With its 41-24 win over Georgia, Alabama separated itself from the rest of the SEC.
Meanwhile, Clemson scored 66 unanswered points in a commanding victory over Georgia Tech as the Tigers continue to be the ACC's most dominant team.
Next weekend will prove to be pivotal with several key Big 12 matchups and the first slate of Big Ten games.
Here's a look at the hierarchy among the three Power 5 conferences that were in action this past week, along with our Group of 5 rankings:
Jump to a conference:
SEC | Big 12 | ACC | G5
Zach Wilson throws four touchdowns on 400 yards in BYU's 43-26 win vs. Houston.
SEC
On the popularity scale, Arkansas' decision to hire Sam Pittman ranked dead last in the SEC.
Rank the top two any way, but Mississippi won the coaching carousel when Ole Miss hopped on board the Lane Train and State brought The Pirate, Mike Leach, to Starkville.
Heck, there was more buzz for Eli Drinkwitz coming to Missouri than for Pittman's arrival in Fayetteville.
But after four weeks, it's time to give Pittman and the Hogs the respect they deserve.
Entering the season, they had gone nearly three years without winning an SEC game. But now, they're winners of two of their past three -- and it probably should be three in a row if not for a very questionable call at Auburn.
Feleipe Franks was an excellent addition via the transfer portal, but the biggest move by far that Pittman made was bringing fired Missouri coach Barry Odom on as defensive coordinator.
Ole Miss looked like it had one of the best offenses in the SEC a week ago. Then Odom's defense picked off Matt Corral six times and stole the show.
Woo pig! -- Alex Scarborough
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Texas A&M
4. Florida
5. Kentucky
6. Arkansas
7. Tennessee
8. South Carolina
9. Auburn
10. LSU
11. Ole Miss
12. Missouri
13. Mississippi State
14. Vanderbilt
Big 12
A quiet week in the Big 12 means no real movement in the power rankings.
West Virginia handled Kansas in the only league game over the weekend, as Neal Brown's team is off to its second consecutive 3-1 start since his arrival. More importantly, the Mountaineers are 2-1 in Big 12 play and look like a team moving in the right direction.
This weekend brings a huge game at the top of the standings, as Iowa State and Oklahoma State meet. Kansas State, which is also atop the league with an unblemished conference mark, meets rival Kansas. Reeling Texas is expected to return to the field against Baylor, assuming the Bears can play. (Their game this weekend was postponed.) And Oklahoma, fresh off its Red River win, visits TCU. -- Sam Khan Jr.
1. Iowa State
2. Oklahoma State
3. Kansas State
4. Oklahoma
5. TCU
6. Texas
7. West Virginia
8. Baylor
9. Texas Tech
10. Kansas
ACC
There was a point this season when evidence seemed to be piling up that, for the first time in a long time, the ACC was something more than "Clemson and everyone else." Well, here we are, five weeks into the season, and it's Clemson ... and everyone else.
The Tigers made an emphatic statement on Saturday, destroying Georgia Tech 73-7. And after shaking off a little early-season rust, they have looked every bit the part of a national championship team. It's always a good sign when you give your punter a little work at QB in the fourth quarter.
The rest of the league? Notre Dame struggled with Louisville. Pitt lost its third straight. And North Carolina was dealt a crushing blow in a loss to lowly Florida State. Yes, the second tier of the ACC still is far better than it was in 2019, and perhaps one of those teams makes some strides as the season progresses; but the clear scenario on Saturday was that Tier 1 of the league remains a lonely place for the Clemson Tigers. -- David Hale
1. Clemson
2. Notre Dame
3. Virginia Tech
4. Miami
5. North Carolina
6. NC State
7. Boston College
8. Pittsburgh
9. Louisville
10. Wake Forest
11. Florida State
12. Virginia
13. Georgia Tech
14. Duke
15. Syracuse
G5
BYU impressed once again in a 43-26 win over Houston in which Zach Wilson made his case to at least get some Heisman Trophy consideration after throwing for 400 yards with four touchdowns and adding 40 yards on the ground. But it is still not quite enough to unseat Cincinnati, which had to postpone its game against Tulsa because of coronavirus issues. Still, BYU is deservedly getting much love and national attention after such a strong, 5-0 start. So is Coastal Carolina after its 30-27 last-second win over Louisiana pushed its record to 4-0. There was plenty of consideration given to moving Coastal ahead of SMU, especially after the Mustangs needed overtime to beat Tulane. But for now, SMU stays ahead. -- Andrea Adelson
1. Cincinnati
2. BYU
3. SMU
4. Coastal Carolina
5. Memphis
6. Marshall
7. Army
8. Liberty
9. Louisiana
10. UAB