NCAA Football Rankings 2016: Analyzing Week 7 Polls and Top 25 College Standings

Another week of college football, another week of shake-ups in the Associated Press and Amway Coaches polls, as multiple Top 10 teams fell during a wild slate of games.

As a result, Houston, Miami and Tennessee are no longer ranked among the nation's elite after each lost in heartbreaking fashion. Meanwhile, several teams solidified themselves as serious national title contenders.

Take a look below at the two Week 7 polls, as well as analysis for some of the most notable teams in the rankings. Keep in mind that both polls were released on Monday, as Hurricane Matthew forced several games, most notably Georgia at South Carolina, to be moved to Sunday.

Navy likely destroyed Houston's quest to crash the College Football Playoff on Saturday, as the Cougars fell 46-40. Houston, which allowed a staggering 306 rushing yards, now sits outside of the Top 10 in both polls, and it looks like its once stifling run defense is to blame, per ESPN:

With Oklahoma failing to meet preseason expectations, even a win over Louisville on Nov. 17 would likely not be enough to bolster Houston's playoff resume. With fellow ranked small schools Boise State and Western Michigan, which entered both polls this week, also having weak remaining schedules, it appears the national championship will once again be a Power Five affair.

As for Miami and Tennessee, each still has a chance for a playoff berth. The Volunteers lost their first game on the road Saturday 45-38 to an elite Texas A&M team, but the SEC schedule gives them plenty of chances to get back into contention.

Tennessee hosts Alabama on Saturday, and the Volunteers have an easy SEC East schedule with Florida and Georgia already off the slate. Despite its drop in the rankings this week, Tennessee will be nearly impossible to keep out of the playoff should it take down the Crimson Tide and then win the SEC Championship Game.

Miami is in a similar situation, although it has fewer chances to enhance its resume compared to Tennessee. The Hurricanes host a solid North Carolina team on Saturday and then go on the road to face Virginia Tech. Winning both games would help repair Miami's reputation after its 20-19 loss to Florida State, and a possible date with Clemson in the ACC Championship Game gives the Hurricanes a shot at climbing back into the playoff picture.

At the top of the polls, numerous teams have established themselves as the cream of the crop in college football.

Alabama looks bound for the playoff again after a dominating 49-30 win over Arkansas in which it forced five turnovers and scored two defensive touchdowns. The team did allow 400 yards passing, though, so it needs to shore up its secondary with matchups against Tennessee and Texas A&M still on the schedule.

Clemson, the Crimson Tide's opponent in last season's national title game, also appears to be a solid bet for the playoff. The Tigers have a tough road game at Florida State on Oct. 29 and a challenge ahead in the conference championship game, but they have proved they can handle a difficult schedule, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Looking at that graphic, it is no wonder why the teams at the top of both polls reside in such positions. It appears there is a distinct upper echelon in college football this season, which includes most of the teams mentioned in the above tweet.

Michigan and Ohio State have separated themselves atop the Big Ten, which makes their matchup on Nov. 26 a likely de facto playoff game. In the Pac-12, Washington will need to win tough road games at Utah and Washington State, but it should be heavily favored for the rest of its schedule, giving the Huskies an excellent shot of also landing in the playoff.

There is still plenty of football left to be played, but the Week 7 polls indicate who the legitimate playoff contenders are moving forward. Come December, do not expect a ton of turnover in this group, as the teams at the top of the polls have proved to be elite.