Thoughts on the AP Poll: Week 5

No Upsets

In a week where most teams played weaker non-conference opponents, the difference in quality between opponents showed, as there were no upsets within the AP top-25. The only team to fall out of the top-25 was No. 23 Arizona State, who was beaten by No. 5 Stanford by the respectable score of 42-28. This lack of upsets left the top-14 teams completely unchanged from last week. Fresno State entered the rankings at No. 25, making them the only team from a non-BCS conference in the AP Poll.

Blowouts

Week four also saw a ton of blowouts in the top-25. Of the 19 games played by teams ranked in the top 25, 12 games were decided by more than three touchdowns. These blowouts were headlined by four games where the winning team scored at least 70 points. Never since the creation of the top-25 rankings in 1989 had more than two teams scored over 70 points in a single weekend. There were also three shutouts, as Ohio St. took down Florida A&M 76-0, Louisville thwarted Florida International 70-0, and Washington defeated Idaho St. 56-0.

Referees Save Clemson?

In what could have been the first major upset of a top-five team, Clemson received some help from the referees in its anxious 26-14 win over N.C. State. During the third quarter, it seemed like Wolfpack had taken a 14-13 lead over the Tigers after an 83-yard touchdown run by Bryan Underwood. However, the refs incorrectly ruled that Underwood stepped out at the 47-yard line. N.C. Central then fumbled the ball three plays later, and Clemson scored on their ensuing possession on their way to victory. That one call changed both the outcome of the game and the Tigers' position in the polls, as Clemson remains in its No. 3 position in the polls and in contention for the National Title.