UK & Ireland Top 25 College Football Rankings: Week 6
By Simon Carroll
If the AP and the College Football Playoff committee can’t get it right, then perhaps we can!
Each week during the season, a panel of media members from various outlets across the UK & Ireland get together to collate their own set of College Football rankings. Week 6 gave us the biggest insight yet into the pecking order of these football programs, including an incredible Red River Rivalry game in Arlington. Without further ado, lets get to it!
25-21
25
Missouri
24
James Madison
23
Air Force
22
Notre Dame
21
Tennessee
Let it never be said that the UK & Ireland CFB panel don’t consider the Group of Five! In a year where there are plenty of blue blood programs still in with a shout of playoff football come the season end, it’s great to see two schools recognised for their undefeated starts to 2023. JMU are still bowl ineligible following their move from the FCS, but they are flying in the Sun Belt. Similarly, Air Force have started the season on fire, averaging 38 points scored and just 12 allowed. A huge Mountain West game against Wyoming awaits this week.
Missouri rightly hold onto a ranking despite a close and unfortunate loss to LSU, with a pick six on the final drive skewing the scoreline. As do Notre Dame, perhaps more surprisingly, after being shellacked by Louisville – their second loss of the season. The Fighting Irish have enough big games remaining to be relevant, but their hopes of making the playoffs are all but over.
20-16
20
Kansas
19
Duke
18
UCLA
17
Oregon State
16
Utah
Duke and Utah hold reasonably similar spots following byes in Week 6 – both teams have one loss on their resumes, but Notre Dame and Oregon State are pretty good losses as the phrase goes.
The aforementioned Beavers held off Cal in a shootout yet find themselves behind Utah, the team that they beat. This is the PAC-12 in a microcosm, and the first example that the cannibalsim that exists in that conference could be a detriment to their hopes of a National Championship. File UCLA beating Washington State in this category too – having 4 Pacific coast teams in a row is no accident. It’s quite difficult to split these programs…
Props to Kansas, who bounced back from the Texas loss to beat UCF and confirm themselves as the ‘best of the rest’ in the Big 12. The Jayhawks have played a lot of the season without their star QB Jalon Daniels – imagine how good they’ll be when they get him back.
15-11
15
Washington State
14
Ole Miss
13
Louisville
12
Alabama
11
Texas
Four teams in this group have one loss – a nod to the parity that runs through the Power 5 this season. All four are good losses too, making this group dangerous; any one of these schools still have a chance to push for playoff football. Texas’ defeat by Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry will be forgotten if they exact revenge in the Big 12 Championship Game – as will Alabama’s, who still have control of their own destiny in the SEC.
Welcome to the rankings Louisville! The Cardinals got good consideration from the panel last week, despite just missing out. A standout win over Notre Dame confirmed their credentials as a serious contender in the ACC – undefeated after six games, what a job first year HC Jeff Brohm has done since returning to his alma mater.
10-6
10
North Carolina
9
USC
8
Oregon
7
Penn State
6
Washington
The Top 10 of these rankings have been almost unanimous through five weeks of the UK&I panel convening. Texas’ loss to Oklahoma changes that somewhat, but Noth Carolina are more than suitable replacements considering their healthy resume and big wins against South Carolina, Minnesota, Pitt & now Syracuse.
Penn State loiter in that 7th spot, flying under the radar – and that likely won’t change until late November when their schedule finally throws up a challenge. The Nitts will have to show their mettle against Ohio State and Michigan before all is said and done – their ranking almost has an asterix until then.
USC clung on against Arizona, escaping a classic PAC-12 banana skin, but that defense will betray them eventually. And Oregon and Washington face off in Seattle on Saturday in what is one of the biggest games of the season – not to be missed!
5-1
5
Ohio State
4
Florida State
3
Oklahoma
2
Michigan
1
Georgia
There’s nowhere else to start in the top five but Norman, Oklahoma – what a win for the Sooners against their arch rivals! The Red River Rivalry is always exciting and decided by the slmmest of margins, but Brent Venables’ team looked LEGIT on both sides of the ball. 3 is certainly too rich for this voters’ blood, but there’s no denying the quality of the victory. Win out, and OU will be in the dance.
As will any of the other teams in this group. Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Florida State looked comfortable once more, with bigger challenges ahead. If these teams continue to dominate, the three-way fist fight in the Big Ten East will likely help the voters decide who finishes in the top four, and who misses out. Roll on Week 7!
Here are the updated Top 25 #CollegeFootball Rankings from the UK & Ireland CFB Media Panel
— Owain Jones (@Owain_Jones_) October 11, 2023
🔹Michigan & Georgia keep flipping #1 #GoBlue #GoDawgs
🔹Oklahoma up into the top 4! #OUDNA
🔹@JMUFootball & @AF_Football finally ranked. #GoDukes #FlyFightWin #Top25 #CFB #NCAAF pic.twitter.com/LqXNNZXgId
Players Of The Week
Offense: Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma
Defense: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
