Josh Furlong's AP Top 25: Alabama impresses in top 25 win as Florida is exposed

SALT LAKE CITY — How does one describe Week 5 around college football?

Muddied with a hint of clarity?

That's about the best I've got to a mostly confusing weekend of college football, which didn't help matters as I considered my Associated Press Top 25 ballot for the week. On one hand, Alabama looked like a machine; and on the other, a team like Florida got exposed in a large way.

Other teams plodded their way to victory, while not really instilling much confidence in future success. Perfection is not expected, but there was enough "meh" performances to make it difficult to order the top 25 teams.

So here's my best attempt at ranking the teams this weekend, though I'm likely still not satisfied with how it all shook out.

The following is the ballot I submitted to the AP that will be counted in the consensus rankings that will be released Sunday afternoon.

1. Texas

A bye week never hurts anybody, but Texas benefits largely from Ohio State winning this weekend. The Longhorns remain the team to beat, but they remain a soft No. 1 in my view.

2. Miami

I honestly considered moving Alabama up to No. 2, but Miami continues to impress in each of its games. Though Clemson is a shell of what it used to be — even if Dabo Swinney believes the Tigers can win the ACC — Miami is doing what it should against bad teams. More high-profile games would be nice, but the Hurricanes continue to excel.

3. Georgia

The Bulldogs are the quietest top-five team in the country. They're consistently winning, not necessarily bringing any drama, and just getting the job done each week. Much like in year's past, playing Georgia is an endurance game: they're not necessarily going to overwhelm teams with points, but there's no stopping them, either.

4. Alabama

Alabama is my new No. 4 team, especially after its blowout win on the road against Mississippi State. While that lone result wasn't the deciding factor, it didn't hurt. The Crimson Tide looked great this week, and now have wins over Kentucky, Mississippi State and South Carolina.

5. Ohio State

The Buckeyes survived the Iowa treatment, and looked good doing so. Jeremiah Smith is untouchable — 206 receiving yards and two touchdowns is unfair — and Ohio State remains a machine. Most encouraging is the Ohio State run game development to make the team less one-dimensional.

6. Notre Dame

It's a drop in the rankings for Notre Dame this week, but that's largely out of respect for Alabama. Notre Dame did seem to have more trouble with North Carolina than expected, but the Fighting Irish remain one of my top teams this season. At sixth, they're likely underrated, but it's crowded at the top for the moment.

7. Indiana

Indiana wasted no time against Rutgers this week and jumped to a 23-0 lead at the halftime break. The Hoosiers looked better this week than they did last week against Northwestern, but we're learning that Northwestern is actually pretty good. That closer result could actually look better with time.

8. BYU

Admittedly, I don't know what to think about BYU other than Bear Bachmeier is a winner, and LJ Martin is a major component to the Cougars offense. Injuries hampered BYU, but they continue to pull away late in games this season. It's not always the most complete or disciplined of games, but BYU gets it done.

9. Utah

Iowa State and Idaho picked up good wins to help the resume, but not by much if we're being honest. Still, Utah has been a consistent team throughout the first part of the season, even when facing adversity. It was a bye week, but consistency continues to be the team's best trait as other teams struggle at times.

10. Oregon

Another bye week team. Oregon benefits from Florida losing.

Note: The middle of my rankings are a jumbled mess, with little clarity there — especially between Tennessee, Texas Tech and USC. Both Texas Tech and USC are the most frustrating, because they're not necessarily playing like top-25 teams. Neither instills a lot of confidence and are far from the preseason expectations.

In consideration (alphabetical): Arizona, Houston, James Madison, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota State, Northwestern, Wake Forest, Wisconsin

If you can't see my full ballot below, click here.

Think you can do better? Create your own Top 25 ballot with the KSL Sports Fan Top 25 poll here.

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