College football rankings: Top 25 teams moving up, down in Week 5

As we come out of the weekend and look ahead to Week 5 action, these college football teams could be moving up, and down, the top 25 rankings.

These college football teams are heading up, and down, the AP top 25 rankings looking ahead to Week 5. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

College football’s Week 4 action got a big early start on Friday night in a battle of ranked Big Ten rivals and continued with some more impactful games across the country that could influence how the playoff looks going forward, and will have an immediate impact on this week’s rankings.

We saw four head-to-head matchups involving ranked teams on the same field this weekend, two in the Big Ten, one in the new-look SEC, and another in the Big 12, so there should be plenty of movement in the AP poll come Sunday afternoon.

Let’s get a preview of what college football teams we predict will be moving up, and down, the AP top 25 rankings when voters fill their ballots entering Week 5 action next Saturday.

College football teams moving up, down in Week 5 rankings

What to expect in the top 25 college football rankings for Week 5. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Moving up: Tennessee

This week’s ranking: No. 6

After outscoring opponents by a combined 191 to 13 through 3 games, it was expected the Volunteers would face a more formidable foe in Oklahoma, and would have to prove it could win a closer, more physical, hard-fought conference game to fully earn its top-10 bona fides.

Big Orange passed that test, withstanding some sluggish offense in the early going on the road, not to mention OU’s excellent front seven defenders, biding its time until the bigger plays came open, and using its own defense to wear down a clearly overmatched Sooner offense that only surpassed 100 total yards with 11 minutes left in the game.

Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava prevailed in his first career true road start, though ball security was a concern as he survived two strip sacks. Still, up against OU’s tacklers, he displayed patience and poise, and didn’t force anything, showing he wasn’t intimidated by the situation.

That’s how you win in the SEC, and right now the Volunteers are as good as any team in this conference. Which makes them as good as any team in college football.

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Moving down: USC

This week’s ranking: No. 11

This was supposed to be the moment USC made a statement in its Big Ten debut.

Instead, it was another cause for concern on the Trojans’ defense.

After a sloppy start, the Trojans tightened things up in the second half on the road at Michigan, and Miller Moss even threw a late TD to take the lead, but the defense couldn’t hold, allowing a long run from Kalel Mullings and then his short touchdown burst with under 1 minute left.

But losing to a team that had 32 passing yards in the game is a blight on an otherwise-improved defensive effort, and indicates the extent to which USC was bullied on the ground all day.

There’s no doubt coordinator D’Anton Lynn has made strides pulling this defense together in the short term, but this game shows his guys still lack that physical edge when it matters most.

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Moving up: Illinois

This week’s ranking: No. 24

All the predictions said it would be Dylan Raiola and the Cornhuskers who would use the Friday night lights to state their case as the Big Ten’s next contender, but the Illini had other plans.

Luke Altmyer, a 74 percent passer on the year, hit 21 of 27 passes for 215 yards and threw 4 touchdowns in an offense that is perfect in the red zone this season, while Illinois’ defense out-physicaled the Huskers at the line and recorded 5 sacks against Raiola.

The win gives Illinois a second victory over a ranked opponent this season, after having defeated Kansas a few weeks ago, and the first place position in the Big Ten, quite an early turnaround for a team that was 5-7 last year and losing games like this.

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Moving down: Nebraska

This week’s ranking: No. 22

Big Red’s early momentum after knocking off Colorado took a hit with the loss to Illinois, and given the school’s lower position in the rankings, we could see it drop out altogether.

A golden opportunity for Matt Rhule to show his rebuild was progressing unimpeded in the right direction was lost, and the Huskers missed a chance to announce their return as a contender.

All is far from lost this early in the year, but the Illinois game showed some cracks in the armor.

Some undisciplined play doomed their cause, committing 9 penalties in the game, including 3 personal fouls, and the team has 28 penalties already in just 4 games.

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Moving up: Utah

This week’s ranking: No. 12

One game, one win, and Utah is a perfect 1-0 as members of the Big 12 after dominating a key road meeting with ranked Oklahoma State, despite the absence of quarterback Cameron Rising.

Isaac Wilson’s numbers may not jump off the page, but he engineered several extended drives and made some individual plays to keep those drives going.

Micah Bernard was a big part of that, eclipsing 100 yards rushing for a third-straight game, churning out some solid gains, posting 7.8 yards per touch, and running for at least 10 yards 5 times.

Still, there are some questions around offensive efficiency, as Utah was in scoring position 7 times but came away with points just 4 times, suffering 2 turnovers and missing a field goal.

Defensively, the Utes are still as destructive as they are disciplined, holding a potent Cowboys offense to under 300 total yards, nothing on the ground, and fewer than 4 yards per play.

More ... Predicting the Week 5 college football rankings

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