College Football Rankings Week 6: B/R's Official Top 25
Just as there are many ways to skin a cat, there are quite a few things that can happen on the field to affect a college football team's ranking.
That can be seen in the Bleacher Report Top 25, which despite no losses among our top 12 teams from the previous week, there was still quite a bit of shuffling in the rankings based on the way those teams came about their victories. Additionally, losses by a few ranked teams either knocked them down the list, or all the way off it.
This week's Bleacher Report Top 25 was voted on by 19 members of Bleacher Report's college football team: writers Keith Arnold, Ben Axelrod, Phil Callihan, Michael Felder, Justin Ferguson, Andrew Hall, Kyle Kensing, David Kenyon, Ben Kercheval, Adam Kramer, Brian Leigh, Brian Pedersen, Barrett Sallee, Brad Shepard, Erin Sorensen, Marc Torrence and Greg Wallace, as well as editors Eric Bowman and Max Rausch.
Each voter submits his or her ballot based on observations made during the just-completed week's games. Teams receive 25 points for a first-place vote, all the way down to one point for being ranked 25th. And then the top 25 vote-getters are ranked in order of their point totals.
Check out Bleacher Report's Week 6 poll, then give us your thoughts in the comments section.
Others Receiving Votes
1 of 26
A year after losing a heartbreaker at home on a missed field goal in overtime, Missouri went from one Columbia to the other and avenged last season's loss to South Carolina. The Tigers' 21-20 comeback win over the Gamecocks wasn't enough to get them into the top 25, however, but it did result in South Carolina falling out of the rankings following their second loss of the season.
Though still not in the rankings, the four unbeaten-yet-unranked teams (Arizona, Georgia Tech, Marshall and TCU) are sitting on the edge, waiting for a chance to make the list.
- South Carolina (41)
- Missouri (33)
- TCU (29)
- Georgia Tech (8)
- Arizona (7)
- Marshall (7)
- North Carolina State (3)
- California (1)
- North Dakota State (1)
25. Arizona State Sun Devils
2 of 26
Week 5 result: Lost 62-27 vs. UCLA
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 at USC
Poll points: 44
Last week's ranking: 16th
The Sun Devils (3-1, 1-1 Pac-12) got run out of their own building on Thursday night, allowing the most points ever at home and most in any game since 1995.
Arizona State was without quarterback Taylor Kelly, who injured his foot in the previous game, but backup Mike Bercovici responded by throwing for 488 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted twice, though, one of which was returned 95 yards for a TD just before halftime.
ASU led 17-6 before falling apart, allowing UCLA to record five plays of 80 yards or more, including a 100-yard kickoff return.
24. Clemson Tigers
3 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 50-35 vs. North Carolina
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. North Carolina State
Poll points: 54
Last week's ranking: 24th
The Tigers (2-2, 1-1 ACC) put up huge numbers offensively in their first game with freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson as the starter, rolling past North Carolina to avoid an 0-2 start in conference play.
Watson threw for 435 yards and a school-record six touchdowns, two each to Germone Hopper and Mike Williams, completing 27 of 36 passes. Watson's play in relief of Cole Stoudt last week at Florida State nearly paced Clemson to an upset victory, earning him this start.
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23. Kansas State Wildcats
4 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 58-28 vs. UTEP
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. Texas Tech
Poll points: 56
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
The Wildcats (3-1) bounced back from last week's tough home loss to Auburn by dominating the Miners, jumping out to a 45-0 lead.
Kansas State got 209 passing yards and a touchdown from quarterback Jake Waters, who also ran for a TD, while Charles Jones ran for three scores.
K-State held UTEP to 260 yards, limiting Aaron Jones to 47 yards after he'd gained 549 in the Miners' first three games.
22. Oklahoma State Cowboys
5 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 45-35 vs. Texas Tech
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. Iowa State
Poll points: 71
Last week's ranking: 25th
The Cowboys (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) used a quick-strike offense and an opportunistic defense to win their conference opener, with quarterback Daxx Garman pacing the attack.
Garman threw for 370 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for a TD, piloting an offense that had five TD drives that lasted 69 seconds or less.
OK State's defense knocked Texas Tech quarterback Davis Webb out with a shoulder injury, and picked off three Red Raider passes.
21. Ohio State Buckeyes
6 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 50-28 vs. Cincinnati
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 at Maryland
Poll points: 84
Last week's ranking: 23rd
The Buckeyes (3-1) used a pair of big scoring bursts to get past Cincinnati, racking up 710 total yards and tying an FBS record with 45 first downs.
Ohio State trailed 7-0 after the opening possession but then scored the game's next 30 points. After the Bearcats got to within five points (33-28) midway through the third quarter, OSU finished the game on a 17-0 run.
Quarterback J.T. Barrett had 409 yards of total offense, completing 26 of 36 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 79 rushing yards. Ezekiel Elliott added 182 rushing yards and a TD, as the Buckeyes ran for 380 yards.
The 45 first downs ties the mark previously set by Texas Tech in a 2003 win over Iowa State.
20. East Carolina Pirates
7 of 26
Week 5 result: Bye
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. SMU
Poll points: 116
Last week's ranking: 22nd
The Pirates (3-1) are coming off a 70-41 win over North Carolina, and after the week off will open their first season of American Athletic Conference play against one of the worst teams in the country.
SMU is 0-4 and has been outscored 202-12, including a 56-0 loss at TCU on Saturday.
East Carolina could possibly top the output it had last time out, when it gained 789 yards. Quarterback Shane Carden threw for 438 yards and four touchdowns that game, and the senior has 1,469 yards and 11 TDs this season.
19. Nebraska Cornhuskers
8 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 45-14 vs. Illinois
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 at Michigan State
Poll points: 130
Last week's ranking: 21st
The Cornhuskers (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) rode the early running of Ameer Abdullah to an easy victory over the Fighting Illini to achieve their best start since 2010.
Abdullah ran for 208 yards and three touchdowns, with nearly all of that coming in the first half. All told Nebraska ran for 458 yards, compared to just 78 on the ground for Illinois.
Tommy Armstrong Jr. had 232 yards of total offense, including a 63-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Bell, who finished with five catches for 105 yards.
18. Wisconsin Badgers
9 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 27-10 vs. South Florida
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 at Northwestern
Poll points: 149
Last week's ranking: 20th
The Badgers (3-1) shook off a very sluggish first half to roll past the Bulls to wrap up nonconference play, with running back Melvin Gordon leading the second-half wake-up by rushing for two touchdowns in the first seven minutes of the third quarter.
Gordon finished with 181 yards on 32 carries, gaining 131 yards on 15 rushes in the second half to help turn a 3-3 tie into an easy victory.
Wisconsin held South Florida to 245 yards.
17. BYU Cougars
10 of 26
Week 5 result: Bye
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 3 vs. Utah State
Poll points: 157
Last week's ranking: 17th
The Cougars (4-0) are one of two unbeaten teams outside of the power conferences (along with Marshall). With several more nationally televised games, they have a great chance to slide into the first College Football Playoff's side bowls if they can remain perfect.
That means first knocking off rival Utah State, a team BYU has conquered in 13 of the past 14 meetings. It won by 17 at Utah State last season despite quarterback Taysom Hill rushing for only 14 yards with a 54.8 completion percentage on his passes.
This year Hill has thrown for 876 yards, run for 428 and accounted for 13 total touchdowns.
16. LSU Tigers
11 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 63-7 vs. New Mexico State
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 at Auburn
Poll points: 169
Last week's ranking: 19th
The Tigers (4-1, 0-1 SEC) rebounded from last week's loss to Mississippi State with a runaway victory, but not before turning to their young stars to shake off a sloppy start.
LSU led 14-0 after the first quarter but committed three turnovers, all by quarterback Anthony Jennings, who was pulled after losing a fumble and throwing two interceptions. Freshman Brandon Harris came in and led the Tigers to touchdowns on all seven of his series, completing 11 of 14 passes for 178 yards and three TDs.
"He gave us exactly what he needed," LSU coach Les Miles told SEC Network's Heather Mitts (h/t ESPN.com). "As long as he continues to improve and do the things that we ask him to do, he'll be able to contribute significantly."
Harris also ran for two scores, while freshman running back Leonard Fournette rushed for 122 yards and two TDs and freshman wide receiver Malachi Dupree had a 27-yard TD catch.
LSU held New Mexico State to 274 yards and forced four turnovers, with Kendell Beckwith returning an interception 29 yards for a TD.
15. USC Trojans
12 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 35-10 vs. Oregon State
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. Arizona State
Poll points: 171
Last week's ranking: 18th
The Trojans (3-1, 2-0 Pac-12) shook off the memories of their previous outing with a solid performance over the Beavers.
USC got 261 passing yards and two touchdowns from quarterback Cody Kessler, while Javorius Allen and Justin Davis both ran for scores. Allen finished with 115 yards on 20 carries, two weeks after being held to 31 yards in a 37-31 loss at Boston College.
The Trojans held Oregon State to 181 yards, with Beavers quarterback Sean Mannion limited to 123 yards and two interceptions. One of those was returned 31 yards for a touchdown by Su'a Cravens.
14. Stanford Cardinal
13 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 20-13 at Washington
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 at Notre Dame
Poll points: 231
Last week's ranking: 15th
The Cardinal (3-1, 1-1 Pac-12) won a defensive slugfest, getting the only points scored in the second half on a five-yard touchdown run by Kevin Hogan with 4:29 left.
Stanford led 10-0 but was limited by three turnovers, including a fumble scooped up by Washington's Shaq Thompson and returned 32 yards for a TD to tie the game at 13 late in the first half. The Cardinal held the Huskies to 179 yards of total offense, but its own inability to convert in the red zone kept the game in doubt for the entire second half.
Hogan threw for 178 yards and ran for 53 yards, accounting for both of Stanford's touchdowns.
13. Georgia Bulldogs
14 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 35-32 vs. Tennessee
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. Vanderbilt
Poll points: 240
Last week's ranking: 12th
The Bulldogs (3-1, 1-1 SEC) rallied from a 10-0 deficit, then used a late defensive touchdown to avoid a home loss and their first 0-2 start in conference play since 2010.
Todd Gurley carried Georgia with his intense running, finishing with 208 yards on 28 carries (more than he'd had in the previous two games combined) and two touchdowns. Gurley hurdled defenders and also had a hard-fought four-yard run on fourth down to seal the win in the final minutes.
Georgia couldn't put away Tennessee in the second half, but Josh Dawson gave it just enough cushion to withstand the Volunteers' push. Dawson had two fumble recoveries, the second in Tennessee's end zone with 4:27 left for a 35-25 lead.
Hutson Mason struggled, completing 16 of 25 passes for 147 yards and a TD but with two interceptions.
12. Ole Miss Rebels
15 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 24-3 vs. Memphis
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. Alabama
Poll points: 259
Last week's ranking: 10th
The Rebels (4-0, 1-0 SEC) avoided the look-ahead loss, with a highly anticipated matchup against Alabama on the horizon, scoring 17 fourth-quarter points to hold off the pesky Tigers.
Ole Miss went up 7-0 less than three minutes into the game on a 63-yard touchdown catch by Laquon Treadwell, but four Rebels turnovers kept the score at 7-3 entering the fourth quarter. Treadwell caught a second TD pass from Bo Wallace and Jaylen Walton ran in a TD to make the final margin more respectable.
Wallace threw for 250 yards but was intercepted twice. Ole Miss held Memphis to only 104 yards of offense, including just 23 rushing yards, and registered four sacks.
11. Mississippi State Bulldogs
16 of 26
Week 5 result: Bye
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. Texas A&M
Poll points: 264
Last week's ranking: 14th
The Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0 SEC) get a breather before a massive two-game stretch at home, first against A&M and then Auburn. If Mississippi State plays like it did last time out, at LSU, there could be a lot of cause for celebration in Starkville.
MSU has been doing it behind the dual talents of quarterback Dak Prescott, who has thrown for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 378 yards and three scores on the ground. His 335.5 yards per game ranks 13th in the country.
10. UCLA Bruins
17 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 62-27 at Arizona State
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. Utah
Poll points: 301
Last week's ranking: 11th
Any worries about Brett Hundley's health, or the focus and intensity of UCLA's team as a whole, were answered in spades on Thursday night.
Hundley returned from an injury to his left (non-throwing) elbow to gain 427 yards of total offense and five total touchdowns. He completed 18 of 23 passes for 355 yards and four TDs, including 80-yard TD throws to Jordan Payton and Eldridge Massington, while also rushing for 72 yards and a score.
"The performance Thursday night not only helped impress several of the NFL scouts in attendance, it also should put Hundley back in the Heisman race and serve as quite a springboard for a team that now looks like a strong favorite in the Pac-12 South," Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman wrote.
The Bruins (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) gained 580 yards and scored the most points by any opponent ever at Sun Devil Stadium, but to not give credit to UCLA's defense and special teams would be unfair. Particularly, to Ishmael Adams, who had both a 95-yard interception return TD right before halftime (that helped turn a 17-6 deficit into a 27-17 lead) as well as a 100-yard kickoff return score.
All told, UCLA had five plays of 80 or more yards.
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
18 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 31-15 vs. Syracuse (at East Rutherford, NJ)
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. Stanford
Poll points: 322
Last week's ranking: 8th
The Fighting Irish (4-0) got a record-setting performance from Everett Golson in winning their second-straight neutral-site game despite mistakes throughout.
Notre Dame committed five turnovers, including two interceptions by Golson, who nevertheless set a school record with 25 consecutive completions. For the game, Golson was 32-of-39 for 362 yards and four touchdowns. He came one straight completed pass short of tying the FBS record set by East Carolina's Dominique Davis in 2011.
William Fuller caught six balls for 119 yards and two second-quarter touchdowns, and Notre Dame held Syracuse to just 3-of-15 on third-down conversions.
8. Michigan State Spartans
19 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 56-14 vs. Wyoming
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. Nebraska
Poll points: 327
Last week's ranking: 9th
The Spartans (3-1) cruised to another easy nonconference win, jumping out to a 42-7 lead a week after obliterating Eastern Michigan 73-14.
Most of Michigan State's starters were done early, as quarterback Connor Cook threw for 126 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a TD in the first 17 minutes of play. MSU's three quarterbacks combined to complete 16 of 20 passes for 195 yards and three scores.
Jeremy Langford ran for 137 yards and a TD, and the Spartans defense forced three turnovers while holding Wyoming to 286 yards.
MSU's top players will be well-rested for their Big Ten opener, a huge one against West Division contender Nebraska.
7. Texas A&M Aggies
20 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 35-28 vs. Arkansas in OT (at Arlington, Texas)
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 at Mississippi State
Poll points: 367
Last week's ranking: 6th
The Aggies (5-0, 2-0 SEC) trailed by 14 points entering the fourth quarter, but a pair of long Kenny Hill touchdown passes forced overtime, then Texas A&M dominated the extra period.
Hill hit Malcome Kennedy for a 25-yard TD pass on the first play of OT, then A&M's defense stepped up to stuff Arkansas on 4th-and-1 to seal the victory and give the Aggies their best start since 2001.
Hill threw for 386 yards and four TDs, with Edward Pope hauling in four passes for 151 yards and two TDs.
A&M's defense was pushed around by Arkansas' big offensive line most of the game, but Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman noted that over the final six possessions the Razorbacks were held to zero points and only 92 yards.
6. Baylor Bears
21 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 49-28 at Iowa State
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 at Texas
Poll points: 370
Last week's ranking: 7th
The Bears (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) rolled to another high-scoring victory, jumping on Iowa State early and never looking back.
Baylor led 35-7 at halftime and finished with 601 yards, with quarterback Bryce Petty accounting for 383 yards and three total touchdowns. Petty threw for 336 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted for the first time, and he added 47 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.
Shock Linwood ran for three touchdowns, while Corey Coleman had 12 receptions for 154 yards.
5. Auburn Tigers
22 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 45-17 vs. Louisiana Tech
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. LSU
Poll points: 403
Last week's ranking: 5th
The Tigers (4-0, 1-0 SEC) breezed past Louisiana Tech behind 271 yards of total offense from quarterback Nick Marshall and 189 all-purpose yards from Quan Bray.
Auburn scored the game's first 24 points but only led 24-10 entering the fourth quarter before Bray scored twice in 63 seconds. After a 44-yard touchdown catch from Marshall, his second TD catch of the game, Bray returned a punt 76 yards for a score to make it 38-10.
Marshall threw three touchdown passes, while he ran for 105 of Auburn's 254 yards on the ground. Cameron Artis-Payne added 116 yards and a rushing TD.
4. Florida State Seminoles
23 of 26
Week 5 result: Won 56-41 at North Carolina State
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 vs. Wake Forest
Poll points: 424 (three first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: 2nd
The defending national champions overcame adversity for a second straight game, this time rallying from a 24-7 first-quarter deficit to earn their school-record 20th consecutive win.
The Seminoles (4-0, 2-0 ACC) didn't lead until late in the third quarter, when Jameis Winston hit Rashad Greene for a four-yard touchdown pass with 3:24 left for a 42-38 lead. A pair of Karlos Williams TD runs in the fourth quarter helped extend the lead, as Florida State outscored North Carolina State 28-3 over the final 20-plus minutes of play.
"In order to run the table again, Florida State needs to tighten things up because one of these days a sloppy performance like this will have a different outcome," wrote Yahoo Sports' Sam Cooper.
A week after missing the overtime win over Clemson because of a one-game suspension, Winston threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns on 26-of-38 passing, but he was intercepted twice. FSU had four turnovers.
Williams added 126 rushing yards and three TDs, and FSU converted eight of 11 third downs to help fuel its comeback.
3. Oklahoma Sooners
24 of 26
Week 5 result: Bye
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 at TCU
Poll points: 438 (five first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: 4th
The Sooners (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) will play their second straight road game after running past West Virginia a week ago. Oklahoma could have running back Keith Ford back from a leg injury, but if not, there will be plenty of good running to come from Samaje Perine and Alex Ross.
Perine had a monster performance last time out, rushing for 242 yards and four touchdowns. Overall, the run game is helping to make up for quarterback Trevor Knight having some struggles.
Oklahoma now faces a TCU defense that has allowed 21 points in three games.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
25 of 26
Week 5 result: Bye
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 4 at Ole Miss
Poll points: 446 (four first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: 3rd
The Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0 SEC) had a week off to prepare for what looks like a pretty daunting midseason gauntlet. After visiting Ole Miss, Alabama then goes to Arkansas before hosting Texas A&M. Following that are trips to Tennessee and LSU, then Mississippi State at home.
That stretch will give us a real sense of how good Blake Sims is at quarterback. He's coming off a 445-yard, four-touchdown performance against Florida, and has an overload of weapons to turn to in the form of wide receiver Amari Cooper and running backs T.J. Yeldon, Kenyan Drake and Derrick Henry.
Alabama is also allowing only 250.3 yards per game, which ranks fifth nationally.
1. Oregon Ducks
26 of 26
Week 5 result: Bye
Week 6 matchup: Oct. 2 vs. Arizona
Poll points: 454 (seven first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: 1st
The week off gave the Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) time to rest up their thin offensive line, which despite injuries and blocking issues is still getting the job done. Oregon leads the nation in yards per play, gaining 8.14 each time they snap the ball, which has enabled it to overcome slow starts in its last two games to Wyoming and Washington State.
Marcus Mariota is averaging 11.8 yards per pass attempt this season, which is second-best in FBS, and he's completed 74 percent of his throws for 13 touchdowns and no interceptions.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
