NCAA Football Rankings 2018: Week 6 Polls, Top 25 Standings and Analysis
Ohio State and Notre Dame forced the latest shakeups in the AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll with their victories over Top 10 teams in Week 5.
Because of their respective victories over Penn State and Stanford, the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish moved up in both rankings when they were released Sunday.
On the other end of the Top 25, five teams moved into the AP poll, with undefeated Colorado earning the highest debut at No. 21, while the Buffaloes and NC State were the two new entrants into the coaches poll.
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With the calendar flipped over to October, the rankings will be dissected with more vigor in the coming weeks with the first College Football Playoff Top 25 looming at the end of the month.
Week 6 Polls
AP
1. Alabama (5-0)
2. Georgia (5-0)
3. Ohio State (5-0)
4. Clemson (5-0)
5. LSU (5-0)
6. Notre Dame (5-0)
7. Oklahoma (5-0)
8. Auburn (4-1)
9. West Virginia (4-0)
10. Washington (4-1)
11. Penn State (4-1)
12. UCF (4-0)
13. Kentucky (5-0)
14. Stanford (4-1)
15. Michigan (4-1)
16. Wisconsin (3-1)
17. Miami (4-1)
18. Oregon (4-1)
19. Texas (4-1)
20. Michigan State (3-1)
21. Colorado (4-0)
22. Florida (4-1)
23. NC State (4-0)
24. Virginia Tech (3-1)
25. Oklahoma State (4-1)
Amway Coaches
1. Alabama (5-0)
2. Georgia (5-0)
3. Ohio State (5-0)
4. Clemson (5-0)
5. Oklahoma (5-0)
6. LSU (5-0)
7. Notre Dame (5-0)
8. West Virginia (4-0)
9. Auburn (4-1)
10. Washington (4-1)
11. Penn State (4-1)
12. Wisconsin (3-1)
13. UCF (4-0)
14. Stanford (4-1)
15. Kentucky (5-0)
16. Michigan (4-1)
17. Miami (4-1)
18. Oregon (4-1)
19. Michigan State (3-1)
20. Texas (4-1)
21. Oklahoma State (4-1)
22. Colorado (4-0)
23. Virginia Tech (3-1)
24. Boise State (3-1)
25. NC State (4-0)
Ohio State Rewarded For Road Win Over Penn State
The Ohio State Buckeyes took an important step forward in the rankings Sunday as they leaped over the Clemson Tigers into the No. 3 position in both polls.
Urban Meyer's team came from behind to knock off Penn State Saturday night to earn its second victory over a quality opponent outside of Ohio in September.
The Buckeyes' Week 5 win over a Top 10 team combined with Clemson's close win over Syracuse made the decision easy for most voters, as the third-ranked team produced a more convincing performance.
The one-spot advancement is significant for the Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff discussion, which will pop up more throughout October.
With Indiana, Minnesota and Purdue on their October schedule, the Buckeyes are expected to be 8-0 going into the initial release of the playoff rankings.
The biggest threat to Ohio State's No. 3 ranking between now and October 30, when the first playoff rankings come out, is No. 5 LSU.
LSU has Florida and Georgia upcoming in back-to-back weeks, but the Tigers would do the Buckeyes a favor if they beat No. 2 Georgia in Week 7.
While it's never recommended to look too far ahead, the Buckeyes are in position to be the Big Ten's playoff representative at the moment.
West Virginia Leaps Into Top 10
The West Virginia Mountaineers were the biggest beneficiary from the losses by Penn State and Stanford in Week 5.
Dana Holgorsen and Co. jumped four spots to No. 8 in the Amway Coaches Poll and three positions to No. 9 in the AP Top 25 following their win over Texas Tech.
Saturday's 42-34 win in Lubbock, Texas, was the Mountaineers' first over a ranked foe, but they won't get a chance to record a second until November 3 against Texas.
The Mountaineers face one of the nation's toughest schedules in November, with Texas, TCU, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in line over four straight weeks.
The Mountaineers and their growing playoff chances will catch more national attention in the coming weeks, as they beat up on Kansas, Iowa State and Baylor.
In addition to gaining momentum in the playoff conversation throughout October, the Mountaineers are hoping quarterback Will Grier's Heisman Trophy credentials are discussed more.
In four games, Grier's thrown for 1,487 yards and 17 touchdowns while only being intercepted on three occasions.
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Statistics obtained from ESPN.com
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