College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Teams Moving Up, Down in Week 6

Once again, AP top 25 pollsters will face several consequential decisions when voting on the new college football rankings coming out of the first action in the month of October.

SEC and Big Ten contenders took to the field in some marquee ranked-on-ranked matchups that could reorder our assumptions about who is a contender and who is a pretender in some of the more important conference races.

As we move out of the Week 5 action and look ahead to Week 6, what teams will be making the most prominent moves up and down the poll?

Rankings reflect AP Top 25 poll

Moving up: Alabama

College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Teams Moving Up, Down in Week 6 — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week’s ranking: No. 7

For the 17th straight time, the Crimson Tide got the W against Mississippi State. It was supposed to be a little more competitive this time, but the Bulldogs didn’t live up to their end of the deal, while Alabama’s potent offense did, scoring a record 56 points against a ranked SEC opponent on the road, scoring at least 45 points in every game this season.

Keelon Russell looked like a veteran in the pocket, confidently covering every section of the field with a battery of accurate passes, while the Tide’s maligned ground game had almost 200 yards, and the Bama defense was on point, building a credible case for the No. 1 ranking next week if they can look like that against Georgia.

Moving down: Mississippi State

Last week’s ranking: No. 16

This was supposed to be the moment when Kamario Taylor definitively put himself and the Bulldogs on the national stage, but instead what transpired was a turnover-laden defensive collapse that once again exposed the talent and coaching difference between them and Alabama.

Taylor is still a world-class athlete, finishing with 258 yards and 3 touchdowns, but he really needs some help. Mississippi State’s offense totaled 18 rushing yards, averaging 0.6 yards per carry, and its defense allowed 28 second half points. And despite his contribution, Taylor still turned the ball over three times. They go to LSU next, host Oklahoma, then play at Texas. This could get bad quick.

Moving up: Missouri

Last week’s ranking: No. 25

Finally, a ranked win for Eli Drinkwitz. That was the knock against the Mizzou coach, who in thrashing undefeated Florida ended a school-record nine-game losing streak against ranked opponents.

Instead, his offense rattled off 35 unanswered points and overpowered the hottest team in college football, combining a suffocating run defense with an aggressive downfield attack to stay in the conversation in the SEC and not only avoid falling out of the poll this week, but get a few more votes.

Moving down: Florida

Last week’s ranking: No. 8

No other team moved more positively from within the poll a week ago than the Gators, and now AP voters will face some serious buyer’s remorse with that decision after watching this team get pulverized on the road by Missouri by four touchdowns, and now no other team may see a bigger drop.

Coming in with a metric ton of hype behind them after that 4-0 start, the Gators’ positive momentum ran into a wall, as did their formidable rushing attack that led the nation with 18 touchdowns, but mustered just 42 yards on 25 carries against Mizzou’s inspired run defense, and UF’s secondary was sliced for 340 yards in the air.

Moving down: Iowa

Last week’s ranking: No. 14

Coming off that emotional, last-second win at Michigan and with College GameDay in town, the Hawkeyes were in an ideal position to punch a hole through the Big Ten championship picture with Ohio State in town.

Jeremiah Smith had other ideas, breaking a school record with his 36th career receiving touchdown by easily navigating Iowa’s defense, and now Kirk Ferentz is dealing with injuries to star safety Zach Lutmer and quarterback Hank Brown heading into two straight road games against Washington and Minnesota, but with the Hawkeye playoff hopes still intact.

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