NCAA Football Rankings 2018: Analyzing Week 7 Polls and Top 25 College Standings
Week 6 of the 2018 college football season is in the books, and Texas was the big winner in the latest AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches polls.
The Longhorns knocked off undefeated Oklahoma, which was joined by Auburn and LSU among notable teams that saw their title hopes take a major hit on Saturday.
We're still a few weeks away from the first College Football Playoff Top 25 release, so for now, let's take a closer look at the latest polls.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Week 7 Polls
AP
1. Alabama (6-0)
2. Georgia (6-0)
3. Ohio State (6-0)
4. Clemson (6-0)
5. Notre Dame (6-0)
6. West Virginia (5-0)
7. Washington (5-1)
8. Penn State (4-1)
9. Texas (5-1)
10. UCF (5-0)
11. Oklahoma (5-1)
12. Michigan (5-1)
13. LSU (5-1)
14. Florida (5-1)
15. Wisconsin (4-1)
16. Miami (5-1)
17. Oregon (4-1)
18. Kentucky (5-1)
19. Colorado (5-0)
20. NC State (5-0)
21. Auburn (4-2)
22. Texas A&M (4-2)
23. South Florida (5-0)
24. Mississippi State (4-2)
25. Cincinnati (5-0)
Amway Coaches
1. Alabama (6-0)
2. Georgia (6-0)
3. Ohio State (6-0)
4. Clemson (6-0)
5. Notre Dame (6-0)
6. West Virginia (5-0)
7. Washington (5-1)
8. Penn State (4-1)
9. UCF (5-0)
10. Wisconsin (4-1)
11. Oklahoma (5-1)
12. LSU (5-1)
13. Michigan (5-1)
14. Texas (5-1)
15. Miami (5-1)
16. Florida (5-1)
17. Oregon (4-1)
18. Colorado (5-0)
19. NC State (5-0)
20. Kentucky (5-1)
21. Auburn (4-2)
22. Texas A&M (4-2)
23. South Florida (5-0)
24. Stanford (4-2)
25. Cincinnati (5-0)
Huge Win for Texas, Not the End of the Line for Oklahoma
A thrilling 48-45 victory over Oklahoma vaulted Texas into the No. 9 spot in this week's AP poll, up from No. 19 last week.
Sam Ehlinger had a big day through the air and on the ground, throwing for 314 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 72 yards rushing and three more touchdowns.
The Longhorns have won five straight since suffering a shocking 34-29 loss to Maryland to start the season, and they join West Virginia at the top of the heap among Big 12 teams.
Those two will meet on Nov. 3 in Austin, Texas, for what is shaping up to be one of the biggest games of the season.
As for Oklahoma, it slipped to No. 11 in the AP poll but still has just one loss on the season.
With six undefeated teams perched atop the rankings, the Sooners no longer control their own destiny, but it's not out of the realm of possibility to think they could still climb back into the playoff picture.
Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops was fired following Saturday's loss.
According to Chris Low and Jake Trotter of ESPN.com, the 48 points allowed this past weekend were the most ever scored against Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown.
"I'm extremely disappointed in my ability to get this team to play at a higher level. It takes everybody pulling the same way," Stoops told reporters. "Certainly, I take a lot of that responsibility. That's for sure."
After a bye week, the Sooners will head to Fort Worth to take on TCU on Oct. 20.
SEC Powerhouses Fall
While Oklahoma is still alive in the hunt for a spot in the postseason, Auburn watched its title hopes disappear over the weekend.
A 23-9 loss to Mississippi State on Saturday was the Tigers' second loss of the season, and it sent them plummeting from No. 8 to No. 21 in the AP poll.
Mississippi State dominated the time of possession (41:53 to 18:07) on Saturday while rushing for 349 yards on 57 carries.
"We're kind of bummed out as a defense because that's not our standard," senior linebacker Deshaun Davis told reporters. "No one's supposed to rush for that many yards on us."
Auburn also lost to LSU by one point earlier this season, but it was still regarded among the best one-loss teams in the country prior to picking up loss No. 2.
Speaking of LSU, it too suffered a tough loss on Saturday, falling 27-19 to Florida on the road.
That dropped the Tigers from No. 5 to No. 13 in the AP poll, and they now join a crowded field of one-loss teams hoping things break their way.
The SEC now stacks up as follows in the AP poll: Alabama (1), Georgia (2), LSU (13), Florida (14), Kentucky (18), Auburn (21), Texas A&M (22) and Mississippi State (24).
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
