College Football Polls

With most of the nation's top teams on bye and most others playing against lesser opponents, it was a quiet week in the Associated Press Top 25.

LSU remains the nation's top-ranked team, with Alabama one spot behind as the schools prepare for their clash next Saturday. Ohio State, Clemson and Penn State round out the unchanged Top Five. 

Here's how the entire poll played out:

1. LSU

2. Alabama

3. Ohio State

4. Clemson

5. Penn State

6. Georgia

7. Oregon

8. Utah

9. Oklahoma

10. Florida

11. Baylor

12. Auburn

13. Minnesota

14. Michigan

15. Notre Dame

16. Wisconsin

17. Cincinnati

18. Iowa

19. Memphis

20. Kansas State

21. Boise State

22. Wake Forest

23. SMU

24. San Diego State

25. Navy

There were only two Top 25 matchups on the slate, with Georgia moving up two slots to No. 6 after a 24-17 win over Florida. Jake Fromm threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns, and Lawrence Cager hauled in seven balls for 132 yards in the statement win.

"There's been a lot of outside noise, and this has been a challenge to our guys to not listen to the outside noise but to really jell within our locker room," Fromm told reporters. "To come out and respond and play the way we did today, it really shows what our guys are made of, their hearts and what we mean to each other."

Georgia has won the last three meetings over Florida in the longtime rivalry. The Gators dropped down two spots to No. 10 and saw their chances of reaching the playoffs fall by the wayside.

SMU's dream of playing playoff spoiler also crashed and burned Saturday in a 54-48 loss at Memphis. Brady White threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns, and a hard-charging SMU offense ran out of time in a raucous College GameDay atmosphere.

"This stage, this moment, this opportunity, they came out and they played with everything they had against a really good football team," Memphis coach Mike Norvell told reporters.

Given the quiet week, there was not much in the way of movement in the polls. Memphis' five-spot leap was the biggest recorded, while SMU dropped eight spots to No. 23.

Navy is the only new team in the Top 25, entering at No. 25 after beating UConn. 

Playoff hopes were ignited or extinguished Saturday, an undefeated team fell, and the matchup of the season is just six days away. 

It's a great time to be a college football fan.

But what does the Amway Coaches Poll look like heading into Week 11?

                 

Rankings

1. Alabama

2. LSU

3. Clemson 

4. Ohio State

5. Penn State

6. Georgia

7. Oregon

8. Oklahoma

9. Utah

10. Baylor

11. Florida

12. Auburn

13. Minnesota

14. Michigan

15. Notre Dame

16. Wisconsin

17. Cincinnati

18. Iowa

19. Memphis

20. Wake Forest

21. Boise State

22. Kansas State

23. SMU

24. San Diego State

25. Navy

Teams dropped from rankings: Appalachian State, Texas

               

The Georgia Bulldogs kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive Saturday. In the process, they extinguished those same aspirations for the Florida Gators.

Jake Fromm and the Bulldogs beat Florida 24-17 behind the quarterback's 279 passing yards and two touchdowns. That left Georgia alone atop the SEC East.

"There's been a lot of outside noise, and this has been a challenge to our guys to not listen to the outside noise but to really jell within our locker room," Fromm said after the game. "To come out and respond and play the way we did today, it really shows what our guys are made of, their hearts and what we mean to each other."

What a wonderful win by Georgia. Fromm so clutch. Give Kirby Smart credit. Everything still possible.

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) November 2, 2019

Georgia isn't out of the woods yet, with conference matchups against Missouri, Auburn and Texas A&M to come. And even if the Bulldogs reach the SEC title game, they'll still need to beat either Alabama or LSU to be firm contenders for a playoff spot.

But Saturday's win was still huge.

Whatever slim hopes SMU might have had of sneaking into the playoff conversation ended Saturday against Memphis, meanwhile, as the Tigers handed the Mustangs their first loss of the season in a 54-48 thriller.

Brady White (350 passing yards, three touchdowns) and Antonio Gibson (227 yards from scrimmage, three total touchdowns) were incredible for Memphis in the American Athletic showdown.

How did he score on this? 😱 pic.twitter.com/hAi5M2cyQQ

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 3, 2019

https://twitter.com/smartfootball/status/1190827108853059585

My word. What a run for Memphis.

— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) November 3, 2019

"The momentum swings, there were highs, there were lows," Memphis head coach Mike Norvell said. "There was a great response from our Memphis Tigers. I want to say thank you to Memphis. Memphis had an opportunity to be showcased, and much like this football team, it rose to the occasion."

How wild is the AAC this year? With the win, the one-loss Tigers aren't even atop the AAC West. No, that distinction belongs to Navy, while Cincinnati sits atop the East. Five teams in total have just one (or zero) conference loss.

Beyond those results and a Georgia Southern upset of Appalachian State, chalk held.

Looking ahead, no matchup this season will be more anticipated than Saturday's showdown between LSU and Alabama in Tuscaloosa. It's a game that not only will likely decide the SEC West but also one with enormous implications for the playoff picture.

Other matchups to watch include a pair of Big Ten contests between ranked teams when Penn State faces Minnesota and Iowa takes on Wisconsin.

After a week of exciting matchups and upsets, there was a new look to the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday.

LSU ascended to the nation's No. 1 ranking after beating Auburn, pushing Alabama down to the No. 2 slot, and Oklahoma's loss to Kansas State led to Penn State's ascension to No. 5. No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Clemson rounded out the Top Five.

Here's a look at the rankings:

1. LSU

2. Alabama

3. Ohio State

4. Clemson

5. Penn State

6. Florida

7. Oregon

8. Georgia

9. Utah

10. Oklahoma

11. Auburn

12. Baylor

13. Minnesota

14. Michigan

15. SMU

16. Notre Dame

17. Cincinnati

18. Wisconsin

19. Iowa

20. Appalachian State

21. Boise State

22. Kansas State

23. Wake Forest

24. Memphis

25. San Diego State

The Sooners' national championship hopes are on life support after their defense fell apart in a 48-41 loss at the Wildcats. Skylar Thompson rushed for four touchdowns and Kansas State scampered for 213 yards to overcome another sensational performance by Jalen Hurts. The Oklahoma quarterback threw for 395 yards and added 96 on the ground, accounting for four touchdowns.

"I don't have any idea on the lines and spreads, thank God," Kansas State coach Chris Klieman told reporters. "I mean, yeah, it was a statement win for our guys. I told the seniors, 'How many more opportunities are you going to have to play in front of your home crowd?'"

Oklahoma dropped five spots after losing to the 21.5-point underdog.

Notre Dame and Auburn also dropped in the rankings after losses in Top 25 competition. The Fighting Irish were outclassed from the opening snap in a 45-14 loss to Michigan, ending all hopes they had of getting in the College Football Playoff as a one-loss team. The win was critical for the Wolverines and especially coach Jim Harbaugh, who was facing criticism after a loss at Penn State.

"Some of the tests that the team has gone through, you can make a lot of growth from it," Harbaugh told reporters.

Auburn gave LSU its toughest test of the season, losing 23-20 in Baton Rouge. The homestanding Tigers got great efforts from their defense and Joe Burrow in his quest to win the Heisman Trophy. Burrow threw for 321 yards and a touchdown against an interception and added another score on the ground.

The biggest loser of the week was Texas, which dropped from No. 15 all the way out of the Top 25 after a 37-27 loss at TCU. Sam Ehlinger threw four interceptions, and the Longhorns lost for the second time in three games.

No. 22 Kansas State, No. 24 Memphis and No. 25 San Diego State moved into the Top 25.

The contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pretenders. 

On Saturday, a number of teams proved they deserve to be considered the former with big-time wins, while a handful of other teams made their ways to the latter designation. And the latest Amway Coaches Poll reflects those results.

Below we will take a look at the Week 10 poll, along with breaking down the Week 9 games that had the biggest impacts on the rankings.

                       

Rankings

1. Alabama

2. LSU

3. Clemson

4. Ohio State

5. Penn State

6. Florida

7. Georgia

8. Oregon

9. Oklahoma

10. Utah

11. Baylor 

12. Auburn

13. Minnesota

14. SMU

15. Michigan

16. Notre Dame

17. Wisconsin

18. Cincinnati

19. Iowa

20. Appalachian State

21. Boise State

22. Wake Forest

23. Memphis

24. Texas

25. Kansas State

Dropped from rankings: Arizona State.

                 

Recap

Bring on Alabama vs. LSU.

We may have to wait until Nov. 9 for the crucial showdown between the Crimson Tide and Tigers—a matchup that will almost assuredly decide the SEC West and have enormous implications for the College Football Playoff—but both teams reminded the college football world they are legitimate contenders Saturday.

Alabama, despite playing without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, rolled Arkansas 48-7, while LSU put another statement win on its resume, beating Auburn 23-20.

For both teams, the quarterbacks came up huge. Mac Jones was excellent in relief duty for the Crimson Tide, finishing 18-of-22 for 253 yards and three touchdowns. That was more than enough for an Alabama defense that was dominant, forcing four turnovers and holding Arkansas to just 213 total yards.

There were major question marks about how Jones would perform in Tagovailoa's stead. But the pressure clearly didn't get to him.

"I felt really prepared and we were prepared," he said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "It's football and I've been playing since I was 5 and everybody around me has been playing since they were 5. So no big deal."

LSU's Joe Burrow kept his name in the Heisman conversation, meanwhile, with another big-time performance Saturday. Burrow did it through the air (32-of-42 for 321 yards, a touchdown and an interception) and on the ground (13 rushes for 31 yards and a score).

"We showed toughness today," Burrow said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "It was not a pretty win by any means. SEC games aren't going to be pretty. When you can come out on top of a top-10 team and feel like you could have played better, it's always a good thing."

Not every team can call their Week 9 performance a good thing, however. Oklahoma saw their playoff aspirations take a major hit with a shock 48-41 loss to Kansas State. Wisconsin's playoff hopes are dead after they were rolled 38-7 by Ohio State. And Michigan buried Notre Dame's playoff dreams with a 45-14 thrashing, compounded by a beatdown on social media after the contest.

Dear @NDFootball, we need to take a break. We’ve been doing this for a while now and we need our space. We’re glad we could end on good terms, thank you for not being defensive. Let’s keep in touch and maybe we’ll try again in 14 years if you’re still independent. 👋

— Michigan Athletics 〽️ (@UMichAthletics) October 27, 2019

But while Wisconsin and Notre Dame already had one loss coming into Saturday, Oklahoma had been unblemished. That made Saturday's defeat—highlighted by a controversial ruling on late-game onside kick attempt—all the harder to stomach for the folks in Norman and all the sweeter for the Wildcats.

"Oklahoma isn't a team that is used to facing adversity very well," Kansas State defensive end Wyatt Hubert said after the game, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "If you can put their backs against the wall, things are going to go more smoothly."

Oklahoma couldn't handle having their backs against the wall Saturday. Two SEC teams will have the chance to prove they can in Week 10, with a major showdown looming.

The SEC East may be decided when Georgia travels to Gainesville to face Florida. That game should also have major playoff aspirations, with the loser all but out of the discussion and the winner giving themselves the inside track at the SEC Championship Game, which serves as another statement contest for the College Football Playoff committee to consider.

Beyond that, a major showdown in the American Athletic Conference will have reverberations on the rankings in general when the undefeated SMU faces one-loss Memphis. It's a crucial AAC West showdown, and another statement win from SMU would surely vault them even further up the rankings.

With one marquee Top 25 matchup and a huge upset, the Big Ten took centerstage in the college football landscape this weekend. 

Penn State's narrow victory over Michigan and Wisconsin's upset loss to Illinois represent two of the most notable results in the latest Associated Press Top 25.

The Top Five in the poll is unchanged, albeit in a different order. Alabama held on to the No. 1 spot despite an injury to Tua Tagovailoa and LSU sitting at No. 2 close behind, but Trevor Lawrence's continued struggles again dropped Clemson another spot. Ohio State moves into the No. 3 ranking, followed by Clemson and Oklahoma.

Here is how the entire Top 25 played out:

1. Alabama

2. LSU

3. Ohio State

4. Clemson

5. Oklahoma

6. Penn State

7. Florida

8. Notre Dame

9. Auburn

10. Georgia

11. Oregon

12. Utah

13. Wisconsini

14. Baylor

15. Texas

16. SMU

17. Minnesota

18. Cincinnati

19. Michigan

20. Iowa

21. Appalachian State

22. Boise State

23. Iowa State

24. Arizona State

25. Wake Forest

The major changes don't begin until No. 6, with Wisconsin replaced by a Penn State team that's looking increasingly like a playoff contender. The Lions opened their 28-21 win over Michigan with a 21-0 lead in the first half before holding on with a fourth-quarter goal-line stand. KJ Hamler played a starring role with 108 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions, also making plays in the return game.

"We didn't play our best in all three phases today. But we played well enough to win the game," Penn State coach James Franklin told reporters after the game. "Guys made plays when they needed to. It was a chess match all night long."

Penn State travels to struggling Michigan State next week and will be heavily favored in its next three games before a Nov. 23 trip to Ohio State. 

Of course, being heavily favored isn't the same as getting the job done. Wisconsin found that out the hard way Saturday, allowing Illinois to score the game's final 10 points in a shocking 24-23 loss in Champaign. James McCourt hit a 39-yard field goal as time expired to give the Illini their first Big Ten win of the season.

"Our program, we needed to get a signature win," coach Lovie Smith told reporters. "I was just hoping today was the day, and the day came."

Illinois is the first 30-point underdog to win since 2017, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

BYU was not quite a 30-point dog against Boise State. Its 28-25 upset of No. 14 Boise State was not less surprising, though. The Cougars scored three touchdowns in the third quarter and held on late to take Boise out of the playoff spoiler role. 

The loss sent Boise State shuffling backward eight spots to No. 22. Missouri, which lost to unranked Vanderbilt, was one of two teams to exit the Top 25. Washington's narrow loss to Oregon also sent the Huskies outside of the rankings.

No. 23 Iowa State and No. 25 Wake Forest moved into the Top 25. 

Week 7 was one hell of a wild ride. 

From crucial conference matchups to one particularly stunning upset, the race for the College Football Playoff took a few interesting twists and turns Saturday that had interesting repercussions on the Amway Coaches Poll as well.  

Below, we'll take a look at the new rankings and take a look back at how we got here.

              

Rankings

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. LSU

4. Ohio State

5. Oklahoma

6. Wisconsin

7. Penn State

8. Notre Dame

9. Florida

10. Georgia

11. Auburn

12. Oregon 

13. Boise State

14. Utah

15. Texas

16. Michigan

17. Arizona State

18. Baylor

19. SMU

20. Minnesota

21. Cincinnati 

22. Iowa

23. Washington

24. Appalachian State

25. Temple 

Teams dropped from rankings: Wake Forest, Virginia, Memphis, Texas A&M.

                

Recap

Saturday was a huge day around college football, and no result was more shocking than South Carolina's 20-17 upset win over Georgia in double overtime, a result that had major reverberations atop the rankings.

The Bulldogs and quarterback Jake Fromm—who had four turnovers in the loss—will be kicking themselves for dropping a game that saw them win the yardage battle 468-297 and hold a significant advantage in time of possession (36:04).

Jake Fromm … buddy.

— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) October 12, 2019

Not Jake Fromm’s finest day. 😑

— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) October 12, 2019

Never understood the Fromm hype. He’s decent, but nowhere near the top-shelf QBs in this class. pic.twitter.com/NslAO4EmNu

— Luke Easterling (@LukeEasterling) October 12, 2019

But overcoming four turnovers from Fromm and two missed field goals from Rodrigo Blankenship was beyond the Bulldogs on Saturday.

"You can't beat anybody when you have a 4-0 turnover margin," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said after the game, per the Associated Press. "We didn't force any on defense. We didn't cause any problems on defense and we didn't take care of the ball."

The one positive for Georgia on the day was that the loss didn't dramatically hurt their chances at winning the SEC East and earning a berth in the conference title game after LSU knocked off Florida 42-28 behind strong performances from Heisman hopeful Joe Burrow (293 passing yards, three touchdowns) and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (134 rushing yards, two scores).

But Burrow said it was LSU's offensive line that stole the show.

"We knew that last year they got after us up front. Our offensive line took that personally," he said, per the AP. "I was just so proud of those guys. There was no pressure the entire night."

Alabama hasn't been put under much pressure yet this season, easily dispatching of the best opponent it has yet to face in Texas A&M on Saturday 47-28. Tua Tagovailoa continued to build his Heisman resume, throwing for 293 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.

Speaking of Heisman candidacies, Jalen Hurts kept his name in the ring by leading Oklahoma to a 34-27 win over Texas in the Red River Shootout. Hurts did it through the air (235 passing yards, three touchdowns, one interception) and on the ground (17 rushes for 131 yards and a score), consistently coming up with big play after big play when the Sooners needed them. 

The quarterback play in college football has been unbelievable this season. I marveled at what I saw in person between Texas and Oklahoma, what I saw on my TV between Alabama and Texas A&M, and what I am watching now between Florida and LSU. A new golden age.

— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) October 13, 2019

But Hurts was more focused on what he could have done better Saturday.

"I would say I didn't put the team in the greatest and best situation," he said, according to the AP. "Not a complete game, but a step in the right direction."

And one step closer to a playoff berth for the Sooners.

The score doesn’t reflect it but Oklahoma has really kicked Texas’ butt today

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) October 12, 2019

Those weren't the only key results of the day, as Clemson smoked Florida State, Penn State traveled to Iowa and left with a 17-12 win, and Notre Dame escaped with a three-point win over USC.

The big matchups will only keep coming. The Nittany Lions host the Michigan Wolverines next Saturday night, while Week 8 will also include a key Pac-12 showdown between Arizona State and Utah and Temple battling SMU fresh off the Owls upset win over of Memphis. 

Not the loaded slate college fans were treated to in Week 7, but some solid matchups nonetheless. 

A relatively quiet schedule led to a stasis atop the latest Associated Press college football rankings. 

Top-ranked Alabama and second-ranked Clemson were idle, while the remainder of the Top Five (No. 3 Georgia, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 5 LSU) pulled off easy victories.

Here is a look at how the entire Top 25 played out:

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

T-3. Georgia

T-3. Ohio State

5. LSU

6. Oklahoma

7. Florida

8. Wisconsin

9. Notre Dame

10. Penn State

11. Texas

12. Auburn

13. Oregon

14. Boise State

15. Utah

16. Michigan

17. Iowa

18. Arizona State

19. Wake Forest

20. Virginia

21. SMU

22. Baylor

23. Memphis

24. Texas A&M

25. Cincinnati 

The biggest change is Florida moving up from No. 10 to No. 7 after earning a 24-13 victory over Auburn. The Gators sealed the game with an 88-yard run by Lamical Perine, who finished with 130 yards on 14 carries. Florida's defense picked off Bo Nix three times, which offset Kyle Trask's three fumbles. Trask threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns.

"It's a big win tonight. It won't mean a whole lot by tomorrow morning. We move on to LSU tomorrow morning," Florida coach Dan Mullen told reporters. "We're building. I know what the Gator Standard is, and I know what the expectations are here. Trust me, my expectations are higher than everybody in the Gator Nation.

"We want to play in these big games; we want to have Top 10 matchups in The Swamp. We want to win these big games. You have to learn and get that mindset that winning a big-time game like this means you have to show up tomorrow and get ready to win an even bigger one next week. That's what it's like in the SEC."

Ohio State also earned a 34-10 win over then-No. 25 Michigan State.  

In the week's other Top 25 matchup, Michigan earned an ugly 10-3 win over Iowa. The Wolverines picked off Nate Stanley three times, overcoming their own offensive struggles to move up three spots to No. 16. Michigan has scored just 24 points in two games against ranked opponents this season.

"They had a great plan as far as their blitzes were concerned," Stanley told reporters. "They did a lot of things that were very hard on us pickup-wise, probably the hardest we've seen all year, and quite possibly the hardest we'll see all year."

Three ranked teams were upset by unranked opponents, highlighted by No. 15 Washington's 23-13 loss to Stanford. Cameron Scarlett rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown as the Cardinal controlled the clock for more than 39 minutes. 

"They played more physical than we did and they did a better job," Washington coach Chris Petersen told reporters. "We have to get better in the passing game. We needed touchdowns. Field goals are not going to do against this team."

UCF dropped out of the Top 25 with a 27-24 loss to Cincinnati, while Oklahoma State also fell out of the rankings after taking a 45-35 defeat at Texas Tech. 

No. 22 Baylor, No. 23 Memphis and No. 25 Cincinnati moved into the Top 25. 

Alabama and Clemson have dominated the college football world during the past four seasons, but Week 6 hinted at the fact there may be a changing of the guard this year. 

While the Crimson Tide and Tigers were on byes, fellow national title contenders rolled in impressive fashion and further solidified their spots near the top of the newest Amway Coaches Poll.

The Ohio State Buckeyes steamrolled Michigan State in their first significant test of the year, the Georgia Bulldogs overcame a slow start and handled Tennessee in a blowout win, the LSU Tigers had no trouble with Utah State, the Oklahoma Sooners took care of Kansas and the Wisconsin Badgers continued to run all over teams with a shutout win over Kent State.

What's more, the Florida Gators picked up a critical SEC win against Auburn in the game of the week. The Michigan Wolverines notched arguably the second-most important win on Saturday with a home victory over Iowa to stay alive in the Big Ten race.

Here is a look at how the Week 6 action impacted the Amway Coaches Poll leading into a blockbuster Week 7:

          

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

2. Clemson Tigers

3. Georgia Bulldogs

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

5. Oklahoma Sooners

6. LSU Tigers

7. Florida Gators

8. Wisconsin Badgers

9. Penn State Nittany Lions

10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

11. Texas Longhorns

12. Auburn Tigers

13. Oregon Ducks

14. Boise State Broncos

15. Utah Utes

16. Michigan Wolverines

17. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

18. Iowa Hawkeyes

19. Virginia Cavaliers

20. Memphis Tigers

21. Texas A&M Aggies

22. SMU Mustangs

23. Baylor Bears

24. Arizona State Sun Devils

25. Minnesota Golden Gophers

         

There is no shortage of intriguing games on the upcoming Saturday slate, but two stand out in particular.

The Red River Rivalry will provide clarity in the Big 12 race and elevate the winner firmly into the middle of the College Football Playoff race. Texas already has a close loss to LSU on its resume, but a victory over Oklahoma would move it ahead of its rival in the rankings and announce the return of the Longhorns to the national discussion.

Texas handed the Sooners their only regular-season loss in 2018, but Kyler Murray led Oklahoma to a revenge win in the Big 12 Championship Game and clinched a spot in the CFP in the process.

It will be up to Jalen Hurts to do the same this year, and the Alabama transfer is no stranger to big games from his time with the Crimson Tide. He won the 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and helped lead Alabama to multiple CFP appearances, so he won't be intimidated by the stage against Texas.

Jalen Hurts is an offensive machine 🔥

He finished with 4 TDs (total) and led No. 6 Oklahoma to a 45-20 win over Kansas. pic.twitter.com/LgEw5o4NcQ

— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) October 5, 2019

Hurts is playing like a Heisman Trophy candidate this year and has completed 75.2 of his passes for 1,523 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 499 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. The only thing missing from his 2019 resume is a marquee win, but that could change Saturday.

The showdown between Oklahoma and Texas isn't the only conference game with national title implications.

Life in the daunting SEC means Florida doesn't get much time to revel in its win over Auburn before another test. It travels to LSU to play the Tigers under the lights in Death Valley, which is as difficult as it gets for hostile environments across the country.

LSU has a transfer Heisman candidate of its own in Joe Burrow. The Ohio State transfer has completed 78.4 percent of his passes for 1,864 yards and 22 touchdowns and torched the Longhorns for 471 yards and four touchdowns through the air in a crucial road win.

Joe Burrow put up video game numbers against Utah State:

🕹 27/38 for 344 yards
🕹 5 TDs
🕹 Led LSU to 42-6 win pic.twitter.com/3j5ka2FkYV

— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) October 5, 2019

He will have the home fans behind him this time as he looks to pass another test in a schedule that still features games against Auburn and Alabama.

The notable undercard games in Week 7 include Alabama hitting the road to face Texas A&M, Wisconsin going up against Michigan State's strong defense, Notre Dame's second big test against a national brand versus USC and Penn State putting its undefeated record on the line at Iowa.

With a slate like that, there is sure to be a shake-up in the next rankings.

It was a little too close for comfort, but Clemson got past North Carolina in a 21-20 win.

The Tigers didn't, however, do enough to hold off Alabama from taking their No. 1 ranking in the latest Associated Press poll.  

Alabama moved up one spot to unseat Clemson as the nation's top-ranked team, with the Tigers sliding back to No. 2. Georgia remains at No. 3, while Ohio State jumped over LSU to take the No. 4 spot.

Here is how the entire poll played out:

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. Georgia

4. Ohio State

5. LSU

6. Oklahoma

7. Auburn

8. Wisconsin

9. Notre Dame

10. Florida

11. Texas

12. Penn State

13. Oregon

14. Iowa

15. Washington

16. Boise State

17. Utah

18. UCF

19. Michigan

20. Arizona State

21. Oklahoma State

22. Wake Forest

23. Virginia

24. SMU

25. Texas A&M

North Carolina came within a two-point conversion of taking down Clemson, with coach Mack Brown choosing to go for the win after a Javonte Williams touchdown run. 

"I am unbelievably proud of our guys for finding a way to win, because that's what it's all about," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told reporters. "Obviously, made enough mistakes to lose the game. I'd probably say they outplayed us. We had a lot of mistakes. A lot of critical errors at critical times. But when we had to make a play, we made it and that's what winners do."

Aside from the Clemson scare, it was a rather nondescript week among college football's elite. No other Top 10 team had a game within one score, and four of the nation's top 15 teams were on bye.

The biggest upset of the week saw No. 15 Cal drop a one-score game to Arizona State. Eno Benjamin rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns for the Sun Devils, who benefited from Cal losing quarterback Chase Garbers in the first half. Backup Devon Moster completed just five of his 13 passes for 23 yards and an interception.

"They outplayed us in every facet of the game," Cal linebacker Evan Weaver told reporters. "Can't play very well and can't win games when you're not even making the simple plays, and we didn't today. That was it."

Only two matchups of Top 25 teams were on the schedule, with Notre Dame pulling away in the second half for a 35-20 win over Virginia and Washington dominating in a 28-14 victory against USC. Washington has won three straight games since being upset by Cal, while the Irish bounced back from their loss to Georgia.

No. 20 Arizona State, No. 21 Oklahoma State, No. 22 Wake Forest and No. 24 SMU all moved into the Top 25. 

The big boys in college football all survived over the weekend, but that doesn't mean the rankings stayed the same. With a number of close calls and upsets further down the rankings, the Week 6 Amway Coaches Poll has a different look than a week ago.  

Below, we'll take a look at those rankings and how we got here.

              

Rankings

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. Georgia

4. Oklahoma

5. Ohio State

6. LSU

7. Auburn

8. Florida

9. Wisconsin

10. Notre Dame

11. Penn State

12. Texas

13. Oregon

14. Iowa

15. Boise State

16. Washington

17. Utah

18. Michigan

19. UCF

20. Wake Forest

21. Texas A&M

22. Virginia

23. Michigan State

24. Memphis

25. Oklahoma State

Teams dropped from rankings: California, Kansas State, USC

                               

Recap

Take a deep breath, Clemson fans.

The Tigers survived an unexpected scare from North Carolina on Saturday, winning 21-20 after stopping North Carolina's two-point conversion attempt with a little over a minute on the clock. 

BIG STOP! CLEMSON WINS! 🤯 #ALLIN #MustSeeACC | @ClemsonFB pic.twitter.com/Ydl8BypHIg

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) September 28, 2019

"It came down to one play and that's what happens a lot of times," head coach Dabo Swinney said after the close call, per Sam Marsdale of 247Sports.com.

"We made the play that we had to make to win the game. ... As far as the totality of the game, just a lot of mistakes and we can learn from, but again, much more thankful that we can learn from it with a win than a loss. We are very fortunate that we were able to win that game."

That close call had many folks wondering if the Tigers were overrated:

I don’t know who I’ll put at No. 1 in the @CBSSports 130 this week. I know that it won’t be Clemson. Take the preseason ranking out of it. There’s no reason to put them at No. 1 based on this season’s body of work.

— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) September 29, 2019

Alabama. Ohio State. Oklahoma. All should be over Clemson https://t.co/RbD4wwVxBP

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) September 29, 2019

My Week 5 observations: Clemson is ranked No. 1 but it isn't the best college football team https://t.co/KCmdtjAlg3 via ⁦@usatodaysports⁩

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) September 29, 2019

Regardless, they survived. And while they did so, most of the other top teams cruised.

Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Auburn and Florida all secured blowout wins. Wisconsin held Northwestern to just three points for three quarters, eventually winning 24-15 and showing that its performance against Michigan was no fluke.

And Notre Dame's defense came up huge in a 35-20 win over a tough Virginia side, coming away with eight sacks and five turnovers while holding the Cavaliers to a paltry four rushing yards on 29 attempts.

Eight sacks. Five turnovers. Four rushing touchdowns. One Irish victory.#GoIrish ☘️ pic.twitter.com/Amn32vi0PY

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 28, 2019

"They were exactly what I wanted them to be—they were determined, they were persistent," head coach Brian Kelly said about the team's win a week after losing against Georgia, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "We were determined to play physical in the second half. We got a big-play defense. If we can make more plays on offense, this could be a special group."

But while the top teams all prevailed this week, a number of upsets still shook up the rankings.

In the Big 12, Oklahoma State knocked off Kansas State 26-13, while in the latest twist from what has already been a wild Pac-12 season, Arizona State upset California 24-17.

Washington intercepted quarterback Matt Fink three times to beat USC 28-14. The Huskies held USC to just 163 yards through the air, handing the Trojans their second loss of the season in the process.

The Dawgs defended their territory. 😤

@e_mold3n's first career interception and @ahmedsalvon's 8️⃣9️⃣-yard TD helped @UW_Football fend off USC. pic.twitter.com/cwoiZA7HEb

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) September 28, 2019

More major results will be inbound in Week 6, which has some doozies on the schedule. Michigan will look to keep its Big Ten title hopes alive against Iowa, while Auburn will take on Florida in a battle of Top 10 SEC teams.

Ohio State will look to survive against Michigan State, always a tough matchup for the Buckeyes, while California will hope to bounce back against Oregon. 

Finally, the Big 12 has exciting matchups on the schedule. Texas will face a tough test against West Virginia, and Kansas State will take on Baylor.

The college football season hasn't yet had its defining upset. That could change in Week 6, with a number of contenders facing major tests.