Where Vanderbilt Landed in Coaches Poll, AP Top 25 After Week 6

After its 30-14 loss to No. 10 Alabama on Saturday, Vanderbilt dropped in the rankings for the first time in 2025.

The Commodores entered Tuscaloosa hoping to follow up their historical 2024 victory with a statement that they were here to stay. But a combination of sloppy turnovers, a hostile Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd and a sharp performance from the Crimson Tide sent Vanderbilt back to Nashville without the undefeated record it carried through the first five weeks of the season.

“They took it to us in the second half,” head coach Clark Lea said after the game. “The plays were out there to be made and we didn’t make them.”

In a game where Vanderbilt needed its best to knock off a formidable opponent in one of the most daunting environments in the country, the Commodores were anything but. Quarterback Diego Pavia struggled at times, turning the ball over twice in the red zone and failing to capitalize on other opportunities. His receivers didn’t offer much help, as Eli Stowers and Junior Sherril both dropped passes throughout the afternoon.

“I pressed too hard,” Pavia said postgame. “I put the game on me.”

Pavia and the offense struggled on third downs and in the red zone, allowing Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and the Crimson Tide offense to control time of possession by nearly 15 minutes. The turnovers hurt, but the overall efficiency wasn’t a winning formula either.

While Simpson played well, Vanderbilt’s defense largely held its own, stalling Alabama’s offense into four field goals. Still, poor execution at the end of the first half led to a tie game when the Commodores appeared to be the better team heading into the locker room.

“That’s going to win games when you’re able to force field goals that end drives,” Lea said. “I thought [the defense] was resilient tonight [and they] kept us in it when we were stalling offensively.”

Following the loss, Vanderbilt fell three spots in the Coaches Poll and four in the AP Top 25. The Commodores remain ranked, evidence that Saturday’s loss wasn’t anything close to a season-crushing defeat. Entering its bye week, Vanderbilt sits at 5-1 with extra time to regroup and get key defensive — Issa Ouattara, Marlon Jones, Mark Davis and Kolbey Taylor — healthy before welcoming LSU to FirstBank Stadium in two weeks. As Lea likes to say, everything his team wants to accomplish is still right there in front of them.

Here’s where the Commodores stand in the Week 6 Coaches Poll and AP Top 25:

US LBM Coaches Poll

(Ranking, team, first-place votes, record, points received)
1. Ohio State, (59), 5-0, 1638
2. Oregon, (3), 5-0, 1572
3. Miami (FL), (3), 5-0, 1531
4. Ole Miss, 5-0, 1402
5. Texas A&M, (1), 5-0, 1330
6. Oklahoma, 5-0, 1283
7. Indiana, 5-0, 1206
8. Alabama, 4-1, 1183
9. Georgia, 4-1, 1128
10. Texas Tech, 5-0, 1082
11. LSU, 4-1, 999
12. Tennessee, 4-1, 889
13. Georgia Tech, 5-0, 819
14. Missouri, 5-0, 736
15. Michigan, 4-1, 653
16. Notre Dame, 3-2, 491
17. Illinois, 5-1, 484
18. BYU, 5-0, 453
19. Texas, 3-2, 372
20. Vanderbilt, 5-1, 329
21. Iowa State, 5-1, 295
22. Penn State, 3-2, 294
23. Arizona State, 4-1, 292
24. Virginia, 5-1, 258
25. Memphis, 6-0, 162

Others Receiving votes: Utah 134, Florida State 93, Cincinnati 70, South Florida 65, North Texas 28, Navy 26, Washington 25, USC 23, UNLV 21, Nebraska 17, TCU 15, Old Dominion 13, Louisville 10, Tulane 8, Duke 7, Auburn 7, Iowa 5, SMU 2.

AP Top 25

1. Ohio State, (40), 5-0, 1620
2. Miami (FL), (21), 5-0, 1579
3. Oregon, (5), 5-0, 1542
4. Ole Miss, 5-0, 1376
5. Texas A&M, 5-0, 1361
6. Oklahoma, 5-0, 1346
7. Indiana, 5-0, 1213
8. Alabama, 4-1, 1202
9. Texas Tech, 5-0, 1135
10. Georgia, 4-1, 1084
11. LSU, 4-1, 949
12. Tennessee, 4-1, 892
13. Georgia Tech, 5-0, 782
14. Missouri, 5-0, 775
15. Michigan, 4-1, 707
16. Notre Dame, 3-2, 610
17. Illinois, 5-1, 522
18. BYU, 5-0, 463
19. Virginia, 5-1, 452
20. Vanderbilt, 5-1, 407
21. Arizona State, 4-1, 214
22. Iowa State, 5-1, 165
23. Memphis, 6-0, 153
24. South Florida, 4-1, 150
25. Florida State, 3-2, 147

Others Receiving Votes: Cincinnati 129, Texas 111, Penn St. 97, Utah 84, Nebraska 60, Southern Cal 46, UNLV 19, North Texas 16, TCU 14, Washington 10, Mississippi St. 10, Navy 4, Louisville 3, Auburn 1.