:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/40357680/456229676.0.jpg)
The theme for Week Five was failure. Our top 15 went just 4-6 last week, which really benefitted any teams with bye weeks. The top of the poll remains just about the same, but the bottom is a total mess. As always, you can see the final SB Nation tally here.
| Rank | Team | Points | Last Week |
| 1 | BYU Cougars | 30 | 1 |
| 2 | East Carolina Pirates | 28 | 2 |
| 3 | Cincinnati Bearcats | 25 | 3 |
| 4 (tie) | Marshall Thundering Herd | 23 | 3 |
| 4 (tie) | Nevada Wolfpack | 23 | 6 |
| 6 | Northern Illinois Huskies | 21 | 7 |
| 7 | Colorado State Rams | 18 | 12 |
| 8 | Temple Owls | 13 | 14 |
| 9 | Air Force Falcons | 12 | NR |
| 10 (tie) | C. Florida Knights | 8 | 11 |
| 10 (tie) | Boise State Broncos | 8 | 3 |
| 12 (tie) | Houston Cougars | 7 | NR |
| 12 (tie) | Memphis Tigers | 7 | 8 |
| 14 (tie) | Georgia Southern Eagles | 5 | NR |
| 14 (tie) | Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | 5 | NR |
Dropped Out: UTSA, Navy, Old Dominion, Louisiana-Monroe
Receiving Votes: Navy (3), Old Dominion (2), Akron (1), Bowling Green (1)
- We didn't punish Cincinnati too much for losing to Ohio State, but getting whacked by Air Force will definitely drop you in the rankings, Boise State. Other fallers included the adorable UTSA Roadrunners, who lost a tough one at Florida Atlantic, and Memphis, who played Ole Miss hard until the final quarter.
- This provided the opportunity for a few teams to make big gains: Nevada and Cody Fajardo (remember him?) have been steadily moving up the rankings and now boast a 3-1 record with a win over Washington State, while Colorado State is now in the upper half of the poll after knocking off Boston College. Temple is now the third-highest AAC team, which can't possibly last much longer, can it? A 3-1 record with a 30-point win over Vanderbilt is nothing to scoff at, though.
- Who are the top remaining contenders for the Group of Five New Year's Day bowl? Right now it's East Carolina's to lose, but Cincinnati or C. Florida could probably hop into the driver's seat if they topple the Pirates in AAC play. Marshall, the only G5 team without a loss, is still very much in contention, and I suppose Nevada could stake a claim if they can run the table in the Mountain West, which seems unlikely.