College Football Week 6 Rankings: The Top 10 Title Contenders

It’s now Week 6 of the college football season and we’ve yet to see a big, ground-shaking upset rattle the rankings.

Sure, there's been plenty of movement throughout the polls and there are different teams heading in different directions,  but the three teams that many felt would be standing on top of the food chain at this point in the season are doing just that.

No matter how you want to rank them, Alabama, LSU and Oklahoma are college football’s three clear-cut superpowers right now, but after last night, it seems like we have to add a fourth school to the mix.

Wisconsin.

The Badgers beat down Nebraska in their first conference game of the season and the Russell Wilson-led offense looked about as unstoppable as any other we’ve seen so far this year.

Wilson has the talent to end up sitting in New York City in December and the Badgers have the formula to make it to New Orleans in January.

Who else has that formula?

Here’s a look at college football’s Top 10 title contenders.

1. Wisconsin Badgers

The most dangerous quarterback in college football?

Check.

The most powerful 1-2 rushing punch?

Check.

Two of the most underrated receivers in the country and the biggest, strongest and scariest offensive line in college football?

Double check.

Yes, Wisconsin has the offensive recipe to roll through the Big Ten this year, and the Badgers demonstrated that by throttling Nebraska under the lights at Camp Randall Stadium last night.

QB Russell Wilson is an even bigger star now than when he was at North Carolina State, and with his performance on Saturday, he’s put himself right in the thick of the Heisman race.

His backfield mate, RB Montee Ball, isn’t too far behind.

Ball is on pace to rush for 31 TDs this season.

The defense is still a work in progress, but the talent and experience is there for the unit to stay steady and consistent all year long.

If coach Bret Bielema can prove he can win big road games against the likes of Michigan State, Ohio State and Illinois, the Badgers have a great shot to run the table and end up in New Orleans.

2. LSU Tigers

Is it too early to start putting Odell Beckham in the conversation for the title of best wide receiver in college football?

LSU has the most powerful defense in the country, led by Tyrann Mathieu, possibly the best cornerback we’ve seen in college football since Charles Woodson, DT Michael Brockers, who is shaping up to be the next Nick Fairley and CB Mo Claiborne, a future top 15 pick.

We’ll have to see how the Jarrett Lee-Jordan Jefferson quarterback dynamic plays out. That’s without a doubt the most important factor.

If coach Les Miles can balance Lee and Jefferson just right, not even Alabama will be able to beat this team this season.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama has a great shot to beat everyone else, though.

The top-ranked Tide defense is loaded with future pros, including big names like LB Courtney Upshaw and CB Dre Kirkpatrick.

The Swamp didn’t shake the Gators and it doesn’t seem as if A.J. McCarron is the type of quarterback who gets rattled easily.

Get ready for the Nov. 5 battle with LSU. It’s going to be a great show.

4. Oklahoma State Cowboys

I love the Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles passing combination.

But I love the Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon one just a little bit more.

Even without Dana Holgorsen calling the shots, Oklahoma State’s passing offense is still off the charts.

The Cowboys rank second in the country in passing, averaging 415 yards through the air per game.

Both Weeden and Blackmon have to be in the Heisman discussion, and if Oklahoma State takes down it’s in-state brother, the Cowboys have a great shot to go undefeated this season, just as long as the defense doesn’t cave in.

5. Clemson Tigers

Prepare to start hearing Clemson fans brag about how Tajh Boyd is this year’s Cam Newton.

We don’t really have any room to complain, though, because it just might be true.

The stat line doesn’t lie: 159 passer rating, 61 percent completion percentage, 14 TDs to only two INTs.

The most important numbers, though, are Boyd's three straight victories over ranked opponents.

Virginia Tech is the latest ranked victim to feel the wrath of the Tigers, joining Florida State and Auburn.

It doesn’t seem fair to surround Boyd with three of the most athletic players at their respective positions: RB Andre Ellington, WR Sammy Watkins and TE Dwayne Allen.

Heisman voters should be fine with it, though.

6. Oklahoma Sooners

I know everyone got really excited about Oklahoma’s big statement win at Florida State, but is the rest of the Sooners’ schedule really all that impressive?

Tulsa?

Missouri?

Ball State?

Any time you have the opportunity to schedule a must-see matchup with Ball State, you got to do it, right?

QB Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles are great and all, but I’d be pretty concerned about the fact that the Sooners rank 41st in the country in total defense.

The Sooners are already giving up an average of 219 passing yards per game and they haven’t even seen the likes of Texas A&M, Texas and Oklahoma State yet.

7. Oregon Ducks

News Flash: Oregon is still fast.

The Ducks have one of the most explosive backfield duos in the country with running backs LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner, and quarterback Darron Thomas has matured into a top-notch passer and developed into a true Heisman-caliber playmaker.

Should we trust this Oregon team, though?

Even with star cornerback Cliff Harris back, the Ducks still only rank 77th in the country in total defense.

Chip Kelly has the offensive firepower at his disposal to light up the scoreboard on a weekly basis, but it will likely come down to whether or not the Ducks can get it done on Nov. 12 against Stanford.

8. Boise State Broncos

Did Boise Sate just kiss its national title hopes goodbye with TCU’s loss to SMU yesterday?

The Broncos needed TCU to be as highly ranked as possible when the two meet later in the season.

Boise looked sluggish in a 30-10 effort against Nevada, the team that crushed their BCS hopes in 2010.

QB Kellen Moore certainly didn’t play like a Heisman contender, throwing for just 142 yards with two interceptions.

Moore is about to become college football’s all-time win leader, but sadly, the Broncos are going to be back page news until their big matchup with TCU in November.

9. Stanford Cardinal

College football cover-boy Andrew Luck has handled the heat of the spotlight very well so far, throwing for over 1,000 yards and 11 TDs as the Cardinal have overpowered each of their first four opponents.

New head coach David Shaw is learning what his team’s strengths and weaknesses are, and at this point in the season, it does’t there aren't too many of the latter.

With Luck under center, this team has what it take to win every remaining game on their schedule but a North title is far from a guarantee.

10. Baylor Bears

Sorry Andrew Luck enthusiasts.

Baylor QB Robert Griffin III is the best player in college football.

Without question, hands down, bar none and whatever other exclamation you can come up with to follow that statement.  

Griffin torched his fourth defense of the season last Saturday but he threw a devastating interception late in the game that put Kansas State in prime position to kick a winning field goal.

One mistake doesn’t overshadow an entire month’s worth of dominance, though.

If Baylor’s defense can patch up a few holes, the RG3-Kendall Wright combo can outrun any team in the Big 12.

The Fringe

Illinois Fighting Illini

Arkansas Razorbacks

Texas Longhorns

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Michigan Wolverines

Virginia Tech Hokies

Arizona State Sun Devils

Florida State Seminoles

West Virginia Mountaineers

Auburn Tigers

Nebraska Cornhuskers