by Sean Szymczak
Another week down, another fantastic day of college football. We have the same top 10 teams, but in a slightly different order.
Michigan and Texas made statements with start-to-finish domination. Georgia and Washington showed some signs of vulnerability. Oregon State stayed in the Pac-12 race while Utah is left dreaming of Cam Rising’s return. LSU’s CFP chances flew out the window while Ole Miss stayed alive in the ugly SEC West.
With four new teams joining the rankings and three conferences tied with 5 teams each, let’s dive into week 6’s top 25.
The Floor Slap’s Week 6 Top 25
- Ohio State (4-0)
- The Buckeyes had a bye following their big win over Notre Dame. I was tempted to drop them out of the #1 spot in favor of any of the three teams below them. But I’ll roll with Ohio State until we see some more big-time matchups.
- Texas (5-0)
- They thoroughly dominated a Kansas team that came into Saturday with a lot of momentum, outgaining the Jayhawks by 401 yards and tallying 3x as many 1st downs. The Red River Rivalry this weekend is going to be AWESOME!
- Michigan (5-0)
- The Wolverines put together their most complete game of the season, thrashing Nebraska 45-7 in Lincoln. They finally looked like the best team in the country. If they keep it up, they’ll find themselves at #1 come November.
- Washington (5-0)
- Pennix was great again but the Huskies finally looked vulnerable. They struggled with a bad Arizona team, squeezing out a 31-24 road win.
- Florida State (5-0)
- They had a bye, but their season-opening win against LSU is a little less impressive.
- Georgia (5-0)
- The only Power 5 teams Georgia has played this season were against South Carolina and Auburn. Neither teams are particularly daunting but Georgia trailed the Gamecocks at half and were tied with Auburn heading into the 4th quarter. They just haven’t looked like a great team.
- Penn State (5-0)
- The Nittany Lions played with their food, going into halftime tied with Northwestern at 10. They poured it on in the 2nd half, but a late TD off a fake knee inflated the score a bit. The margin is so small between these top 10 teams, any hitch in a performance can knock you.
- Oregon (5-0)
- The Ducks continue to look great. They have a bye this week and then travel to Washington. That’s going to be a fun one.
- Oklahoma (5-0)
- They haven’t been tested much yet, but their average margin of victory is 37 points. It’ll be a tall task, but a win over Texas would propel the Sooners into the conversation for #1.
- USC (6-0)
- Their defense is going to keep them out of the CFP again.
- North Carolina (5-0)
- Washington State (5-0)
- Alabama (4-1)
- They are starting to look more like the Alabama of old. Millroe doesn’t have to be an elite passer. He just has to stay upright and make good decisions.
- Notre Dame (5-1)
- The Irish pulled out a gutsy win on the road against a good Duke team. They are perhaps a substitution away from being in the conversation for #1.
- Miami FL (5-0)
- Missouri (5-0)
- They play LSU and Kentucky over the next two seeks, so we’ll know soon how good the Tigers can really be. Missouri gets the benefit of a bye the week before their trip to Georgia in November.
- Kentucky (5-0)
- They throttled Florida 33-14 at home. Now, they go on the road to try to beat a Georgia.
- Oregon State (4-1)
- The Beavers nearly shut out Utah. DJ Uiagalelei makes them a legitimate Pac-12 contender.
- Utah (4-1)
- This team could be so good if Cam Rising was healthy. The Utes need him back desperately.
- Duke (4-1)
- Only bumped them down 2 spots despite the loss. They went toe-to-toe with Notre Dame and held the lead late in the 4th quarter. Looked like a top-20 team to me.
- Maryland (5-0)
- The fact that the AP Poll ranks 3-2 LSU but not undefeated Maryland is a travesty to the sport.
- Louisville (5-0)
- Fresno State (5-0)
- They have two wins over Power 5 opponents and an average margin of victory of nearly 20 ppg.
- Ole Miss (4-1)
- I think Ole Miss’ win over LSU is more of a testament to how mediocre the SEC is than it is their depth. But their lone loss was to Alabama in a game where their defense played much better than they did Saturday.
- Marshall (4-0)
- There are only 21 undefeated teams left in in the FBS. I’m in favor of recognizing as many of those teams as possible. They’ll get a good test on the road at NC State this weekend.
Just Missed Out: Liberty, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Kansas State, Texas A&M, UCLA, Colorado
New to Rankings: Kentucky (17), Oregon State (18), Ole Miss (24), Marshall (25)
Dropped from Rankings: LSU (14), Kansas (20), Syracuse (22), Florida (25)
Biggest Risers: Michigan (up 4 spots), Missouri (up 3 spots), Notre Dame & Alabama (each up 2 spots)
Biggest Fallers: Utah (down 8 spots), Duke (down 2 spots)
Ranked Teams by Conference
ACC: 5
Pac-12: 5
SEC: 5
Big Ten: 4
Big 12: 2
Other: 3 (Notre Dame, Fresno State, Marshall)