On an absolutely insane day of college football, how do you try to predict what 60-plus members of the media are going to vote on Sunday morning? Many of those voters saw back-to-back-to-back game-winning plays from Michigan, North Carolina and Tennessee, and now they have to digest all of that along with a busy Week 5 slate.
Overall, the losses suffered by teams at the top probably aren't bad enough to fall out of the rankings thanks to playing top-notch competition, and the teams that did fall out of the ranking could find their way back in after a few wins (like we think Oklahoma will do after beating TCU).
So without going full John Malkovich, we have tried to crawl in the head of these voters, and here's our best guess at Sunday's new AP Top 25 poll.
1. Alabama (Previous AP Top 25 ranking -- 1): A slow start against Kentucky gave the Wildcats an ATS cover, but the program remains winless in Tuscaloosa after a 34-6 Tide victory.
2. Ohio State (2): It's got to be fun putting together an offensive gameplan in Columbus these days. After a slow start, the Buckeyes improved to 4-0 with 58-0 dismantling of Rutgers. And here I thought that Chris Ash would have something cooked up for his former team. Apparently he just told them to bring their own touchdowns!
3. Clemson (5): The Tigers survived a scary second half to hold off Louisville, and take back the "Best Team In The ACC" crown for now. It's the 19th straight home win for the Tigers, and Deshaun Watson and the guys are firmly back in the national title conversation.
4. Michigan (4): The Wolverines finally got tested. If Saturday's 14-7 win against Wisconsin is any indication, Michigan is more than happy to grind out a low-scoring game thanks to its rock-solid defense and some great pass catchers on both sides of the ball: Amara Darboh on offense and Jourdan Lewis, star of this ODB-approved clip, on defense.
5. Louisville (3): A tough loss for Louisville, as it fought back in the second half to take the lead in the fourth quarter before relinquishing it, but even with the loss, we can't knock Louisville too far down. Even in the loss, the Cardinals showed they're still one of the best teams in the country.
6. Houston (6): As long as Greg Ward Jr. is healthy, Houston should win every conference game comfortably. Five-touchdown spurts are going to become commonplace for the Cougars, who should win every game by double digits until hosting Louisville on Nov. 17.
7. Washington (10): After getting caught in the mud a little on defense against Arizona, Washington brought the fight against Stanford. Christian McCaffrey was totally held in check and Jake Browning continued to move the ball through the air at an impressive clip. No longer held back by "but who have they played" arguments, Washington should make a jump up into the class of the other College Football Playoff picks through five weeks.
8. Texas A&M (9): A closer-than-expected win against South Carolina won't alarm voters, but what should cause alarm for fans is the status of Myles Garrett. Garrett, Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil were notable late scratches for the Aggies in the win, and we'll be monitoring their status with Tennessee coming to College Station in Week 6.
Speaking of...
9. Tennessee (11): There is no more stressful college football fan experience thus far in 2016 than rooting for Tennessee. Sanford Stadium went from silent, to roaring, back to silent again as Jauan Jennings ripped the ball away from three Georgia defenders following Josh Dobbs' Hail Mary toss. That ball might as well have been the SEC East, because after wins against Florida and Georgia, the Vols are just a few wins away from wrapping up the division.
10. Miami (14): NFL Draft scouts want us to watch Brad Kaaya. But focusing too much on Kaaya, though a tremendously talented player in his own right, means you're probably missing some stellar play from Miami's defense. Freshman linebacker Shaquille Quarterman had one of two defensive touchdowns and the group has a whole had four sacks and eight tackles for loss in at the win against Georgia Tech. Up next: a reeling FSU team. Begin the hype now.
11. Stanford (7): The Cardinal getting manhandled by Washington was not expected, but I'm guessing the voters will be more impressed with the Huskies and keep the Cardinal in the top 15.
12. Ole Miss (16): The Rebels had a little more balance on offense (both in play-calling and production) for the second straight week. After dropping a game to the Justin Fuente-coached Tigers, Hugh Freeze notches a solid non-conference win on the return visit.
13. Wisconsin (8): The fact that Wisconsin had a chance in the fourth quarter to throw it deep -- the play that ended up being Jourdan Lewis' incredible interception -- for the win will give voters enough confidence to keep the Badgers in the top 15.
14. Nebraska (15): Terrell Newby iced a 21-point fourth quarter for Nebrasaka that made 31-16 a win against Illinois look less threatening than the game seemed earlier in the afternoon. Cornhuskers improve to 5-0, remain perfect in the Big Ten and slide up one spot.
15. Baylor (13): Guessing Baylor would fall further if there were more top-15 worthy teams, but the shake-ups of Week 5 likely result in little movement for the undefeated Bears, even after an uninspiring 45-42 win at Iowa State.
16. Arkansas (20): Bielema wasn't going to let the Hogs have a lookahead spot with Alabama on the horizon. A 52-10 win means everyone gets ice cream after the game and we anxiously await next week's showdown with the Tide.
17. Oklahoma (NR): By outlasting TCU in Fort Worth, Oklahoma finally has a ranked win and enough victories to crack the top 25 again. Losses to Ohio State and Houston aren't particularly damning, especially if the Sooners continue to stack Big 12 wins and move up the rankings.
18. Florida (23): Florida's offensive line didn't have a great day against Vanderbilt and Austin Appleby's performance will have some fans double and triple-checking on Luke Del Rio's status through the week. Still, a 13-6 win keeps Florida in the rankings.
19. North Carolina (NR): Now 4-1 with wins against Pitt and FSU, North Carolina should land in the top 25 on Sunday. Beating the Seminoles will always get attention from the voters, but when your kicker does the tomahawk chop after nailing a 54-yard field goal ,it's a clip that no one forgets.
20. Florida State (12): There's a possibility that Florida State falls out of the rankings entirely, but I'm guessing the Ole Miss win and the AP voters' collective knowledge of the talent on this roster keep that little number by the Seminoles' name on the scoreboard.
21. Boise State (24)*: Jeremy McNichols racked up 226 all-purpose yards and a 61-yard touchdown reception as Boise State remains undefeated after beating Utah State.
22. West Virginia (NR): West Virginia is quietly 4-0, has beaten Kansas State and has another winnable game coming up next week at Texas Tech. The Mountaineers' back-loaded schedule will get nasty soon, but for now, any Power Five team with an undefeated record will get looks from the AP voters.
23. Colorado (NR): After a 47-6 win against Oregon State, Colorado hasn't only climbed out of the Pac-12 cellar, but at 4-1 is starting to make a case as a division title contender.
24. Western Michigan (NR): With a big win over Central Michigan, we think the Broncos have a good chance to row the boat right into the top 25.
25. USF (NR): USF is a 4-1 team with its only loss coming to Florida State, which we believe will stay in the Top 25.
Out: Michigan State (17), Utah (18), TCU (21), Texas (22), Georgia (25)
In: Oklahoma, North Carolina, West Virginia, Colorado, Western Michigan, USF