close out the schedule. It would be the worst finish in 15 years.
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64. CAL
The season started off with a whimper as two games were canceled because of COVID-19, and since then the Golden Bears have lost to UCLA and Oregon State. Things could turn around this weekend in the rivalry game against Stanford, but the offense is averaging just 18.5 points per game and needs a kick-start.
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65. KANSAS
The Jayhawks have lost every game by double digits, many of them complete blowouts. Kansas is getting outscored 48-15 and there have not been many bright spots at all this season for coach Les Miles’ club.