College Football Polls

College football is regularly known for its volatile changes in its rankings, but that has not been the case this season.

It's not surprising to see one undefeated team as the season hits rivalry week, but to have three is perhaps a bit of a shock. 

Alabama Crimson Tide, Clemson and Notre Dame remain undefeated following convincing wins in Saturday's action.

Those three teams remain at the top of both the Associated Press and the Coaches Rankings, and they are joined by the Michigan Wolverines at the No. 4 spot. Michigan got by Indiana and improved to 10-1 with the win.

Michigan dropped its season opener to Notre Dame but have reeled off 10 straight wins since then. If Michigan can beat archrival Ohio State on the road this week and Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game, it seems likely the Wolverines will remain in the College Football Playoff structure.

However, Michigan is not guaranteed of that scenario. Fifth-ranked Georgia closes its regular season against Georgia Tech this week, and the Bulldogs will face Alabama in the SEC title game. Should Georgia upset Alabama, it would be difficult to keep the Bulldogs out of the playoffs.

Alabama is almost assured of getting into the playoffs. Nick Saban's team closes the regular season against Auburn prior to the SEC title game, and the Crimson Tide would have to lose to the Tigers and Bulldogs to miss the playoffs. That would be a shocking development because Alabama appears to have one of the strongest college football teams in the last couple of decades.

Clemson has its regular-season finale against South Carolina and the ACC title game against Pittsburgh, while the Fighting Irish play their regular-season finale at USC this week.

The latest CFP rankings will be announced Tuesday, and the AP and Coaches polls were basically in lockstep as far as the Top 10 is concerned.

The only difference is that the AP poll has undefeated UCF and LSU tied at the No. 8 spot, while the Coaches Poll has LSU ranked eighth and UCF ranked ninth.

Roll Tide! @AlabamaFTBL storms past The Citadel in the 2nd Half. #RollTide pic.twitter.com/BSkehfeBz7

— Alabama Athletics (@UA_Athletics) November 17, 2018

Associated Press Rankings

1. Alabama (61*), 11-0
2. Clemson, 11-0
3. Notre Dame, 11-0
4. Michigan, 10-1
5. Georgia, 10-1
6. Oklahoma, 10-1
7. Washington State, 10-1
8. UCF, 10-0
8. LSU, 9-2
10. Ohio State, 10-1

*-Alabama has all 61 first-place votes

Michigan faces its biggest test since its loss to Notre Dame at Ohio State. The Buckeyes have beaten Michigan six straight times and have won 13 of the last 14 games in the series.

Ohio State is coming off a 52-51 overtime victory over Maryland, and the state of the Buckeyes' defense is questionable. Michigan's greatest strength this season has been its defense, but the Wolverines gave up 385 yards to the Hoosiers (195 rushing, 190 passing), and that unit could be vulnerable against Ohio State and sensational quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

No. 6 Oklahoma will have a major test at West Virginia this week. The Mountaineers are coming off a heartbreaking 45-41 loss to Oklahoma State, and that was a game they led 31-14 at halftime. West Virginia should be prepared to play one of its best games of the season against the Sooners.

Gardner Minshew threw a WSU single game record SEVEN TD passes in the Cougs’ demolition of Arizona. 👀👀

Next stop: 🍎 cup.https://t.co/r5d2IKzrw7

— Seattle Times Sports (@SeaTimesSports) November 18, 2018

Seventh-ranked Washington State hosts archrival Washington Saturday, and quarterback Gardner Minshew has the Cougars flying high. Washington State pummeled Arizona 69-28, and Minshew threw seven TD passes in that game.

      

Prediction

The Top Four spots in the Week 13 CFP rankings will once again belong to Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan, in that order.

Once again, there should not be any changes, and the CFP poll should mimic those of the AP and the Coaches.

However, the Week 14 rankings could be quite a bit different if the Wolverines can't reverse their losing ways against the Buckeyes.

It doesn't seem likely that Alabama, Clemson or Notre Dame will get tested by Auburn, South Carolina or USC, but all three are rivalry games, so don't tell the Tigers, Gamecocks or Trojans that they don't have a shot.  

Alabama played its worst half of football this season against The Citadel on Saturday. Michigan barely scraped by Indiana.

But at this point, it's all about getting by.

The Crimson Tide remained the class of the nation in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, which was unchanged at the top. Alabama was followed by Clemson, Notre Dame, Michigan and Georgia in the Top Five.

Here's a look at the entire poll:

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. Notre Dame

4. Michigan

5. Georgia

6. Oklahoma

7. Washington State

8. UCF

8. LSU

10. Ohio State

11. Texas

12. West Virginia

13. Florida

14. Utah State

15. Penn State

16. Washington

17. Kentucky

18. Utah

19. Syracuse

20. Northwestern

21. Boise State

22. Mississippi State

23. Army

24. Pittsburgh

25. Iowa State

    

West Virginia was the only Top 10 team to lose this weekend. Oklahoma State's Taylor Cornelius threw for 338 yards and five touchdowns against two interceptions while adding 106 yards and a score on the ground. Cornelius found Tylan Wallace from 11 yards out with 42 seconds remaining for the game-winning score.

"They have been in a lot of these games, and you can tell they had a little bit better mindset down the stretch than we did," West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said, per the Associated Press. "It's disappointing that we had a chance to close them out and we didn't."

Nearly sharing the same fate was Ohio State, which escaped Maryland with a 52-51 victory. The Terps went for two after scoring a touchdown to pull within one in the first overtime period, but Tyrrell Pigrome's pass fell incomplete.

The Buckeyes dropped one spot to No. 10. UCF moved up three spots to a tie for No. 8 with LSU after a 38-13 win over Cincinnati.

Syracuse's seven-spot drop to No. 19 after its 36-3 loss to Notre Dame was tied for the largest of the week with No. 25 Iowa State. The Orange's previous two losses came by a combined 11 points.

Cincinnati and Boston College dropped out of the rankings and were replaced by No. 23 Army and No. 24 Pittsburgh.

The Amway Coaches Poll was released Sunday afternoon, and given the lack of major upsets in college football last week, the top of the rankings didn't change much.

Below, we'll break down the new rankings and analyze the week that was.

   

Rankings

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. Notre Dame

4. Michigan

5. Georgia

6. Oklahoma

7. Washington State

8. LSU

9. UCF

10. Ohio State

11. Texas

12. West Virginia

13. Florida

14. Penn State

15. Utah State

16. Washington

17. Utah

18. Kentucky

19. Syracuse

20. Mississippi State

21. Northwestern

22. Boise State

23. Fresno State

24. Army

25. Pittsburgh

   

Analysis

There wasn't expected to be much change atop the rankings after almost all the top teams held serve. Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU and Washington State in particular cruised to convincing victories.

Things were a bit more interesting in the Big Ten, as Michigan trailed Indiana at halftime before outscoring the Hoosiers 16-3 in the second half to pull off a 31-20 win.

"When you're in playoff mode—that's our mindset right [now]—playoff wins are big," Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh said, according to the Associated Press. "Wins against Big Ten teams in late November are huge."

Ohio State had its issues dealing with Maryland and needed overtime and a failed two-point conversion attempt by the homestanding Terrapins to escape with a 52-51 win. Maryland chose to go for two and the win, but Tyrrell Pigrome missed an open Jeshaun Jones in the end zone.

"I would have probably done the same thing if I was their coach, the way they were gaining yards on us," Urban Meyer said, per the AP. "I'm relieved we won."

While Michigan and Ohio State survived, West Virginia wasn't so lucky, falling to Oklahoma State 45-41. That ended the Mountaineers' national title hopes, though a win against Oklahoma on Friday would preserve their Big 12 aspirations.

"They have been in a lot of these games, and you can tell they had a little bit better mindset down the stretch than we did," West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen said, according to the AP. "It's disappointing that we had a chance to close them out and we didn't."

Week 13 has some huge matchups on tap, including the aforementioned Oklahoma at West Virginia tilt. In the Pacific Northwest, Washington State will host Washington in the Apple Cup, while Michigan will visit Ohio State in the sport's premier rivalry game in a contest that will not only decide the Big Ten East but should shake up the playoff picture as well.

In the SEC, meanwhile, Alabama will host Auburn in the Iron Bowl. And Notre Dame will take to the road to face USC.

It's a huge week for college football, and the landscape of the sport will be reshaped.

There is often quite a bit of mystery as the college football season reaches the climactic regular-season weeks of November. However, that may not be the case in the 2018-19 season for at least three of the four teams currently in the College Football Playoff structure.

Alabama (10-0), which has been the No. 1 team in the nation since the release of the preseason college football rankings, continues to roll along in the top spot, and it would be a shocker if anything happened over the coming weeks to stop the Crimson Tide.

They look like one of the great teams in the last 25 years, and a week after shutting out LSU in one of the most anticipated games of the season, they blanked Mississippi State.

However, the Alabama offense was not as explosive as usual, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was hit at least two times in his right knee.

"He got hit low a few times out there today," head coach Nick Saban said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "He got hit in the front of the knee and not the back, which is where his problem was. I think he's OK."

Alabama is almost guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff at this point in the season. The Tide host The Citadel and Auburn in their final two regular-season games and have a date in the SEC Championship Game with No. 5 Georgia (9-1). It would take two losses in those remaining games to knock them out of the playoff.

     

Week 12 AP Rankings (Released November 11)

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. Michigan
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. West Virginia
8. Washington State
9. Ohio State
10. LSU
11. UCF
12. Syracuse
13. Texas
14. Utah State
15. Florida
16. Penn State
17. Washington
18. Iowa State
19. Cincinnati
20. Kentucky
21. Utah
22. Boston College
23. Boise State
24. Northwestern
25. Mississippi State

     

Clemson (10-0) passed what appeared to be a major test when the Tigers went on the road to play Boston College Saturday night in cold and semi-wintry conditions. The Southern team was not bothered and came through with an impressive 27-7 victory.

The Tigers have two home games remaining as well as a date in the ACC title game, and they are not likely to lose to Duke, South Carolina or their opponent in the conference championship game.

Notre Dame (10-0) is also undefeated, and the Fighting Irish won easily Saturday night as heavy favorites against a disappointing Florida State team. The Seminoles are nothing like the juggernaut they were in past generations, and Notre Dame disposed of them easily even though starting quarterback Ian Book missed the game with an upper-body injury.

Notre Dame will be tested Saturday against Syracuse in a game at Yankee Stadium, and the Fighting Irish will close the regular season against traditional rival USC on the road.

The only spot that is in question at this point is the No. 4 spot, which is currently occupied by Michigan. The Wolverines have not lost since dropping their opener against Notre Dame, and they are coming off an easy win at Rutgers.

A win over Indiana is likely before the Wolverines take on Ohio State in Columbus on November 24. That annual grudge match should be for the Big Ten's East Division crown, and the winner will meet Northwestern in the conference title game.

While the Wolverines are currently fourth in the CFP rankings (as well as the Associated Press), they could lose their spot to Georgia, Oklahoma or Ohio State, with West Virginia and Washington State also potentially making a case.

If Michigan wins its two remaining regular-season games as well as the conference championship game, it would take nothing less than Georgia beating Alabama in the SEC title game for the Wolverines to possibly lose their spot.

But we don't see the Bulldogs beating the Crimson Tide—or even keeping the game close—and Michigan will get its chance at Alabama.

That may not go well for the Wolverines, but they will get their opportunity.

     

Here's how we see the College Football Playoff at this point:

Cotton Bowl, Dec. 29: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Michigan

Orange Bowl, Dec. 29: No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Notre Dame

     

Here's how the other New Year's Six bowl games could play out:

Peach Bowl, Dec. 29: No. 15 Florida vs. No. 11 UCF

Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 1: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 7 West Virginia

Rose Bowl, Jan. 1: No. 8 Washington State vs. No. 9 Ohio State

Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1: No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 10 LSU

Alabama is at the top of the College Football Playoff rankings once again, and Clemson is right behind.

After that, LSU and Notre Dame find themselves tucked behind the top two, and they are both in excellent positions to put their signatures on the college football season.

Here’s the full #CFBPlayoff Top 2️⃣5️⃣ rankings for games played through October 27.

Is your team in? 👀 pic.twitter.com/CnmGi1MMVx

— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) October 30, 2018

There were not a lot of surprises in the top four sports or even the Top 10.

Debuting at No. 5 in the @CFBPlayoff rankings...

Still some work to do. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/33QexAm8c5

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 30, 2018

Michigan is poised in the No. 5 spot to make a move into the playoff picture if the Wolverines can go unbeaten the rest of the way. Michigan lost to Notre Dame in its season opener but has not lost since. Challenging games with Penn State at home this weekend and in the regular-season finale at Ohio State remain, as does a potential make-or-break game in the Big Ten Championship.

Kirby Smart really fired up about tonight's release of the playoff rankings:

"I didn't even know that was tonight. I didn't realize that was going on. But I should have talked to my team about that. I didn't bring it up to them. So who knows what they'll be thinking tonight."

— Seth Emerson (@SethWEmerson) October 30, 2018

Georgia lost earlier in the year at LSU, and that loss knocked the Bulldogs down the ladder from the No. 2 spot (Associated Press rankings) at the time. However, all is not lost in the tough SEC, because Georgia controls its own destiny.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said he was not concerned about the initial rankings.

If the Bulldogs can beat Kentucky on the road this week, they will have the inside track on first place in the East Division. That means they would likely get a crack at Alabama or a rematch with LSU, and if they win each of their games from this point forward, it would be difficult to keep them from the playoff.

OU is No. 7 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/uspFCTwJ3p

— 𝕺𝖐𝖑𝖆𝖍𝖔𝖒𝖆 𝖛𝖘. 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 (@soonergridiron) October 30, 2018

Oklahoma would like to get back to the College Football Playoff as well, and the only blemish on the Sooners' record is a loss to Texas.

Kyler Murray is a legitimate Heisman candidate, and he can make an excellent case down the home stretch if he can perform at a peak level and lead the Sooners to key wins over Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and West Virginia in the regular-season finale.

That's a daunting schedule, and Oklahoma would have to add another win in the Big 12 title game to have a shot at getting into the playoff.

#NotreDame fourth in first College Football Playoff rankings. https://t.co/dg5siWaPYC pic.twitter.com/5UtvQ8Zomj

— Sun-Times Sports (@suntimes_sports) October 30, 2018

You heard it here first.@JLaurinaitis55 predicted @NUFBFamily would knock off Wisconsin...Now he's taking it up a notch and putting Notre Dame on notice. 👀 pic.twitter.com/0uzkWtFClt

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 29, 2018

Notre Dame is undefeated and sits in the No. 4 spot at this point, but the Fighting Irish may not have any margin for error. They have a tough road game coming up Saturday at Northwestern and another road game to close the regular season at USC. They also have a home game against Syracuse, sitting 19th in the CFP rankings.

If the Irish lose any of those games, they could find themselves on the outside looking in because they don't have an opportunity to play in a conference championship game, and that could work against them.

Healthy Tua Tagovailoa “excited” for challenge of Death Valley: https://t.co/IgD4HvQ3Ez

— Marq Burnett (@Marq_Burnett) October 30, 2018

5️⃣ for 5️⃣ - Crimson Tide have now been ranked in each of the initial #CFBPlayoff rankings. pic.twitter.com/IUWdYoiATi

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) October 30, 2018

That's just the opposite of Alabama because the Crimson Tide have a dominant team, and if it lost one regular-season game or the SEC title game, this team would almost certainly get the full respect from the committee.

Alabama lost a regular-season game last year, made it to the playoff and won the National Championship Game. The Crimson Tide face their biggest challenge of the season Saturday night at Tiger Stadium against LSU.

WE SEE YOU, @LSUfootball 👀

Tigers take the third spot, with the Fighting Irish rounding out the top 4 in the first CFP rankings reveal. pic.twitter.com/sfWXByxyXT

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 30, 2018

Even though LSU has had impressive wins this season against Miami, Auburn and Georgia, they are 14.5-point home underdogs to the Crimson Tide, per OddsShark.

Even if LSU manages the monumental upset, it would have to win out and take down an opponent from the SEC East in the conference title game. That opponent would most likely be Georgia or Kentucky.

Picking up where we left off in the CFP.#ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/hb2k8JJxgw

— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) October 30, 2018

Central Florida was unbeaten last year and is perfect once again this season. However, the Knights didn't make it into the playoff a year ago, and it appears to be an uphill fight again this year.

The Knights have a tough closing schedule, with games against Temple and South Florida, and they may be able to drum up support for a playoff appearance if they can have another undefeated season.

It is no surprise to see Alabama, Clemson, LSU and Notre Dame in the top four spots of the initial College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday.

However, there is a very good chance that one or more of those teams may not be among the top four teams that are in the playoffs at the end of the season.

The LSU Tigers have been one of the best stories in college football to this point in the season. They were not expected to be a top-10 or even top-20 team by many of the preseason college football publications. However, the addition of quarterback Joe Burrow has helped make the Bayou Bengals a dangerous team that competes hard every week and usually comes out on top.

Here’s the full #CFBPlayoff Top 2️⃣5️⃣ rankings for games played through October 27.

Is your team in? 👀 pic.twitter.com/CnmGi1MMVx

— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) October 30, 2018

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron has already seen his team register one monumental upset when it beat then-No. 2 Georgia earlier this month.

The 36-16 triumph opened eyes up around the nation, and it provided even more intrigue to this week's matchup with top-ranked Alabama. Many college football observers will say that there is no tougher place for a visiting team to play than Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night, and this is clearly the Crimson Tide's biggest challenge of the season to this point.

Alabama is a huge 14.5-point favorite over LSU, per OddsShark, and that's somewhat difficult to understand considering LSU's 7-1 record and home-field edge.

Alabama is the dominant team in college football and Nick Saban regularly has his team in the role of national title contender. However, the 2018 edition of the Crimson Tide appears to be the most explosive team he has coached, and they regularly light up the scoreboard based on the superb passing of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

It would be a surprise if Alabama didn't beat LSU and even if that happened, it would be a true shock if the Crimson Tide was not involved in the College Football Playoffs.

Clemson also has an excellent chance to hold onto its position as the No. 2 team in the nation. The Tigers are 8-0 and the rest of their schedule in the Atlantic Coast Conference is not overly challenging.

They will play No. 24 Boston College on the road on Nov. 10 and that appears to be the most difficult game on their schedule. However, it would be a major upset if Dabo Swinney's team lost that game or any other on the schedule.

LSU would almost certainly have to beat Alabama to hold onto its position. Even if they do, the Tigers would face another challenge in the SEC title game if they can finish the regular season without another loss.

Notre Dame may have a difficult time holding onto its top-four spot even though it is undefeated at 8-0. The Fighting Irish have tough road games remaining at Northwestern this week and traditional rival USC on Nov. 24. They also face 22nd-ranked Syracuse on Nov. 17.

Even if the Irish win all of those games, Notre Dame has no conference championship game, and that is likely to be a negative when the committee decides the four CFP teams.

However, if fifth-ranked Michigan wins out from this point, Notre Dame should have the edge over the Wolverines since the Fighting Irish beat them in September.

However, teams like No. 7 Oklahoma (7-1), No. 6 Georgia (7-1) and No. 10 Ohio State (7-1) will all have a chance to challenge the Fighting Irish if they win out. Central Florida, ranked 12th in the initial CFP rankings, faces a tough remaining schedule with games against Temple and South Florida to close out the season. However, if the Knights remain undefeated for the second straight season, they will gain quite a bit of support for a spot in the playoff.

Predictions

Alabama and Clemson are almost certain to compete in the College Football Playoff. If Alabama loses to LSU or in the SEC championship game, the Crimson Tide are still going to get in. Clemson makes it in because the Tigers will not lose the rest of the way.

We expect Notre Dame to get involved in a fight for its life Saturday on the road against Northwestern, but Brian Kelly's Fighting Irish will survive that game and also beat Syracuse and USC. The Irish may have to sweat out the final vote, but they will make the CFP for their first time in school history.

The fourth and final position will go to Michigan. The Wolverines have a sensational defense and are allowing just 14.4 points per game while scoring 36.0 points per game.

Michigan has been powerful since losing in Week 1 to Notre Dame, and we expect the Wolverines to win out, meaning they will handle Penn State this week and beat Ohio State in the regular-season finale. Michigan will be put to the test in the Big Ten championship game as well, but Jim Harbaugh's team should beat Iowa or Northwestern in that game.

The appearance of the Wolverines in the College Football Playoff will not sit well with Oklahoma fans, who believe their team should return to the playoffs if the Sooners can beat Texas Tech, archrival Oklahoma State and 12th-ranked West Virginia and an opponent in the Big 12 title game.

Despite going through that gauntlet, Oklahoma will find itself on the outside looking in.

College Football Playoff teams

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. Notre Dame

4. Michigan

The last weekend in October represents the start of the homestretch of the college football season.

The top teams have established themselves, and it's no surprise to see Alabama (8-0), Clemson (7-0), Notre Dame (7-0), LSU (7-1) and Michigan (7-1) in the top five spots in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll.

                

AP Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. LSU
5. Michigan
6. Texas
7. Georgia
8. Oklahoma
9. Florida
10. UCF
11. Ohio State
12. Kentucky
13. West Virginia
14. Washington State
15. Washington
16. Texas A&M
17. Penn State
18. Iowa
19. Oregon
20. Wisconsin
21. South Florida
22. NC State
23. Utah
24. Stanford
25. Appalachian State

              

October's final weekend and the month of November are all about getting into the top four positions and earning a spot in the College Football Playoff.

In many ways, the season is just getting started. Many teams will show off their strength through the first two months of the campaign, only to get exposed in the most crucial games.

Alabama looks like the strongest team in the nation by a fairly wide margin. The Crimson Tide have been solid on defense, and and they have also moved the ball on the ground. But Tua Tagovailoa's passing has separated Alabama from the rest of the college football world.

It seems that Nick Saban has his team playing for the national title every year, and this may be the strongest Alabama team of his tenure. The Crimson Tide is off in Week 9, but it does not mean Saban and his players are simply relaxing. Alabama has a titanic confrontation with LSU coming up next.

That Nov. 3 game at Baton Rouge will come under the lights and will be the most anticipated game of the regular season. While the Crimson Tide have been dominant, there may be no tougher place to play in the nation than Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night.

LSU is also off Saturday, and that should make it an even tougher game for the Crimson Tide. Quarterback Joe Burrow has keyed the Tigers' rise this season, and he has thrown for 1,544 yards and six touchdowns.

While Alabama prepares for that game, the Clemson Tigers go on the road to face the Florida State Seminoles (4-3). There is little doubt Clemson is the better team and that Florida State has not been the kind of team it has been in the past, but going on the road in front of a fired-up crowd that wants to spur the home team to an upset makes this a challenging assignment for Dabo Swinney's outfit.

Clemson depends on running back Travis Etienne (800 yards, 14 TDs), while the Seminoles need quarterback Deondre Francois (1,859 passing yards and 13 touchdowns) and wideout Nyqwan Murray (487 yards, 3 TDs) to have productive performances. Clemson is favored by 17 points, per OddsShark.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish usually get a challenge from the Navy Midshipmen (2-5), but that does not appear likely Saturday, as the service academy has struggled to play with consistency.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly is not likely to let his team take any opponent lightly, so look for a concerted effort from the Irish to put this game away in the first half. Quarterback Ian Book has thrown for 1,151 yards and 11 touchdowns, while wideout Miles Boykin has 512 yards and four TDs. The Fighting Irish are 24-point favorites.

Georgia (6-1) was in the top three for much of the season prior to its loss at LSU earlier in October, and the seventh-ranked Bulldogs have a huge confrontation with the archrival Florida Gators (6-1) in Jacksonville. The Bulldogs are seven-point favorites, but the game could come down to the final possession.

Jake Fromm has thrown for 1,409 yards and 13 touchdowns and Elijah Holyfield has rushed for 488 yards and four touchdowns, giving the Bulldogs a solid one-two punch. Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks has thrown for 1,406 yards and 15 touchdowns and is the key to the Gators attack.

No. 6 Texas (6-1) needs to be on upset alert as the Longhorns go to Oklahoma State (4-3) Saturday night. The Cowboys have not been as dangerous as they have been in previous seasons, but they have a dominant quarterback-running back combination in Taylor Cornelius (2,014 yards, 16 touchdowns) and Justice Hill (112 carries for 684 yards and 7 TDs).

The Longhorns are 3.5-point road favorites.

Eighth-ranked Oklahoma (6-1) is not likely to have much trouble with Kansas State in Norman, and this game could see quarterback Kyler Murray add significantly to his 1,977 passing yards and 25 TDs.

The other key games involving Top 25 matchups are in the Big Ten and Pac-12. The No. 18 Iowa Hawkeyes go on the road to face No. 17 Penn State at Beaver Stadium, while 14th-ranked Washington State goes to Northern California to play 24th-ranked Stanford.

Week 6 of the 2018 college football season is in the books, and Texas was the big winner in the latest AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches polls.

The Longhorns knocked off undefeated Oklahoma, which was joined by Auburn and LSU among notable teams that saw their title hopes take a major hit on Saturday.

We're still a few weeks away from the first College Football Playoff Top 25 release, so for now, let's take a closer look at the latest polls.

         

Week 7 Polls

AP

1. Alabama (6-0)

2. Georgia (6-0)

3. Ohio State (6-0)

4. Clemson (6-0)

5. Notre Dame (6-0)

6. West Virginia (5-0)

7. Washington (5-1)

8. Penn State (4-1)

9. Texas (5-1)

10. UCF (5-0)

11. Oklahoma (5-1)

12. Michigan (5-1)

13. LSU (5-1)

14. Florida (5-1)

15. Wisconsin (4-1)

16. Miami (5-1)

17. Oregon (4-1)

18. Kentucky (5-1)

19. Colorado (5-0)

20. NC State (5-0)

21. Auburn (4-2)

22. Texas A&M (4-2)

23. South Florida (5-0)

24. Mississippi State (4-2)

25. Cincinnati (5-0)

         

Amway Coaches

1. Alabama (6-0)

2. Georgia (6-0)

3. Ohio State (6-0)

4. Clemson (6-0)

5. Notre Dame (6-0)

6. West Virginia (5-0)

7. Washington (5-1)

8. Penn State (4-1)

9. UCF (5-0)

10. Wisconsin (4-1)

11. Oklahoma (5-1)

12. LSU (5-1)

13. Michigan (5-1)

14. Texas (5-1)

15. Miami (5-1)

16. Florida (5-1)

17. Oregon (4-1)

18. Colorado (5-0)

19. NC State (5-0)

20. Kentucky (5-1)

21. Auburn (4-2)

22. Texas A&M (4-2)

23. South Florida (5-0)

24. Stanford (4-2)

25. Cincinnati (5-0)

    

Huge Win for Texas, Not the End of the Line for Oklahoma

A thrilling 48-45 victory over Oklahoma vaulted Texas into the No. 9 spot in this week's AP poll, up from No. 19 last week.

Sam Ehlinger had a big day through the air and on the ground, throwing for 314 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 72 yards rushing and three more touchdowns.

The Longhorns have won five straight since suffering a shocking 34-29 loss to Maryland to start the season, and they join West Virginia at the top of the heap among Big 12 teams.

Those two will meet on Nov. 3 in Austin, Texas, for what is shaping up to be one of the biggest games of the season.

As for Oklahoma, it slipped to No. 11 in the AP poll but still has just one loss on the season.

With six undefeated teams perched atop the rankings, the Sooners no longer control their own destiny, but it's not out of the realm of possibility to think they could still climb back into the playoff picture.

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops was fired following Saturday's loss.

According to Chris Low and Jake Trotter of ESPN.com, the 48 points allowed this past weekend were the most ever scored against Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown.

"I'm extremely disappointed in my ability to get this team to play at a higher level. It takes everybody pulling the same way," Stoops told reporters. "Certainly, I take a lot of that responsibility. That's for sure."

After a bye week, the Sooners will head to Fort Worth to take on TCU on Oct. 20.

        

SEC Powerhouses Fall

While Oklahoma is still alive in the hunt for a spot in the postseason, Auburn watched its title hopes disappear over the weekend.

A 23-9 loss to Mississippi State on Saturday was the Tigers' second loss of the season, and it sent them plummeting from No. 8 to No. 21 in the AP poll.

Mississippi State dominated the time of possession (41:53 to 18:07) on Saturday while rushing for 349 yards on 57 carries.

"We're kind of bummed out as a defense because that's not our standard," senior linebacker Deshaun Davis told reporters. "No one's supposed to rush for that many yards on us."

Auburn also lost to LSU by one point earlier this season, but it was still regarded among the best one-loss teams in the country prior to picking up loss No. 2.

Speaking of LSU, it too suffered a tough loss on Saturday, falling 27-19 to Florida on the road.

That dropped the Tigers from No. 5 to No. 13 in the AP poll, and they now join a crowded field of one-loss teams hoping things break their way.

The SEC now stacks up as follows in the AP poll: Alabama (1), Georgia (2), LSU (13), Florida (14), Kentucky (18), Auburn (21), Texas A&M (22) and Mississippi State (24).

Texas and Florida are back. Auburn is headed backward. The Kentucky dream is over. 

But everyone remains looking up at Alabama.

The Crimson Tide continued their onslaught of the college football world with a 65-31 win over Arkansas and remain the top-ranked team in the latest Associated Press poll. Georgia, Ohio State and Clemson come next in an unchanged Top Four, but Notre Dame slides in the fifth spot after defeating Virginia Tech.

Here's a look at how the entire poll played out:

1. Alabama

2. Georgia

3. Ohio State

4. Clemson

5. Notre Dame

6. West Virginia

7. Washington

8. Penn State

9. Texas

10. UCF

11. Oklahoma

12. Michigan

13. LSU

14. Florida

15. Wisconsin

16. Miami

17. Oregon

18. Kentucky

19. Colorado

20. NC State

21. Auburn

22. Texas A&M

23. South Florida

24. Mississippi State

25. Cincinnati

The Irish moved up only one spot in the standings, but their win might have been the biggest of the week. Dexter Williams rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns while Ian Book threw for 271 yards and two scores, as the Notre Dame offense led the charge in a 45-23 win over Virginia Tech. The Irish pulled away in a 28-7 second half. 

Virginia Tech was the last remaining ranked opponent for the Irish. Barring another collapse against a lesser opponent, Notre Dame should have a strong chance at making the College Football Playoff.

"We're not at our ceiling yet at all," receiver Miles Boykin told reporters. "We're still pushing. We're still getting better every day, and I'm just looking forward to it."

Florida moved up eight spots in the rankings to No. 14 after a 27-19 home upset of LSU. Lamical Perine rushed for two touchdowns, and the team forced three Joe Burrow turnovers. The Tigers quarterback had not thrown a pick the entire season.

Florida inducted Tim Tebow into its Ring of Honor during the game. 

"I didn't want him to let him down that way," Florida coach Dan Mullen told reporters. "I know it's a night he'll never forget and the whole family will never forget. I know winning that game was kind of like a little cherry on top to make sure it was all smiles."

Texas also ascended 10 spots in the rankings to No. 9 after a thrilling 48-45 win over Oklahoma in the Red River shootout. Sam Ehlinger produced five total touchdowns, and Cameron Dicker nailed a 40-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining to stave off an Oklahoma comeback. The Sooners scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to tie the game, but Ehlinger led a game-winning drive.

Five different ranked teams dropped games to unranked opponents.

Auburn went tumbling back 13 spots to No. 22 after failing to score a touchdown in a 23-9 loss to Mississippi State. Kentucky's wild ascent up the national rankings ended when the Wildcats went on the road and dropped a 20-14 trip to Texas A&M. Stanford was also handed its second straight blowout loss, with Utah traveling to Palo Alto for a 40-21 triumph. The Cardinal are now unranked. 

Oklahoma State dropped out of the rankings after losing 48-42 at home to Iowa State. Michigan State is now unranked after a 29-19 loss to Northwestern. Virginia Tech was the fourth team to move out of the Top 25.

No. 22 Texas A&M, No. 23 South Florida, No. 24 Mississippi State and No. 25 Cincinnati replaced them.