College Football Has a New Top Five, but Are They Any Good?

With Ohio State facing more than just quarterback issues, a new top five emerges in college football. 2026 has been one of the more absurd years in college football, with a level of parity we haven’t seen in years. That’s led to a bit of a questionable top 10.

At this point, could any team inside the top 25 contend for the playoffs? And conversely: do you truly trust any team inside the top five to go on a run to a national title game?

Miami has separated themselves from the pack as one of three undefeated teams in college football; however, a quick look behind the curtain shows plenty of flaws. Miami’s secondary might be the weakest position group on any top-five team. Wake Forrest, Florida State, and UNC averaged over 300 yards passing and 3 touchdowns in their matchups this year.

Fortunately, Miami still has Darian Mensah, the country's most steady player. Malachi Toney might get all the attention, but Mensah's elite play keeps the Canes in contention. If they pull off the road win at Notre Dame, I’ll fully buy in, but for now I’m still hesitant.

Georgia, on the other hand, played their most impressive game of the season coming out of the bye. They simply smushed Florida. Jadan Baugh ran for only 38 yards on 17 carries, and the Bulldogs' defense added 3 interceptions. It was a dominant bounce-back performance for Georgia, but a limited rushing attack and another average performance in Gunner Stockon still give me plenty of concerns.

The Utes are up to third, with their most impressive win of the season over Cincinnati. The Bearcats might have been a tad overhyped after an impressive but more emotional win over Texas Tech. Still, Utah’s offense addressed many of my concerns about playing tougher competition.

Devon Dampier went for 305 all-purpose yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, in his most impressive performance of the year. This week's Holy War is the biggest it’s ever been, with both rivals fighting for a potential first-round bye in the playoffs. If Dampier can pressure BYU’s secondary, this Utah defense could lead head coach Morgan Stanley on a run in his first season.

Over in South Bend, Notre Dame has a must-win game against the previously mentioned Hurricanes. Both teams could easily make the playoffs with a loss here, but the loser's overall perception might be quite low, with minimal resume-building wins.

CJ Carr has had some big days through the air this year, but couldn’t find the endzone in their one ranked matchup against BYU. Carr needs an impressive showing this week for me to become a believer in the Irish. The defense has been far too shaky against any offense with a pulse, so I need to see more from potential first-round draft talent CJ Carr.

Finally, closing out the top five is an undefeated UCLA squad. It hasn’t been the prettiest, but UCLA keeps winning football games. An undefeated season is still possible, yet I still don’t have any faith in the Bruins.

Bob Chesney has immediately turned UCLA into a defensive juggernaut, but the offense has some issues. Even before Nico Iamaleava's injury, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the UCLA offense, outside of Wayne Knight. He keeps Chesney’s offense on schedule and masks poor quarterback play. I still don't buy into UCLA and believe their season will end similarly to year one of the Curt Cignetti era at Indiana. Maybe UCLA will be lucky enough to replicate his year two.