Saturday’s results didn’t blow up the AP Top 25, but they did leave a few clear fingerprints on the new Week 6 rankings. Missouri was the headline mover, Alabama nudged upward, and Florida took the hardest hit after a rough afternoon against the Tigers.
Missouri did the kind of damage that changes how voters see a team. The Tigers blasted Florida 45-17 and climbed 11 spots to No. 14, the biggest jump in the poll.
It wasn’t just a win on paper - Missouri controlled the game from the opening stretch, leaning on a physical defense and a strong passing attack to leave a real impression. A week ago, the Tigers were nowhere near the top 10 conversation.
Now they’re sitting at No. 14 with plenty of runway left if this level of play sticks.
Alabama also moved in the right direction, rising from No. 7 to No. 6 after beating Mississippi State.
Florida, though, was the week’s biggest faller. The Gators dropped eight places, sliding from No. 8 to No. 16 after the 45-17 loss to Missouri.
That’s a steep reversal for a team that had been one of the biggest risers in the previous poll. Coming into the weekend, Florida looked like a serious SEC contender.
Now it has a lot to answer for.
Iowa was another notable drop, falling six spots from No. 14 to No. 20 after Ohio State beat the Hawkeyes at home.
Here’s how the AP Top 25 looks heading into Week 6:
Texas (61)
Georgia (6)
Notre Dame
Miami (2)
Ohio State
Alabama
Indiana (1)
BYU
Ole Miss
LSU
Texas Tech
Utah
Oregon
Missouri
Tennessee
Florida
Mississippi State
Oklahoma State
USC
Iowa
UCLA
Houston
Boise State
SMU
Pittsburgh
In Other News...
Iowa Got One Encouraging Development After A Brutal Night At Ohio State
A rough night in Columbus left Iowa with plenty to sort through after a 31-14 loss to Ohio State, and the Hawkeyes did not escape it cleanly. The offense never found much rhythm, the defense had its hands full, and three starters went down with injuries along the way, turning an already difficult result into the kind of game that can linger well beyond the final whistle.
There was at least a small bit of good news afterward: Kirk Ferentz said those injuries are not expected to be serious. Iowa also got a look at backup quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski, who came on in relief and helped guide the Hawkeyes' lone touchdown drive, offering a modest bright spot in a game that otherwise belonged to Ohio State. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Faces Immediate AP Poll Trouble After Costly Missouri Loss
Floridas loss to Missouri put another jolt into a college football weekend that already had a few ranking talking points, and now the AP Top 25 is set for a fresh round of shuffling when the poll is released Sunday. Missouris win gave the Tigers a result that should help their case, while Alabamas victory over Mississippi State also figures to factor into how voters sort the upper tier and the teams hovering around it.
For Iowa fans tracking the broader Big Ten and national picture, the interesting part is less about any one upset and more about how crowded the middle of the poll has become. Several teams are on the cusp of moving in or sliding out after the latest results, and the ripple effects could leave a familiar group feeling uneasy once the rankings are revealed. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's First Loss Changed The Polls Not The Bigger Goal
Iowas first loss of the season did not knock the Hawkeyes out of the national conversation, even if it did change their place in it. After falling to Ohio State, Iowa sits at 4-1 and slid to No. 18 in the Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the AP Top 25, a reminder that the margin for error gets much thinner once the unbeaten start is gone.
Still, the bigger picture has not changed much for the Hawkeyes. They remain in the top 25 and still control their own destiny in the College Football Playoff race, which keeps the focus on what comes next rather than what just slipped away. For a team that expected the Ohio State game to be a measuring stick, the ranking drop matters, but only so much as Iowa keeps winning from here. [Read more 🡒]