College Football Conference Power Rankings – Week 5

College Football Conference Power Rankings for Week 5 of the 2016 season. With mid-season approaching, which conference has played the best football so far?

For a second straight week, the Big Ten sits at No. 1 in the conference rankings, while the SEC has again slid, this time down to No. 3. The Pac-12 and Big 12 have remained at the bottom of the power rankings for the majority of the season thus far.

Week 5 College Football Conference Power Rankings

5. Big 12 (Last Week – 5)

The good news coming out of Week 4 is that the league’s two unbeaten programs, Baylor and West Virginia, have still yet to lose. The bad? The Big 12 isn’t much closer to putting forth a team worthy of playoff contention than it was a week ago.

The Mountaineers held off BYU in Maryland, and the Bears played well in their first tough test versus Oklahoma State. However, still no top 10 teams. And the best wins of the opening month, Texas over Notre Dame, Okie State over Pitt and West Virginia over Mizzou ,aren’t quite as notable as when they occurred. Plus, Oklahoma’s 1-2 start has really dented the league’s overall brand and upward potential.

4. Pac-12 (4)

The Pac-12 is down to two teams capable of carrying the league banner on a national scale. And those two programs, Stanford and Washington, meet Friday night in Seattle.

The conference will benefit if the Cardinal and Huskies slug it out for four quarters in a well-played thriller that warrants keeping both tucked inside the top 10. Beyond the North Division frontrunners, though, the Pac-12 is dripping in mediocrity, with only one other school, Utah, making a Top 25 case. The league is 3-0 versus the Big 12, but the Big 12 is the worst of the Power Five conferences. And talent-rich Oregon, USC and UCLA are underachieving. Good news? Colorado is making the South Division even more competitive with its 3-1 start.

3. SEC (2)

The SEC went 4-0 in non-conference competition. The best win was Vandy over Western Kentucky, so no hearty slaps on the back for what occurred in Week 4.

The SEC is what it has been for a very long time—deep out West and questionable in the East. Ole Miss impressed against Georgia, and Texas A&M is the real deal as it looks to challenge Alabama’s grip on the top spot of the division. But neither LSU nor Auburn looked very good in the battle of the somewhat paper Tigers. And unless Tennessee can build off its scintillating second half in the Florida win, there isn’t much firepower coming out of that East Division holster.

2. ACC (3)

Impressive weekend, ACC. You’re still behind the Big Ten, but the divide isn’t as wide as it was a week ago.

The league swept its eight non-conference games, including five on the road. Florida State steadied the ship in Tampa, behind a career day from RB Dalvin Cook. And wins from Duke (Notre Dame), Wake Forest (Indiana), Virginia (Central Michigan) and Syracuse (UConn) highlighted the ACC’s improving depth. Even better, top 5 Clemson and Louisville remained perfect heading into this week’s mega-showdown for the pole position. What the ACC now needs is a Coastal Division squad, like Miami, Va Tech or Carolina, to rise up and keep the drop-off after the Cards, Tigers and Noles from being so precipitous.

1. Big Ten (1)

The West Division isn’t as formidable as the East. But the former is carrying more of the weight this season, which is benefitting the entire conference.

Wisconsin hammered Michigan State, 30-6, in East Lansing. And while that might seem like a wash for the Big Ten, it’s actually an indication of improved overall depth from top to bottom. Ohio State and Michigan, which routed Penn State, remain the national contenders. But fast starts from the Badgers and Nebraska, along with Iowa’s constant presence, is giving the league girth from the West half of the league. The Big Ten boasts six teams that have yet to lose, which is at least two more than any other league in the FBS.

MORE: No. 1-128 College Football Rankings – Week 5