If maleficent Martians had a death laser pointed at the Earth with a crusty gnarled finger on a button ready to press it unless one of the top-25 teams on this list could beat a hypothetical otherworldly college football squad, and I am tasked with selecting that team, I\u2019m choosing Georgia. I\u2019m selecting Kirby Smart and the Dawgs because … they feel like the most complete and devastating team in the sport […].<\/p>\n
UGA earned the crown, and they should rock it. But there is the chance that an undefeated Indiana could end up right underneath them, or, with a devastating showing against Ohio State perhaps even usurp them. And that is where my mind wandered almost immediately after Week 6 ended.<\/p>\n
Indiana is a top 10 team. But is it a national championship team? Hasn\u2019t looked like one, not through the first half of the season. The Hoosiers have flirted with disaster against unranked Big Ten teams twice so far. While those teams that have pushed IU to the brink on the road might be decent (Northwestern, Nebraska), the middle of the Big Ten field is no longer the measuring stick for success in Bloomington, Indiana. Winning championships is, and the 2026 Hoosiers haven\u2019t shown me that\u2019s them \u2026 yet.<\/p>\n
A win against Ohio State could change that. Either way, I expect the best team in the Big Ten so far this season will reveal itself. But first, my rankings after Week 6.\u00a0
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 6-0<\/p>\n Previous ranking: NR<\/p>\n Camden Coleman looks to lead JMU back to the College Football Playoff for the second straight season (Photo by Lee Coleman\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a027-24 win vs. Georgia Southern The Dukes are perfect in a sport where that might not be enough to get them into the College Football Playoff this year but damn sure should get them ranked. You don\u2019t get much for winning the Sun Belt in the eyes of the nation, but let\u2019s not forget this is the team the CFP Board of Managers changed the rules to keep out of this year\u2019s CFP while guaranteeing a spot for Notre Dame if it ranks inside the top 12.<\/p>\n Running back George Pettaway has found his form. He\u2019s rushed for 100 yards or more in three-straight games and 150 or more in each of the last two.<\/p>\n Billy Napier\u2019s first season at JMU after flaming out at Florida has the team bowl eligible already, with the Dukes dreaming of more.<\/p>\n My stat to know: JMU QB Camden Coleman now has 11 passing touchdowns and only one interception through six games this season. He’s cooking.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+400 (18th-best) Record: 4-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: NR<\/p>\n Northwestern’s ground game continues to be unstoppable (Photo by Zoe Davis\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a045-14 win vs. Ball State The only blemish on this team\u2019s resume is a six-point loss to undefeated Indiana at home. That\u2019s plenty. But in comparison to some of the other teams around \u2014 Florida, LSU \u2014 the Wildcats have lost to just one ranked opponent \u2014 a top 10 one \u2014 and managed to beat every other team they\u2019ve played this season by double-digits.<\/p>\n Quarterback Aidan Chiles hasn\u2019t convinced me that he\u2019s good yet \u2014 I saw the Indiana game\u2019s first half as well as the second \u2014 but he still can be. It\u2019s not just that he\u2019s thrown for 241 yards or more in four out of five games so far this season but that he\u2019s yet to throw an interception.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Northwestern has rushed for a combined 577 yards and six touchdowns over its last two games, its most rushing yards in a two-game span since 2019. OC Chip Kelly’s got the offense going in his first year in Evanston.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+1200 (33rd-best) Record: 3-2<\/p>\n Previous ranking: NR<\/p>\n Oklahoma’s defense and special teams came up huge in its upset win over No. 1 Texas (Photo by Stacy Revere\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a027-24 win vs. Texas\u00a0 Oklahoma has the best win in college football: neutral site against No. 1-ranked and previously undefeated Texas. And it was able to pull that off with only a partially functioning offense. The Sooners might not last in this Top 25 \u2014 or any other \u2014 past this weekend, but the win they pulled off cannot be ignored, especially given its opponent.<\/p>\n Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer isn\u2019t good. And yet he\u2019s OU\u2019s best player. He\u2019s so good that Oklahoma coach Brent Venables is adamant that he\u2019s their best option at quarterback, and the best he could muster against Texas is 6.0 yards per attempt and not turning the ball over for the first time since Week 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n Baby steps, I guess.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Oklahoma earned its first win over an AP No. 1 team in 19 years and its first-ever win over Texas when the Longhorns were ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. Couldn’t have come at a more necessary time.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+600 (24th-best) Record: 4-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: NR<\/p>\n Kevin Jennings continues to showcase his dual-threat ability as SMU enters the teeth of its ACC schedule (Photo by Stacy Revere\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a0Bye My stat to know: When kept clean in the pocket, SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings has completed 82% of his passes for 1,350 yards, 12 touchdowns and just one interception, good for a 205.7 passer rating. Sheesh.\u00a0<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+1000 (30th-best) Record: 3-2<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 12<\/p>\n Dylan Raiola struggled in Oregon’s loss to UCLA (Photo by Brian Murphy\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game: 17-15 loss vs. UCLA\u00a0 Not only did the Ducks drop their second game in the first half of the season for the first time in the Dan Lanning era but suffered the indignity of watching backup quarterback Dylan Raiola play so badly that Lanning pulled him from the game late for QB3 Brock Thomas. The Ducks committed seven turnovers on offense and were a dismal 1-of-13 on third down in a game they were fortunate to lose by just two points. Oregon\u2019s rushing attack hasn\u2019t yielded a single 100-yard rusher this season.<\/p>\n Quarterback Dante Moore missed his first full game of the season after suffering a horrible concussion in Oregon\u2019s win against USC two weeks ago. Without him at quarterback, the Ducks are not a top 25 team \u2014 let alone a team that can win a national title, which is the bar for success in Eugene this year.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Raiola completed 6-of-19 passes for 43 yards, setting career lows in completions, passing yards and yards per attempt (2.3). He also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. But props for sticking around <\/a>to address the media afterward.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+3000 (15th-best) Record: 6-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 23<\/p>\n Jayden Maiava has surpassed the 10,000-yard career passing mark (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a031-23 win vs. Penn State USC\u2019s win on the road against Penn State came with a vintage Lincoln Riley offense with a 300-yard passer in quarterback Jayden Maiava, 100-yard receiver in Trent Mosley and a 100-yard rusher in King Miller. Giving up 23 points to this Penn State team still is too many for a USC program with aspirations of making the College Football Playoff for the first time in its history.<\/p>\n Mosley has been the best player the Trojans possess when he\u2019s been on the field. He\u2019s recorded at least 100 receiving yards and a TD in three out of four games he\u2019s played this season.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Maiava became only the second opposing quarterback since 2001 to throw for 300+ yards, 3+ touchdowns, and 0 interceptions in a win over Penn State at Beaver Stadium. The other? Ohio State’s Justin Fields.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+700 (26th-best) Record: 5-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 22<\/p>\n Conner Weigman has led the Cougars to a 5-1 start (Photo by Peter Aiken\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game: 35-16 win vs. Kansas State\u00a0 The Cougars dispatched K-State like they expect to be in the Big 12 Championship Game later this year. They need some help from Texas Tech, BYU, Utah and Oklahoma State, but Houston is one-inch from being an undefeated team after falling just that short against the Red Raiders earlier this year.<\/p>\n The Cougars ran the ball for 233 yards, with Re’Shaun Sanford II (90 yards) leading the way.<\/p>\n Tight end Patrick Overmyer caught eight passes from quarterback Conner Weigman for 83 yards \u2013 with four of them going for TDs against K-State on Saturday. This was the fourth time this season that he\u2019s caught six passes or more in a game.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Overmyer caught four touchdown passes today, tying the most by an FBS tight end in a game since 2000. He is the first to do so since Coastal Carolina\u2019s Isaiah Likely caught four against Arkansas State on Oct. 7, 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+800 (29th-best) Record: 4-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 21<\/p>\n Drew Mestemaker continues to shoot up NFL draft boards as he made Oklahoma State history in Saturday’s win over UCF (Photo by Brian Bahr\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a042-28 win vs. UCF Quarterback Drew Mestemaker helped Oklahoma State pull away in the second half with another solid passing performance: 304 passing yards and three total touchdowns. The further away this Pokes team gets from its loss to Tulsa, the better it seems to be.<\/p>\n Mestemaker is averaging more than 300 passing yards per game and has all but sewn up the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Award, if not the Offensive Player of the Year Award. He\u2019s the best player in the conference through the halfway mark of the season.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Mestemaker became the third quarterback in Oklahoma State history (since 2000) to record at least four consecutive 300-yard passing games.\u00a0<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+600 (23rd-best) Record: 4-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 19<\/p>\n Trinidad Chambliss has 16 total touchdowns this season (Photo by Matthew Maxey\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game: 52-17 win vs. Vanderbilt The most exciting quarterback in the SEC is Trinidad Chambliss, and he played like that against Vandy with four total TDs in a win that was never in doubt. Perplexing still, though, is just how this Ole Miss team got run out of the Swamp on Sept. 26 by a Florida team that should not be a top 25 team heading to Week 7 after losses to Missouri and South Carolina.<\/p>\n Chambliss has averaged at least 300 yards passing since he took over the starting job in Mississippi last year. He will likely be a Heisman finalist.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Chambliss ranks third among SEC quarterbacks with 16 total touchdowns, trailing only Mississippi State\u2019s Kamario Taylor and Sam Leavitt of LSU. He’s in good company there.\u00a0<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+150 (12th-best) Record: 5-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 18<\/p>\n Kamari Moulton led Iowa to a huge road win against Washington (Photo by Steph Chambers\/Getty Images).\u00a0 <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a041-24 win vs. Washington The Hawkeye defense is legit. Iowa held Washington to an eye-opening minus-three rushing yards and sacked Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. six times.<\/p>\n Iowa running back Kamari Moulton carried the ball 26 times for 208 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns in the win. The 5-foot-9, 211-pound senior has now eclipsed 180 rushing yards in two of the Hawkeyes’ first six games. He’s on track to average more than 5 yards per carry for the third straight season.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Moulton\u2019s 208 rushing yards against Washington ranks 10th in program history since 1995.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+380 (17th-best) Record: 5-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 17<\/p>\n DeSean Bishop has carried an inconsistent Tennessee offense to a 5-1 record. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo\/Getty Images) <\/p>\n Week 6 game: 24-17 win vs. Arkansas\u00a0 The Vols trailed what we know is not a good Arkansas team through the start of the fourth quarter with quarterback George MacIntyre under center for his first start this season. Behind MacIntyre\u2019s arm and the legs of junior running back DeSean Bishop (138 yards, 1 TD), the Vols mounted a comeback to hand the Hogs their 14th-straight loss to an SEC opponent. MacIntyre, a freshman, overcame two interceptions in the win.<\/p>\n Bishop has rushed for 358 yards and four TDs over the last two games for the Vols. When he runs well, the Vols are at their best.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Bishop recorded his second straight 100+ yard rushing game and his third game with at least 135 rushing yards this season. And he’s from Knoxville (Karn High School).\u00a0<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+330 (16th-best) Record: 5-0<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 15<\/p>\n Utah has started 5-0 in their first season without Kyle Whittingham (Photo by Bryan Byerly\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a041-24 win vs. Kansas Utah isn\u2019t just beating teams. It\u2019s mauling them.\u00a0<\/p>\n Utah has scored at least 31 points in every game it has played and won every game by double-digits to remain undefeated. Steady quarterback play from Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin has made Utah quirky in that it has a two-QB system that works and produces: Dampier has thrown for at least 200 yards in every game where he\u2019s attempted at least 24 passes.<\/p>\n Running back Wayshawn Parker put together a second-straight rushing performance of 170 yards or more with two TDs, and he\u2019s averaged 10.1 yards per carry across those two outings.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Parker became the first Utah player with back-to-back 170-yard rushing games since Joe Williams in 2016. (Williams was drafted in the fourth round by the 49ers in 2017.)<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+105 (eighth-best)\u00a0 Record: 5-0<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 11<\/p>\n Bear Bachmeier threw for 329 yards in BYU’s win over Iowa State (Photo by Bryan Byerly\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a024-10 win vs. Iowa State Without running back LJ Martin, the Cougars leaned on star quarterback Bear Bachmeier to keep their undefeated season alive and stay in contention for the Big 12 title. Bachmeier delivered, finishing with 438 total yards \u2014 329 passing and 109 rushing \u2014 and two touchdowns in the win.<\/p>\n This was the Cougars\u2019 first game without Martin, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. He is expected to miss at least three more weeks while recovering from a lower-leg injury. Martin has averaged 7.9 yards per carry this season.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Bachmeier became the first BYU quarterback to throw for 300+ yards and rush for 100+ yards in the same game since Taysom Hill in 2013.\u00a0<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+200 (14th-best) Record: 4-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 13<\/p>\n Kamario Taylor has taken the college football world by storm through the first half of the season (Photo by Justin Ford\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a0Bye My stat to know: Mississippi State quarterback Kamario\u00a0Taylor has thrown for at least three touchdown passes in all five games this season. He’ll try to make it six against a reeling LSU squad.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+500 (20th-best) Record: 5-0<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 16<\/p>\n Wayne Knight continues to take Westwood by storm as the Bruins are 5-0 in their first season under Bob Chesney (Photo by Tom Hauck\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game: 17-15 win vs. Oregon Running back Wayne Knight is the closest player to Maurice Jones-Drew that the Bruins have enjoyed at running back since MJD\u2019s departure. Against Oregon, he rushed 22 times for 103 yards and has averaged a gaudy 9.1 yards per carry through five games.<\/p>\n Bob Chesney\u2019s Bruins also forced seven turnovers against the Ducks on Saturday and 11 total over the last two games. Last week Oregon coach Dan Lanning told the media he believed that UCLA was “another Indiana,” and I\u2019m sure Ducks fans wish he\u2019d prepared his team like it was. Instead, UCLA became just the second team in as many years to defeat the Ducks in Eugene, Oregon.<\/p>\n My stat to know: With his touchdown vs. Oregon, Knight is the first UCLA player to score a touchdown in each of the team’s first five games of a season since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2005.\u00a0<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+105 (eighth-best) Record: 5-0<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 9<\/p>\n Texas Tech has started 5-0 for the second straight season (Photo by John E. Moore III\/Getty Images).\u00a0 <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a0Bye My stat to know: Texas Tech is 11-1 (.917) against Big 12 opponents over the last two seasons.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+120 (10th-best)\u00a0 Record: 5-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 8<\/p>\n Jamal Roberts made history on Saturday in Missouri’s win over Texas A&M (Photo by Ed Zurga\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a027-6 win vs. Texas A&M Quarterback Austin Simmons struggled for the first time this season in SEC play. And if Texas A&M\u2019s offense weren\u2019t such a grease fire, the Aggies might have had a chance to mount a fight against the Tigers. Instead, senior running back Jamal Roberts \u2014 who backed up standout Ahmad Hardy last season \u2014 took over the game Saturday, rushing for 222 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries.<\/p>\n Roberts joins former Alabama running back Derrick Henry, the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner, as the only SEC running backs to rush for at least 200 yards in back-to-back games against SEC opponents. (Hardy is still out after a gunshot wound to the upper leg he suffered in May.)<\/p>\n My stat to know: Roberts became just the fourth running back since 2000 to rush for 200 yards in consecutive games.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+500 (20th-best) Record: 5-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 24<\/p>\n Kentucky won on walk-off two-point conversions in two straight weeks by the exact same score (Photo by Jeff Moreland\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a035-34 win vs. LSU For the second weekend in a row, the Wildcats came from behind to earn a win, and Will Stein\u2019s Kentucky has methodically marched into the top 10. Behind the steady hand of quarterback Kenny Minchey and a defense that bent but did not break, the Wildcats have become the contender for the College Football Playoff we all believed LSU to be at the start of \u00a0the season.<\/p>\n Running back CJ Baxter racked up 123 yards on 19 rushes with two TDs in the win. This was the former five-star and Texas transfer\u2019s second 100-yard rushing performance in three games, and both have come against top 10-ranked SEC opponents (Alabama, LSU).<\/p>\n My stat to know: Kentucky is the first team in FBS history to win consecutive games by one point in overtime (since OT was instituted in 1996). And by the same exact score, 35-34.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0+800 (28th-best) Record: 6-0<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 7<\/p>\n Josh Hoover led the comeback win over Nebraska on Saturday (Photo by Steven Branscombe\/Getty Images).\u00a0 <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a020-17 win vs. Nebraska The Hoosiers extended the nation\u2019s longest active winning streak to 22 games, but it wasn\u2019t easy. Indiana trailed by two scores against a team that hadn\u2019t beaten a top-25 opponent in more than a decade \u2014 and still hasn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the game hanging in the balance, quarterback Josh Hoover found star transfer wide receiver Nick Marsh for two touchdowns that proved to be the difference. Marsh finished with six catches for 184 yards, including the two biggest touchdowns of the season for the Hoosiers in the win.<\/p>\n My stat to know: With two receiving touchdowns today, Marsh is now up to six on the season. He and Charlie Becker have a combined 14 receiving TDs between the two of them \u2014 the most of any FBS duo this season.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0-800 (fourth-best) Record: 5-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 6<\/p>\n Keelon Russell’s Heisman campaign took a hit in Alabama’s loss to Georgia (Photo by Butch Dill\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a020-17 loss vs. Georgia\u00a0 Despite an up-and-down offense and some shoddy defensive play, quarterback Keelon Russell and the Tide had a chance to beat the Bulldogs late. With 3:28 left to play, Russell threw a pass near the end zone toward Rico Scott. Georgia safety KJ Bolden closed down on the play but did not play the ball as he made contact with Scott. The officials saw no foul, no reason to throw a flag. Following that play, Russell took a sack and was forced to punt the ball to the Dawgs. The Dawgs ran out the clock.<\/p>\n Perhaps, Alabama is a national championship team-in-waiting. But if it needs the officials to bail them out late down three points to make a game of it, I\u2019m not inclined to believe it.<\/p>\n Russell could\u2019ve launched himself into the front of the Heisman conversation with a solid performance against Georgia. But that\u2019s not what we got from him. While he\u2019s averaging 282.8 yards passing per game, against Kentucky and the Dawgs \u2014 the only two teams to challenge the Bama passing game with success \u2014 he\u2019s struggled to throw for more than 200 yards and been relegated to using his legs to move the ball.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Russell leads the entire SEC with 1,599 passing yards (8th in the FBS) through Week 6.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0-700 (sixth-best) Record: 5-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 5<\/p>\n Jeremiah Smith continues to rewrite the Ohio State record book every week (Photo by Jason Mowry\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game: 45-16 win vs. Maryland The Jeremiah Smith Show continues.\u00a0Smith is the best football player in America. I wrote as much this week.<\/a><\/p>\n Against Maryland, the wide receiver caught four passes for 93 yards with four touchdowns. In fact his first two catches in the game went for touchdowns. The Buckeyes look like a team that could reclaim the No. 1-ranking later this season with a potent offense and a defense that receives its first test against a top 10 opponent in Big Ten play on Saturday when the Buckeyes travel to Bloomington, Indiana, to play Indiana<\/p>\n Quarterback Julian Sayin continues to benefit from throwing passes to the best player in the sport. While his numbers alone are great \u2014 he\u2019s averaging 306 yards passing per game with 13 TDs \u2014 it\u2019s as difficult to give him credit for his performance like when Colorado\u2019s Shedeur Sanders was throwing passes to 2024 Heisman winner Travis Hunter.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Smith is now up to 38 receiving touchdowns, moving into sole possession of the second-most in Big Ten history; he needs one to tie Braylon Edwards (Michigan) for the record and two to pass him.<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0-750 (fifth-best) Record: 4-1<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 1<\/p>\n Arch Manning struggled in Texas’ loss to Oklahoma (Photo by Stacy Revere\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game: Lost 27-24 vs. Oklahoma Texas quarterback Arch Manning is not a championship caliber quarterback all the time \u2014 just some of the time. When he threw a fly ball that Oklahoma safety Peyton Bowen caught and ran back for a pick-six, he wasn\u2019t a championship quarterback. When he took the next possession and marched Texas right down the field, he was a championship quarterback. When his eyes locked on the left side of the field with under 1:00 remaining, missing the Oklahoma blitz that led to his panicked throw for a pick by Courtland Guillory to give the Sooners the ball for their game-winning field goal, he wasn\u2019t a championship quarterback.<\/p>\n For Texas to win a national title, he\u2019ll have to settle into his best self. He hasn\u2019t yet. He might never.<\/p>\n The Longhorns didn\u2019t just lose as an undefeated team and the No. 1-ranked team, but this 2026 Longhorns team has the dubious honor of becoming the first to lose as the No. 1-ranked team to the Sooners when they were unranked. And Texas allowed this loss against an Oklahoma team that is barely functioning offensively.<\/p>\n Linebacker Rasheem Biles was not the reason UT lost on Saturday. In fact, he added 12 tackles, including two for a loss, to the effort. He is the most vital player in the Longhorns defense, allowing EDGE rushers like Collin Simmons the freedom to work. Odds to make CFP:\u00a0-450 (seventh-best) Record: 5-0<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 4<\/p>\n Darian Mensah has led the Hurricanes to a 5-0 record (Photo by John Byrum\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).\u00a0 <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a0Bye My stat to know: Darian Mensah has only four fewer total touchdowns (17) than incompletions (21) through five games this season. Can he challenge Jeremiah Smith for the Heisman?<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0-1500 (third-best) Record: 6-0<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 3<\/p>\n COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CJ Carr threw for three touchdowns in the blowout win over Stanford (Photo by James Black\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game: 58-7 win vs. Stanford\u00a0 To illustrate just how lopsided this game was, freshman running back Jonaz Walton took a rush 97 yards to the house for the third-longest offensive play ever at Notre Dame Stadium. And that was nearly half of the 181 yards he had on the ground in a game that helped the Fighting Irish reach 6-0. \u00a0More impressive is Notre Dame has won its last 16 consecutive games by double-digits \u2014 just five shy of tying 1944-46 Army for the longest such streak in history. The defense hasn\u2019t played an offense with a pulse all year, but I guess we can give ND credit for allowing just 12.66 points per game.<\/p>\n Quarterback CJ Carr isn\u2019t the best player on this team, but he is its most likely Heisman candidate because someone has to represent Notre Dame at the Heisman Trophy ceremony if the Fighting Irish finish the season undefeated. However, there\u2019s BYU and Miami still for him to play against \u2013 and perhaps he shows himself to be someone other than the operator of a potent run-game supported by a decent defense.<\/p>\n Cornerback Leonard Moore is the best player on this year\u2019s Notre Dame team and the best cover corner in the sport. However, he missed ND\u2019s game against Stanford while recovering from a concussion sustained last week. He\u2019s made eight tackles and four pass breakups in five games this season.<\/p>\n My stat to know: CJ Carr has thrown 16 touchdown passes compared to just one interception so far this season. All eyes will be on the star quarterback when Notre Dame is tested at BYU.\u00a0<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0-3000 (first) Record: 6-0<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 2<\/p>\n Gunner Stockton threw for 249 yards in Georgia’s huge road win over Alabama (Photo by Butch Dill\/Getty Images). <\/p>\n Week 6 game:\u00a020-17 win vs. Alabama Kirby Smart hasn\u2019t changed the recipe in Athens, Georgia, for nearly 10 years. They run the ball. They play stellar defense (SEC opponents must have nightmares about linebackers Raylen Wilson and Chris Cole), and they have depth at every position that is the envy of CFB.<\/p>\n That depth was on display when Dwight Phillips, Jr., rushed for 120 yards on 17 rushes after running the ball just 17 times all year prior to taking a chunk out of the nation\u2019s No. 6 team.<\/p>\n Quarterback Gunner Stockton is the best game-manager in the sport, and that\u2019s more than enough at UGA where the quarterback\u2019s job is to make sure the offense doesn\u2019t get in the way of the defense. And Stockton does his job. He\u2019s completing 75 percent of his passes and has thrown 13 TDs to just one interception this season so far.<\/p>\n My stat to know: Saturday night marks Kirby Smart\u2019s first regular season win vs. Alabama and his first win at Bryant-Denny Stadium as Georgia\u2019s head coach. He had been 0-2 in Tuscaloosa, losing 41-24 in 2020 and 41-34 in 2024. What a way to exorcise some demons. \u00a0<\/p>\n Odds to make CFP:\u00a0-2500 (second-best) FOX SPORTS NEWSLETTER<\/p>\n Your teams. Your sports. Your inbox.<\/p>\n Follow your favorite leagues, teams and players for a personalized daily newsletter.<\/p>\n Sign up for the newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n Create or log in to your FOX Sports account.<\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/JamesMadison.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
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Week 7 game: vs. Georgia State<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +100000 (41st-best)<\/p>\n![\"Northwestern](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Northwestern.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
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Week 7 game: vs. Michigan State\u00a0<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +50000 (28th-best)<\/p>\n![\"Oklahoma](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Oklahoma.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
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Week 7 game: vs. Kentucky<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +6000 (10th-best)<\/p>\n![\"SMU](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/SMU.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
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Week 7 game: vs. Virginia<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +40000 (27th-best)<\/p>\n![\"Oregon](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Oregon.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: vs. Nebraska<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +7000 (14th-best)<\/p>\n![\"USC](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/USC.vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: Bye<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +12000 (20th-best)<\/p>\n![\"Houston](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Houston.vresize.200.200.medium.2.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: vs. Oklahoma State<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +18000 (21st-best)<\/p>\n![\"Oklahoma](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/OklahomaState.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: at Houston<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +25000 (24th-best)<\/p>\n![\"Ole](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/OleMiss.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: vs. Missouri<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +2500 (eighth-best)<\/p>\n![\"Iowa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Iowa.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: Bye<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +18000 (21st-best)<\/p>\n![\"Tennessee](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tennessee.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: vs. Alabama<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +10000 (18th-best)<\/p>\n![\"Utah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Utah.vresize.200.200.medium.3.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: at Colorado<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +6600 (11th-best)<\/p>\n![\"BYU](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/BYU.vresize.200.200.medium.2.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: vs. Notre Dame<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +7800 (16th-best)<\/p>\n![\"Mississippi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/MississippiState.vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: at LSU<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +20000 (23rd-best)<\/p>\n![\"UCLA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/UCLA.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: vs. Wisconsin\u00a0<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +7000 (14th best)<\/p>\n![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TexasTech.vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: vs. Arizona State<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +6000 (12th-best)<\/p>\n![\"Missouri](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Missouri.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: at Ole Miss<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +9000 (17th-best)<\/p>\n![\"Kentucky](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Kentucky.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: at Oklahoma<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +30000 (26th-best)<\/p>\n![\"Indiana](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Indiana.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: vs. Ohio State<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +1100 (seventh-best)<\/p>\n![\"Alabama](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Alabama.vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: at Tennessee<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +900 (fifth-best)<\/p>\n![\"Ohio](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/OhioState.vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: at Indiana<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +400 (first)<\/p>\n![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Texas.vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: vs. Florida<\/p>\n
\u00a0
My stat to know: Manning has thrown an interception in four of his five starts this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +900 (sixth-best)<\/p>\n![\"Miami](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Miami(FL).vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: vs. Florida State<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +700 (fourth-best)<\/p>\n![\"Notre](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/NotreDame.vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: at BYU<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +500 (tied second-best)<\/p>\n![\"Georgia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Georgia.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Week 7 game: vs. Auburn<\/p>\n
Odds to win national title: +500 (tied second-best)<\/p>\n