College Football Rankings 2021: Projected AP Top 25 for Week 5

Cincinnati had a bye week so there’s really nothing to report here, but there’s a good chance the Bearcats are in the driver’s seat for the New Year’s Six bowl appearance in the Group of Five.

The Bearcats will have a chance to prove themselves in Week 5 against Notre Dame and they got a good chance to sit down and scout the Fighting Irish in Week 4 as they took on the Wisconsin Badgers. The Irish defense was suffocating for Wisconsin and Desmond Ridder had to take note of that. If they want to win, they’re going to rely heavily on their starting quarterback.

For now, though, the Bearcats will sit just inside the top 10 and I think the Razorbacks and Fighting Irish jump them at Nos. 7 and 8, respectively, and we’ll see how much AP voters value Power Five ranked wins.

Luke Fickell and Co. will have a shot at changing that narrative next week against the Irish.