College football rankings from 1 to 133 for Week 5: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State dominate with defense

Ohio State coach Ryan Day took one last question after a 17-14 victory against Notre Dame in Week 4. 

No, this wasn't a follow-up to the follow-up about Lou Holtz. Day just wanted to talk about the Buckeyes' defense. He had to talk about it. 

"They hung in there and they played well," Day said. "I don't think there were very many big plays, and that was the big thing going into this season. They played tough, and they didn't give up big plays. Hats off to the defense."

There is a reason for that. The 17-14 victory against Notre Dame was a preview of what is to come in the Big Ten East showdowns with Penn State and Michigan. 

BENDER: Ryan Day blasts Lou Holtz after epic win over Notre Dame

The Nittany Lions rank first in the FBS in total defense (219.5), and the two-time defending Big Ten champion Wolverines are third (231.0). Ohio State is sixth (255.5); one spot ahead of the Irish (260.6). 

Scoring defense tells a similar story. Michigan (5.8), Ohio State (8.5) and Penn State (8.8) rank first, second and fifth, respectively. Big plays doomed the Buckeyes in losses to Michigan and Georgia last season, but it appears second-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has patched that up. 

Ohio State has a good defense. That will be required to win a Big Ten championship. 

Each week, we will look at the college football rankings from 1-133. 

Here is how that looks heading into Week 5.

MORE: Against the spread picks for Week 5's Top 25 games

College football rankings 2023

Top 25 for Week 5

1. Georgia (4-0)

Kirby Smart can preach the importance of fast starts this week. Over the last two weeks, Georgia is outscoring opponents 31-28 in the first half. Brock Bowers had his best game of the season against UAB with nine catches for 121 yards and two TDs. Auburn is on deck. 

2. Michigan (4-0)

Michigan visits Nebraska this week, meaning those 1997 arguments are going to kick back up. The Wolverines are 1-1 in two visits to Memorial Stadium, and that includes a tight 32-29 victory in Week 2. It's the first road game of the season, too. Should Jim Harbaugh be concerned? 

3. Texas (4-0) 

The Longhorns were much sharper in a 38-6 victory against Baylor in Week 4. Quinn Ewers hit 18 of 23 passes for 293 yards and a TD, and Jonathan Brooks now has back-to-back games with 100 or more yards rushing. The upcoming two-week stretch against Kansas and Oklahoma could allow Texas to take control of the Big 12 race. 

4. Ohio State (4-0) 

We talked about Ohio State's defense, and that's the substance behind Day's postgame rant after the Notre Dame victory. Kyle McCord earned a victory in his first top-10 game as a starting quarterback, and the Buckeyes were 10 of 17 on third down against the Irish. Ohio State will have a bye week to prepare for that Big Ten schedule. 

MORE: What would a 12-team playoff look like for 2023?

5. Florida State (4-0) 

The Seminoles beat Clemson 31-24 in overtime. Jordan Travis re-established the 1-2 receiving punch of Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman, who combined for 10 catches and 180 yards and two TDs against the Tigers. The bad news? Florida State rushed for 22 yards on 22 attempts, a problem that could resurface at the CFP level against an elite front-line defense. Still, Florida State's toughest remaining tests are home games against No. 18 Duke (Oct. 21) and No. 20 Miami (Nov. 11) and a road game at No. 25 Florida (Nov. 25). It's been a great September. 

6. Washington (4-0) 

Should the Huskies be ranked higher? Washington leads the FBS with 593.2 yards per game, and Michael Penix (209.58) has the second-highest passer efficiency rating behind USC's Caleb Williams. That's building toward what should be an incredible matchup between the Huskies on Trojans on Nov. 4. Washington faces an improved Arizona in Week 5, so they can't look ahead. 

MORE: Washington gets a first-place vote in latest AP poll

7. USC (4-0) 

The Trojans had 10 penalties for 85 yards in a 42-28 victory against Arizona State – a rusty performance coming off a bye week. USC quarterback Caleb Williams still owns a clean line of 300 passing yards per game with 15 TDs and no interceptions. Now, it's the Trojans turn to face Colorado – which fell out of our top 25 this week. 

8. Penn State (4-0) 

Penn State has the other elite Big Ten defense in the mix. The Nittany Lions have allowed 15 points or less in all four of their games, and the latest showing was a dominant 31-0 shutout against Iowa. Drew Allar passed for four TDs against a tough Iowa defense, too. Are we under-valuing the Nittany Lions a touch? 

9. Oregon (4-0) 

Oregon coach Dan Lanning made headlines for his pregame speech ahead of a 42-6 blowout against Colorado, which overshadowed a dominant performance on both sides of the ball. The Ducks rank seventh in the FBS with 232 rushing yards per game, and the defense totaled seven sacks of Shedeur Sanders. The Ducks face Stanford in Week 5. 

MORE: Lanning: They're fighting for clicks

10. Utah (4-0) 

Utah continues to grind out victories under the radar. The Utes have allowed 9.5 points per game through four games, and that included a 14-7 victory against UCLA. Quarterback Cam Rising continues to rehab a torn ACL, and Nate Johnson continues to do enough to win games in his place. Utah travels to Oregon State for a Friday night matchup. 

(Getty Images)

11. LSU (3-1) 

LSU survived in a 34-31 victory against Arkansas. KJ Jefferson gave the Tigers' defense problems, but he also threw two interceptions. Jayden Daniels answered with 320 passing yards and four TDs – his third 300-yard passing game this season. The Tigers face a desperate Ole Miss team in Week 5. 

12. Oklahoma (4-0) 

The Sooners worked out a 20-6 victory at Cincinnati. Oklahoma struggled to run the football, but the defense continues to produce turnovers. The Sooners rank second in the FBS with eight interceptions, and that includes seven the last two weeks. Iowa State is up next. 

13. Washington State (4-0) 

Quarterback Cameron Ward passed for 404 yards and four TDs in a 38-35 victory against Oregon State, and he now has 1,390 passing yards, 13 TDs and no interceptions. The Cougars have a bye week before the Pac-12 race will heat up in October. 

14. North Carolina (4-0) 

The Tar Heels beat Pitt 41-24 on the road in an impressive victory for a perfect September under Mack Brown heading into the bye week. Linebacker Kaimon Rucker has been an early-season star. He had two sacks against Pitt, his second multi-sack game of the season. He also has 7.5 tackles for loss.

15. Alabama (3-1) 

The Crimson Tide got an efficient performance from quarterback Jalen Milroe – who finished 17 of 21 for 225 yards and a TD in a 24-10 victory against Ole Miss. That was good enough, because the defense had five sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Dallas Turner was dominant with two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. This is the way for Nick Saban to get Alabama back in the SEC West mix.

16. Notre Dame (4-1) 

The Irish missed an opportunity with the loss to Ohio State, and that's going to sting for second-year coach Marcus Freeman and defensive coordinator Al Golden given there were 10 defenders on the field instead of 11 on the game-winning touchdown run. Remember last year when the Irish lost to Marshall the week after the loss to the Buckeyes? This year's opponent is much tougher … 

17. Duke (4-0) 

The stage belongs to the Blue Devils – who can book-end September with victories against Clemson and Notre Dame under second-year coach Mike Elko. How will Riley Leonard's dual-threat ability translate against the Irish defense? The Blue Devils have lost three of the last four meetings. 

18. Miami (4-0) 

The Hurricanes routed Temple 41-7 in Week 4 – and that's the third consecutive game Miami has scored 40 or more points. Mario Cristobal might have an ACC contender here, and they have a bye week to prepare for Georgia Tech. Tyler Van Dyke averages 10.1 yards per attempt with 11 TDs and one interception this season. 

19. Ole Miss (3-1) 

The Rebels got a reality check in another loss to Alabama. The Rebels had 29 carries for 56 yards, and Jaxson Dart struggled for the first time this season. Ole Miss has won three of the last five home meetings against LSU. Lane Kiffin needs this one. 

20. Florida (3-1) 

The Gators rank 19th in the FBS in scoring defense (13.5), and Graham Mertz executed a high-percentage passing attack by hitting 20 of 23 passing for 259 yards and a TD in a 22-7 victory against Charlotte. It was troubling to see the Gators settle for five field goals, but Billy Napier has led a nice bounce-back from the Week 1 debacle at Utah. A victory against Kentucky would continue the momentum. 

21. Tennessee (3-1) 

The Vols had a get-right game in a 45-14 victory against UTSA. The Vols rushed for 303 yards. Dylan Sampson had 139 yards, and Joe Milton added an 81-yard touchdown run. Tennessee plays South Carolina – the team that beat the Vols 63-38 last season. 

22. Oregon State (3-1) 

The Beavers nearly pulled off a comeback from a 21-point fourth quarter deficit against Washington State. The Cougars won 38-35 in the “Left Behind Bowl,” and now that puts pressure on Oregon State in a Friday night showdown against Utah. 

23. Kansas (4-0) 

The Jayhawks were last year's September Cinderella, and Lance Leipold is looking to take the next step this season. Devin Neal (394 yards, 5 TDs) and Daniel Hishaw Jr. (235 yards, 3 TDs) combine to average 7.0 yards per carry. Should Texas be on upset alert? 

24. Missouri (4-0) 

Missouri has three straight one-score victories under coach Eli Drinkwitz, and quarterback Brady Cook has maintained a 72% completion percentage with seven TDs and no interceptions. Luther Burden (32 catches, 503 yards, 3 TDs) continues to shine. If the Tigers can get through Vanderbilt this week, the Week 6 showdown with LSU will be fun. 

25. Maryland (4-0) 

Are the Terps ready to be a contender in the Big Ten East? Maryland is not ranked in the AP Top 25, but it outscored Virginia and Michigan State in 73-23 the last two weeks. Taulia Tagovailoa passed for three TDs in a 31-9 victory against the Spartans. The Terps can't look past Indiana before a Sept. 30 showdown with Ohio State. 

College football 1-133 rankings: (1-25) 

Rest of FBS (26-133) 

Here is a look at the rest of the FBS heading into Week 5: 

(Getty Images)