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As September comes to a close, we now have a stronger pulse on which teams are legit title-contending threats in college football. Week 5 will be the most impactful week we’ve had yet, with numerous top-25 conference matchups. Programs like Penn State, USC, and Ole Miss will get their first real shots to prove themselves.

As we mentally prepare ourselves for a weekend of unbelievable action, our A to Z Sports college football staff dropped their latest Top 25 ranking. Let’s dig into which team’s placement stands out the most.

2. Oregon

“Oregon has taken care of business through the first four weeks outscoring opponents 203-37, and now their first real test awaits with Penn State. The Ducks look like they may have the best quarterback in the country in Dante Moore, and they have a run game to back him up. Going on the road against Penn State will show whether this is truly a No. 2-ranked team, but for now, they deserve to be there.” —Brandon Little

I’ll continue to hype up this Oregon squad with every chance I get. While the Ducks have faced an unchallenging schedule, the dominant manner in which they have won is an indicator that they will be in the Big Ten Championship game at the end of the season. As Little pointed out, Dante Moore has played at an unreal level. With the supporting cast he has on offense, there’s a real shot he’s the third straight Ducks quarterback to be a Heisman finalist. This weekend will be the perfect test, having to travel to Happy Valley to face Penn State.

3. Miami

“Miami coming in at No. 2 in the AP Poll is representative of how the media is properly weighing their quality wins. Few teams have played consistently respectable opponents like Miami has, and they’ve been sharp in matchups that could’ve been trap games. They deserve credit for that. However, I still view this team as a slight outsider in the big picture (ranking them 7th overall) … I don’t think the AP Poll is completely wrong for putting Miami so high, but I don’t see the same ceiling for them.” —Ian Valentino

Miami was highly ranked in the A to Z Top 25, but Valentino pointed out that he’s not as high on the Hurricanes. I understand the general apprehension about buying into Miami, given Mario Cristobal’s history of struggling late into the year. I also respect Valentino’s point that Miami’s dominant wins have less shine than they initially did. However, we need to look past opponents and acknowledge how they’ve won. As of Week 5, Miami appears to be the most balanced team in college football, with its ability to out-physical opponents and overwhelm them with explosive plays. As the season progresses, I do believe Miami will gain more respect.

6. Penn State

“I think Penn State is clearly talented and have a very good team, but we’re four weeks in and they haven’t played a team with a pulse yet. They also slogged their way through a win against FIU. By comparison, Oklahoma has already beaten Auburn and Michigan in four weeks. If Penn State starts winning against actual competition, starting this weekend against Oregon, up near the top they go.” —Craig Smith

Smith’s logic is on point, and it’s how everyone should feel about Penn State. Saturday night’s game against Oregon will completely reframe how we talk about this squad. However, to this point, they’ve underwhelmed offensively. This season was supposed to be a significant step for Drew Allar, but he’s shown against weak opponents that he’s still struggling with decision-making, touch, and timing. The battle with Oregon may unlock a different side of him, but until he plays to his potential, there’s no reason to buy in just yet.

16. Missouri

Quarterback Beau Pribula has been a solid signal caller through the first four games, but the biggest factor for this team is running back Ahmad Hardy. His 600 yards is second in the nation behind only UTSA’s Robert Henry with 624. With a dominant running game and a top 10 defense, the Tigers deserve more respect than the AP Poll ranking them 20th. —Tyler Forness

Missouri has quietly become one of the best teams in the SEC, and I don’t understand why more people aren’t talking about them. Forness pointed out all of the key reasons to love this team: their dominant two-headed run game and Beau Pribula’s playmaking. Last Saturday’s home win over South Carolina should be recognized as another respectable win on their growing resume.

20. USC

“The USC Trojans have pretty much done all that they have been asked to do. They’ve dominated the teams they’re supposed to, and won the conference games they’re supposed to, all while putting up a bunch of points … They definitely deserve to be where we have them (ranked inside the top 20), and Jayden Maiava looks like he can contend for the Heisman Trophy. As long as he has guys like Makai Lemon and Jakobi Lane to throw the ball to, the Trojans should be an almost unstoppable offense.” —Justin Churchill

USC is the last team I’ve been shocked by the lack of national excitement. Lincoln Riley has likely burned many national media members in the past, but this team is different. They’ve developed one of the best pass rush units in college thanks to the prowess of defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. They also have elite talent at wide receiver, as Churchill has pointed out. You should buy low now on this USC team because they could backdoor their way into the College Football Playoff.

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