D Poll: Week 5
Miami remains at the top, Oklahoma continues to climb, and the G5 brings some new faces to the table.
The complete recalibration of the D Poll over the past several weeks is finally complete. With that done, the poll can go back to being what it always should have been in the first place: a ranking of the best teams in the country based on vibes, feelings, and also winning.
In the interest of speeding up this introduction, here are some excerpts from previous D Polls that explain what this whole thing is and how it operates:
The D Poll values vibes and feelings above all else, and then adds in winning after the fact. It’s also important to remember that this ranking is a fluid entity, especially early in the season. As new data points come in, teams are going to drastically shift around.
Everybody ranks college football teams in different ways. There are 62 people who vote on the AP Poll, and each and every one of them has a different method and process for how they go about it. Some value preseason projections and ratings more than others, and some completely throw away their preconceived notions the second the games start being played. Others seemingly don’t have a method and just rank 25 random teams for the fun of it. Those people shouldn’t have a vote, but that’s a discussion for another time.
The D Poll is a subjective ranking. Vibes and feelings are some of the most subjective criteria to ever exist. What I categorize as “bad vibes” might be different from what you do, and that’s OK. This is just a silly poll—the stakes aren’t that serious. Also, and this is important, just because I have your favorite team ranked below your rival doesn’t mean I hate your favorite team. Well, maybe I do. That’s up to interpretation depending on the circumstance.
Here’s the D Poll for Week 5. This one isn’t as brain-shattering as previous editions, though I can’t make any promises that this won’t alter your view of the sport in any way, shape or form.
Note: Not every team is going to get a little blurb. That’s just the way life goes sometimes. Maybe next week? For any of the teams I don’t write about, just dwell on the vibes and feelings surrounding their season so far.
Teams dropped from last week’s D Poll: South Florida, Tulane, Auburn, Illinois
25. North Texas (NR)
Week 4 result: 45-38 win at Army
The Group of 5 (or 6?) playoff race has seemingly flipped every single week, and this past Saturday was no different. With South Florida falling off people’s radar since its blowout defeat to Miami, and Tulane not looking playoff caliber on the road at Ole Miss, the door has been opened for others to walk through. And man, has North Texas done that over the first four weeks of the season.
Nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody, had the Mean Green on their radar heading into the season. Over the first two years of head coach Eric Morris’ tenure, UNT has gone a combined 11-14 and has only won six conference games. Morris’ staple—the offense—has been great, and his reputation for developing quarterbacks has been on full display, but the shortcomings from the defense resulted in disappointing loss after disappointing loss. That appears to be changing.
The offense, led by former walk-on Drew Mestemaker, has been electric—the unit is averaging 48.5 points per game, and the defense is also picking up its end of the bargain too, with opponents averaging just 19.5 points per game compared to 34.15 a year ago.
The latest victory for the Mean Green—a thrilling 45-38 overtime win at West Point over Army—brought the team to the forefront of a lot of people’s minds. Could this be the breakout season for North Texas? Perhaps. There’s obviously a long road ahead, but with the “easier” schedule that UNT has, the path is clear. Win, and you’re in.
As it pertains to the D Poll, never before have I seen the vibes as good in Denton as they are right now. North Texas is absolutely not a football school. The people there, whether it be the administration or the student body, don’t care for the most part. I believe that’s because they haven’t been given a reason to care yet. Maybe if Morris and company continue to lead this team down this successful road, the folks there will begin to invest more time and energy into the program.
24. BYU (NR)
Week 4 result: 34-13 win at East Carolina
It’s been hard to know just how good the Cougars are through the early going of the campaign due to the lack of quality competition the team had faced thus far. After squashing East Carolina on the road, and with other teams ahead of them in the rankings falling out, BYU has arrived in the D Poll for the first time this season.
BYU was a frequent staple of this poll in 2024. While everybody else undervalued the close victories, I vaulted the Cougars all the way to the top 10 almost immediately. Obviously, the team waned a bit in the end, but the good times were never in vain.
I say all that to note that this season could be going on a similar trajectory to last year’s if the Cougars keep on winning. Much of the roster is the same from a year ago, with one of the major exceptions being new quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who for some reason wears the number 47. That ridiculous choice aside, BYU has proven through three wins—versus Portland State, Stanford and East Carolina—that it at least belongs in this poll for now. Obviously, as the Big 12 slate begins for the Cougars, we’ll know more about just how good they are. I’ll go ahead and throw out a guess that they’ll be winning quite a lot of football games, despite a loaded back half of the schedule that features contests against Utah, Iowa State, Texas Tech and TCU.
If you’re looking for a vibe reason, look no further than Provo at night. That place is raucous and frightening. I love it.
23. Memphis (NR)
Week 4 result: 32-32 win vs. Arkansas
Welcome to the party, Memphis. You are the new favorites to make the CFP out of the G5.
Sure, Arkansas is probably going to finish in the bottom third of the SEC, but it’s still an SEC team, and Memphis just came back from an 18-point deficit to beat them. It was an impressive showing that illuminated just how dangerous that football program can be if it’s firing on all cylinders like it was on Saturday afternoon.
Memphis is probably not good enough to coast its way into the CFP just by showing up. In fact, no team in the G5 has that capability. But with head coach Ryan Silverfield’s track record of steady improvement over the course of his tenure—the Tigers have increased their win total pretty much every season he’s been in charge—one can make the reasonable assumption that another good season is on the horizon at Memphis.
22. TCU (NR)
Week 4 result: 35-24 win vs. SMU
No vibes are greater than beating one of your most hated rivals at home in the final scheduled edition of the matchup. For at least the foreseeable future, TCU will be in possession of the Iron Skillet. That’s D Poll worthy if you ask me.
To be honest with you, I’ve felt that TCU was one of the best 25 teams in the country ever since it throttled North Carolina on national television several weeks ago. But in the interest of trying to remove any sort of jinxing (I am a TCU fan if you were not aware), I left the Horned Frogs off the list until the latest possible moment. Well, here we are. I cannot logically withhold TCU from this ranking any longer.
TCU looks way improved from a year ago. Josh Hoover looks to have continued to make strides in his development, the wide receiving corps that lost most, if not all, of its production has reloaded with the likes of Eric McAlister, Jordan Dwyer and Joseph Manjack IV, and the defense, while not lockdown, looks to be more competent in all phases. That’s exactly what TCU fans were asking for over the offseason, and it appears that their wishes, at least in the short term, have come true.
Big 12 play begins for the Frogs this Friday on the road at Arizona State in what should be a game that has conference title implications down the line. Following Friday night’s affair, we’ll know a whole lot more about just how potent TCU can be not just in the Big 12 race, but also as a team that could potentially compete for a spot in the CFP.
21. Alabama (NM)
Week 4 result: BYE
20. Texas (+2)
Week 4 result: 55-0 win vs. Sam Houston
Arch Manning flexed over a poor Sam Houston defender, which led Texas’ social channels to declare that the young quarterback has finally got his swagger back. I don’t know if I’d go as far as to say that Manning is completely fixed, but he certainly looked more like himself in the Longhorns’ dominating win against an overmatched Bearkats team.
Even against the subpar competition, it was nice to see Texas actually score some points and look the part. It’s especially comforting because the team travels to play a wounded Florida team in a couple of weeks and was desperately seeking any sort of positive momentum heading into that game. It appears they got it in the form of Saturday night’s splattering.
19. Tennessee (NM)
Week 4 result: 56-24 win vs. UAB
18. Mississippi State (NR)
Week 4 result: 38-10 win vs. Northern Illinois
I made a critical error last week by omitting Mississippi State from the D Poll. I don’t know what overcame me when putting together the Week 4 edition of the poll, but I for some reason didn’t include the Bulldogs. For that, I apologize.
The mistake becomes especially more egregious when you realize that I had Mississippi State in the Week 3 D Poll after its win over Arizona State. What you’re probably thinking right now is that none of this makes any sense. You’re right. The answer to why they were left off is very simple: I forgot.
But now that they’re back, I embrace them with open arms. As I said in the Week 3 poll regarding Mississippi State, the Bulldogs definitely don’t have a top-25 roster in the country and for sure won’t be competing for the top spot in the SEC. Through four games, however, there’s no way on earth that they don’t have one of the top résumés in the nation. Mississippi State opened the year with a win at Southern Miss, a team that several thought could climb up the ladder and beat them, a thrilling victory at home versus Arizona State that put the Bulldogs back on the map and led to the goalposts being removed at Davis Wade Stadium, and then two dominating triumphs against Alcorn State and Northern Illinois. The Bulldogs are playing good football, and they’re also undefeated, and they should be rewarded for their efforts.
Mississippi State hasn’t had a whole lot to root for in the football department ever since Mike Leach passed away several years ago. That terrible tragedy sent the program into a tailspin that it hadn’t recovered from until seemingly right now. I’m so happy to see that, and I apologize for not continuing to recognize it last week. For as long as the vibes at Mississippi State remain high, and as long as the team continues to win, they will be in the D Poll.
17. Iowa State (-2)
Week 4 result: BYE
16. USC (-4)
Week 4 result: 45-31 win vs. Michigan State
USC sliding down four spots is not an indictment on its performance as a team; it’s just a case of the Trojans being passed by several other schools that have exhibited just a bit more.
That’s not to say that USC has played poorly this year—it hasn’t at all. If anything, I’ve been more impressed by Lincoln Riley’s team than I thought I would be. Jayden Maiava is super talented at quarterback, and the offensive weapons around him like Waymond Jordan (one of the best running backs in the country), Ja’Kobi Lane (one of the most underrated receiver talents in the sport), and countless others have shown me that USC can definitely be one of the top five teams in the Big Ten. It’s just that the résumé isn’t exactly there for me just yet, so with other teams picking up big wins this week, I’m forced to knock the Trojans down a peg—for now.
You see, USC travels to Illinois this Saturday to play Bret Bielema, Luke Altmeyer and the rest of the wounded and struggling Fighting Illini. Both teams are looking to make a statement, and if USC comes out on top, then I’m for sure going to put the Trojans higher up on this list. After all, I’ve been one of the biggest defenders of Riley and his team throughout the offseason and the start of this year. I just need to see them win one big game, especially on the road, before I can legitimately put my money where my mouth is.
15. Ole Miss (+7)
Week 4 result: 45-10 win vs. Tulane
My apology tour surrounding Division I football programs from the state of Mississippi continues. Ole Miss was not a member of the preseason D Poll, and I only included them in later weeks because two Rebels fans on Twitter demanded I do so if the team beat Kentucky. I wasn’t overly impressed with that victory, but I wished to appease them so I slotted them in toward the bottom.
Well, two pretty impressive wins against Arkansas and Tulane later and I’m left wondering where my process went wrong. How could I have possible not seen that this offense under Lane Kiffin was just going to dominant no matter who was playing quarterback. Whether it’s Austin Simmons or Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss is humming right now and has definitely proven that it’s a top 15 team in the country.
The Rebels play LSU this weekend, which on any other Saturday would be the marquee game of the day. It’s not, which might play in Ole Miss’ favor. They’re still kind of sliding in under the radar for now, but that could likely change should they put up a good performance against the Tigers.
14. LSU (-5)
Week 4 result: BYE
Just like with USC, LSU was simply passed up by other teams that actually played football this past week. Also, the strength of their wins against Clemson and Florida continues to look worse as those two programs have both started 1-3. The Tigers have been winning the games, but it hasn’t always looked the prettiest, especially given the lack of quality competition. I, like a lot of the country, overreacted following the victory at Clemson. I just need to see more.
13. Missouri (+3)
Week 4 result: 29-20 win vs. South Carolina
A team I definitely don’t need to see more from is Mizzou. Of all the instances where I’ve been proven wrong so far this season, me picking Missouri to go 6-6 with the schedule that it has was asinine and uncalled for. Frankly, I should be punished for how down I was on Eliah Drinkwitz’s team. Shame on me!
Missouri had to fight a bit more against South Carolina than I thought it’d need to, especially with LaNorris Sellers being less than 100%. But in the end, the game resulted in a victory and everything was well in Columbia.
There’s really not much more to say about how Drinkwitz and company are performing right now. It’s a smooth operation that’s not interested in any of the doubters. Missouri’s out to prove people wrong this year, and with the easy schedule that it has, further climbing up in the D Poll is definitely a possibility.
12. Penn State (-4)
Week 4 result: BYE
Tell me, what has Penn State done in 2025 to warrant being the number two team in the country? That’s where the AP Poll has the Nittany Lions, and I am baffled. The only reason that those voters continue to uplift Penn State to that spot is because of preseason biases that haven’t been let go. But if you were to attach the résumé of wins over Nevada, FIU and Villanova to Vanderbilt, then there’s no way that the Commodores would even be sniffing the top 25, let alone the second spot.
As other teams have shown themselves to be quality throughout the first four weeks while Penn State has played nobodies, I have felt obligated to knock the Nittany Lions down a peg until they prove it to me. Honestly, I’m a little jaded about the returning production statistic that so many are using to rationalize Penn State’s high ranking. That statistic was used in favor of Clemson, and look where that team is right now. Maybe Penn State’s the same way and it just hasn’t come up against a team good enough to exploit it? I don’t know that for sure, but until I know one way or the other, here is where I am going to put James Franklin’s squad.
Luckily for me and all the doubters, answers will be given this upcoming Saturday when the Oregon Ducks come marching into Beaver Stadium. If Penn State is able to overcome the barrier of winning the “big game” against the Ducks, then you bet I’ll be the first one praising the abilities of the team and slotting them right where they started the season at number two. But until then, I just can’t do it.
11. Vanderbilt (+2)
Week 4 result: 70-21 win vs. Georgia State
Everybody knows that Vanderbilt took down Alabama last season. But did you know that three weeks prior to that shocking upset, the Commodores lost to Georgia State? It doesn’t matter if you knew that or not, because the coaches and players inside the locker room at Vanderbilt definitely remember that embarrassment, and they were going to do everything in their power to avenge that loss this year. And that’s exactly what occurred on Saturday night in Nashville, as Diego Pavia and the rest of the crew for Vanderbilt laid a butt-whooping on Georgia State.
Never before have I seen the Vanderbilt fan base so invigorated around their team. The 4-0 start is one thing, but the dominating fashion in which they’re playing is incredible. All of their wins have been by double digits, and two of those games came against Power 4 teams that in years past would’ve absolutely crushed the living snot out of the Commodores. It’s safe to say that this season is going to be a continuation of last year’s success in all the best ways.
The vibes are fantastic inside and outside the program, and as such, the Commodores are on the brink of entering the D Poll’s top 10 for the first time in program history.
10. Georgia Tech (NM)
Week 4 result: 45-24 win vs. Temple
9. Texas Tech (+11)
Week 4 result: 34-10 win at Utah
In the preseason, my biggest concern about Texas Tech was that the freshness of the roster might take some time to gel, and that because of that the Red Raiders might struggle in some of their bigger games earlier in the schedule. As usual, I was wrong.
Even when starting quarterback Behren Morton went down with an injury, Texas Tech didn’t skip a beat. In fact, it appeared that everything began to improve the second they had to turn to backup Will Hammond. While Morton was in the game, the Red Raiders scored 10 points. With Hammond, the offense put up 24.
There’s little doubt in my mind that this team is now the definitive favorite to win the Big 12. That doesn’t mean that they’re a lock to accomplish that task, but with one of the easier schedules the conference has to offer in front of them, as well as one of, if not the most, talented rosters in the league, Joey McGuire’s squad is in a good spot. If this level of performance holds, and the people surrounding the program continue to spend at a high level to get quality players on the roster, then Texas Tech will be a perennial contender in the Big 12.
By the way, if you had told me that five years ago, I would’ve fainted.
8. Indiana (+9)
Week 4 result: 63-10 win vs. Illinois
Curt Cignetti is a monster, and I mean that as a compliment. That man does not have any regard for how the other sideline feels, and that was evident as he let his team score touchdown after touchdown on Illinois’ defense.
It’d be easy to say that the vibes are great in Bloomington, but everybody knows that. The feelings have been fantastic ever since Cignetti arrived on the scene following the 2023 campaign. To illustrate just how awesome everything is at that place right now, here’s Indiana’s drive chart from Saturday night’s game against the Fighting Illini:
Punt
Touchdown
Punt
Touchdown
Touchdown
Touchdown
Touchdown
Touchdown
Touchdown
Touchdown
End of game
It doesn’t get any better than that.
As a result of that performance, quarterback Fernando Mendoza has skyrocketed up people’s Heisman ballots, and everybody’s opinion of what Indiana can be this season has certainly changed. I think a ton of people believed that the roster was better than last year, but with the schedule also increasing in difficulty, there was a fair amount of consensus that the Hoosiers could take a step back. Well, if the way they played on Saturday night is any indication, then that couldn’t be more incorrect.
Welcome back to the top 10 of the D Poll, Indiana. We missed you.
7. Texas A&M (-1)
Week 4 result: BYE
6. Florida State (-1)
Week 4 result: 66-10 win vs. Kent State
5. Ohio State (-1)
Week 4 result: BYE
4. Oregon (-1)
Week 4 result: 41-7 win vs. Oregon State
3. Georgia (-1)
Week 4 result: BYE
2. Oklahoma (+5)
Week 4 result: 24-17 win vs. Auburn
A win against Michigan several weeks ago was enough for me to say that Oklahoma was officially back. Now, after triumphing over Auburn in a gritty game that featured tons of defensive highlights from the Sooners—including nine sacks of former OU signal caller Jackson Arnold—the spotlight is officially on Norman.
The defense that Brent Venables has crafted is insane. Up and down the roster are bona fide studs that wouldn’t in a million years have been at Oklahoma when Lincoln Riley was the head coach. But with Venables, a whole new universe has been unveiled, and a program that once couldn’t stop a peanut from scoring a touchdown can now stop some of the best teams in the country from even sniffing the end zone.
I do have to address the elephant in the room, however. As I was working on the D Poll, it was announced by Oklahoma that star quarterback John Mateer would be undergoing surgery on his right hand and would be missing some time, but would be returning at some point during the season. No specific timeline was provided. With that new information, it’d be easy to knock the Sooners down a peg, yet I don’t want to. If this injury isn’t too serious and Mateer can return by the time the Red River Shootout against Texas rolls around in a couple of weeks, then Oklahoma will be fine. But if he’s not available, and the Sooners have to roll with backup Michael Hawkins, then this season could derail quicker than it got started.
Nothing can be known about the future. For now, Oklahoma is a top team in the country and possesses two of the best wins out of anybody. Mateer’s injury aside, the vibes are high in Norman for the first time in several seasons.
1. Miami (NM)
Week 4 result: 26-7 win vs. Florida
For the second consecutive week, Miami is the number one team in America. Congratulations, Hurricanes, you’re the first team to accomplish that monumental task this season!
Miami is by far the best team I’ve seen with my own two eyes top to bottom. I’ve already waxed poetic regarding the immense talent on the offensive and defensive lines, as well as the deep receiving corps that quarterback Carson Beck has at his disposal, so I won’t dive into that here. What I will talk about is how Miami’s defense completely dismantled Florida’s ability to move the football at all on Saturday night, leaving the Gators in a place of mourning while the Hurricanes danced.
The Hurricanes’ biggest opponent down the stretch will be themselves. Throughout the years of Mario Cristobal’s tenure, Miami has frequently underperformed against teams that it should be beating by 100. If this group of talented players can get out of their own way and just take care of business week to week, then we could be looking at a special team. If not, then disaster could strike just like it did last season when Miami went from being 9-0 to completely missing the playoff altogether.
Let’s not focus on that right now. As things stand, the Miami Hurricanes are the best team in college football. I don’t care what the AP Poll tells you—Miami is amazing, and nobody can beat them if they play like they are right now.