NCAA Football Rankings 2020: Predicting Top Movers in Week 7 Top 25 Standings

Saturday was a brutal day for the top college football programs in the state of Florida. 

The Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes suffered road defeats and are set to tumble down the Week 7 rankings. 

Florida had an opportunity to back up its strong start by beating the Texas A&M Aggies, but it failed to contain the offense led by Kellen Mond. 

Miami displayed that the gap between itself and the Clemson Tigers at the top of the ACC is still large. Manny Diaz's side struggled to limit the production of Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne in its first defeat of the 2020 campaign. 

The expected drops of Florida and Miami could lead to a handful of Big Ten teams that have not played yet moving up multiple positions.

Week 6's biggest winner may be the North Carolina Tar Heels, who could be on the edge of the Top Five entering Week 7. 

Predicting Biggest Movers in Week 7 Rankings

Florida

After Florida put up 89 points on Ole Miss and South Carolina, we thought the team could have enough firepower to test Alabama and Georgia this season. 

It turns out we got way ahead of ourselves when discussing the Gators' status among the SEC's two elite programs, as they failed to leave Kyle Field with a victory.

Florida's defense was gashed for 543 total yards and 41 points by a Texas A&M team that bounced back from a loss to Alabama.

Kyle Trask still had a productive afternoon in the pocket, but the Gators did not thrive as much as they would have liked on the ground. They managed 90 rushing yards, which was 115 fewer than the amount the Aggies put up. 

The drop of Dan Mullen's team from No. 4 in the AP Top 25 should allow Ohio State to move into the Top Five and for North Carolina to gain its highest ranking in the second Mack Brown era. 

Florida's landing spot will likely be at the back end of the Top 10. Oklahoma State and Cincinnati were off in Week 6, and voters could value an SEC team over the Big 12 and AAC programs for now. 

The good news for Florida is it can push itself back into the national spotlight if it beats LSU and Georgia in two of its next three games. 

Miami

The Hurricanes generated all sorts of buzz prior to the Clemson loss by totaling 99 points in ACC victories over Louisville and Florida State.

While Miami deserves credit for picking apart the defenses of the Cardinals and Seminoles, it may have been ranked too high based off where it stands in the ACC.

Clemson outgained Miami 550-210, and the Hurricanes managed a single offensive touchdown in four quarters. They had one special teams score off a blocked field goal before halftime. 

Just like Florida, Miami still has the potential to be a solid team in the second tier of the rankings when the season ends, but it is far from the echelon created by Alabama, Georgia and Clemson that could also feature Ohio State when it opens play in two weeks. 

Miami should repair its position in the Top 25 over the next few weeks if it rebounds properly against Pittsburgh, Virginia and NC State. 

If the Hurricanes win those matchups, they could set up potential Top 25 showdowns with Virginia Tech and North Carolina in November and December, respectively. 

For now, Miami could fall behind a few SEC programs and BYU, who will contend with Cincinnati for the title of best non-Power Five team.

North Carolina

North Carolina produced the second-highest point total of any Top 25 team in Week 6. 

The Tar Heels torched Virginia Tech's defense for 656 total yards and 56 points. Sam Howell put up 257 passing yards, while Michael Carter and Javonte Williams both eclipsed 150 rushing yards and found the end zone twice. 

The offensive outburst served as a statement for what the Tar Heels are capable of throughout the season. 

Considering the dominant nature of their Week 6 win and the losses suffered by Florida and Miami, North Carolina should move up two spots at minimum.

If certain voters want to reward programs that have played more than those waiting on the sidelines, the Tar Heels might be able to leap Ohio State on some ballots. 

As long as North Carolina avoids upsets against Florida State, NC State and Virginia to finish out October, it will be a fixture around the Top Five for a few weeks. 

North Carolina does not get to test itself against Clemson in the regular season, but it does have a two-week stretch against Notre Dame and Miami to close out ACC action that could serve as a measuring stick for the program.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.