College Football Rankings 2018: Reviewing NCAA Week 6 Standings Before Saturday
Thirteen college football teams enter Week 6 undefeated.
Of the 13, 12 of them reside in the AP Top 25, with No. 21 Colorado and No. 24 NC State being the latest unbeaten entrants ahead of Saturday's games.
The only program with an unblemished mark that isn't ranked is Cincinnati, who could move into the Top 25 with a win over Tulane and losses by teams at the bottom of the rankings.
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The group of unbeaten teams could drop below double digits since three Top 10 teams face ranked opposition, while three others face road tests.
AP Top 25
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)
Which Teams Will Be Left in Group of Undefeated Teams After Saturday?
Not all of the undefeated teams will lose in Week 6, and there's a chance all 13 could escape Saturday without a loss.
No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Ohio State should remain in that order of the Top 25 after games against weaker opponents Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Indiana, respectively.
No. 4 Clemson is likely to join the bunch with a road win over Wake Forest, but the trip to BB&T Field could be a trap game for the Tigers since a bye week and a clash with NC State await in the next two weeks.
No. 9 West Virginia has as close to a guaranteed win as you can get in college football with Kansas coming to Morgantown.
No. 12 UCF should move a step closer to contending for the College Football Playoff against a 2-3 SMU team whose two wins came against Navy and Houston Baptist.
The rest of the teams with zeroes in the loss column face difficult games, with No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 7 Oklahoma taking on the most difficult challenges.
LSU visits No. 22 Florida, Notre Dame heads south to face No. 24 Virginia Tech and the Sooners play in the Red River Showdown against No. 19 Texas.
Although all three teams have the talent to overpower their respective opponents, their foes will be hungry to earn a statement victory and boost their own status in the Top 25.
No. 13 Kentucky has been climbing the rankings at a rapid pace, and the Wildcats have an opportunity to once again prove their mettle in a difficult environment at Texas A&M.
Colorado and NC State have opportunities to justify their spots in the Top 25, as they face home challenges against Arizona State and Boston College, respectively, who were both ranked earlier this season.
If any of the teams in the bottom third of the Top 25 falter in Week 6, Cincinnati should become the newest entrant into the rankings with a home win over Tulane and a 6-0 record.
Big Ten Teams Poised For Moves Up The Top 25
September was far from an ideal month for the Big Ten.
After all the carnage caused by upsets, Ohio State is the only unbeaten team left in the Big Ten, but that's a good thing for the conference's College Football Playoff hopes at the moment.
On paper, Week 6 hands the Big Ten teams further down the rankings a chance to boost their respective stocks with home games against weaker opposition.
No. 15 Michigan, who has quietly rebounded from its Week 1 loss to Notre Dame, has conceded the fewest points of any team in the Big Ten East and has put up 40 or more points in three of its last four contests.
No. 16 Wisconsin, who suffered an unexpected set back against BYU three weeks ago, has plenty of life in the playoff race since the Big Ten West is significantly weaker than the Big Ten East.
The Badgers created some momentum for themselves against Iowa two weeks ago, and they have a chance to steamroll into their clash with Michigan next week by blowing out struggling Nebraska.
If they beat Michigan and Penn State in their crossover games, the Badgers have a chance to make the playoff by winning the Big Ten championship.
No. 20 Michigan State faces the steepest climb up the Top 25 at the moment, but since it resides in the Big Ten East, it has every opportunity to control its fate.
But before clashes with Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State pop up on the schedule, the Spartans need to take care of business at home against Northwestern, who has lost three straight games since a Week 1 win over Purdue.
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