Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

College Football Rankings: B/R's Top 25 After Week 6

Joel Reuter

Here comes Florida.

It wasn't the prettiest game, but the No. 10 Gators came away with a huge win against No. 7 Auburn in Saturday's biggest matchup, shaking up the SEC hierarchy in the process.

Wisconsin and Notre Dame flexed their muscles in shutouts against lesser opponents, LSU impressed once again with 42 points and 601 total yards of offense, and No. 19 Michigan ground out a 10-3 win against No. 14 Iowa. Meanwhile, UCF and Oklahoma State both suffered their second loss of the season.

All of that and plenty more had an impact on this week's rankings.

Bleacher Report's panel of experts—Matt Hayes, David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Kerry Miller, Joel Reuter and Ian Wharton—each submitted a ballot. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, followed by 24 points for second, 23 for third, etc.

B/R Week 6 Top 25

1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Ohio State
4. Clemson
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. Florida
8. Wisconsin
9. Notre Dame
10. Penn State
11. Auburn
12. Texas
13. Oregon
14. Michigan
15. Boise State
16. Utah
17. Baylor
18. Wake Forest
19. SMU
20. Memphis
21. Arizona State
22. Iowa
23. Appalachian State
T-24. Cincinnati
T-24. Minnesota

Others receiving votes: Missouri, Texas A&M, Cal

Who's Hot: Florida in a Statement Win

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask James Gilbert/Getty Images

The Auburn Tigers occupied the "Who's Hot" section of this article last week after a convincing 56-23 win over Mississippi State moved them to 5-0 on the season.

It's only fitting that the team who handed them their first loss would assume the mantle.

In what can only be described as a statement win, the Florida Gators welcomed the Tigers into Gainesville and put together a commanding performance in a 24-13 victory.

Gators quarterback Kyle Trask played through a "light MCL sprain" that he suffered in the second quarter to finish with 234 passing yards and two touchdowns. Lamical Perine rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown, while Freddie Swain paced the receiving corps with six catches for 146 yards and a score.

It wasn't the cleanest game, with both teams turning the ball over four times apiece, but the Gators finished with an impressive 398-269 advantage in total yards, and the Florida defense held Auburn scoreless after the break.

A good game from Trask against a quality opponent means a lot as he continues in place of the injured Feleipe Franks, and the Gators now belong squarely in the category of teams that could shake up the College Football Playoff picture.

Who's Not: Two-Loss Oklahoma State

Brad Tollefson/Associated Press

After playing Texas tough on the road in Week 4 and then picking up a solid home win against Kansas State in Week 5, Oklahoma State was up to the No. 23 spot in B/R's rankings a week ago.

However, a 45-35 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday sent the Cowboys quickly tumbling back out of the rankings.

The Red Raiders scored 20 unanswered points to open the game, and Oklahoma State simply never had an answer.

Quarterback Spencer Sanders threw three picks, and the Cowboys turned the ball over five times total while forcing zero on the defensive side of things.

Meanwhile, Texas Tech signal-caller Jett Duffey fired off 424 passing yards and four touchdowns, completing a pass to 11 different receivers in the process.

With Baylor off to a 5-0 start and Iowa State bouncing back with a convincing win over TCU, the Cowboys are in serious danger of sliding down the Big 12 pecking order. Coincidentally, after their upcoming bye week, they'll face the Cyclones and the Horned Frogs in back-to-back games.

For now, Oklahoma State is once again on the outside looking in for a spot in the top 25.

Fun Fact: Wisconsin Has Utterly Dominated Its Competition

Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor Stacy Revere/Getty Images

It wasn't surprising to see Wisconsin throttle a lesser Kent State team in a 48-0 shutout.

It's also not particularly surprising that the Badgers are 5-0 on the year, as their biggest test came in a home game against a Michigan team that has not delivered on expectations so far this year.

What is surprising is how utterly dominant they have been along the way.

With their third shutout of the season on Saturday, the Badgers have now outscored opponents by a staggering 217-29 margin.

In the process, they have outgained the opposition 2,284-893 in total yards and dominated the time of possession with an 187:21 to 112:39 advantage.

A ball-control offense led by lead Wisconsin running back (and Heisman candidate) Jonathan Taylor and a stout defense has them looking like a serious threat to rival Ohio State for Big Ten supremacy.

Again, the level of competition needs to be taken into account when digesting those numbers, but boy, have the Badgers looked good.

What to Watch For: Heavyweight Clashes in the Big 12 and SEC

Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

If you thought Week 6 was fun, wait until next weekend.

On Friday, the Oregon Ducks will look to emerge from the Pac-12 rubble by holding off an inconsistent but dangerous Colorado team that has a pair of Top 25 wins but a 3-2 record.

Then on Saturday, Oklahoma faces its toughest test of the season with a trip to the Cotton Bowl to take on Texas in the marquee matchup of the early games. The Sooners may need to run the table to land a spot in the CFP, so this should be considered must-win.

The 3:30 p.m. ET window features a good challenge for Alabama as the Crimson Tide hit the road to take on Texas A&M, while Wisconsin hosts Michigan State in what will be an interesting test for the Badgers.

That all leads up to the marquee matchup of the week, with Florida heading to Baton Rouge to take on LSU in a battle of two SEC powerhouse with legitimate CFP aspirations. Get used to hearing that sentence.

Opportunities abound next week for teams to rise and fall, so expect to see a decidedly different-looking Top 25 once the dust settles on Week 7.

   

Read 140 Comments

Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation

Install the App
×
Bleacher Report
(120K+)