Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — In Week 5, nearly half of the teams (10) ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll lost.
At least five teams ranked were expected to lose since there were five games where two ranked teams played each other, but another five fell to their opponents to make it the worst week for ranked teams this season. Of the 15 teams that came away with a win, two of them included local teams BYU and Utah and a move in their rankings.
Utah earned its second straight win in conference play on Saturday with a 42-16 drubbing over a visiting Oregon State team. As a result of the win, Utah moved up to No. 11 in the latest rankings, up one spot for its previous stop at No. 12.
The Utes remain the second-highest ranked team from the Pac-12 in the AP Top 25 this week, though there are now five teams from the conference ranked this week. USC stayed put at No. 6 following a win at home over Arizona State. Behind USC and Utah is No. 12 Oregon, No. 18 UCLA, and No. 21 Washington. Also receiving votes is Washington. State.
UCLA is one of only two undefeated teams left in the Pac-12 and jumped into the AP Top 25 for the first time after a 40-32 win over then-ranked No. 15 Washington. With UCLA ranked, it now sets up the first meeting this season between two ranked teams from the Pac-12 when Utah travels to the Rose Bowl in an afternoon clash on FOX.
BYU moved up to No. 16, up three spots from last week, after a 38-26 win over in-state rival Utah State on Thursday. The Cougars have remained in relatively the same spot for the last few weeks despite staying on the winning path after a Week 3 loss to Oregon.
BYU faces a tough test this week when it travels to Las Vegas in a neutral-game setting to take on an unranked Notre Dame team that is coming off a bye week following a 2-2 start to the season. The Fighting Irish opened up the season at No. 5 but dropped back-to-back games to Ohio State and Marshall and found themselves on the outside looking in.
Notre Dame struggled to find an offensive identity early but unloaded on North Carolina in Week 4 in a 45-32 win ahead of its bye week.
At the top of the AP Top 25 rankings this week is No. 1 Alabama with 25 first-place votes, though Georgia, who was previously ranked No. 1 last week, received 28 first-place votes and Ohio State received 10 first-place votes. Behind the Crimson Tide now is No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Michigan and No. 5 Clemson.
