Georgia’s win at Alabama reshaped the top of Brett McMurphy’s Week 6 AP Top 25 ballot, with the Bulldogs climbing to No. 1 after a 20-17 road victory that also sent Alabama sliding to No. 6.
Miami moved into the No. 2 spot on McMurphy’s ballot, while Ohio State checked in at No. 3 and Texas fell to No. 4 after its 27-24 loss to Oklahoma. Notre Dame rose to No. 5 after a blowout of Stanford.
McMurphy said he would update the ballot after Boise State’s game against Fresno State was finished. He also noted three new teams on his ballot this week: USC, Mississippi State and Arizona.
Georgia’s rise was fueled by a tense finish in Tuscaloosa, including a controversial late non-interference call. Gunner Stockton threw for 249 yards and a touchdown, and Dwight Phillips rushed for 120 yards on 17 carries. The win was Kirby Smart’s third in 10 career games against Alabama.
Miami did not play, but the Hurricanes still moved up a spot. They host Florida State on Saturday and are chasing a third straight win over the Seminoles. McMurphy pointed to QB Darian Mensah, who has 15 touchdown passes and no interceptions, as one of the nation’s leaders in quarterback rating.
Ohio State stayed right behind Miami after pounding Maryland 45-16. Jeremiah Smith caught two touchdown passes, Bo Jackson ran for 107 yards and two scores, and Julian Sayin threw for 242 yards and four touchdowns as the Buckeyes outgained the Terps 449 to 146.
Texas’ drop came after the Longhorns lost to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. Even though Texas controlled the yardage and held the Sooners to 238 yards, two defensive touchdowns made the difference for Oklahoma. Arch Manning threw three touchdown passes but also two costly interceptions, and Cam Coleman finished with five catches for 110 yards.
Notre Dame kept rolling with a 58-7 win over Stanford, jumping to a 37-0 halftime lead and never letting up. The Irish have now won 16 straight games by double digits. Jonaz Walton broke free for a 97-yard run, and Aneyas Williams added a 70-yard touchdown reception.
Alabama’s loss marked the first time this season Georgia had been pushed into trailing, but the Tide couldn’t finish the job. Keelon Russell threw for 185 yards and a touchdown, added 41 yards on the ground and scored again, but Alabama was outscored 10-3 in the second half.
Ole Miss stayed put after blasting Vanderbilt 52-17. The Rebels opened up a 42-3 halftime lead behind Trinidad Chambliss, who threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns. Kewan Lacy returned from injury and ran for 39 yards, while Makhi Frazier led the ground game with 73 yards on 13 carries.
Indiana also held steady after surviving Nebraska 20-17. Josh Hoover’s two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Nick Marsh turned the game around, with Marsh scoring on catches of 75 and 44 yards. Marsh finished with six receptions for 187 yards, and Hoover now leads the nation with 17 touchdown passes and no interceptions.
BYU reached 5-0 with a 24-10 win over Iowa State and now gets Notre Dame at home next week. Bear Bachmeier turned in his best passing day of the season, throwing for 329 yards and two touchdowns, while also leading the Cougars with 109 rushing yards on just nine carries.
Texas Tech did not play, but McMurphy noted what’s coming next: a home matchup with Arizona State that pits the last two Big 12 champions against each other, Texas Tech in 2025 and Arizona State in 2024.
The rest of the ballot included Kentucky at No. 12 after its 35-34 overtime win over LSU, Utah at No. 13 after beating Kansas 41-24, Missouri at No. 14 after a 27-6 win over Texas A&M, Oklahoma State at No. 15 after defeating UCF 42-24, Iowa at No. 16 after winning 41-24 at Washington, Tennessee at No. 17 after a 24-17 win at Arkansas, and Houston at No. 18 after a 35-16 win at Kansas State.
USC came in at No. 19 after a 31-23 win at Penn State, SMU held No. 20 after not playing, Wake Forest was No. 21 after a 38-14 win at NC State, Arizona checked in at No. 22 after a 52-31 win at West Virginia, LSU fell to No. 23 after losing in overtime at Kentucky, Boise State was No. 24, and Mississippi State rounded out the ballot at No. 25 after not playing.
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Kentucky's LSU Celebration Just Came With A Brutal Price
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The context around Oklahoma matters here, too. Brent Venables team just knocked off No. 1 Texas in a tight game, and even with a 2-2 record, the Sooners have put themselves back into the conversation as a team capable of swinging big moments. For Kentucky, that means walking into a matchup that looks far trickier than it might have on paper a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]