The SEC still has a firm grip on the Week 6 USA Today Coaches Poll, with 10 league teams landing in the latest top 25 after a strong Week 5 slate.
Texas stayed put at No. 1, with Georgia right behind at No. 2. The Longhorns were off this week and now turn their attention to next week’s rivalry matchup against Oklahoma in Dallas.
Alabama sits next in the SEC pecking order at No. 7 after rolling past Mississippi State 56-23 in Starkville on Saturday. Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell has shown through 5 weeks that he is the real deal as a matchup against the No. 2 Bulldogs looms.
LSU checks in at No. 10, followed by Ole Miss at No. 11.
Tennessee is No. 14, Florida No. 15 and Mizzou No.
- Mississippi State comes in at No. 20, and Kentucky rounds out the SEC teams in the poll at No.
- Texas A&M also picked up 1 vote.
The full top 25 has Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami, Indiana, Ohio State, Alabama, BYU, Texas Tech and LSU in the top 10, with Ole Miss, Utah, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, Mizzou, USC, Iowa, Houston, Mississippi State, SMU, UCLA, Duke, Pitt and Kentucky filling out the rest.
Among teams receiving votes, Oklahoma State led the group with 187, followed by Boise State with 161, Nebraska with 117, Wake Forest with 87, Northwestern with 70, Wisconsin with 47, James Madison with 42, Minnesota with 40, North Dakota State with 29, Arizona with 15, New Mexico with 7, Baylor with 3, and Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and Kansas State with 1 apiece.
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 🡒]
Florida Faces Immediate AP Poll Trouble After Costly Missouri Loss
Mississippi States loss to Alabama was part of a busy weekend that could shake up the AP Top 25, but the Bulldogs are watching the bigger picture in the SEC as the conference continues to sort itself out. Missouris win over Florida is the result that may create the most immediate movement, with the Tigers strengthening their case and the Gators suddenly facing the kind of poll pressure that comes after a damaging league setback.
For Mississippi State, the rankings story is less about a single spot and more about how the league cluster around it is shifting after another round of decisive results. The official AP poll comes out Sunday, and there are still teams hovering on the edge of moving up or slipping out, which leaves the Bulldogs with a familiar kind of interest in how the voters weigh recent performance against earlier expectations. [Read more 🡒]