B/R's 2026 College Football Experts Top 25 Rankings After Week 6

Chaos in the SEC was the headline in Week 6 of the 2026 college football season, while the marquee matchup of Alabama and Georgia lived up to the hype in a tight game that was decided by a late field goal.

When the dust settled on Saturday's action, Texas, LSU and Florida had all suffered upset losses to shake up the SEC picture, while ACC contenders Pittsburgh and Duke both took their first losses of the season to open up multiple spots at the bottom of the rankings.

All of that led to plenty of shuffling in our weekly rankings, and ahead is an updated look at how the college football experts here at B/R line up the nation's top 25 teams following Week 6 action.

25. Boise State (4-1, Previous Rank: 25)

Week 6 Result: Winning at Fresno State (25-20, halftime) Next Week: BYE

Full analysis will be added after the game is over.

24. James Madison (6-0, Previous Rank: NR)

Week 6 Result: WIN at Georgia Southern (27-24) Next Week: vs. Georgia State

After a 12-2 finish a year ago that earned them a trip to the College Football Playoff, the Dukes are once again one of the nation's best Group of Six teams. Despite surrendering 465 yards of offense on the night, they were able to weather a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives from Georgia Southern to hang on for a three-point victory. The defense dug in and forced a 52-yard field goal attempt from the Eagles with 47 seconds remaining that was missed to clinch the win.

Week 6 Result: LOSS vs. Indiana (17-20) Next Week: at Oregon

The Cornhuskers almost pulled off the upset, with a 17-6 lead early in the fourth quarter following a 39-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Anthony Colandrea. However, the defense allowed back-to-back touchdown drives on the other side of that score, and the offense finished the game with a punt and two turnovers on downs. It's the first loss of the year for Nebraska, but a solid performance against a title-level contender. Next week's matchup against Oregon will draw the line between contender and pretend for the Cornhuskers.

Week 6 Result: WIN at West Virginia (52-31) Next Week: BYE

After a 34-7 victory over a previously undefeated Cincinnati team a week ago, Arizona hung a season-high 52 points on West Virginia, and they are averaging 40.5 points over their last four games since losing to BYU. Noah Fifita (16/23, 341 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) had another big day through the air, while the Wildcats defense did a good job bottling up Mountaineers quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (25 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD), who entered the game with 574 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns through five games.

21. Wake Forest (5-1, Previous Rank: NR)

Week 6 Result: WIN at NC State (38-14) Next Week: at California

Gio Lopez torched the NC State secondary for 303 yards and three touchdowns while completing 26 of 33 pass attempts. He had two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown during the third quarter, and those 21 unanswered points helped put the game away after the Wolfpack kept things close during the first half. On the defensive side of the ball, NC State was limited to 15 rushing yards on 25 attempts and 258 total yards of offense.

Week 6 Result: WIN at Arkansas (24-17) Next Week: vs. Alabama

George MacIntyre had 247 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in his first start. He started in place of struggling freshman Faizon Brandon, who has underperformed and is also dealing with a shoulder injury. DeSean Bishop (19 carries, 138 yards, 1 TD) picked up the slack offensively, while the defense forced eight punts and kept the Arkansas offense from building any momentum aside from a pair of third quarter touchdown drives.

Week 6 Result: WIN at Kansas State (35-16) Next Week: vs. Oklahoma State

Conner Weigman threw for 242 yards and four touchdowns, and tight end Patrick Overmyer was on the receiving end of all four of those scores. The running game nearly matched that production with 43 carries for 233 yards in a well-balanced offensive game by the Cougars. An eight-play, 76-yard drive early in the third quarter that ended in Overmyer's third touchdown catch gave Houston a commanding 28-3 lead, so the game was not even as close as the final score suggests.

Week 6 Result: WIN at Washington (41-24) Next Week: BYE

With starting quarterback Hank Brown sidelined with a shoulder injury, the Hawkeyes still hung 41 points on the Washington defense. Backup Jeremy Hecklinski (14/19, 202 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT) was effective when asked to throw, while Kamari Moulton (26 carries, 208 yards, 2 TD) opened up the passing game with his stellar work on the ground. A solid overall response from Iowa following their Week 5 loss to Ohio State.

17. Oklahoma State (4-1, Previous Rank: 21)

Week 6 Result: WIN vs. UCF (42-28) Next Week: at Houston

The Cowboys managed to pull away late in a game where they trailed 14-7 at the end of the first quarter and were tied 21-21 at halftime. Drew Mestemaker (19/28, 304 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT) had his fourth straight 300-yard passing game, and Oklahoma State has won all of them after a season-opening upset loss to Tulsa. The offense is averaging 45.3 points in their four victories, and next week's matchup with Houston could be a shootout.

Week 6 Result: WIN vs. LSU (35-34, OT) Next Week: at Oklahoma

For the second week in a row, Kentucky won by one point on a two-point conversion in overtime, as head coach Will Stein has played for the win and his team has delivered. CJ Baxter was the standout offensively, tallying 19 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and he scored the touchdown in overtime. Then it was quarterback Kenny Minchey on a keeper for the game-winning conversion, giving the Wildcats a huge win over the No. 10 team in the latest AP poll.

Week 6 Result: WIN at Penn State (31-23) Next Week: BYE

Jayden Maiava (21/33, 301 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT), King Miller (19 carries, 102 yards, 1 TD) and Trent Mosley (9 catches, 111 yards, 1 TD) all had standout games for the Trojans. The difference in the game was the start of the second half, as USC responded to a pair of Penn State drives that ended in field goals by capping off their own drives with touchdowns. A forced fumble with under four minutes to play iced the victory for the Trojans, and that was the only turnover of the game on either side.

Week 6 Result: WIN at Oregon (17-15) Next Week: vs. Wisconsin

The UCLA defense had five fumble recoveries and two interceptions, helping to offset three turnovers from their own offense in an ugly game. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava missed the second half with a leg injury after throwing two interceptions in the first half, leaving Wayne Knight (22 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD) to shoulder the load offensively in their run-heavy attack. It wasn't pretty, but a 5-0 start and a win over a ranked opponent is a successful weekend.

13. Mississippi State (4-1, Previous Rank: 17)

The Bulldogs' upstart story ran into a brick wall last week when they suffered a 56-23 loss at home against Alabama, but this still looks like a team capable of hanging around in the national picture. Quarterback Kamario Taylor entered Week 6 leading the SEC in passing yards (1,450) and passing touchdowns (17), and he has been one of college football's biggest breakout stars. A road game against LSU coming out of their bye week presents a golden opportunity to get their CFP hopes back on track.

Week 6 Result: WIN vs. Texas A&M (27-6) Next Week: at Ole Miss

The Aggies simply had no answer for the Missouri defense, as the Tigers allowed 196 total yards and only nine first downs while surrendering just a pair of field goals. That was backed by a busy day for running back Jamal Roberts, who had a season-high 34 carries for 222 yards and two touchdowns, with Missouri finishing with a staggering 254-29 edge in rushing yardage. Another good win for a team whose only blemish is a seven-point loss on the road to a good Mississippi State squad.

Week 6 Result: WIN at Vanderbilt (52-17) Next Week: vs. Missouri

The Rebels had a bye week to recover from their upset loss to Florida, and they came out the other side with a dominant showing on the road. The defense had four takeaways, eight tackles for loss, three sacks and a touchdown, holding the Commodores to just three points in the first half. On offense, Trinidad Chambliss had 213 passing yards and four total touchdowns, while the running game was good for 196 yards and three scores.

Week 6 Result: BYE Next Week: vs. Arizona State

The Red Raiders are 5-0 for the second year in a row, though this group has been less dominant than the team that finished 12-2 a year ago and made the College Football Playoff. Quarterback Will Hammond has been inconsistent with five touchdowns and five interceptions, but the defense has racked up 10 takeaways and the running game has averaged 179.0 yards per game with 12 touchdowns.

Week 6 Result: WIN vs. Kansas (41-24) Next Week: at Colorado

Quarterback Devon Dampier had a standout game with his arm and his legs, finishing with 238 passing yards, 71 rushing yards and four total touchdowns to help the Utes improve to 2-0 in Big 12 play and stay undefeated on the year. It was 21-17 at halftime and 27-24 through three quarters, but the Utes pulled away with a pair of touchdown drives in the fourth quarter and a pair of turnovers on downs forced by the defense.

Week 6 Result: LOSS at Oklahoma (24-27) Next Week: vs. Florida

After tight-roping to victory against Ohio State (24-23) and Tennessee (20-17) earlier this season, the Longhorns were on the wrong end of a late comeback on Saturday. With a pick-six, a missed field goal and another interception thrown by Arch Manning all in the fourth quarter, Texas simply gave away too many opportunities down the stretch. The Sooners were outgained significantly in total yardage, but took a 24-17 lead with consecutive touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Longhorns tied it up with a 75-yard touchdown drive of their own, but Tate Sandell drilled the game-winning, 47-yard field goal as time expired.

Week 6 Result: WIN vs. Iowa State (24-10) Next Week: vs. Notre Dame

In a game that was more lopsided than the final score suggests, BYU outgained Iowa State by a 506-200 margin in total yardage. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier had 329 passing yards, 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and the Cougars defense limited the Cyclones to 2-of-13 on third-down conversions while forcing seven punts and one turnover on downs. Next week's showdown with Notre Dame could make BYU a consensus top-five team with a victory.

Week 6 Result: WIN vs. Maryland (45-16) Next Week: at Indiana

Props to the Maryland defense for only allowing four catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns to Jeremiah Smith, who was coming off back-to-back 200-yard receiving games against Illinois and Iowa.

With a 31-10 lead at halftime, the Buckeyes were comfortably in control throughout the game, though it was not the cleanest performance from quarterback Julian Sayin, who threw an interception and lost a fumble. He still finished with 242 yards and four touchdown passes on only 13 completions.

Running back Bo Jackson had season highs in carries (23), rushing yards (107) and rushing touchdowns (2), helping to take some of the pressure off Sayin and the passing game, and that was more than enough to overwhelm the Maryland defense.

5. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1, Previous Rank: 5)

Week 6 Result: LOSS vs. Georgia (17-20) Next Week: at Tennessee

A six-play, 31-yard drive and a five-play, 41-yard drive both ended in punts, and that ended up being the final two possessions of the game for the Crimson Tide. In between, Georgia kicked a 23-yard field goal to take the lead in an evenly matched game start to finish.

Keelon Russell had 185 passing yards and 41 rushing yards, but he accounted for just one touchdown as the Georgia defense bent but didn't break against Alabama's breakout star.

Next week's road game against Tennessee now takes on additional importance as they look to avoid a second loss.

4. Indiana Hoosiers (6-0, Previous Rank: 6)

Week 6 Result: WIN at Nebraska (20-17) Next Week: vs. Ohio State

Josh Hoover (12/22, 263 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT) and Nick Marsh (6 catches, 187 yards, 2 TD) connected on a pair of fourth quarter touchdown strikes, helping the Hoosiers survive by far their toughest test of the year.

The running game managed just 65 yards on 22 carries, and they were 1-of-10 on third-down conversions en route to six punts.

However, the offense came up with a 65-yard touchdown drive when it mattered in the fourth quarter, and the second Hoover-to-Marsh scoring connection gave Indiana its first outright lead of the day with 7:13 remaining in the game.

3. Miami Hurricanes (5-0, Previous Rank: 4)

Week 6 Result: BYE Next Week: vs. Florida State

A convincing 41-13 victory on the road against Clemson last week provided a smooth entry point into the Hurricanes bye week. Right now they look like the clear team to beat in the ACC, and should be favored in every remaining conference game.

A Nov. 7 game on the road against Notre Dame still looms large, but there's a viable path to the playoff field for both of those teams regardless of the outcome, and especially if the final score is close.

Darian Mensah (84.2 cmp%, 1,438 yards, 15 TD, 0 INT) and Malachi Toney (39 catches, 604 yards, 6 TD) have been two of the most productive players in the country, while the defense is allowing an FBS-low 9.8 points per game.

2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-0, Previous Rank: 3)

Week 6 Result: WIN vs. Stanford (58-7) Next Week: at BYU

The Fighting Irish scored the first 44 points of the game and cruised to victory against an overmatched Stanford team that has now been outscored by a staggering 249-94 margin on the year, despite their two wins.

Notre Dame punted twice, but put points on the board in their other nine completed drives. CJ Carr threw for 181 yards and three touchdowns in an abbreviated outing, while Jonaz Walker (13 carries, 181 yards, 2 TD) and Nolan James Jr. (10 carries, 73 yards, 2 TD) led a rushing attack that finished with 361 yards and five touchdowns.

Wisconsin is a good team and North Carolina made things interesting a week ago, but next week's matchup on the road against BYU will be far and away the toughest test of the season so far in Notre Dame's quest to return to the College Football Playoff field.

1. Georgia Bulldogs (6-0, Previous Rank: 1)

Week 6 Result: WIN at Alabama (20-17) Next Week: vs. Auburn

After missing a 39-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, Peyton Woodring was true on a 23-yard chip shot to cap off a 10-play, 84-yard drive with 5:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. That stood up as the game-winning score in a hard-fought matchup of two clear national championship contenders.

The Georgia defense forced a punt on the ensuing Alabama drive, and managed to run out the remainder of the clock on their possession to seal the victory.

The Bulldogs had 455 total yards, with Dwight Phillips Jr. (17 carries, 120 yards) anchoring a rushing attack that finished with 206 yards on 39 carries. Gunner Stockton threw for 249 yards and a touchdown while completing 18 of 22 attempts.