After a wild Week 5, the AP Top 25 is set up for another shakeup, with Missouri’s rout of Florida and Alabama’s road win at Mississippi State standing out as the results most likely to move the board.
The biggest jolt came from No. 25 Missouri, which dominated No.
8 Florida as the SEC hierarchy kept shifting. Alabama also strengthened its case by handling No.
16 Mississippi State on the road, pouring in 56 points in a game that should leave a mark on Sunday’s rankings.
Oregon, meanwhile, had the weekend off, but the Ducks could still inch upward when the new poll drops. Their case is helped by the results around them: No.
18 USC beat Washington and No. 22 Boise State got past Utah State, keeping Oregon’s ranked wins in good shape.
There are still plenty of questions near the top. No.
14 Iowa lost at home to No. 5 Ohio State and is expected to slide after taking its first defeat.
BYU also survived a scare, beating TCU by a touchdown, and the Cougars now face the same question Oregon did earlier this season after its one-score win over Boise State: do AP voters reward the escape, or punish the lack of margin?
North Carolina pushed No. 3 Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish are still likely to stay inside the top five. Kentucky also held on in overtime against South Carolina, improving to 4-1 and giving former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein a chance to move one win away from matching the Wildcats’ total number of victories in 2025.
There may not be many new faces entering the poll. Minnesota upset Minnesota, but the Golden Gophers are unlikely to break in just yet. Nebraska remains unbeaten at 5-0 and is still unranked, while Wisconsin was the team receiving the 26th-most votes in the latest AP Poll release.
The more likely movement could be at the bottom, where Mississippi State and Florida are both in danger of dropping out.
A projected AP Top 25 looked like this:
- Texas
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Ohio State
- Miami
- Alabama
- Indiana
- Ole Miss
- LSU
- BYU
- Texas Tech
- Utah
- Florida
- Florida
- Oregon
- Tennessee
- USC
- Oklahoma State
- Iowa
- Houston
- SMU
- Boise State
- Mississippi State
- UCLA
- Kentucky
A second projection had this order:
- Texas
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Miami
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Alabama
- Florida
- Ole Miss
- BYU
- LSU
- Texas Tech
- Utah
- Iowa
- Oregon
- Mississippi State
- Tennessee
- USC
- Oklahoma State
- Houston
- SMU
- Boise State
- UCLA
- Kentucky
- Missouri
The AP Poll is expected to be released at approximately 11 a.m. PT.
In Other News...
Kamario Taylor Suddenly Faces A Bigger Mississippi State Concern
Kamario Taylors Week 5 showing against Alabama did not give Mississippi State much to build on, and the freshmans foot injury only added to the concern. What had been a promising early storyline for the Bulldogs now looks more complicated, with Taylor trying to work through the kind of issue that can affect both his production and the teams overall offensive rhythm.
Mississippi State will have to watch closely how Taylor responds coming out of that game, because his health is now part of a larger evaluation of where the Bulldogs stand after a rough outing. In a college football season where Heisman chatter can turn quickly, Taylors situation has shifted from upside to uncertainty, and it leaves Mississippi State hoping the injury is only a short-term setback. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Got Another Reminder How Brutal The SEC Has Become
Missouris emphatic 45-17 win over Florida was another reminder that there are no easy weekends left in the SEC, where even a team that had not scored a home win over a top-10 opponent in 16 years could suddenly look overwhelming. Austin Simmons controlled the passing game with 340 yards and two touchdowns, while Jamal Roberts powered the ground attack with 211 yards and three scores, turning the kind of game that can flatten a conference rival into a showcase for how quickly momentum can swing in this league.
For Mississippi State, it is the sort of result that only sharpens the pressure around every SEC Saturday, because the margin for error keeps shrinking as more teams prove they can win big and win fast. Eli Drinkwitzs postgame point about the need to bounce back after losses fits the broader picture here, since the leagues depth now means a bad day can bury a team quickly, and the next challenge often arrives before anyone has time to catch their breath. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Still Has A Real SEC Opportunity In Week 6 Poll
Mississippi States latest ranking in the Week 6 USA Today Coaches Poll keeps the Bulldogs in the thick of an SEC-heavy top 25, with the conference again flexing real national depth. Ten SEC teams made the cut, a reminder that the leagues weekly grind remains as demanding as ever, even after Alabamas recent win over Mississippi State helped shape the upper half of the poll.
Texas holds the No. 1 spot and Georgia sits right behind at No. 2, while Alabama checks in at No. 7 and the rest of the SEC pack includes LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, Mississippi State and Kentucky. For the Bulldogs, the ranking offers a snapshot of where they stand in a crowded conference race, and it also underscores just how many opportunities still remain on the schedule to move up, or slip, in a field packed with ranked opponents. [Read more 🡒]