AP voters are staring at a reshaped Week 6 ballot after a Saturday that produced a few loud statements and at least one brutal reality check.
Alabama made the strongest noise of the bunch. The Crimson Tide beat Mississippi State for the 17th straight time, and this one came with style points attached.
Alabama rolled to a record 56 points against a ranked SEC opponent on the road, and it has now scored at least 45 points in every game this season. Keelon Russell looked composed throughout, working the field with accurate throws, while the Tide’s ground game chipped in almost 200 yards.
The defense held up, too, giving Alabama a real argument for the No. 1 spot next week if it can back this up against Georgia.
Mississippi State, on the other hand, missed a chance to change its own story. Kamario Taylor still put up numbers - 258 yards and 3 touchdowns - but the game turned into a turnover-heavy collapse that exposed the gap between the Bulldogs and Alabama.
Mississippi State managed only 18 rushing yards and 0.6 yards per carry, and its defense gave up 28 second half points. Taylor also turned it over three times.
The road gets no easier from here, with trips to LSU and Texas and a home game against Oklahoma in between.
Missouri also earned a major leap in credibility by finally getting a ranked win for Eli Drinkwitz. That mattered because it ended a school-record nine-game losing streak against ranked opponents, and it came in emphatic fashion against undefeated Florida.
Missouri’s offense piled up 35 unanswered points, while the defense smothered the Gators’ run game and the passing attack opened things up downfield. The Tigers kept themselves in the SEC picture and should be sticking around in the poll, with a chance to pick up a few more votes.
Florida is headed the other way, and hard. No team inside the poll a week ago got more of a boost than the Gators, which makes this road loss sting even more.
The hype around their 4-0 start met a wall in Columbia, and the offense that led the nation with 18 rushing touchdowns was held to 42 yards on 25 carries. The secondary had no answer either, allowing 340 passing yards as Missouri ran away with it.
Iowa was in position to make things interesting in the Big Ten race after that emotional last-second win at Michigan, especially with College GameDay in town for Ohio State’s visit. Instead, Jeremiah Smith took over, breaking a school record with his 36th career receiving touchdown and moving through the Hawkeyes’ defense with ease. Kirk Ferentz now has injury issues to manage with star safety Zach Lutmer and quarterback Hank Brown, and Iowa heads into two straight road games against Washington and Minnesota with its playoff hopes still alive.
In Other News...
Alabama Found Two Reasons To Feel Better Before Georgia
Before Alabama turns its attention to Georgia, there were a couple of encouraging signs worth noting from the latest game. Keelon Russell gave the offense a lift by throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns while adding a score on the ground, and the run game got meaningful help from a deeper group of backs, including Traeshawn Brown and EJ Crowell.
Xavier Griffin also stood out on the other side of the ball, leading the team in tackles and helping make several key defensive plays. Just as important for a defense looking to steady itself, Alabamas run front was much firmer against Mississippi State, holding the Bulldogs to 18 rushing yards and giving the Tide something concrete to carry into a bigger test. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Underwoods Struggles Leave Michigan With An Uncomfortable Week 5 Reality
Keelon Russells rise has become one of the more notable developments around Alabamas early-season start, and the quarterbacks recent stretch has only sharpened the attention. After throwing four touchdowns in the spring game and then piling up 10 passing touchdowns and 970 yards over three games, he has helped steady a team that rolled to a 56-23 win and moved to 5-0.
For Alabama, that kind of production matters not just in the standings but in the broader SEC picture, where quarterback play can change the feel of a season quickly. Around the country, other programs were dealing with their own storylines in Week 5, but Russells emergence has given Alabama a promising answer at the position and left the rest of the league watching what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has A Real Shot To Climb After Saturdays Top 25 Chaos
Saturdays college football slate did Alabama a favor, even before the next AP Top 25 poll gets posted. USC barely survived an upset scare, Ohio State and Missouri both had results worth watching, and a few teams around the country did enough to create the kind of weekend that tends to shake up the middle and upper tiers of the rankings.
For Alabama, the bigger point is simple: the Crimson Tide have a real path to move up if the voters decide the chaos mattered as much as the resumes. The poll will be refreshed soon, and with conference play still unfolding, there is a decent chance the order gets jumbled in a way that opens the door for Alabama to climb if enough teams ahead of it wobble. [Read more 🡒]