Week 5 delivered major statement wins, one enormous upset and several games that reshaped the national picture.
The biggest story was Missouri’s stunning demolition of No. 8 Florida, while Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami and Indiana all strengthened their College Football Playoff credentials.
Biggest Winner: Alabama
No. 7 Alabama looked like a legitimate national championship contender in Starkville, crushing No. 16 Mississippi State 56–23.
Quarterback Keelon Russell was outstanding, throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns while adding another rushing score. The Crimson Tide improved to 5–0.
Biggest Upset: Missouri
No. 25 Missouri produced the week’s biggest shock, destroying No. 8 Florida 45–17.
The Tigers exploded for 35 consecutive points after the game was tied 10–10. Jamal Roberts rushed for 211 yards and three touchdowns, including an 80-yard touchdown, while Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards and two scores.
For Florida, it was a dramatic reversal after the Gators had beaten then-No. 4 Mississippi the previous week.
Ohio State Makes a Statement
No. 5 Ohio State handled No. 14 Iowa 31–14 in Iowa City.
Julian Sayin threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, while Jeremiah Smith exploded for 206 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
The Buckeyes controlled possession and piled up 484 total yards.
Miami Dominates Clemson
No. 4 Miami continued its perfect start by crushing Clemson 41–13 on the road.
The Hurricanes improved to 5–0 and took sole possession of the ACC lead.
Miami’s defense was particularly impressive, forcing two turnovers and consistently disrupting Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds.
Notre Dame Keeps Rolling
No. 3 Notre Dame defeated North Carolina 37–26, improving to 5–0 and extending its winning streak to 15 games.
CJ Carr threw four touchdown passes, while Jordan Faison caught eight passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
Georgia Remains Perfect
No. 2 Georgia defeated Vanderbilt 38–14. The Bulldogs overcame a competitive opening half before taking control after halftime.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns as Georgia moved to 5–0.
Other Major Results
Indiana 47, Rutgers 15 — The defending national champions improved to 5–0 and extended their winning streak to 21 games.
Texas Tech 29, Colorado 7 — The Red Raiders remained unbeaten at 5–0 despite offensive struggles.
BYU 17, TCU 10 — BYU survived a low-scoring battle to remain unbeaten.
Kentucky 35, South Carolina 34 OT — Kentucky rallied from a 17-point deficit and won on a successful two-point conversion.
USC 25, Washington 21 — The Trojans survived a late Washington push.
LSU 63, McNeese 14 — LSU dominated from start to finish.
Minnesota 20, Michigan 14 — Minnesota handed Michigan another damaging defeat.
Houston 27, UCF 17 — Houston overcame a 17-point deficit to win.
Iowa State 45, West Virginia 42 — A wild shootout highlighted one of the week’s best individual performances.
Week 5 Winners
Alabama: The Crimson Tide may have announced themselves as a serious CFP contender.
Missouri: A top-10 upset puts the Tigers firmly into the national conversation.
Miami: 5–0 with a dominant road win over Clemson.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes showed they can win convincingly in a hostile Big Ten environment.
Kentucky: One of the most impressive comebacks of the season.
Week 5 Losers
Florida: The Gators went from defeating a top-four opponent to suffering a 28-point loss one week later.
Michigan: Falling to Minnesota leaves the Wolverines with significant ground to make up.
Clemson: A 41–13 home loss to Miami raises serious questions about Clemson’s position in the ACC.
Penn State: Northwestern’s 34–13 upset was one of the weekend’s biggest surprises.
Final Takeaway
Week 5 significantly changed the College Football Playoff picture.
Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami and Alabama remain unbeaten, while Ohio State strengthened its case despite already having a loss.
Missouri emerged as one of the weekend’s biggest risers, while Florida suddenly has major questions to answer.
With conference play intensifying, Week 6 now features an enormous Alabama–Georgia showdown, along with Texas–Oklahoma, USC–Penn State and several other games that could dramatically reshape the playoff race.
