Four top-10 teams -- and nine ranked teams in all -- lost in week five of the 2021 college football season, and the wackiness and chaos levels are higher than they've been in years. As you would expect, week five's unpredictability has resulted in a lot of movement in the SP+ ratings. At the top, however, the top three remain the same: Georgia, Alabama, and a rapidly improving Ohio State lead the way, a few steps ahead of everyone else.
What is SP+? In a single sentence, it's a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency . I created the system at Football Outsiders in 2008, and as my experience with both college football and its stats has grown, I have made quite a few tweaks to the system.
It is, as always, important to note that SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing . It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling -- no good predictive system is. It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you're lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you're strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.
Overall SP+ Rankings Team Rating Offense Defense Special Teams 1. Georgia (5-0) 27.2 36.9 (13) 9.9 (1) 0.2 (33) 2. Alabama (5-0) 26.3 41.1 (4) 15.0 (6) 0.2 (31) 3. Ohio St. (4-1) 26.3 46.7 (1) 21.0 (27) 0.6 (2) 4. Clemson (3-2) 22.7 34.0 (29) 11.5 (2) 0.2 (26) 5. Florida (3-2) 22.6 40.6 (5) 18.0 (16) 0.0 (62) 6. Penn St. (5-0) 21.6 35.3 (23) 13.8 (5) 0.1 (54) 7. Oklahoma (5-0) 20.6 41.1 (3) 21.0 (26) 0.5 (4) 8. Michigan (5-0) 19.7 34.4 (26) 15.3 (8) 0.6 (3) 9. N. Carolina (3-2) 17.7 41.7 (2) 23.7 (50) -0.2 (109) 10. Wisconsin (1-3) 17.6 29.2 (63) 11.7 (3) 0.2 (32) 11. Cincinnati (4-0) 17.2 33.7 (33) 16.1 (9) -0.4 (123) 12. Iowa St. (3-2) 17.0 34.3 (27) 17.2 (13) 0.0 (70) 13. Pittsburgh (4-1) 16.7 37.4 (11) 21.1 (29) 0.3 (14) 14. Arizona St. (4-1) 16.6 35.4 (21) 19.2 (19) 0.3 (13) 15. Iowa (5-0) 15.4 27.6 (72) 12.6 (4) 0.4 (8) 16. Ole Miss (3-1) 14.7 40.1 (6) 25.4 (58) 0.0 (71) 17. Texas A&M (3-2) 14.7 30.7 (51) 16.6 (11) 0.5 (5) 18. Auburn (4-1) 14.3 31.7 (44) 17.8 (15) 0.4 (10) 19. Tennessee (3-2) 14.0 33.2 (36) 19.4 (21) 0.2 (18) 20. Notre Dame (4-1) 14.0 32.2 (41) 18.3 (17) 0.0 (58) 21. Maryland (4-1) 13.9 35.9 (18) 21.8 (33) -0.2 (102) 22. Nebraska (3-3) 13.5 33.3 (34) 19.4 (20) -0.4 (124) 23. Utah (2-2) 13.5 30.0 (56) 16.2 (10) -0.3 (121) 24. Michigan St. (5-0) 13.3 33.0 (38) 19.7 (24) 0.0 (64) 25. Miami (2-3) 13.1 35.3 (24) 22.2 (37) 0.0 (59) 26. Liberty (4-1) 12.9 35.9 (17) 22.8 (41) -0.2 (94) 27. Texas (4-1) 12.9 37.6 (10) 24.9 (56) 0.2 (23) 28. Arkansas (4-1) 12.5 31.2 (47) 18.8 (18) 0.0 (60) 29. Coastal Caro. (5-0) 12.0 38.3 (8) 26.0 (63) -0.3 (117) 30. Miss. St. (3-2) 11.6 31.6 (46) 19.5 (23) -0.4 (126) 31. Oregon (4-1) 11.4 34.0 (28) 23.1 (46) 0.5 (6) 32. UCLA (3-2) 11.3 38.9 (7) 27.8 (81) 0.2 (22) 33. Va. Tech (3-1) 11.2 33.1 (37) 21.8 (32) -0.1 (89) 34. USC (3-2) 11.0 36.8 (14) 26.0 (62) 0.2 (30) 35. Oklahoma St. (5-0) 10.5 27.4 (76) 16.8 (12) -0.1 (90) 36. Baylor (4-1) 9.9 27.1 (80) 17.4 (14) 0.2 (19) 37. App. St. (4-1) 9.8 33.0 (39) 23.4 (48) 0.2 (21) 38. NC St. (4-1) 9.5 29.1 (64) 19.5 (22) -0.1 (88) 39. Minnesota (3-2) 9.5 32.2 (40) 22.9 (42) 0.1 (48) 40. W. Virginia (2-3) 9.4 30.1 (54) 20.5 (25) -0.1 (79) 41. Fresno St. (4-2) 9.4 35.8 (19) 26.3 (66) -0.1 (76) 42. BYU (5-0) 9.4 35.1 (25) 25.6 (60) -0.1 (82) 43. Boston Coll. (4-1) 9.0 35.5 (20) 26.9 (71) 0.5 (7) 44. UCF (2-2) 8.9 38.1 (9) 29.3 (89) 0.1 (47) 45. Kentucky (5-0) 8.4 29.5 (61) 21.2 (30) 0.1 (52) 46. LSU (3-2) 8.4 33.9 (30) 25.9 (61) 0.3 (16) 47. Virginia (3-2) 8.1 35.3 (22) 27.0 (73) -0.2 (96) 48. TCU (2-2) 8.0 33.7 (32) 25.6 (59) -0.2 (95) 49. Washington (2-3) 7.9 30.0 (55) 21.9 (34) -0.3 (114) 50. Marshall (2-3) 6.8 29.8 (58) 23.0 (43) 0.0 (68) 51. Texas Tech (4-1) 6.8 33.7 (31) 27.3 (74) 0.3 (15) 52. Wake Forest (5-0) 6.7 33.2 (35) 26.7 (69) 0.2 (24) 53. Kansas St. (3-2) 6.6 31.1 (49) 24.7 (54) 0.1 (42) 54. Purdue (3-2) 6.6 29.2 (62) 22.6 (39) -0.1 (72) 55. SMU (5-0) 6.4 36.4 (16) 29.6 (92) -0.3 (122) 56. Boise St. (2-3) 6.4 31.2 (48) 25.0 (57) 0.1 (40) 57. Oregon St. (4-1) 6.1 37.0 (12) 31.0 (97) 0.1 (45) 58. Ga. Tech (2-3) 5.8 29.1 (65) 23.1 (45) -0.2 (100) 59. Indiana (2-3) 5.4 27.5 (73) 22.0 (35) -0.1 (84) 60. Louisville (3-2) 5.4 36.4 (15) 31.2 (98) 0.2 (25) 61. San Diego St. (3-0) 5.3 20.1 (117) 15.0 (7) 0.1 (38) 62. Rutgers (3-2) 5.1 26.7 (82) 21.4 (31) -0.1 (93) 63. Florida St. (1-4) 4.5 31.7 (45) 27.3 (75) 0.1 (41) 64. Syracuse (3-2) 4.4 27.0 (81) 22.6 (38) 0.0 (67) 65. Houston (4-1) 4.1 27.1 (77) 22.8 (40) -0.2 (108) 66. Air Force (4-1) 3.5 27.9 (70) 24.2 (52) -0.1 (87) 67. Missouri (2-3) 3.4 32.1 (42) 29.3 (87) 0.7 (1) 68. UAB (3-2) 3.0 24.4 (99) 21.0 (28) -0.3 (116) 69. Memphis (3-2) 2.4 29.7 (60) 27.5 (77) 0.2 (29) 70. WMU (4-1) 2.4 30.9 (50) 27.7 (78) -0.7 (130) 71. Louisiana (4-1) 2.0 29.9 (57) 27.8 (80) -0.1 (91) 72. Wyoming (4-0) 1.8 25.5 (90) 23.4 (49) -0.2 (107) 73. S. Carolina (3-2) 1.5 23.3 (101) 22.2 (36) 0.4 (9) 74. Tulsa (1-4) 0.7 25.5 (89) 24.7 (55) -0.1 (75) 75. FAU (3-2) 0.4 27.1 (78) 26.7 (68) 0.0 (69) 76. Nevada (3-1) 0.3 28.8 (67) 28.6 (84) 0.0 (61) 77. Toledo (3-2) -0.1 23.0 (102) 23.0 (44) -0.1 (74) 78. WKU (1-3) -0.2 30.4 (52) 30.8 (96) 0.2 (20) 79. Army (4-1) -0.2 25.7 (88) 26.3 (65) 0.4 (11) 80. UTSA (5-0) -0.2 26.3 (84) 26.7 (70) 0.2 (34) 81. California (1-4) -0.3 28.3 (68) 28.5 (82) -0.1 (80) 82. Wash. St. (2-3) -0.9 29.7 (59) 30.8 (95) 0.1 (35) 83. San Jose St. (3-2) -1.6 25.1 (93) 26.9 (72) 0.2 (27) 84. Duke (3-2) -1.7 27.6 (71) 29.3 (86) 0.1 (57) 85. Stanford (3-2) -1.8 29.0 (66) 30.7 (94) 0.0 (66) 86. Northwestern (2-3) -1.9 21.5 (107) 23.2 (47) -0.2 (103) 87. Troy (2-3) -2.6 21.2 (109) 23.8 (51) 0.0 (65) 88. Tulane (1-4) -3.3 32.0 (43) 34.9 (119) -0.3 (115) 89. Buffalo (2-3) -3.7 25.1 (91) 28.6 (83) -0.2 (110) 90. Hawaii (3-3) -3.9 27.4 (75) 31.4 (100) 0.1 (39) 91. Miami-OH (2-3) -4.3 25.8 (87) 30.2 (93) 0.1 (37) 92. Illinois (2-4) -4.9 24.0 (100) 29.3 (88) 0.4 (12) 93. ECU (3-2) -5.2 27.4 (74) 32.7 (106) 0.1 (51) 94. Georgia St. (1-4) -5.2 26.2 (85) 31.4 (101) -0.1 (73) 95. Colorado St. (1-3) -5.2 19.0 (118) 24.3 (53) 0.0 (63) 96. Kent St. (2-3) -6.3 27.1 (79) 33.0 (110) -0.4 (125) 97. CMU (2-3) -7.0 25.1 (92) 31.8 (102) -0.3 (120) 98. Temple (3-2) -8.0 21.5 (108) 29.6 (91) 0.1 (49) 99. MTSU (2-3) -8.0 24.5 (97) 32.7 (107) 0.1 (43) 100. NIU (3-2) -8.2 24.4 (98) 32.5 (105) -0.1 (78) 101. La. Tech (2-3) -8.3 26.4 (83) 34.6 (115) -0.1 (86) 102. Utah St. (3-2) -8.9 25.8 (86) 34.8 (117) 0.1 (53) 103. So. Miss (1-4) -9.2 17.3 (125) 26.4 (67) -0.1 (83) 104. EMU (3-2) -9.2 30.1 (53) 39.2 (124) -0.2 (104) 105. Colorado (1-4) -9.3 20.4 (116) 29.6 (90) -0.1 (85) 106. S. Alabama (3-1) -9.3 18.4 (121) 27.8 (79) 0.1 (55) 107. Navy (1-3) -9.5 18.2 (122) 27.4 (76) -0.3 (118) 108. Ball St. (2-3) -9.5 22.4 (105) 32.1 (104) 0.1 (46) 109. Ohio (1-4) -10.0 24.9 (95) 34.3 (114) -0.5 (127) 110. Arizona (0-4) -10.5 22.6 (104) 32.9 (108) -0.2 (105) 111. Charlotte (3-2) -11.0 28.2 (69) 39.1 (123) -0.2 (101) 112. UTEP (4-1) -11.3 22.7 (103) 34.1 (113) 0.1 (50) 113. BGSU (2-3) -11.4 14.4 (129) 26.0 (64) 0.3 (17) 114. N. Texas (1-3) -12.5 20.7 (113) 33.0 (109) -0.2 (98) 115. FIU (1-4) -12.6 21.0 (112) 33.5 (111) -0.2 (97) 116. USF (1-4) -12.6 21.1 (111) 33.8 (112) 0.1 (56) 117. ODU (1-4) -12.8 16.7 (126) 29.3 (85) -0.3 (119) 118. New Mexico (2-3) -13.1 18.6 (119) 31.9 (103) 0.2 (28) 119. Ga. Southern (2-3) -13.9 20.6 (114) 34.6 (116) 0.1 (36) 120. UNLV (0-5) -14.0 22.1 (106) 36.1 (120) -0.1 (77) 121. Kansas (1-4) -16.1 21.1 (110) 37.0 (121) -0.1 (92) 122. Rice (2-3) -16.2 15.8 (127) 31.4 (99) -0.7 (129) 123. Arkansas St. (1-4) -16.7 24.9 (94) 41.7 (127) 0.1 (44) 124. Texas St. (1-3) -16.8 24.7 (96) 41.4 (126) -0.1 (81) 125. Vanderbilt (2-3) -17.2 18.0 (124) 34.9 (118) -0.2 (111) 126. Akron (1-4) -21.8 18.1 (123) 39.7 (125) -0.2 (112) 127. UMass (0-5) -24.2 20.6 (115) 44.2 (130) -0.6 (128) 128. NMSU (1-5) -24.6 18.5 (120) 42.9 (129) -0.2 (113) 129. ULM (2-2) -25.5 12.7 (130) 38.0 (122) -0.2 (99) 130. UConn (0-6) -27.1 14.9 (128) 41.8 (128) -0.2 (106)
