Ohio State takes top spot, Georgia falls in Joel Klatt’s top 10 rankings

Another week of college football has come and gone, and fans were treated to some thrilling upsets, a few come-from-behind victories and plenty of jaw-dropping action along the way.

Saturday’s slate also shook up Joel Klatt‘s latest top 10 rankings. Kentucky — previously ranked sixth — has been removed from Klatt’s rankings after losing to Ole Miss in Week 5, making way for a new team to sneak into the No. 10 spot.

FOX Sports’ lead college football analyst elaborated on his rankings in the latest episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” which features three episodes per week and offers unique takes and analysis of the biggest games and storylines throughout the college football universe.

Related: 10 incredible stats from Week 5 of the college football season

Here is a look at Klatt’s updated top 10 rankings following Week 5 of the college football season.

1. Ohio State (Previous ranking: 2)

Week 5 result: Defeated Rutgers, 49-10

Why they are ranked here: Through five weeks of action, the Buckeyes look like an unstoppable force on the offensive side of the ball. When you combine that with a much-improved defense that is holding opponents to under 15 points per game, this Ohio State team has the look of a legitimate national championship contender.

Key stat: Miyan Williams‘ five rushing touchdowns Saturday tied the Ohio State single-game record. He joins Pete Johnson (1974) and Keith Byers (1984) as the only other Buckeye backs to have found the end zone five times in one game. With the win, Ryan Day’s record at Ohio State sits at 39-4, with a 23-1 mark at home.

What’s next? The Buckeyes (5-0) will travel to East Lansing, Michigan to battle Michigan State (2-3) in Week 6 (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET).

2. Alabama (Previous ranking: 3)

Week 5 result: Defeated Arkansas, 49-26

Why they are ranked here: Many expected Arkansas to give the Crimson Tide a run for their money in a Week 5 SEC clash. Nick Saban’s team had other ideas. Alabama cruised to an impressive 49-26 victory over the Razorbacks, despite losing reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young to a sprained shoulder. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 206 yards and two scores in the victory. He looks like the next great back to come out of Alabama.

Key stat: Saban improves to 16-0 (including the 2007 vacated game) against Arkansas as Alabama’s head coach. The Crimson Tide improved to 34-1 against the SEC East over their last 35 games.

What’s next? Alabama (5-0) hosts Texas A&M (3-2) in Week 6 conference tilt (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET).

3. Michigan (Previous ranking: 4)

Week 5 result: Defeated Iowa, 27-14

Why they are ranked here: The Wolverines faced their first road test of the season this past weekend, and while it didn’t look pretty at times, Jim Harbaugh’s team got it done when it mattered most, leaving Iowa City with a 27-14 victory. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy continues to play outstanding football, and Blake Corum (29 carries, 133 yards, one touchdown) looks like a legitimate Heisman contender.

Key stat: Michigan has totaled 32 rushing touchdowns across its last nine games, which is the most in the FBS over that span. The Wolverines had two rushing scores Saturday after the Hawkeyes had not allowed any rushing touchdowns in their first four games.

What’s next? The Wolverines (5-0) play at Indiana (3-2) in Week 6 (Saturday, 12 p.m. ET on FOX).

Michigan’s impressive win over Iowa

Joel Klatt explains why J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum are just scratching the surface and why he believes Michigan is “very, very good.”

4. Clemson (Previous ranking: 5)

Week 5 result: Defeated North Carolina State, 30-20

Why they are ranked here: As Ohio State and Alabama continue to dominate headlines, Dabo Swinney’s club continues to take care of business and is now 5-0 after an impressive top-10 win over NC State. DJ Uiagalelei looks like a different player than we saw last season. The Tigers’ starting quarterback is completing 65.4% of his passes and has thrown for 11 touchdowns compared to just one interception.

Key stat: With its victory over NC State, Clemson extended the nation’s longest active winning streak to 11 games. The Tigers also recorded their 37th consecutive home win, tying the longest home winning streak in ACC history.

What’s next? The Tigers (5-0) are headed to Boston College (2-3) in Week 6 (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET).

5. Georgia (Previous ranking: 1)

Week 5 result: Defeated Mizzou, 26-22

Why they are ranked here: Georgia looked like the most dominant team in the sport through four weeks, but the Bulldogs really struggled against a Missouri team that was 6-7 last year and 2-2 heading into Saturday’s matchup. The defending national champs rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter and trailed the entire game until the 4:03 mark, when Daijun Edwards plunged into the end zone for the go-ahead score. Great teams find ways to win games, but this one wasn’t pretty.

Key stat: Under Kirby Smart, Georgia is now 47-3 vs. unranked teams, good for third-best in the FBS over that span behind only Alabama and Clemson — including winning 20 straight and 42 of the Bulldogs’ last 43.

What’s next? The Dawgs (5-0) play host to Auburn (3-2) in Week 6 (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET).

6. Oklahoma State (Previous ranking: 7)

Week 5 result: Defeated Baylor, 36-25

Why they are ranked here: The Cowboys are an offensive juggernaut, putting up over 46 points per game and averaging nearly 500 yards per content through their first four games of the season. Going into Waco, Texas and leaving with a victory over a ranked Baylor team proves that Mike Gundy’s group is the real deal.

Key stat: Oklahoma State is 43-6 in its past 49 games when leading at halftime, dating back to Sept. 17, 2016.

What’s next? Oklahoma State (4-0) takes on Texas Tech (3-2) in Week 6 (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1).

7. USC (Previous ranking: 8)

Week 5 result: Defeated Arizona State, 42-25

Why they are ranked here: Caleb Williams continues to be the engine driving the Trojans’ powerhouse offense. Through five games, the former Oklahoma transfer is completing 67.3% of his passes for 1,402 yards and 12 touchdowns with just one interception. The Trojans’ offense is electric, and while the defense has struggled at times, it won’t matter much if Williams and Co. continue to put up these type of numbers.

Key stat: USC scored 40-plus points for the fourth time this season on Saturday. The Trojans have more 40-plus point games this season than they had the last two seasons combined (three).

What’s next? The Trojans (5-0) take on Washington State (4-1) in Week 6 (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

8. Penn State (Previous ranking: 9)

Week 5 result: Defeated Northwestern, 17-7

Why they are ranked here: Penn State held Northwestern to just 31 yards rushing, the fewest rushing yards they’ve allowed in a game since 2019. Sean Clifford looks confident under center and the Nittany Lions’ freshman running back duo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen appear to be one of the top tandems in the country.

Key stat: Penn State has forced 11 turnovers in the last three games, which is the most in any three-game stretch since forcing 13 in 1996 (five vs. Northwestern, five vs. Michigan and three vs. Michigan State).

What’s next? In a battle of unbeaten teams, Penn State (5-0) faces Michigan (5-0) in Week 6 (Saturday, TBA).

9. Tennessee (Previous ranking: 10)

Week 4 result: Defeated Florida, 38-33 (Bye in Week 5)

Why they are ranked here: Hendon Hooker is one of the most under-appreciated quarterbacks in the country, completing 72% of his passes with eight interceptions and not a single interception through four games. We will learn a lot more about this team in the upcoming month as the Vols play No. 25 LSU, No. 1 Alabama, No. 13 Kentucky and No. 2 Georgia in four of their next five games.

Key stat: Tennessee has scored 194 points through the first four games of the season and is ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 in back-to-back weeks for the first time since 2016.

What’s next? The Volunteers (4-0) head to LSU (4-1) in Week 6 (Saturday, 12 p.m. ET).

10. Utah (Previous ranking: None)

Week 5 result: Defeated Oregon State, 42-16

Why they are ranked here: The Utes have looked unstoppable since that Week 1 loss to Florida. Kyle Whittingham’s team has outscored its past four opponents by a combined mark of 184-43. They will be tested in the next two weeks with a trip to UCLA, followed by a home tilt with USC. 

Key stat: Utah has won 11 straight home games and 22 of its past 23 games at home. The Utes improve to 66-22 in their past 88 games when ranked in the AP Top 25.

What’s next? The Utes (4-1) are headed to the Rose Bowl to take on UCLA (5-0) in Week 6 (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

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