College football top to bottom: The 1-130 rankings after Week 6
Here are our 1-130 rankings after Week 6.
While Week 6 was wild, there is just one new team in the top 10 and only one new team in the top 25, but there was a lot of reshuffling all over the place.
Here are this week’s 1-130 rankings; the rankings are updated every Tuesday during the season. There are comments on each of the top-25 teams; in addition, there are comments on other noteworthy teams this week.
The top 25
1. Georgia (6-0 / last week’s ranking: 2nd)
The buzz: The Bulldogs are ranked first in the polls, their first in-season top billing since 1982. This week is homecoming and the opponent is unbeaten Kentucky.
2. Iowa (6-0 / 4th)
The buzz: Opportunity, thy name is Iowa. The Hawkeyes lead the nation in interceptions (16), takeaways (20) and turnover margin (plus-15); nine different Hawkeyes have interceptions.
3. Oklahoma (6-0 / 5th)
The buzz: Oklahoma now owns the nation’s longest winning streak at 14 games. The Sooners play host to TCU on Saturday and OU has won seven in a row in the series.
4. Cincinnati (5-0 / 6th)
The buzz: Before the season, this week’s visit from UCF seemed as if it would be the Bearcats’ toughest AAC game. But without QB Dillon Gabriel, UCF should be just another AAC speed bump for Cincinnati.
5. Ohio State (5-1 / 7th)
The buzz: The Buckeyes rolled up 598 yards in obliterating Maryland this past Saturday; that marked the 23rd time in Ryan Day’s 31 games as coach that Ohio State reached the 500-yard plateau.
6. Penn State (5-1 / 3rd)
The buzz: The Nittany Lions are off this week, which is fortuitous timing given the injury to Sean Clifford. Plus, the next game is against Illinois, which really shouldn’t pose a threat even if Penn State has to use a backup quarterback.
7. Alabama (5-1 / 1st)
The buzz: The Crimson Tide plays at Mississippi State on Saturday; it will be the 106th meeting, and Alabama has played Mississippi State more than any other opponent. It’s a rather one-sided “rivalry,” as the Tide leads the series 85-17-3.
8. Arizona State (5-1 / 10th)
The buzz: The Sun Devils play at Utah this Saturday, and a win would all but ice the Pac-12 South title.
9. Oregon (4-1 / 8th)
The buzz: The Ducks were off this past weekend and head into the second half of their season — when the schedule includes zero ranked teams.
10. Oklahoma State (5-0 / 11th)
The buzz: The Cowboys play at Texas on Saturday, and five of the past six meetings between the teams have been one-score games. Interestingly, Oklahoma State has won on five of its past six trips to Austin.
11. Michigan State (6-0 / 15th)
The buzz: The Spartans are 6-0 for the first time since 2015; they won the Big Ten that season and advanced to the College Football Playoff.
12. Michigan (6-0 / 13th)
The buzz: The Wolverines are off this week, and they need to prepare for a tough stretch run. Still to come are games against Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State; the games against the Spartans and Nittany Lions are on the road.
13. Kentucky (6-0 / 19th)
The buzz: The Wildcats are 6-0 for the first time since 1950, when Bear Bryant was their coach. Of note: UK plays at Georgia on Saturday and in 1950 the Wildcats moved to 7-0 with a victory in the state of Georgia (it was over Georgia Tech in Atlanta).
14. Ole Miss (4-1 / 20th)
The buzz: The Rebels travel to Tennessee this weekend, which means Lane Kiffin returns to Knoxville as a head coach for the first time since he left UT in early 2010. He’ll bring a balanced (and productive) offense with him: Ole Miss is the only team in the nation averaging 300 yards passing and 250 rushing. The actual figures: 302.0 passing, 259.6 rushing.
15. Arkansas (4-2 / 12th)
The buzz: The Hogs have dropped two in a row and get Auburn this week; they’ve lost five in a row to the Tigers.
16. Wake Forest (6-0 / 16th)
The buzz: Wake is 6-0 for the first time since 1944; the Demon Deacons were ranked as high as 12th that season, one off their highest ranking ever (11th in Week 3 in 1947).
17. Notre Dame (5-1 / 18th)
The buzz: The Irish are off this week after easing past Virginia Tech. The second half of the schedule is tissue soft.
18. Texas A&M (4-2 / 36th)
The buzz: How improbable was the Aggies’ win over Alabama? Consider: Zach Calzada outplayed Heisman frontrunner Bryce Young. That’s pretty damned improbable.
19. Texas (4-2 / 14th)
The buzz: In its two losses, to Arkansas and Oklahoma, the Longhorns surrendered 672 rushing yards and allowed 7.6 yards per carry.
20. BYU (5-1 / 9th)
The buzz: The loss to Boise State ends any longshot hopes for a CFP or even a New Year’s Six berth. Now it looks like a trip to the Independence Bowl regardless.
21. Coastal Carolina (6-0 / 21st)
The buzz: Coastal is off this Saturday, but the Chanticleers have their biggest regular-season game of the year next Wednesday, when they play at Appalachian State. Win that and a 12-0 regular season basically is assured.
22. NC State (4-1 / 22nd)
The buzz: The Wolfpack will be involved in what has become one of the most important ACC games of the season when they play at Boston College on Saturday. After three consecutive home games and four of its first five at home, NCSU plays four of its next five on the road.
23. Florida (4-2 / 23rd)
The buzz: Florida is at LSU on Saturday, and the Gators need to make sure this one comes down to their rushing attack. LSU has lost three times, and each time the Tigers have lost, they have been gashed on the ground (seven rushing TDs and an average of 234.3 rushing yards per game). And Florida is much better running the ball than it is throwing it.
24. SMU (6-0 / 24th)
The buzz: Tanner Mordecai has thrown 26 TD passes; the single-season school record is 34 by Shane Buechele in 13 games in 2019.
25. Louisiana (4-1 / 25th)
The buzz: The Ragin’ Cajuns are far and away the best team in the Sun Belt West Division. They’ll find out where they are in the conference pecking order tonight when they host the East Division’s Appalachian State.
Teams 26-50
26. Clemson (3-2 / 26th)
The buzz: The lack of big plays from the passing attack is eye-opening. Clemson is averaging 5.7 yards per pass attempt, the seventh-lowest figure in the nation.
27. Boston College (4-1 / 27th)
28. Fresno State (4-2 / 28th)
29. UCLA (4-2 / 29th)
30. Auburn (4-2 / 17th)
31. Kansas State (3-2 / 31st)
32. Iowa State (3-2 / 33rd)
33. Baylor (5-1 / 37th)
34. Mississippi State (3-2 / 35th)
The buzz: Four of the Bulldogs’ five games have been decided by four or fewer points. In fact, the margins of victory in those four games has been in order: The Bulldogs won by one, lost by two, lost by three and won by four. (There was a 10-point win in there, in Game 2 over NC State.) Alabama is the opponent this week; will it be a five-point game?
35. Stanford (3-3 / 30th)
36. Nevada (4-1 / 38th)
37. TCU (3-2 / 42nd)
38. Boise State (3-3 / 53rd)
The buzz: The Broncos were impressive in handing BYU its first loss this past Saturday; this week, they play host to Air Force in a key Mountain West Mountain Division game.
39. Wisconsin (2-3 / 43rd)
40. Indiana (2-3 / 40th)
41. LSU (3-3 / 32nd)
42. Virginia Tech (3-2 / 39th)
43. Maryland (4-2 / 34th)
44. Houston (5-1 / 49th)
The buzz: Cougars coach Dana Holgorsen is known for his offensive acumen. But Houston’s defense is the star of the show this season; the Cougars are fourth nationally in total defense (264.5 yards per game) and 12th in yards per play (4.51).
45. San Diego State (5-0 / 52nd)
46. Virginia (4-2 / 47th)
47. Louisville (3-3 / 41st)
48. Appalachian State (4-1 / 48th)
The buzz: The Mountaineers have a key road game tonight at Louisiana; they have won eight of their past nine against the Ragin’ Cajuns. Next Wednesday, App State welcomes in Coastal Carolina, so this is a monster two-game stretch for the Mountaineers in the Sun Belt race.
49. Utah (3-2 / 51st)
50. Texas Tech (4-2 / 44th)
Teams 51-75
51. UTSA (6-0 / 56th)
52. Pitt (4-1 / 55th)
53. Liberty (5-1 / 58th)
54. Tennessee (4-2 / 62nd)
The buzz: The Vols are averaging 6.31 yards per play; they haven’t averaged more than 6.0 yards per play since 2016, when they were at 6.44.
55. Oregon State (4-2 / 45th)
56. Western Michigan (4-2 / 54th)
57. Nebraska (3-4 / 65th)
The buzz: The past three losses have come by seven to unbeaten Oklahoma, by three to unbeaten Michigan State and by three to unbeaten Michigan. All three are in the AP top 10.
58. North Carolina (3-3 / 46th)
59. Miami (2-3 / 59th)
60. West Virginia (2-4 / 50th)
61. UAB (4-2 / 61st)
62. USC (3-3 / 57th)
63. UCF (3-2 / 63rd)
64. Missouri (3-3 / 64th)
65. Rutgers (3-3 / 60th)
The buzz: The three teams that have beaten the Scarlet Knights have a combined one loss (Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State).
66 Purdue (3-2 / 66th)
67. Florida State (2-4 / 72nd)
68. Minnesota (3-2 / 68th)
69. Kent State (3-3 / 73rd)
70. Washington (2-3 / 69th)
71. Syracuse (3-3 / 71st)
The buzz: The Orange is close to being 6-0; the three losses have been by a total of 16 points, and each of the past two losses came by three points on the final play of the game.
72. Tulsa (2-3 / 79th)
73. Georgia Tech (3-3 / 76th)
74. Washington State (3-3 / 84th)
75. Memphis (3-3 / 70th)
Teams 76-100
76. South Carolina (3-3 / 74th)
77. Louisiana Tech (2-3 / 77th)
78. East Carolina (3-3 / 75th)
79. Air Force (5-1 / 90th)
80. Wyoming (4-1 / 80th)
81. Ball State (3-3 / 91st)
82. Tulane (1-5 / 78th)
The buzz: The Green Wave lost its opener by five at Oklahoma; every other loss has been by at least seven points and three have been by at least 18.
83. Utah State (3-2 / 83rd)
84. Marshall (3-3 / 87th)
85. California (1-4 / 85th)
86. Illinois (2-5 / 86th)
87. Toledo (3-3 / 81st)
88. Hawaii (3-3 / 88th)
89. Colorado (1-4 / 89th)
90. Northern Illinois (4-2 / 95th)
91. San Jose State (3-3 / 67th)
92. Army (4-1 / 92nd)
The buzz: Twenty-four quarterbacks average more than 33 passing attempts per game. The Black Knights have attempted 33 passes all season.
93. FAU (3-3 / 93rd)
94. Central Michigan (3-3 / 94th)
95. Colorado State (2-3 / 100th)
96. Buffalo (2-4 / 82nd)
97. Northwestern (2-3 / 97th)
98. Duke (3-3 / 96th)
99. Navy (1-4 / 99th)
100. Eastern Michigan (4-2 / 112th)
The bottom 30
101. Charlotte (4-2 / 101st)
102. Miami (Ohio) (2-4 / 98th)
103. Middle Tennessee (2-4 / 102nd)
104. USF (1-4 / 104th)
105. Western Kentucky (1-4 / 106th)
The buzz: In their four losses, the Hilltoppers have averaged 35.8 points and 541.3 yards. The losses have come by a total of 28 points, and three were decided by six or fewer points.
106. Georgia State (2-4 / 107th)
107. Bowling Green (2-4 / 103rd)
108. Temple (3-3 / 108th)
109. Georgia Southern (2-4 / 105th)
110. Ohio (1-5 / 110th)
111. Arkansas State (1-5 / 111th)
112. UTEP (5-1 / 117th)
The buzz: The five teams UTEP has beaten have a combined one win over a FBS team—and that’s New Mexico beating New Mexico State (No. 126 beating No. 130 in this poll). Still, UTEP is beating these teams, which isn’t something the Miners always have done in the past.
113. Kansas (1-4 / 113rd)
114. North Texas (1-4 / 114th)
115. Arizona (0-5 / 115th)
116. Vanderbilt (2-4 / 116th)
117. Texas State (2-3 / 119th)
118. Rice (2-3 / 118th)
119. South Alabama (3-2 / 109th)
120. Troy (3-3 / 122nd)
121. Akron (2-4 / 126th)
122. FIU (1-5 / 120th)
123. ULM (2-3 / 121st)
124. UNLV (0-5 / 124th)
125. Southern Miss (1-5 / 123rd)
126. New Mexico (2-4 / 125th)
127. Old Dominion (0-6 / 127th)
128. UMass (1-5 / 128th)
The buzz: The Minutemen snapped a 16-game losing streak by beating UConn. They get this week off to revel in the accomplishment.
129. UConn (0-7 / 128th)
The buzz: The Huskies have lost 11 in a row; they get what’s likely their last chance for a win this season when they play host to Yale on Saturday. Then again, UConn already has lost to one FCS team (Holy Cross) this season. By the way, Holy Cross beat Yale by three two weeks after the Crusaders beat UConn.
130. New Mexico State (1-6 / 130th)