The Coaches Poll has a new No. 1 after Week 6, and that shakeup starts with Texas taking the hit. The Longhorns were knocked from the top spot to No. 6 after their loss to rival Oklahoma, a game in which Arch Manning’s two interceptions led directly to the Sooners’ game-winning points.
That result left the coaches with the week’s biggest question: who moves into first? Among the contenders, one team stands out.
Texas’ fall wasn’t brutal in terms of rank - just five spots - but the loss to unranked Oklahoma sharpened the spotlight on Manning and raised fresh questions about whether this offense is ready to truly contend.
The other major tumble belonged to LSU, which slid 11 spots after another road loss for Lane Kiffin. The defeat left him 13-13 on the road at both LSU and Ole Miss, and it also left LSU’s playoff hopes badly damaged.
Oregon absorbed the harshest drop of the week, falling 12 places after its second loss. The Ducks are still hanging on in the poll, but the road ahead does not get easier, with Ohio State looming in a few weeks.
There was movement in the other direction, too. UCLA climbed 10 spots after a road upset of Oregon in a messy 17-15 game. The Bruins made plenty of mistakes and could have been even more convincing, but they still walked away with a win, and their schedule ahead gives them a real chance to keep building.
Boise State also earned a place in the poll after a solid road showing at Fresno State, powered in particular by its rushing attack.
Wake Forest is back in the national rankings as well. The Deacons enter at 5-1, helped by a dominant win at NC State and a performance that gave Miami its toughest test of the season.
Several teams disappeared from the poll entirely. Florida, which has bounced around the rankings wildly over the last few weeks, is out after a second straight blowout loss that is forcing a sudden reassessment of the Jon Sumrall regime.
Duke fell out after last week’s debut, undone by a three-point loss to Georgia Tech on a missed field goal. Pittsburgh also dropped out after North Carolina beat the Panthers, with the loss of quarterback Mason Heintschel proving too much to overcome.
Teams that received votes but fell short of the top 25 were Northwestern 107; Arizona 92; Nebraska 74; Oklahoma 50; Wisconsin 39; Duke 35; James Madison 33; Florida 32; Pittsburgh 25; New Mexico 16; UTSA 10; Baylor 9; Memphis 6; Oregon State 2; North Carolina 1.
In Other News...
Alabama Faces Ugly Fallout After Tense Georgia Finish
Alabama spent the postgame answering for much more than a hard-fought loss to Georgia, as the athletic department moved quickly to address what happened in the stands after the final whistle. Following the close finish and a night already defined by disputed officiating calls, fans threw garbage, including water bottles and beer cans, onto the field, creating an ugly scene that forced a public address announcement and had Georgia players keeping their helmets on as they made their way out.
The schools statement condemned the conduct as unacceptable, said it was gathering information and made clear it will not tolerate that kind of behavior. For Alabama, the fallout from a tense SEC showdown now stretches beyond the scoreboard, with the focus shifting to what comes next for a program that has long prided itself on home-field standards as much as results. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Fans Are Livid Over One Bigger SEC Question
Saturdays Alabama-Georgia game delivered the kind of heavyweight SEC finish that gets replayed and dissected long after the final whistle, but much of the attention afterward drifted away from the scoreboard and toward the officiating. Several moments drew scrutiny across social media, with players and commentators voicing frustration and confusion over how the game was called, a familiar kind of postgame noise in a rivalry game that already carries plenty of emotional weight.
For Alabama fans, the bigger concern now is what the conference does next, or whether it says anything at all. The late-game sequence under the microscope has only sharpened the debate, especially because the SEC has not issued a statement yet, and there is recent precedent for the league taking action after a controversial call in another game. Until the conference addresses it, the frustration around this one is likely to keep simmering. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Fans Have Every Right To Rage After This Georgia Loss
A late night in Athens left Alabama fans stewing over what they saw as a missed chance to take control, and it is easy to understand why. In a tight game against Georgia, a disputed no-call on a potential pass interference in the end zone hung over the finish, especially with the Crimson Tide needing one more big play to flip the result and turn a frustrating road game into a statement win.
Still, the final minutes were not decided by one call alone. Georgia made the plays it had to make when the pressure peaked, protecting a narrow lead and doing just enough in the closing stretch to escape with a 20-17 victory, even if Alabama will spend plenty of time replaying the moment that might have changed everything. [Read more 🡒]