Contenders avoid slippage in college football Power Rankings after Week 6
Game control became the buzzword of the 2014 College Football Playoff race. It wasn't just, Did you win? or Who’d you beat? It was, How’d you win? This year’s playoff race looks like it will have a different buzz word: Survival.
It’s only mid-October, but the idea of expecting perfection—60 minutes of dominance week in and week out—seems laughable. So while winning with style may still help, it won’t save a team if that team goes on to lose the next week.
Week 6 was almost completely devoid of game control outside of Lawrence, Kan.—and beating up on the Jayhawks hardly seems impressive (despite TCU’s near loss last season). What’s most important is that, with a few exceptions, nearly every team with playoff aspirations managed to survive to contend another week.
• NADKARNI: Three thoughts on AP Poll after Week 6 | Complete AP Top 25
1. Utah Utes
PREVIOUS: 1
RECORD: 5-0
Next week: Saturday vs. Arizona State
2. Clemson Tigers
PREVIOUS: 2
RECORD: 5-0
Last week: Beat Georgia Tech 43-24 Next week: Saturday vs. Boston College
3. Baylor Bears
PREVIOUS: 3
RECORD: 5-0
Last week: Beat Kansas 66–7 Next week: Saturday vs. West Virginia
4. LSU TIGERS
PREVIOUS: 5
RECORD: 5-0
Last week: Beat South Carolina 45-24 Next week: Saturday vs. Florida
5. FLORIDA GATORS
PREVIOUS: 8
RECORD: 6-0
Last week: Beat Missouri 21-3 Next week: Saturday at LSU • STAPLES: Impact of Grier's suspension on UF
6. Alabama Crimson Tide
PREVIOUS: 6
RECORD: 5-1
Last week: Beat Arkansas 27-14 Next week: Saturday at Texas A&M
7. Texas A&M Aggies
PREVIOUS: 7
RECORD: 5-0
Last week: Bye week Next week: Saturday vs. Alabama
8. TCU Horned Frogs
PREVIOUS: 10
RECORD: 6-0
Last week: Beat Kansas State 52-45 Next week: Saturday at Iowa State
9. Michigan Wolverines
PREVIOUS: 19
RECORD: 5-1
Last week: Beat Northwestern 38-0 Next week: Saturday vs. Michigan State
10. Ohio State Buckeyes
PREVIOUS: 11
RECORD: 6-0
Last week: Beat Maryland 49-28 Next week: Saturday vs. Penn State • Ellis: Biggest takeaways from Week 6
11. Michigan State Spartans
PREVIOUS: 12
RECORD: 6-0
Last week: Beat Rutgers 31-24 Next week: Saturday at Michigan
12. Ole Miss Rebels
PREVIOUS: 13
RECORD: 5-1
Last week: Beat New Mexico State 52-3 Next week: Saturday at Memphis
13. Oklahoma State cowboys
PREVIOUS: 23
RECORD: 6-0
Last week: Beat West Virginia 33-26 in overtime Next week: Bye week
14. Iowa Hawkeyes
PREVIOUS: 15
RECORD: 6-0
Last week: Beat Illinois 29-20 Next week: Saturday at Northwestern
15. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
PREVIOUS: 14
RECORD: 5-1
Last week: Beat Navy 41-24 Next week: Saturday vs. USC • Notre Dame checks in at No. 14 in AP Poll
16. Florida State seminoles
PREVIOUS: 17
RECORD: 5-0
Last week: Beat Miami 29-24 Next week: Saturday vs. Louisville
17. Northwestern wildcats
PREVIOUS: 9
RECORD: 5-1
Last week: Lost to Michigan 38-0 Next week: Saturday vs. Iowa
18. Stanford Cardinal
PREVIOUS: 18
RECORD: 4-1
Last week: Bye week Next week: Thursday vs. UCLA
19. UCLA BRUINS
PREVIOUS: 22
RECORD: 4-1
Last week: Bye week Next week: Thursday at Stanford
20. Oklahoma sooners
PREVIOUS: 4
RECORD: 4-1
Last week: Lost to Texas 24-17 Next week: Saturday at Kansas State • HAMILTON: Texas shows progress in upset
21. hOUSTON cOUGARS
PREVIOUS: 24
RECORD: 5-0
Last week: Beat SMU 49-28 Next week: Friday at Tulane
22. California Golden Bears
PREVIOUS: 16
RECORD: 5-1
Last week: Lost to Utah 30-24 Next week: Bye week
23. Boise State Broncos
PREVIOUS: 25
RECORD: 5-1
Last week: Beat Colorado State 41-10 Next week: Friday at Utah State
24. Toledo Rockets
RECORD: 5-0
Last week: Beat Kent State 38-7 Next week: Saturday vs. Eastern Michigan
25. Duke Blue Devils
RECORD: 5-1
Last week: Beat Army 44-3 Next week: Bye week
Dropped out: Georgia, USC
Next five: Temple, Mississippi State, Wisconsin, Memphis, Georgia
