Week 6 turned the AP Top 25 into a mess, and that’s exactly what makes the next poll so interesting. Three of the 10 highest-ranked teams lost, including two from the top six, and that kind of shake-up always sends voters back to the tape and the resume sheets with a fresh headache. The biggest domino falls at the very top: Texas is almost certain to vacate No. 1 after its three-point loss to rival Oklahoma, opening the door for Georgia after the Bulldogs’ own statement win.
Georgia looks set to seize the top spot, while Notre Dame’s 51-point demolition of Stanford still won’t be enough to jump all the way to No. 1. Miami, meanwhile, was idle and should still benefit from the chaos around it before returning to action against Florida State.
Texas’ fall, though, is only part of the story. The Longhorns’ loss to unranked Oklahoma was fueled by two costly giveaways from Arch Mannings, but the win over Ohio State remains a major piece of their profile. Ohio State itself handled Maryland 45-16, yet the Buckeyes also took a hit from the way Texas and Oregon fell around them, and now they head into a difficult three-game stretch.
Alabama should hold firm despite a three-point loss to Georgia. The Tide won’t be punished too harshly by voters, and the same logic applies to the playoff picture if they keep stacking wins.
Indiana also stays in the mix after a road comeback against Nebraska, though the Hoosiers are not rolling through teams the way they did last season. And Ole Miss delivered a 52-17 beatdown of Vanderbilt, even if its win over LSU doesn’t carry quite the same shine after the Tigers’ latest setback.
LSU is headed for a major drop after falling out of the rankings in one shot. That’s unusual for a team with just two losses, both on the road and by slim margins, but the Tigers’ victories over Texas A&M and Clemson no longer look like heavyweight wins.
Kentucky, by contrast, is climbing. The Wildcats probably should have stayed ranked last week, and after upsetting LSU, they’re due to move up. Houston should rise too after scoring 21 unanswered points in a 35-16 win at Kansas State to improve to 2-1 in Big 12 play.
The Cougars’ next test comes against Oklahoma State, which also picked up a win Saturday. Drew Mestemaker threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys beat UCF with 18 points in the fourth quarter, though their earlier win over Oregon looks less impressive now.
USC earned a significant road win at Penn State, with its defense stepping up in the second half to close it out. Iowa also made noise, as Jeremy Hecklinski passed for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns in a dominant win at Washington that boosts the Hawkeyes’ playoff hopes.
UCLA is one of the weekend’s biggest movers after going to 5-0 with a road win over ranked Oregon, the kind of result voters usually reward with a leap. Wake Forest has a case too: three road Power Four wins, a closer game against Miami than anyone else has managed this season, Pittsburgh’s loss, and the fact the Deacons were just 20 points away from the poll last week should be enough to get them in.
SMU was off in Week 6 and returns against Virginia next. Oregon, on the other hand, may be in danger of falling out after a second loss, this one at home to undefeated UCLA, though there may not be another team outside the rankings with enough support to replace the Ducks.
Mississippi State was idle and comes back next weekend at LSU. Tennessee survived a shaky afternoon at Arkansas, where a struggling offense and three turnovers made things far tighter than it should have been, but DeSean Bishop’s 138 rushing yards helped the Vols escape with a seven-point win. Tennessee heads to Alabama next.
Missouri also keeps moving, with Jamal Roberts turning in a personal-best rushing performance in a win over Texas A&M that lifted the Tigers to 5-1. Utah pulled away from Kansas behind two fourth-quarter touchdowns, even if Devon Dampier was off-target in the first half.
Texas Tech was off this week and returns home next Saturday against Arizona State. BYU stayed unbeaten in Big 12 play, but it needed Bear Bachmeier to shoulder more of the offense with LJ Martin out in a win over Iowa State. The next assignment is much bigger: Notre Dame.
And finally, the projected bottom of the poll has a new look. Oregon could drop out after that home loss to UCLA, while Wake Forest appears ready to break in, with SMU sitting just ahead of the cutoff after its idle week.
In Other News...
Oregon Heads To Nebraska With A Quarterback Problem And Bigger Questions
The loss to No. 21 UCLA left Oregon with more than just a bad result to unpack. Backup quarterback Brock Thomas stepped in for Dylan Raiola in the fourth quarter and helped spark scoring drives, but the Ducks still couldn't overcome a night defined by turnovers, penalties and an offensive line that never quite settled in. Even in defeat, the defense did enough to keep Oregon within striking distance, which only sharpened the focus on how much the offense struggled to find traction.
Now the Ducks head to Nebraska with the quarterback picture still cloudy, and the uncertainty goes beyond one game. Raiola's status is only part of it, with the possible return of Dante Moore after an injury adding another layer to a situation that already feels unsettled. For an Oregon team trying to steady itself, the next step may depend as much on who is available as on anything it showed against UCLA. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon's AP Slide Suddenly Feels Bigger Than One Bad Loss
A week ago, Oregon looked secure near the top of the AP Top 25. Now, after a rough loss of its own and with No. 1 Texas also stumbling, the Ducks are part of a wider reshuffle that figures to send Georgia to the top spot and create movement just behind it. Even in a season where rankings can change fast, Oregons slide stands out because it comes with more than just the sting of one bad result.
For the Ducks, the bigger concern is how quickly one setback can feed into a larger conversation about where the program is headed. The recent struggles have put the coaching situation back under a brighter spotlight, and the ripple effects could extend beyond this weeks poll. Recruiting is part of the equation too, which is why this feels less like a temporary dip and more like an early test of how much margin Oregon really has. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Fans Have A New AP Poll Problem After USC's Statement Win
A wild weekend in college football has already reshuffled the national picture, and Oregon fans have reason to keep one eye on the AP Top 25 and the other on the playoff race. Georgias win over Alabama and Texas loss to Oklahoma are expected to trigger movement near the top of the rankings, but USCs statement win over Penn State may end up stirring the most immediate debate for Duck watchers, especially with the Trojans still sitting on the College Football Playoff bubble.
USCs path from here only gets harder, with Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA still on the schedule, and that puts a premium on how the committee and poll voters view every remaining week. For Oregon, the issue is less about USC alone and more about how those results ripple through the national standings, since each Trojans win or loss can alter the stakes the Ducks are tracking in the Big Ten race and beyond. [Read more 🡒]