Alabama jumps to No. 1 in college football rankings for Week 6

Change is the order of the day when it comes to college football’s top 25 rankings just a month into a 2024 season marked by decisive statement wins, and losses, and this past weekend gave AP top 25 voters plenty to work with, especially after a historic Georgia vs. Alabama showdown.

The votes are in: Alabama is the new No. 1 team in college football, displacing Texas as the top dog in the nation, although the SEC is dominating as a whole, taking up 4 of the top 5 spots in the polls.

Other teams are on the move across the Big Ten, as well, after Penn State stayed undefeated by handing Illinois its first loss, and in the wide-open Big 12, as Oklahoma State dropped a second straight conference game, and BYU remains perfect after taking down an upset-minded Baylor.

Louisville, which has designs on exploiting a more competitive ACC title picture, lost its first game of the season in a mistake-prone 7-point decision on the road against Notre Dame, which, in turn, boosted its playoff hopes with a win over a ranked opponent.

Ole Miss was a big loser over the weekend, dropping its SEC opener at home against unranked Kentucky after cruising through its non-conference slate, and the Rebels were among those teams that lost some confidence on the AP top 25 ballots.

Where does that leave things in the updated college football rankings? Here’s where things stand in the new poll, according to AP top 25 voters.

First-place votes in parentheses

1. Alabama (40)
2. Texas (19)
3. Ohio State (4)
4. Tennessee
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Penn State
8. Miami
9. Missouri
10. Michigan
11. USC
12. Ole Miss
13. LSU
14. Notre Dame
15. Clemson
16. Iowa State
17. BYU
18. Utah
19. Oklahoma
20. Kansas State
21. Boise State
22. Louisville
23. Indiana
24. Illinois
25. UNLV and Texas A&M (tie)

How did we do? Our AP top 25 prediction

And … The Coaches Poll top 25 rankings

These teams got votes this week, but not enough to qualify for the rankings

Arizona 106, Pittsburgh 42, Nebraska 30, Boston College 18, Iowa 17, James Madison 13, Oklahoma St. 8, South Carolina 8, Rutgers 7, Kentucky 6, Navy 6, SMU 4, Army 2, Colorado 1.

Alabama (Up 3). As we projected, the Crimson Tide jumped to the No. 1 position in the country after a statement victory against Georgia.

Georgia (Down 3). The Bulldogs’ comeback bid late in that game was enough for voters to keep this team in the top-five, but they still failed the first of three huge road tests.

Ole Miss (Down 6). A loss at home to unranked Kentucky has voters re-evaluating the Rebels.

Utah (Down 8). Losing at home to unranked Arizona hurts the Utes in the short-term, and we’re still wondering when quarterback Cam Rising will come back.

Louisville (Down 7). Tyler Shough and the Cardinals’ offense tried to make it a game late at Notre Dame, but instead suffered their first loss of the year.

ACC: Miami, Pittsburgh, Duke

Big 12: BYU, Iowa State

Big Ten: Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Indiana, Rutgers

SEC: Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Missouri

Sun Belt: James Madison

AAC: Army, Navy

CUSA: Liberty

Mountain West: UNLV

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