College Football Power Rankings: Week 6 (2021)
With so many ranked matchups this Saturday, it’s no surprise this week’s power rankings feature some of the biggest movers and shake-ups of any edition so far this year.
Cincinnati proved themselves as a bonafide playoff threat, Kentucky notched one of the most important wins in program history, Alabama silenced any doubters questioning the effectiveness of their defense, and Georgia just kept on steamrolling. Week 5 was one of the most fun weeks of the season so far, and the best is yet to come as the conference schedules heat up.
Let’s take a look at this week’s power rankings to see who rose, who fell, and who’s new to the party.
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College Football Power Rankings Week 6
* (NR) = not ranked in last week's power rankings
Big Movers
Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky notched one of the biggest wins in program history, as they toppled the then-10th ranked Florida Gators in what was all things considered - a really ugly game. But apparently, that's the style the Wildcats like to play. Sure, they were helped by an incredible 15 penalties from the Gators, and sure Kentucky keeps playing in these close games that really could go in either direction. But they keep winning them. So until they convince us otherwise, they're one of the better teams in the SEC.
Oregon Ducks
This section is usually filled with teams who've moved up, but a bunch of teams took a tumble this week, headlined by the Ducks. Oregon had been playing with fire over the past few weeks, narrowly squeaking by teams and dealing with injuries at key positions. Not this week. Despite a valiant second-half comeback, Oregon blew a 99.9% expected win probability with under two minutes to go and fell to the Cardinal in overtime.
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks climbed all the way up to eighth in my rankings because they played so hard and were so darn tough. Not on Saturday in Athens. They managed just five first downs through three quarters and got shut out by Georgia, a team who doesn't look very beatable right now. Did I expect Arkansas to win? No, but I did expect them to score and keep it closer than 37 points.
Florida Gators
I never expected the Gators to blow Kentucky out; there was certainly an expected letdown after nearly beating the Crimson Tide. But 15 penalties? Eight false starts? Thirteen points? Yuck. Really ugly performance from both the Gators and the coaching staff.
Newcomers
Arizona State Sun Devils
The Sun Devils are back after a three-week absence from my top 25. They rolled over the Bruins, who've fallen on hard times since a roaring start to the year. Arizona State leveraged a few big plays to vault themselves right back into contention for the Pac-12 crown.
SMU Mustangs
When is the last time SMU didn't have one of the best offenses in the country? They're back at it again, putting up 40 for the third time already this year and topping 35 points for the fifth time in five games. They'll go toe-to-toe with some other strong offenses before meeting Cincinnati, so they've got a chance to really legitimize themselves.
Texas Longhorns
Am I falling for the Texas trap again? Probably, but if nothing else, the Longhorns offense has taken the shape Steve Sarkisian wants them to - by converting in the red zone. They've scored touchdowns on 20 of 26 trips inside the 20-yard line and kicked four more field goals. They'll have to continue doing that if they want to beat Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown.
San Diego State Aztecs
How often is it that a team doesn't play, yet climbs in the rankings? Not very often, but the Aztecs' time off proved to me that they're just better than some of these other teams that are hovering around the tail end of the Top 25. A date with New Mexico, while not a quality opponent by any means, should help the Aztecs open some eyes when they return to the field this weekend.
Random Musings
BYU Cougars
Is there a tougher team in the country than the Cougars? As of now - no. BYU won their second-straight game with a backup quarterback and even had to turn to their third-stringer late in this one against Utah State. This game was never in doubt, and despite Utah State not being one of the better teams in the country, it's always a tough place to play. But BYU wasn't fazed in the slightest. This team is for real.
Michigan Wolverines
Like with Texas, I'm always incredibly cautious with Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines. They'll reel you in and just as quickly as they did, they'll let you down. This team just feels different to me, however. They run the football as well as anyone in the country, their defense is good enough to win them some games, and their passing game finally showed signs of life. Wisconsin isn't as good as we expected this year and Graham Mertz did get hurt, but a 17-point win in Madison isn't something to brush off as insignificant.
Michigan State Spartans
Going back almost a decade now, Michigan State has been known as a team with a quality defense, a solid running game, but a lackluster passing game with few weapons to speak of. Not anymore. The Spartans had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher, and two 100-yard receivers and put up 48 points against Western Kentucky - the fourth time they've scored 38-plus this season.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
To quote the late Dennis Green - they are who we thought they were. We knew coming into this season this Irish team was in a transition year, and their first three games were proof of that. Then they rolled over a weakened Wisconsin team and we all got a bit too high on them. Cincinnati is a good team, but Brian Kelly needs to pick a quarterback and not use three. Jack Coan isn't the answer. He should turn to one of the young four-stars to at the very least get acclimated to this level of football.
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Mike Wagenman is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @mjwags23.