Week 5 is complete, and Alabama takes over the top spot in my 2026 FBS power ratings. Texas, Notre Dame, Indiana and Miami round out the top five. Alabama also leads Elo, adjusted offense and wins above average, while Texas holds on to the adjusted defense lead.
These rankings are still settling as more games connect the schedules. This update follows last week’s FBS-only format and uses the Week 5 reports generated October 4. It usually takes until the first rankings of October for me to feel pretty confident in them.
FBS Power Ratings Top 25
Alabama climbs from 11th in last week’s power ratings to No. 1 at 149.492. The Crimson Tide are 5–0 and have outscored their opponents 248–104. Texas is just 0.393 rating points behind, with Notre Dame, Indiana and Miami completing the top five.
| Rank | School | W | L | T | PF | PA | Power | SOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  ALABAMA |
5 | 0 | 0 | 248 | 104 | 149.492 | 135.793 |
| 2 |  TEXAS |
4 | 0 | 0 | 133 | 53 | 149.099 | 137.692 |
| 3 |  NOTRE DAME |
5 | 0 | 0 | 206 | 59 | 146.131 | 133.392 |
| 4 |  INDIANA |
5 | 0 | 0 | 221 | 54 | 145.495 | 122.851 |
| 5 |  MIAMI (FL) |
5 | 0 | 0 | 248 | 49 | 145.179 | 126.043 |
| 6 |  OHIO ST. |
4 | 1 | 0 | 211 | 63 | 144.781 | 132.698 |
| 7 |  MISSISSIPPI ST. |
4 | 1 | 0 | 195 | 140 | 144.708 | 136.500 |
| 8 |  UTAH |
4 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 41 | 143.073 | 126.676 |
| 9 |  GEORGIA |
5 | 0 | 0 | 257 | 67 | 142.489 | 122.326 |
| 10 |  TENNESSEE |
4 | 1 | 0 | 184 | 76 | 142.476 | 129.071 |
| 11 |  KENTUCKY |
4 | 1 | 0 | 173 | 134 | 141.934 | 135.862 |
| 12 |  LSU |
4 | 1 | 0 | 218 | 76 | 141.616 | 131.732 |
| 13 |  MISSOURI |
4 | 1 | 0 | 188 | 100 | 141.294 | 129.271 |
| 14 |  NORTHWESTERN |
3 | 1 | 0 | 132 | 67 | 141.281 | 134.953 |
| 15 |  FLORIDA |
4 | 1 | 0 | 231 | 136 | 141.086 | 133.931 |
| 16 |  WISCONSIN |
4 | 1 | 0 | 158 | 83 | 140.277 | 130.214 |
| 17 |  TEXAS TECH |
5 | 0 | 0 | 174 | 81 | 140.090 | 127.699 |
| 18 |  OLE MISS |
3 | 1 | 0 | 142 | 123 | 139.821 | 131.298 |
| 19 |  NEBRASKA |
5 | 0 | 0 | 218 | 71 | 139.747 | 126.283 |
| 20 |  IOWA |
4 | 1 | 0 | 145 | 63 | 139.275 | 129.127 |
| 21 |  UCLA |
4 | 0 | 0 | 179 | 75 | 139.099 | 129.104 |
| 22 |  SOUTH CAROLINA |
2 | 3 | 0 | 188 | 134 | 138.294 | 133.190 |
| 23 |  AUBURN |
3 | 2 | 0 | 134 | 107 | 138.156 | 134.255 |
| 24 |  BYU |
4 | 0 | 0 | 149 | 57 | 137.879 | 124.648 |
| 25 |  DUKE |
4 | 0 | 0 | 145 | 44 | 137.868 | 124.023 |
Utah drops from first to eighth while remaining 4–0. That is a reminder that these ratings can move even when a team’s record stays the same: the strength of its opponents changes as more results come in. Mississippi State moves from 20th to seventh despite picking up its first loss. The anomoly of the week is the rise of South Carolina, which jumps from 26th to 22nd, despite losing to Kentucky. The Gamecocks are ranked, due in part, to close losses to Mississippi State and Kentucky. This will play itself out in the next few weeks as they play Florida, Tennessee and Oklahoma in October.
FBS Elo Ratings Top 25
Alabama also takes over the Elo lead, moving up from ninth last week. Texas and Notre Dame follow in the same order as the power ratings, while Miami and Indiana swap fourth and fifth. Florida, last week’s Elo leader, falls to 16th at 4–1.
| Rank | School | W | L | T | PF | PA | ELO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALABAMA |
5 | 0 | 0 | 248 | 104 | 1722.839 |
| 2 | TEXAS |
4 | 0 | 0 | 133 | 53 | 1719.404 |
| 3 | NOTRE DAME |
5 | 0 | 0 | 206 | 59 | 1714.223 |
| 4 | MIAMI (FL) |
5 | 0 | 0 | 248 | 49 | 1713.331 |
| 5 | INDIANA |
5 | 0 | 0 | 221 | 54 | 1703.986 |
| 6 | OHIO ST. |
4 | 1 | 0 | 211 | 63 | 1698.755 |
| 7 | MISSISSIPPI ST. |
4 | 1 | 0 | 195 | 140 | 1698.589 |
| 8 | UTAH |
4 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 41 | 1690.348 |
| 9 | GEORGIA |
5 | 0 | 0 | 257 | 67 | 1689.165 |
| 10 | TEXAS TECH |
5 | 0 | 0 | 174 | 81 | 1687.426 |
| 11 | NORTHWESTERN |
3 | 1 | 0 | 132 | 67 | 1686.521 |
| 12 | KENTUCKY |
4 | 1 | 0 | 173 | 134 | 1686.108 |
| 13 | LSU |
4 | 1 | 0 | 218 | 76 | 1685.303 |
| 14 | WISCONSIN |
4 | 1 | 0 | 158 | 83 | 1684.941 |
| 15 | TENNESSEE |
4 | 1 | 0 | 184 | 76 | 1684.361 |
| 16 | FLORIDA |
4 | 1 | 0 | 231 | 136 | 1682.620 |
| 17 | MISSOURI |
4 | 1 | 0 | 188 | 100 | 1682.254 |
| 18 | UCLA |
4 | 0 | 0 | 179 | 75 | 1680.904 |
| 19 | NEBRASKA |
5 | 0 | 0 | 218 | 71 | 1680.804 |
| 20 | BYU |
4 | 0 | 0 | 149 | 57 | 1676.156 |
| 21 | OLE MISS |
3 | 1 | 0 | 142 | 123 | 1675.404 |
| 22 |  WAKE FOREST |
4 | 1 | 0 | 183 | 115 | 1672.574 |
| 23 |  HOUSTON |
4 | 1 | 0 | 205 | 99 | 1672.372 |
| 24 | IOWA |
4 | 1 | 0 | 145 | 63 | 1671.222 |
| 25 | DUKE |
4 | 0 | 0 | 145 | 44 | 1670.440 |
Texas Tech is tenth in Elo and 17th in power. Tennessee goes the other direction, placing tenth in power and 15th in Elo. Both lists have the same nine teams in the top nine.
FBS Adjusted Offense Top 25
Alabama moves ahead of Florida to lead adjusted offense at 27.467. Florida is second at 24.396, followed by Georgia, Ohio State and Nebraska. The Crimson Tide now lead both overall ratings and the opponent-adjusted offense list.
| Rank | School | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama |
27.467 |
| 2 | Florida |
24.396 |
| 3 | Georgia |
23.083 |
| 4 | Ohio St. |
19.600 |
| 5 | Nebraska |
18.188 |
| 6 | Northwestern |
18.167 |
| 7 | Notre Dame |
18.150 |
| 8 | Miami (FL) |
17.583 |
| 9 |  Southern California |
15.208 |
| 10 |  Oregon |
14.867 |
| 11 | Mississippi St. |
14.483 |
| 12 | LSU |
13.875 |
| 13 | UCLA |
13.250 |
| 14 | Wisconsin |
13.000 |
| 15 |  Memphis |
12.312 |
| 16 |  North Texas |
12.042 |
| 17 | Texas Tech |
12.042 |
| 18 | Utah |
12.000 |
| 19 |  Iowa St. |
11.917 |
| 20 | Tennessee |
11.812 |
| 21 | Texas |
11.729 |
| 22 |  Boise St. |
11.667 |
| 23 |  Colorado St. |
11.625 |
| 24 | Houston |
11.583 |
| 25 |  West Virginia |
11.042 |
Notre Dame rises from 17th to seventh on offense, while Miami moves from 12th to eighth. Both teams pair a top-eight offense with a top-five power rating.
Full FBS adjusted offense rankings
FBS Adjusted Defense Top 25
Texas remains the adjusted defense leader at 25.250. Oklahoma moves up to second, followed by Indiana, Miami and Utah. Higher ratings are better on this list.
| Rank | School | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas |
25.250 |
| 2 |  Oklahoma |
17.208 |
| 3 | Indiana |
16.542 |
| 4 | Miami (FL) |
16.000 |
| 5 | Utah |
15.889 |
| 6 | Missouri |
15.500 |
| 7 |  Michigan St. |
15.467 |
| 8 | Iowa |
15.125 |
| 9 | Northwestern |
14.917 |
| 10 | LSU |
14.917 |
| 11 | Alabama |
14.333 |
| 12 | Notre Dame |
13.483 |
| 13 | BYU |
13.333 |
| 14 |  Pittsburgh |
12.167 |
| 15 | Wisconsin |
11.938 |
| 16 | Auburn |
11.833 |
| 17 | Ohio St. |
11.333 |
| 18 |  UCF |
11.250 |
| 19 |  Penn St. |
11.100 |
| 20 | Duke |
11.000 |
| 21 |  TCU |
10.125 |
| 22 | Kentucky |
9.896 |
| 23 |  Florida St. |
9.125 |
| 24 | Tennessee |
9.042 |
| 25 |  Texas A&M |
9.033 |
Indiana and Miami both rank in the top five in power and adjusted defense. Northwestern is another team with strong ratings on both sides of the ball: sixth on offense and ninth on defense.
Full FBS adjusted defense rankings
FBS Wins Above Average Top 25
Alabama takes the lead in wins above average, just ahead of Notre Dame. This measure compares a school’s actual wins with the wins an average FBS team would be expected to earn against the same schedule. Expected wins come from 25,000 Monte Carlo simulations, and this table is ranked by WAA with home-field advantage included.
| Rank | School | GP | W | Expected W (No HFA) | Expected W (HFA) | WAA (No HFA) | WAA (HFA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALABAMA |
5 | 5.000 | 1.388 | 1.591 | 3.612 | 3.409 |
| 2 | NOTRE DAME |
5 | 5.000 | 1.636 | 1.670 | 3.364 | 3.330 |
| 3 | TEXAS |
4 | 4.000 | 0.816 | 1.043 | 3.184 | 2.957 |
| 4 | MISSISSIPPI ST. |
5 | 4.000 | 1.268 | 1.219 | 2.732 | 2.781 |
| 5 | MIAMI (FL) |
5 | 5.000 | 2.637 | 2.489 | 2.363 | 2.511 |
| 6 | KENTUCKY |
5 | 4.000 | 1.535 | 1.651 | 2.465 | 2.349 |
| 7 | TEXAS TECH |
5 | 5.000 | 2.836 | 2.779 | 2.164 | 2.221 |
| 8 | FLORIDA |
5 | 4.000 | 1.705 | 1.854 | 2.295 | 2.146 |
| 9 | LSU |
5 | 4.000 | 1.794 | 2.047 | 2.206 | 1.953 |
| 10 | GEORGIA |
5 | 5.000 | 2.992 | 3.123 | 2.008 | 1.877 |
| 11 | UCLA |
4 | 4.000 | 2.143 | 2.135 | 1.857 | 1.865 |
| 12 | WAKE FOREST |
5 | 4.000 | 2.256 | 2.212 | 1.744 | 1.788 |
| 13 | BYU |
4 | 4.000 | 2.453 | 2.306 | 1.547 | 1.694 |
| 14 | WISCONSIN |
5 | 4.000 | 2.244 | 2.350 | 1.756 | 1.650 |
| 15 | INDIANA |
5 | 5.000 | 3.319 | 3.414 | 1.681 | 1.586 |
| 16 | OHIO ST. |
5 | 4.000 | 2.218 | 2.422 | 1.782 | 1.578 |
| 17 | MISSOURI |
5 | 4.000 | 2.473 | 2.435 | 1.527 | 1.565 |
| 18 | PITTSBURGH |
5 | 5.000 | 3.323 | 3.467 | 1.677 | 1.533 |
| 19 | UTAH |
4 | 4.000 | 2.362 | 2.469 | 1.638 | 1.531 |
| 20 | NEBRASKA |
5 | 5.000 | 3.262 | 3.475 | 1.738 | 1.525 |
| 21 | IOWA |
5 | 4.000 | 2.446 | 2.508 | 1.554 | 1.492 |
| 22 | NORTHWESTERN |
4 | 3.000 | 1.230 | 1.560 | 1.770 | 1.440 |
| 23 |  BAYLOR |
5 | 4.000 | 2.495 | 2.578 | 1.505 | 1.422 |
| 24 | HOUSTON |
5 | 4.000 | 2.498 | 2.580 | 1.502 | 1.420 |
| 25 | OLE MISS |
4 | 3.000 | 1.494 | 1.626 | 1.506 | 1.374 |
An average FBS team would be expected to win 1.591 games against Alabama’s schedule with home-field advantage accounted for. The Crimson Tide have won all five, putting them at 3.409 wins above average. Notre Dame is close behind at 3.330, with Texas third at 2.957.
Mississippi State ranks fourth at 2.781 despite a 4–1 record. Kentucky, Florida and LSU also make the top 10 with one loss each. The difficulty of those schedules gives their four wins more weight than an unbeaten record alone would suggest.
Full FBS wins above average rankings
Strength of Schedule Through Week 5
These lists use the SOS column from my FBS power ratings for games played through Week 5. Higher values indicate tougher schedules. These are schedules played to date, not the remaining schedule, and the ratings will change as we learn more about each opponent.
Top 5 Toughest Schedules
| Rank | School | Record | Power Rank | SOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEXAS |
4–0 | 2 | 137.692 |
| 2 | MICHIGAN ST. |
2–3 | 39 | 136.512 |
| 3 | MISSISSIPPI ST. |
4–1 | 7 | 136.500 |
| 4 | KENTUCKY |
4–1 | 11 | 135.862 |
| 5 | ALABAMA |
5–0 | 1 | 135.793 |
Texas has played the toughest schedule so far and remains unbeaten at 4–0. Michigan State is second at 2–3, followed closely by Mississippi State. Kentucky and Alabama complete the five toughest, giving the SEC four of the five spots.
Top 5 Easiest Schedules
| Rank | School | Record | Power Rank | SOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  MASSACHUSETTS |
4–1 | 105 | 116.806 |
| 2 |  APP STATE |
3–1 | 103 | 116.945 |
| 3 |  AIR FORCE |
3–1 | 101 | 117.730 |
| 4 |  NEVADA |
1–3 | 135 | 117.739 |
| 5 |  NEW MEXICO ST. |
2–3 | 132 | 117.824 |
Massachusetts and App State remain first and second on the easiest-schedule list. Air Force, Nevada and New Mexico State complete the five. Massachusetts is now 4–1 and ranks 105th in power; Air Force is 3–1 and ranks 101st.
All rankings can be found on the 2026 FBS rankings page.