College Football Rankings 2014: Latest Standings and Predictions for Week 6
The college football rankings won't look the same following a crazy Week 6 schedule that features six matchups of ranked teams.
Looking back on Week 5, there were a few results that shook up the standings. South Carolina dropped a game to Missouri, Stanford just edged Washington and Texas A&M needed overtime to defeat Arkansas. Expect action that's even more compelling in Week 6.
Anything can happen in football, so counting on the higher-ranked team isn't exactly a foolproof method of success. You'll have to analyze the matchups to predict the winners.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Below, you'll find predictions for a few notable matchups on the schedule as well as the updated standings heading into Week 6.
| 1 | Alabama | 1 | Florida State | |
| 2 | Florida State | 2 | Oregon | |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 3 | Alabama | |
| 4 | Oregon | 4 | Oklahoma | |
| 5 | Auburn | 5 | Auburn | |
| 6 | Baylor | 6 | Texas A&M | |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 7 | Baylor | |
| 8 | Notre Dame | 8 | UCLA | |
| 9 | UCLA | 9 | Notre Dame | |
| 10 | Michigan State | 10 | Michigan State | |
| 11 | Ole Miss | 11 | Ole Miss | |
| 12 | Georgia | 12 | Mississippi State | |
| 13 | Stanford | 13 | Georgia | |
| 14 | Mississippi State | 14 | Stanford | |
| 15 | LSU | 15 | LSU | |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 16 | USC | |
| 17 | Nebraska | 17 | Wisconsin | |
| 18 | Ohio State | 18 | BYU | |
| 19 | BYU | 19 | Nebraska | |
| 20 | USC | 20 | Ohio State | |
| 21 | East Carolina | 21 | Oklahoma State | |
| 22 | Kansas State | 22 | East Carolina | |
| 23 | Oklahoma State | 23 | Kansas State | |
| 24 | Arizona State | 24 | Missouri | |
| 25 | TCU | 25 | TCU |
| Arizona State | USC | Arizona State, 28-20 |
| Stanford | Notre Dame | Notre Dame, 32-24 |
| Alabama | Ole Miss | Alabama, 31-20 |
| Nebraska | Michigan State | Michigan State, 34-17 |
Arizona at Oregon
While not a matchup against ranked teams, Arizona and Oregon will be an exciting affair. The Wildcats and Ducks are both 4-0. That said, Oregon's competition has obviously been much stronger.
Marcus Mariota, a favorite for the Heisman Trophy, has been stellar on the year. He has already racked up 13 touchdowns and 1,135 yards through the air. Throw in the 214 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and Mariota has truly been one of the most dynamic weapons in the game.
Of course, he's had some help. Royce Freeman, Devon Allen and Byron Marshall have been strong supporting characters in Oregon's impressive start.
The Wildcats have a potent offense as well, so this game could definitely become a shootout by the second half. Quarterback Anu Solomon has 13 touchdowns and 1,454 yards through the air to go with 167 yards rushing.
Nick Wilson is a dynamic rusher, totaling four touchdowns and 482 yards thus far. It will be the combined efforts of Solomon and Wilson that determine if the Wildcats can keep up with the Ducks.
While both teams are 4-0, the strength of schedule tells us that Oregon has played far better teams. Arizona has wins over UNLV, UTSA, Nevada and California—a far cry from South Dakota, Michigan State, Wyoming and Washington State.
The Ducks will be 5-0 following next Saturday.
Prediction: Oregon, 42-28
Texas A&M at Mississippi State
Ready for the game of the week?
The Aggies are 5-0 after an overtime victory against the Razorbacks, and Kenny Hill has looked superb to start the season. He's attacking defenses through the air and capitalizing on space in the middle with his feet.
This team is arguably better than last year's group led by Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans, and that really says something. The Aggies are definitely a contender for one of the four playoff spots when the season comes to a close.
The Bulldogs enter Week 6 after a bye week. They defeated lackluster opponents through the first three weeks but took down LSU in impressive fashion in Week 4. Don't sleep on this Bulldogs team against A&M.
Dak Prescott and Josh Robinson lead the offense on the ground, and it will be their ability to keep the chains moving that makes the A&M defense tired. By keeping the Aggies offense off the field, the Bulldogs have a chance.
That has proven hard to do, however. The predicted result could easily flip-flop, but it's hard to go against the grain.
Prediction: Texas A&M, 34-29
Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @KennyDeJohn_BR
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
