College Football Rankings 2016: Reviewing NCAA Week 6 Standings Before Saturday
No. 3 Clemson and No. 19 Boise State held steady with wins over Boston College and New Mexico, respectively, on Friday night, ensuring that they will spend at least another week with their lofty rankings.
Most of the rest of the Top 25 teams in the country are in action on Saturday, with a few teams taking much-needed midseason breaks before getting into the grind of rivalry matchups and conference contests.
One game involving a Top 25 team is no longer on the docket due to Hurricane Matthew. LSU was set to play at No. 18 Florida in Gainesville on Saturday, but that game is officially postponed, not canceled, although rescheduling it could prove difficult for a number of reasons.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Before another Saturday has a chance to upend the current power structure in college football, here's a look at the Associated Press and Amway Coaches Top 25 polls for Week 6, with matchup info included for the AP teams.
All text references to rankings will use the teams' respective standings in the AP poll.
| 1 | Alabama (53) | 5-0 | 1,514 | at No. 16 Arkansas |
| 2 | Ohio State (6) | 4-0 | 1,451 | vs. Indiana |
| 3 | Clemson | 6-0* | 1,403 | W, 56-10 Boston College |
| 4 | Michigan (1) | 5-0 | 1,334 | at Rutgers |
| 5 | Washington | 5-0 | 1,234 | at Oregon |
| 6 | Houston | 5-0 | 1,233 | at Navy |
| 7 | Louisville | 4-1 | 1,160 | N/A |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 5-0 | 1,113 | vs. No 9 Tennessee |
| 9 | Tennessee | 5-0 | 1,045 | at No. 8 Texas A&M |
| 10 | Miami (FL) | 4-0 | 909 | vs. No. 23 Florida State |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 4-1 | 882 | N/A |
| 12 | Nebraska | 5-0 | 821 | N/A |
| 13 | Baylor | 5-0 | 805 | N/A |
| 14 | Ole Miss | 3-2 | 712 | N/A |
| 15 | Stanford | 3-1 | 711 | vs. Washington State |
| 16 | Arkansas | 4-1 | 528 | vs. No. 1 Alabama |
| 17 | North Carolina | 4-1 | 497 | vs. No. 25 Virginia Tech |
| 18 | Florida | 4-1 | 391 | vs. LSU, Postponed |
| 19 | Boise State | 5-0* | 385 | W, 49-21 New Mexico |
| 20 | Oklahoma | 2-2 | 324 | vs. Texas |
| 21 | Colorado | 4-1 | 276 | at USC |
| 22 | West Virginia | 4-0 | 240 | N/A |
| 23 | Florida State | 3-2 | 230 | at No. 10 Miami (FL) |
| 24 | Utah | 4-1 | 86 | vs. Arizona |
| 25 | Virginia Tech | 3-1 | 85 | at No. 17 North Carolina |
It's a gut-check week in college football, with four matchups between ranked teams on Saturday.
No. 1 Alabama has back-to-back weeks of tough SEC road tests, with No. 16 Arkansas slated for Saturday and a trip to No. 9 Tennessee set for Week 7, to say nothing of a home game against No. 8 Texas A&M the following week (maybe it's more of a gut-check month for Alabama).
The Crimson Tide has mostly looked invincible this season, save for a 48-43 thriller against Ole Miss in its third game of the season.
The Razorbacks are coming off a 52-10 win over Alcorn State, a nice bounce-back after suffering a 21-point loss to Texas A&M the week before. Arkansas, often predicated on the run, has more of a balanced offense this year thanks to quarterback Austin Allen (12 touchdowns, two interceptions) and running back Rawleigh Williams, who is averaging over 100 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry on the season.
Although Ole Miss had success spreading out Alabama's defense and throwing the ball around, ESPN.com's Greg Ostendorf believes Arkansas should stick to what it knows on Saturday:
"That means Arkansas isn’t likely to throw it 40 times on Saturday. Instead, the Razorbacks will try to establish the run early. If they can get that going, then it will open up the passing game and allow quarterback Austin Allen to make some plays through the air.
Allen might not be Kelly in terms of ability or sheer numbers, but he’s a competitor. And that’s what you need when you go to battle against the Tide.
"
Of course, Alabama is capable of snuffing out even the hardiest offensive attacks with its wealth of talent at every level of the defense. The offense is no slouch either. True freshman QB Jalen Hurts is playing beyond his years, and though the rushing attack isn't quite as imperious as in years past, 'Bama still ranks 26th in the nation at 231.6 yards per game.
While Tennessee awaits the juggernaut that is Alabama, they certainly can't look past this week's matchup against No. 8 Texas A&M. Both teams are undefeated at 5-0, though the Volunteers have had to pull off great escapes in several contests already this year to keep an unblemished record.
The latest such late-game marvel was a 43-yard desperation heave from quarterback Joshua Dobbs to wide receiver Jauan Jennings as time expired to beat Georgia 34-31 in Week 5.
Tennessee could find it tough to conjure up points if they get behind against the Aggies, as Texas A&M is allowing a measly 15.4 points per game this year. The Aggies also boast a high-powered rushing attack featuring the twin engines of running back Trayveon Williams (487 yards, 9.0 yards per carry) and quarterback Trevor Knight (392 yards, six rushing touchdowns).
If Texas A&M's defense can hold up its end of the bargain and ensure the team gets an early lead, the Aggies offense is well-equipped to bleed out the clock, which has been Tennessee's best friend this season.
While a couple of Florida-based matchups were canceled due to Hurricane Matthew, the show between No. 23 Florida State against No. 10 Miami is set to go on Saturday.
The Seminoles have already suffered losses to No. 7 Louisville and No. 17 North Carolina this season, so their place in the AP Top 25 is precarious. Another loss, even to a team as good as Miami, should send them tumbling out of the rankings, so expect a fight to the finish in this rivalry battle.
One point of weakness for the Hurricanes could be their linebacking corps, which sports three freshman starters. Miami head coach Mark Richt is aware these players haven't yet been exposed to the intensity of a vicious college football rivalry game.
"The [freshmen] have not been through certain types of games that they're about to go through," Richt said, per ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel. "They might hear it and visualize what it might be like, but until you live through it, it's a different animal."
The fourth and final Top 25 matchup in Week 6 is between No. 25 Virginia Tech, new to the AP rankings this season, and No. 17 North Carolina.
The Tar Heels began the season with a loss to Georgia but have since won four straight, including last week's 37-35 squeaker against Florida State. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky has been excellent this year, throwing for 1,711 yards and 13 touchdowns without an interception.
Senior wideout Ryan Switzer is his favorite target, as he racks up plenty of yardage for Trubisky by doing the hard work on his own, per ESPN's David Hale:
His last two games have been something else, per the Charlotte Observer's Andrew Carter:
Virginia Tech should prove to be a significant test for North Carolina's offense. The Hokies rank 24th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 18.8 points per game. Even better, they are eighth in passing-efficiency defense, picking off five passes while allowing just five passing touchdowns.
The Hokies' competition outside of Tennessee hasn't been particularly impressive this season, but their three wins against Liberty, Boston College and Eastern Carolina have all been blowouts.
Virginia Tech has won its last three meetings with the Tar Heels, but things could very well turn out different this year. Should North Carolina get the win, Virginia Tech's time in the Top 25 is set to be very short-lived.
All stats courtesy of NCAA.com.
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