After each week of the college football season, a fresh set of rankings drop, highlighting the Top 25 teams in the nation. There are two major polls used in the college football, the AP Poll voted on by members of the media, and the Coaches Poll voted on by, well you can probably figure that one out. In October, the College Football Playoff rankings join the other two and take over as the base rankings for the rest of the season.
Conference play is starting to heat up which means we will see more and more movement in the rankings as more Top 25 matchups appear on the schedule. In Week 6, both Alabama and Clemson were on byes keeping the top two sides in place for at least one more week. Further down the rankings though, teams shuffled around after Saturday’s results.
AP Poll
Dropped from rankings: Washington 15, UCF 18, Oklahoma State 21, Michigan State 25
Others receiving votes: Minnesota 80, Missouri 64, Appalachian State 61, Washington 54, Tulane 25, California 20, Michigan State 17, Arizona 11, UCF 9, USC 5, Iowa State 5, Pittsburgh 2
Ohio State defeated a ranked Michigan State team at home, helping them garner a few more first place votes and enough to send them into a tie with Georgia for the No. 3 spot. Florida jumped up to No. 7 with a big time victory over SEC rival Auburn, and Penn State slides into the Top 10 for the first time this season.
With the loss to Florida, Auburn tumbles out of the Top 10, down to No. 12 and faces an uphill battle should they hope to make the College Football Playoffs. Michigan and Iowa both saw three spots of movement after the Wolverines slugged their way to a 10-3 victory over the Hawkeyes in Ann Arbor.
Washington, Central Florida, Oklahoma State, and Michigan State all tumbled from the rankings while Baylor, Memphis, and Cincinnati all hopped into the Top 25.
Sitting at No. 14 and No. 21 respectively, Boise State and Southern Methodist are the highest ranked Group of Five teams, positioning themselves for a shot at a New Year’s Six bowl game.
For a closer look on how media members voted individually, check the image below.
Coaches Poll
Dropped from rankings: Washington 16, UCF 19, Michigan State 23, Oklahoma State 25
Others receiving votes: Cincinnati 74, Washington 72, Appalachian State 49, Michigan State 41, Tulane 36, California 17, Hawai’i 13, Arizona 13, UCF 11, Washington State 9, Navy 8, TCU 5, Mississippi State 3, San Diego State 2, Army 1, Temple 1
Ohio State accumulated enough points to jump over Oklahoma on the Coaches side, making the Top 4 the same in both the AP and Coaches polls. Florida, Wisconsin, and Penn State all improve their positioning with wins.
Like the AP Poll, Auburn sits at the No. 12 spot after a their setback against Florida on Saturday. Iowa joined Auburn in sliding down the standings after falling to Michigan, a result which saw the Wolverines continue their climb back up the rankings.
Like the AP Poll, Washington, Central Florida, Michigan State, and Oklahoma State all fell from the rankings following losses. Replacing them are South Methodist, Baylor, Arizona State, and Minnesota.
Top 25 Schedule: Week 7
Let’s take a quick peek at who the Top 25 teams will be playing in Week 7
There are four ranked matchups on the docket for Week 7, and a few other games you should keep an eye on. Alabama will play its first game as the No. 1 ranked team this season when they take on No. 24 Texas A&M in College Station.
Coming off their big win over Auburn, No. 7 Florida travels to Death Valley to meet up with No. 5 Louisiana State in what could be a playoff elimination game. It will be interesting to see what the Gators have left in the tank to take on a proven Tigers team on the road.
It’s Red River Rivalry week where No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 11 Texas go head-to-head at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Oklahoma has looked unstoppable through five games and the Longhorns cannot afford another loss if they hope to make the College Football Playoff.
Penn State heads on the road for their first real test of the season against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Kinnick Stadium has not always been kind to the Nittany Lions, so expect a tough road test coming for the No. 10 side in primetime.
Some other non-ranked matchups to keep an eye on that could change the landscape of the college football season. A rivalry showdown between No. 9 Notre Dame and Southern California does not carry its usual luster, but the Trojans have upset two ranked sides already this season and will be playing for pride against the Irish.
In the Mountain West, current Group of Five leader Boise State looks to keep their New Year’s Six hopes on track when they host a talented Hawaii side on the famous blue turf in the Idaho capital.
Each and every week throughout the college football season we will be checking in with the latest rankings and Top 25 schedule so make sure you are checking back to keep up to date on the latest from the college football world.
The Bat Flip 