College football power rankings for Week 6
Trying to come up with scientific and correct college football rankings is getting harder by the week this season.
Overrated: So many teams that were considered elite, or even marginally above average, have looked sloppy and confused: looking at you Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Notre Dame.
Hello, there: While others have come from nowhere and made early season statements: congrats Kansas, TCU, Washington, and Tennessee.
Who are you? Just five weeks into the season and with the conference slates just opening up, it's more than apparent that teams are changing very rapidly week to week. You aren't who you were last Saturday, and you'll be somebody else next Saturday.
That said: who really belongs in the national title conversation?
Forget the AP top 25 or the Coaches Poll or the College Football Playoff rankings: let's look at the real 10 best teams heading into this weekend.
College football power rankings for Week 6
USA Today Images
In theory, team(s) in these rankings should beat the team(s) ranked lower and lose to the team(s) ranked higher on a neutral field
10. Penn State. A more aggressive, attacking defense got after Northwestern, stalling its momentum most of the day and forcing three turnovers, while PSU's backs piled up 220 yards on the ground in a dominant showing. So far perfect through five games, the proof will be in the pudding when the Big Ten schedule really heats up, against Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio State.
9. Ole Miss. Saturday was important for the Rebels to look dominant opening up their SEC schedule after the early, soft non-conference slate. Perfect through five games for the first time since 2014, Ole Miss has lost just 3 games the last 2 years and looks like the solid No. 2 option in the SEC West thanks to a proactive defense that forced a pair of takeaways from Kentucky and a consistent ground attack that can chew up serious yardage.
8. Utah. Cameron Rising accounted for four total TDs and the Utes' defense racked up four turnovers to put a beating on Oregon State. Not at first, though, as Utah used a pair of third quarter scores to pull away. The defending Pac-12 favorites still play a physical brand of football at the line of scrimmage, can run the ball with consistency, and have a battery of receivers for Rising to target downfield. A statement game against UCLA is up next.
7. Oklahoma State. One of three undefeated teams left in the Big 12, the Cowboys pulled out a statement win at Baylor to avenge last year's conference title match. OSU built up a big, 20-point lead to start the second half, was strong defending the third down, and withstood Baylor's comeback bid and Spencer Sanders was efficient, hitting 20 of 29 passes.
6. USC. Caleb Williams is still one of the most interesting playmakers at the quarterback position in college football, and he has a complement of targets who can score from anywhere on the field, but the Trojans defense is still an unproven commodity, struggling early against Arizona State. USC has the feel of a team that can make the College Football Playoff — and then lose the semifinal to Alabama or Georgia by 17.
5. Clemson. This offense took another important step in the right direction with a win over NC State, led by quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and his three touchdowns (2 rush, 1 pass). He led a pair of statement scoring drives before and after the half, building a 17-point lead and letting this gifted defense do the rest. Clemson's path to the College Football Playoff is simple: just keep winning.
4. Michigan. J.J. McCarthy and company scored on four of their first five possessions against Iowa's nation-leading scoring defense in a 27-14 win that wasn't as close as the score let on. Michigan tacked on over 300 total yards, good for over 5 yards per play, including 172 on the ground, and McCarthy hit on 18 of 24 passes with no turnovers. Beating teams like these is par for the course, but watch for matchups against Penn State and the finale at Ohio State.
3. Ohio State. Another offensive explosion for the Buckeyes, who did it on the ground this time. Miyan Williams ran for a personal-best 189 yards and tied a school record with 5 rushing scores in a rout over Rutgers. Not many tests for Jim Knowles' new defense yet to get a real line on where the unit stands, but trips to MSU and Penn State could help tell the tale.
2. Georgia. College football's defending champs had all of 6 points in 3 quarters on the road to Missouri, leading to fears that last week's Kent State performance may have carried over to this week. A 14-point fourth quarter put those fears to bed, but there are still some concerns for how well Georgia can protect its quarterback, and what other consistent deep targets this team has other than Brock Bowers. That's enough to move the Dawgs down 1 spot this week.
1. Alabama. The defending SEC champs built up a 28-0 lead in the second quarter against a good Arkansas team as the Tide once again displayed its outsized talent advantage. But there's a concern over the health of quarterback Bryce Young, who left the game with a shoulder injury. Bama allowed 24 unanswered points to the Hogs mid-game before mounting a comeback of its own.