Week 5 was not kind to a handful of the nation’s elite. No less than four teams – Ole Miss, Notre Dame, UCLA, and Georgia – all suffered their first loss of the season, which saw all four drop completely out of this week’s power rankings. However, the “Big Two” from the Big 12 made it out just fine thanks to their impressive performances.
Who are the teams that jumped up to fill the void left by those fallen contenders? Let’s check out all the new blood (spoiler: there could be more than 10 teams) in this Week 6 edition of the college football power rankings.
For more Week 6 coverage, check out our previews of Washington vs. USC and Northwestern vs. Michigan.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Week 6 NCAA College Football Power Rankings
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0)
Next Game: vs. Maryland
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The good news for the Buckeyes: Ezekiel Elliott (274 yards, three touchdowns at Indiana) looked back to the form that saw him torch Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon at the tail end of last season. The bad news: even with that explosion from their star back, the No. 1-ranked team in the nation needed a goal-line stand in the final seconds to secure victory over the Hoosiers.
The defending champs still get the benefit of the doubt despite their uneven form, but they’re getting perilously close to getting a bad loss that would spell the end for their chances of repeating.
Writer’s Prediction: The Buckeyes take care of the Terps, 45-10.
2. TCU Horned Frogs (5-0)
Next Game: at Kansas State
The Trevone Boykin Heisman bandwagon is back on the march. With TCU averaging 58 points per game in its last four games (and Boykin accounting for 19 touchdowns), the senior quarterback is putting this team – and its decimated defense – firmly on his shoulders.
The Horned Frogs have another tricky test at Kansas State coming up this weekend, and after the near-catastrophe against Texas Tech, Boykin better bring his A-game to Manhattan.
Writer’s Prediction: TCU torches K-State, 45-27.
3. Baylor Bears (4-0)
Next Game: at Kansas
So, Seth Russell has seamlessly adjusted to the high-powered Art Briles pass offense, with four more touchdowns in the 63-35 win against Texas Tech giving him 19 on the year (tied with Boykin for most in the FBS).
However, the big X-factor in the Baylor offense is electric running back Shock Linwood, who finally came to life this season with a career-high 221 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Red Raiders.
Writer’s Prediction: Baylor buries Kansas, 55-14.
4. Michigan State Spartans (5-0)
Next Game: at Rutgers
Michigan State’s 31-28 home win over Oregon is looking less impressive because of the Ducks’ steep decline. And with two consecutive unconvincing performances against both Central Michigan and Purdue at East Lansing, the Spartans are suddenly not looking like the major challengers to Ohio State’s Big Ten supremacy.
Writer’s Prediction: It’ll be smooth sailing for the Spartans, who win 30-13 at Rutgers.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide (4-1)
Next Game: vs. Arkansas
So, about that “end of the Alabama dynasty” thing… The Tide are just fine, as they showed with their brutal 38-10 beatdown of the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. The questions at quarterback are a little less distressing when Derrick Henry runs for 148 yards, which head coach Nick Saban should no doubt know.
After Ole Miss’s stumble at The Swamp, Alabama is very much back in contention for the SEC West crown.
Writer’s Prediction: Alabama runs by Arkansas, 35-10.
6. Utah Utes (4-0)
Next Game: vs. Cal
Lucky Utes. By virtue of simply being idle for the week, Utah jumped into the top five in the AP Poll thanks to losses from Ole Miss, Notre Dame, UCLA and Georgia. Their Week 1 win over Michigan is also looking a lot better after the Wolverines’ recent winning streak.
Anyone that still has any doubt as to whether the Utes are for real, though, better tune in for their next assignment against No. 23 Cal.
Writer’s Prediction: Cal stuns Utah, 35-33.
7. LSU Tigers (4-0)
Next Game: at South Carolina
What more is there to say about Leonard Fournette? A third-straight 200-plus-yard rushing effort – he had 233 yards and three touchdowns in LSU’s 44-22 win over Eastern Michigan – makes the sophomore the first SEC player ever to accomplish such a feat. And judging by how South Carolina has defended this season, don’t put it beyond Fournette to make it four in a row against the Gamecocks.
Writer’s Prediction: LSU runs right over South Carolina, 35-20.
8. Clemson Tigers (4-0)
Next Game: vs. Georgia Tech
Clemson put its name firmly into the CFP discussion with a gutsy 24-22 win over Notre Dame at Death Valley. The Tigers’ rebuilt defense stopped an equally impressive Irish ground game cold. If Deshaun Watson (190 total yards and three total touchdowns) can continue to produce enough offense with his arm and feet, these Tigers will be tough to beat.
Writer’s Prediction: Clemson conquers Georgia Tech, 27-17.
9. Oklahoma Sooners (4-0)
Next Game: at Texas
Oklahoma’s newly-installed Air Raid showed just how prolific it could be as it hung 44 points on a West Virginia defense that had been playing exceptionally well for the first four weeks. It had a lot of help from a terrific Sooners defense that forced five turnovers.
If offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley can ever find out how to incorporate Samaje Perine and the running game into the offense, the Sooners could be the one of the most complete teams in the nation.
Writer’s Prediction: Oklahoma smokes Texas, 42-14.
T-10. Texas A&M Aggies (5-0)
Next Game: Bye
Kyle Allen’s no Johnny Manziel, but the sophomore quarterback is nevertheless growing into his role as the starter for a legitimate top 10 team. He’s risen to the occasion in conference play thus far, with 680 passing yards and a 4:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio in wins against Arkansas and Mississippi State.
T-10. Florida Gators (5-0)
Next Game: at Missouri
Well, well, well, Will Grier. The redshirt freshman didn’t look particularly impressive through his first four games of the year, which makes his dismantling of No. 3 Ole Miss’s elite defense for 271 yards and four touchdowns in Florida’s 38-10 upset win all the more surprising.
If the Gators can get even half of this production from their young quarterback going forward, they’ll be cooking in the SEC East.
Writer’s Prediction: The Gators go 6-0 win a 24-21 win over Mizzou.
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