Ohio State’s rise to No. 4 in the Week 6 AP Poll was one of the few rankings moves that felt straightforward in a week full of strange decisions.
Georgia stayed at No. 1, Notre Dame moved up to No. 2, and Miami checked in at No. 3 ahead of the Buckeyes.
Those three spots, at least, tracked with the way the poll shook out. The bigger mess came after that, where the AP’s latest list turned confusing fast.
Texas took the biggest hit in the upper tier, falling only to No. 7 after entering the week at No. 1 and then getting upset by unranked and struggling Oklahoma. That kind of loss would normally trigger a harsher slide, and it is hard to explain why the Longhorns landed only six spots lower.
The weirdness only deepened from there, especially in the 9-through-16 range. Ole Miss landed at No. 9 despite having a lone loss in a blowout to Florida earlier this season. That defeat looked more acceptable at the time than it does now, because Florida is no longer ranked and may not be very good.
Missouri’s placement also raised eyebrows. The Tigers are sitting ahead of Mississippi State even though Missouri’s only loss came against Mississippi State. The reason seems to be Missouri’s big win over Florida, but even that logic gets shaky when the Gators have since dropped out of the rankings.
Then comes Mississippi State, which is two spots behind Missouri after being blown out by Alabama by 33 points. But that explanation gets tangled quickly, because Mississippi State is still ahead of Iowa even though Iowa’s only loss is by 17 points to Ohio State. That comparison makes the AP’s logic hard to follow.
Kentucky feels properly placed after its last-second win over LSU late Saturday night, though the Wildcats appear poised to move up quickly if they keep playing at that level.
Tennessee, meanwhile, is getting a lot of credit without much on its résumé. The Volunteers have not beaten anyone of real consequence, and their only loss came by three points to Texas, which just suffered the worst loss of the weekend.
The one move that seems fully justified is Northwestern breaking into the top 25. The Wildcats belong there and should keep climbing.
In Other News...
Michigans Turnover Problem Just Forced A Change They Couldnt Avoid
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The latest response was a change at punt returner, a move triggered by recent miscues and one the staff could no longer put off. Michigan has lost the turnover margin in four of its past five weeks, and the pattern has lined up too neatly with the losses for anyone around the program to dismiss it as bad luck. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Bye Week Puts Bryce Underwood And The Offense On Notice
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The break does buy the coaching staff some time, and head coach Whittingham is being given that window to sort through the issues and keep building toward a more consistent identity. For Michigan, the week is less about rest than reflection, a chance to step back, make adjustments and figure out whether the offense can start looking like something the rest of the schedule will have to take seriously. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans UCLA Test Suddenly Feels Very Different For One Reason
UCLAs win over Oregon kept the Bruins unbeaten and pushed them deeper into the national conversation, but the bigger news for Michigans coming trip out west is the change under center. Nico Iamaleava is now likely out for the season, and UCLA is expected to turn to Cal Poly transfer Ty Dieffenbach at quarterback as it moves into a brutal stretch that also includes Wisconsin and USC.
For Michigan, the matchup now looks different in a hurry. What had been shaping up as a test against an unbeaten team suddenly comes with a layer of uncertainty, because the Bruins are trying to replace a key piece on the fly while still protecting their perfect record. The Wolverines still have their own goals to chase, but the quarterback situation alone gives this meeting a very different feel than it had just days ago. [Read more 🡒]