College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 after Week 5

Sep 30, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies running back Myles Gaskin (9) tosses the ball to an official after scoring on a eight-yard run against the Stanford Cardinal during the second half at Husky Stadium. Washington won 44-6. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Sep 30, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies linebacker Connor O’Brien (29) sacks Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ryan Burns (17) during the first quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /

Normally Christian McCaffrey can rack up 200-plus yards from scrimmage by himself. But the Washington defense held Stanford in check all Friday night, and the Cardinal will fall down the AP Top 25 after a 44-6 blowout loss in Seattle. Stanford’s first touchdown didn’t come until the last minute of the third quarter, and a normally disciplined team lost two fumbles and racked up 100 yards of penalties.

Now the defending Pac-12 champions must rebound quickly, as October probably won’t get much easier. They face Mike Leach’s pass-happy Washington State team next week before heading to South Bend for the annual showdown against Notre Dame. One loss isn’t enough to completely plummet out of the polls, but look for the Cardinal to fall around 10 spots like Michigan State did after losing to Wisconsin.

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