Amway College Football Poll 2016: Complete Week 6 Rankings Released
One-handed interceptions. Late-game rallies. A game-winning Hail Mary.
College football just doesn't disappoint.
After a thrilling weekend of action, how did the Amway Coaches Poll change? Which teams rose and which fell? Who remains squarely in the hunt for a national championship?
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Below, we'll take a look at the coaches poll and the Bleacher Report rankings and break down a breathless Week 5 in college football.
Analysis
On a day of fantastic matchups, none was better than the thriller between Louisville and Clemson.
The Tigers roared out to a 28-10 lead at the half, only to watch as Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals scored 26 unanswered points to take a 36-28 lead in the fourth quarter. But Deshaun Watson had a comeback of his own in store for Louisville, leading Clemson on two touchdown drives to earn a crucial win in both the ACC and national picture.
Jackson and the Cardinals drove nearly the length of the field on their final possession, but Clemson stopped them a yard short on fourth down to seal the win.
“Clemson Tough—we’re built for games like this,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said after the close call, per Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports. “Those guys have got the heart of a champion, and they showed it tonight.”
Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino was obviously humming a different tune after the game.
“It’s a real tough loss,” he told Mandel. “We will come back, though, and we will be alright.”
Indeed, Louisville should still be considered alive in the hunt for a College Football Playoff spot. The Cardinals nearly went on the road and beat a talented Clemson side. If they win out—and that will include beating a potential Top Five team in Houston—it will be hard for the playoff committee to pass them over.
Certainly, with Jackson under center, it's hard to bet against Louisville. Even in a loss, he shined, as Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com noted:
"That's a great football team," Swinney added, per Mandel. "They've got some creatures over there. That quarterback is special."
Jackson remains in the Heisman conversation. It will be fascinating to see if Louisville can remain in the hunt for a national championship.
Elsewhere, Alabama and Ohio State continued to make strong cases they'll be playoff teams when the dust settles, with big wins this week. Houston remained undefeated with an easy win over Connecticut on Thursday night, while Washington impressed Friday, smoking Stanford.
Michigan, meanwhile, won a 14-7 defensive battle against Wisconsin that kept the Wolverines squarely in the playoff hunt. And Tennessee won a huge showdown against Georgia—in the most dramatic fashion possible—putting the Volunteers in the driver's seat in the SEC East.
Of course, winning the division may mean a date with Alabama in the SEC title game. Or perhaps a dangerous Texas A&M team. Tennessee has plenty of work left just to get that far, but the Volunteers have impressed, with wins over Florida and Georgia in consecutive weeks.
They'll face the aforementioned Texas A&M and Alabama in the next two weeks. We'll find out just how legitimate Tennessee is in those matchups.
Florida State and Michigan State were upset by North Carolina and Indiana, respectively, all but ending their national title hopes. Utah, San Diego State, TCU and Texas all lost as well, leaving the Top 25 in flux heading into Week 6.
Indeed, there may be more moving and shaking next week. Texas A&M vs. Tennessee will have major implications on the coaches poll, as will Alabama vs. Arkansas. Florida State, meanwhile, will try to right the ship in a tough matchup against Miami.
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