The scores and results from Week 6 have produced a shake-up in the top four of the college football rankings. There’s a new No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll and every spot in the top five has a new team as the voters start to scrutinize every result among the final undefeated teams in the country.
Georgia returns to the No. 1 spot after its 42-10 win against Auburn in the afternoon edition of the SEC on CBS doubleheader. That spot was previously occupied by Alabama, which dropped to No. 3 after its thrilling defensive stand secured a 24-20 win against unranked Texas A&M in the prime-time edition of SEC on CBS. Though the Crimson Tide dropped, it could also be read as getting passed by Ohio State for the No. 2 spot, as C.J. Stroud threw six touchdowns in a 49-20 road win against Michigan State.
The first-place votes among the big three break down with Georgia now represented by 32 first-place votes, Ohio State receiving 20 and Alabama still in the mix with 11 first-place votes.
Clemson also jumped ahead of Michigan for No. 4 after a 31-3 win at Boston College while Michigan was tied 10-10 at halftime before pulling away late at Indiana. Other moves inside the top 10 include a two-spot jump for Tennessee to No. 6 after its win at LSU and the resulting one-spot drop for USC and Oklahoma State because of the Vols moving up.
Elsewhere in the rankings the updated AP Top 25 has UCLA up seven spots, knocking on the door of the top 10 at No. 11, and Mississippi State also making a seven-spot leap to No. 16. The Bruins win also comes with a nine-spot drop for Utah to No. 20, while Kentucky was another team falling down in the poll following its loss to South Carolina. The Wildcats, now 4-2 overall, are nine spots lower than last week at No. 22.
The poll features some new arrivals with Texas, Illinois and James Madison cracking the top 25. It’s the first time the Fighting Illini have been ranked in the AP Top 25 since 2011 and it’s a historic ranking for JMU as well, cracking the top 25 in the program’s first-ever season of FBS play.
AP Top 25
- Georgia (32)
- Ohio State (20)
- Alabama (11)
- Clemson
- Michigan
- Tennessee
- USC
- Oklahoma State
- Ole Miss
- Penn State
- UCLA
- Oregon
- TCU
- Wake Forest
- NC State
- Mississippi State
- Kansas State
- Syracuse
- Kansas
- Utah
- Cincinnati
- Texas
- Kentucky
- Illinois
- James Madison
Also receiving votes: North Carolina 98, Baylor 91, BYU 61, Coastal Carolina 61, Notre Dame 58, Florida 56, Tulane 42, Purdue 34, Florida State 18, South Carolina 12, Washington State 10, Minnesota 5, LSU 4, Maryland 4, San Jose State 1