This past weekend, viewers were treated to a plethora of excellent college football match-ups to enjoy.

Here’s a look at five of the biggest winners and losers from the fifth week of the 2025 college football regular season!

Winners

---

Virginia

The Virginia Cavaliers kicked off this past weekend’s electric barrage of college football, pulling off a shocking upset and knocking off No. 18 ranked Florida State at home in Charlottesville. The win came in thrilling fashion, with the Cavaliers securing victory in double overtime 46-38 behind quarterback Chandler Morris’ impressive performance. This victory marked UVA’s first win against a AP top-10 ranked opponent since 2005. As a result of their take-down of the Seminoles, the Cavaliers also earned their first AP top-25 ranking since 2019. 

Oregon

The Oregon Ducks, led by Head Coach Dan Lanning, delivered a statement to the college football world on Saturday against the No. 3 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. Behind an impressive performance form bedding Heisman candidate quarterback Dante Moore, the Ducks pulled of a thrilling 30-24 victory in double overtime. All in all, in front of a ruckus white-out crowd in State College, Pennsylvania, the Ducks solidified themselves among college football’s elite teams. In exchange for their efforts this weekend against the Nittany Lions, Oregon jumped to No. 2 overall in the AP top-25 rankings.

Alabama

For the Alabama Crimson Tide, their Week 5 match-up with the Georgia Bulldogs was, by all accounts, to be a defining moment in their 2025 season. Led by Head Coach Kalen DeBoer, Alabama answered the call in a big way on Saturday; taking down the Bulldogs 24-21 on the road in Athens. Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson looked sharp in the win, passing for just under 300 yards and two scores. For Alabama, this victory not only cemented their place in the college football playoff conversation, but also ensured the SEC would become wide open moving forward.

Ohio State

In one of the most impressive performances of the weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes took down the Washington Huskies on the road in Seattle 24-6. The Buckeyes’ defense looked stout once again, allowing just two field goals to the Huskies; an offense that entered the weekend as the second most-efficient in all of college football. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin turned in another impressive performance, going and efficient 22-28 through the air and totaling 208 yards and two touchdowns on the day. After another solid performance, Ohio State still remains atop the AP top-25 rankings through five weeks of play.

Ole Miss

The Ole Miss Rebels picked up a massive victory this past Saturday, downing the LSU Tigers 24-19 at home. Week by week, Rebels’ quarterback Trinidad Chambliss continues to look like a perfect match for Head Coach Lane Kiffin’s offensive system. In the victory against the Tigers, Chambliss ripped off over 300 yards through the air, before adding another 71 rushing yards on the ground. By all accounts, the Rebels and Lane Kiffin look to be rolling, which could spell trouble for the rest of the SEC.

Honorable Mentions:

Texas A&M – Head Coach Mike Elko and the Aggies secured a massive victory against the Auburn Tigers, vaulting them into a top-six AP ranking.

Arizona State – The Sun Devils picked up a very solid win against a formidable TCU squad, propelling them back into the top-25 rankings.

Illinois – After being eviscerated by Indiana just a week prior, Bret Bielema and Illinois came out swinging, knocking off USC at home 34-32.

Losers

---

Auburn

In their week 5 match-up, Head Coach Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers suffered a crushing 10-16 loss against the Texas A&M Aggies on the road in College Station. Overall, the Tigers’ offense looked out-of-sync and simply could not complement their excellent play of the defensive side of the ball. With this loss, Auburn now moves to 0-2 in conference play and 3-2 on the year. For the Tigers, things won’t be getting any easier. Looking ahead, the Tigers will have an upcoming bye week to make some critical adjustments, before facing the Georgia Bulldogs at home in Week 7.

Florida State

The Florida State Seminoles suffered a major set-back in their quest for a college football playoff spot; stomaching a heart-breaking loss to UVA in double-overtime on the road. As a whole, the Seminoles looked out-of-sorts and underwhelming in general in the loss to Virginia. Head Coach Mike Norvell and his team will need to turn things around in a a hurry, as the ‘Noles are set to face an excellent Miami Hurricanes squad next week at home.

LSU

Leading up to their Week 5 match-up against Ole Miss, many college football fans appeared conflicted on their opinions regarding LSU and their offensive capabilities. Now, with a 27-24 loss at the hand of the Rebels in the rear-view mirror, its fair to say more questions have been raised than answers. As a whole, the Tigers’ offense looked lackluster and uninspiring against the Rebels, posing significant concern for their playoff hopes moving forward. Now siting at 1-1 in conference play, Head Coach Brian Kelly and the Tigers will need to right the ship next week against LaNorris Sellers and the South Carolina Gamecocks at home.

Penn State

Simply put, the Nittany Lions came up short on Saturday, failing to close the door on the visiting Oregon Ducks in double-overtime at home. With this loss, Penn State’s Head Coach James Franklin now moves to 4-21 against AP top-10 ranked opponents during his tenure with the program. While they still have a solid chance to make the college football playoff, this loss at home in Oregon now makes Penn State’s path significantly more treacherous. Thankfully for the Nittany Lions, they’re set up for a “get-right” game against the reeling UCLA Bruins in Week 6.

Georgia

The Bulldogs entered Saturday’s match-up with the Alabama Crimson Tide boasting a 33-game win streak at home in Athens. Unfortunately for Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart and the ‘Dawgs, the Tide outlasted them in a closely-contested 24-21 heavyweight grudge match. As a result of the loss, Georgia now sits at 1-1 in conference play after their loss to Alabama, leaving the door open for other hungry SEC teams nipping at their heels for a spot in the title game.

Looking ahead for the Bulldogs, they’re set to face the University of Kentucky Wildcats at home in Week 6 at Sanford Stadium.

Honorable Mentions:

Washington – In a high-profile match-up with Ohio State, Washington Head Coach Jedd Fisch and the Huskies couldn’t keep up with Buckeyes at home.

USC – After generating some serious positive momentum early in the year, Lincoln Riley and the Trojans suffered a costly loss to Illinois on the road.

TCU – In their quest to once again crack the AP’s top-25 rankings, the TCU Horned Frogs suffered a set-back in heart-breaking fashion, falling 27-24 to Arizona State on the road.