Weekly college football top 25 rankings are a big part of every season, and Athlon Sports will update its top 25 following the games each weekend.
The sixth weekend of the 2024 season was headlined by upset losses by Alabama (Vanderbilt) and Tennessee (Arkansas) in SEC play. Also, Michigan (Washington) and USC (Minnesota) fell in Big Ten action, while Miami avoided an upset loss at California with another fourth-quarter rally.
Texas returns to the No. 1 spot in the post-Week 6 top 25 rankings, followed by Ohio State, Georgia, and Oregon. Here are Athlon Sports' top 25 college football teams after Week 6:
College Football Top 25 Rankings (After Week 6)
1. Texas (5-0)
Last Week: 2
Week 6 Result: Off Week
The Longhorns were off in Week 6. Coach Steve Sarkisian's team is set to return to action next week against Oklahoma in Dallas. Quarterback Quinn Ewers is also expected to return after missing the last two games due to injury.
2. Ohio State (5-0)
Last Week: 3
Week 6 Result: Defeated Iowa
Iowa's defense gave Ohio State a battle, but coach Ryan Day's team eventually pulled away for a 35-7 victory. The Buckeyes' defense dominated the line of scrimmage and contained running back Kaleb Johnson to just 86 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Quarterback Will Howard had two picks but was overall efficient (21 of 25 for 209 yards and four scores) in the team's final tune-up before a showdown at Oregon next week.
3. Georgia (4-1)
Last Week: 5
Week 6 Result: Defeated Auburn
The Bulldogs rebounded from last week's loss to Alabama with a 31-13 victory over Auburn in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. It wasn't a perfect performance from coach Kirby Smart's squad, but the defense limited the Tigers to 337 yards, while quarterback Carson Beck (23 of 29 for 240 yards and two scores) seemed to pick up where he left off in the second half of last week's game in Tuscaloosa.
4. Oregon (5-0)
Last Week: 6
Week 6 Result: Defeated Michigan State
The Ducks used their final tune-up before next week's showdown against Ohio State to defeat Michigan State 31-10 on Friday night. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel made a couple of costly mistakes (two picks), but Oregon's offense averaged 6.7 yards a snap in the win thanks to running back Jordan James' 166 rushing yards. The defense also held the Spartans to 250 yards and recorded five sacks.
5. Miami (6-0)
Last Week: 7
Week 6 Result: Defeated California
For the second week in a row, quarterback Cam Ward guided Miami to a comeback win to keep its undefeated season alive. Ward threw for 437 yards and two touchdowns, including a five-yard toss to tight end Elijah Arroyo with less than a minute left to escape Berkeley with a 39-38 victory over California.
6. Alabama (4-1)
Last Week: 1
Week 6 Result: Lost to Vanderbilt
In one of the biggest upsets in SEC history, Alabama suffered a shocking 40-35 loss at Vanderbilt. A week after the win over Georgia, coach Kalen DeBoer's team turned in a poor effort with mistakes on both sides of the ball. The Crimson Tide's defense had no answer for Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (308 total yards) and struggled to get off the field on third downs by allowing the Commodores to convert 12 of 18 attempts. The offense averaged 8.6 yards a snap but had two costly turnovers.
7. Penn State (5-0)
Last Week: 8
Week 6 Result: Defeated UCLA
Running back Nicholas Singleton missed Saturday's game, but Penn State took care of business in a 27-11 win over UCLA. The Nittany Lions dominated defensively by limiting the Bruins to 260 total yards and registering seven tackles for a loss. Kaytron Allen filled in for Singleton with 78 yards, while quarterback Drew Allar threw for 237 yards and a touchdown on 17 completions.
8. Tennessee (4-1)
Last Week: 3
Week 6 Result: Lost to Arkansas
A wild Saturday in the SEC concluded on Saturday night with Tennessee falling to Arkansas 19-14. The Volunteers were outplayed in the first half but only trailed 3-0 thanks to a few timely stops on defense. After taking the lead in the third quarter, Tennessee's offense struggled to get on track in the final 15 minutes, allowing the Razorbacks to move into position for the winning touchdown with just over a minute left.
9. Ole Miss (5-1)
Last Week: 13
Week 6 Result: Defeated South Carolina
After last week's loss to Kentucky, a tough road trip to South Carolina was a must-win situation for Ole Miss. Mission accomplished for coach Lane Kiffin's team. The Rebels jumped out to an early 14-0 lead and controlled the rest of the way for a 27-3 victory. The offensive line stepped up with a cleaner performance after struggling versus the Wildcats, but Kiffin's defense led the way by limiting the Gamecocks to just 313 yards.
10. Notre Dame (4-1)
Last Week: 11
Week 6 Result: Off Week
The Fighting Irish were off in Week 6 and return to action next Saturday at home against Stanford.
11. LSU (4-1)
Last Week: 14
Week 6 Result: Off Week
The Tigers had an off date on Saturday for Week 6. Coach Brian Kelly's team returns to action next week in a key SEC matchup against Ole Miss. LSU lost 55-49 to the Rebels last season.
12. Clemson (4-1)
Last Week: 15
Week 6 Result: Defeated Florida State
Clemson's trip to Florida State was one of the ACC's most-anticipated showdowns in the preseason but was largely out of the spotlight due to the 'Noles slow start. The Tigers jumped out to an early lead and controlled the matchup the rest of the way for a 29-13 victory in Tallahassee. Clemson recorded 500 total yards, while the defense completely shut down Florida State's rushing game (23 yards on 22 carries). Dabo Swinney is now the winningest coach in ACC history with 174 career victories.
13. Iowa State (5-0)
Last Week: 16
Week 6 Result: Defeated Baylor
The Cyclones are 5-0 for the first time since 1980 after a 43-21 win over Baylor on Saturday night. Coach Matt Campbell's team was led by a strong effort on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Rocco Becht threw for 277 yards, while the ground game added 265 yards over 45 attempts. After giving up 14 points in the first two quarters, Iowa State's defense allowed only a touchdown in the second half to help Campbell's squad pull away for an easy win.
14. Texas A&M (5-1)
Last Week: 21
Week 6 Result: Defeated Missouri
Total domination. That's the easiest way to sum up Texas A&M's blowout victory against Missouri. The return of quarterback Conner Weigman gave the Aggies' offense a spark, throwing for 276 yards on 18 completions to help the offense compile 512 total yards. In addition to the prolific day on offense, Texas A&M's defense suffocated Missouri's offense. The Aggies held the Tigers to just 10 points and 254 yards.
15. BYU (5-0)
Last Week: 17
Week 6 Result: Off Week
The Cougars were off in Week 6 after beating Baylor 34-28 on Sept. 28. Coach Kalani Sitake's team has played its away into Big 12 title consideration with a 5-0 start and has key back-to-back home games up next versus Arizona and Oklahoma State.
16. Kansas State (4-1)
Last Week: 18
Week 6 Result: Off Week
The Wildcats had an off date in Week 6 after their win over Oklahoma State 42-20 on Sept. 28. Kansas State returns to action next Saturday at Colorado, followed by another road trip to West Virginia on Oct. 19.
17. Missouri (4-1)
Last Week: 9
Week 6 Result: Lost to Texas A&M
There were plenty of doubts about Missouri's legitimacy after close calls against Boston College and Vanderbilt. Those doubts proved to be true in Week 6, as the Tigers were pounded 41-7 in College Station against Texas A&M. The offense struggled to piece together drives, run the ball, and protect quarterback Brady Cook. And on defense, Missouri had no answers for Texas A&M's offense (41 points and 512 yards allowed). Considering the soft schedule for the Tigers, this is a damaging loss for CFB Playoff hopes.
18. Oklahoma (4-1)
Last Week: 19
Week 6 Result: Off Week
The Sooners were off in Week 6 after last Saturday's 27-21 win over Auburn. Coach Brent Venables' squad returns to action next week in Dallas against Texas in the Red River Rivalry.
19. Utah (4-1)
Last Week: 20
Week 6 Result: Off Week
The Utes were off in Week 6 and return to action on Friday night at Arizona State. Utah lost to Arizona 23-10 in its last game, so a victory over the Sun Devils is a must to stay in the Big 12 title race. Will quarterback Cam Rising return to the lineup this week?
20. Michigan (4-2)
Last Week: 10
Week 6 Result: Lost to Washington
Although new faces dominated the depth charts for both Washington and Michigan, a rematch of last year's national championship game had plenty of intrigue in a Big Ten showdown on Saturday night. However, while the storylines were numerous, the Wolverines' struggling offense continued to be the main story in a 27-17 defeat. Jack Tuttle gave Michigan a spark after replacing Alex Orji at quarterback, but this unit only managed 287 yards and lost two turnovers.
21. Boise State (4-1)
Last Week: 22
Week 6 Result: Defeated Utah State
Running back Ashton Jeanty turned in another prolific performance en route to a 62-30 win by Boise State over Utah State. Jeanty gashed the Aggies for 186 yards and three touchdowns over 13 carries, bringing his season totals to 1,031 yards and 16 rushing scores. Up next for Boise State is a trip to Hawaii, followed by a date at UNLV on Oct. 25.
22. Indiana (6-0)
Last Week: Not Ranked
Week 6 Result: Defeated Northwestern
The Hoosiers join the top 25 after a 41-24 victory over Northwestern. The win against the Wildcats gave Indiana its sixth win of the season under new coach Curt Cignetti and sets up an interesting October with matchups against Nebraska (Oct. 19) and Washington (Oct. 26) up next. Under Cignetti's watch, the Hoosiers are one of the most-improved teams in college football.
23. Illinois (4-1)
Last Week: 24
Week 6 Result: Off Week
The Fighting Illini had an off date in Week 6. Coach Bret Bielema's team will return to action next week against Purdue.
24. Pitt (5-0)
Last Week: Not Ranked
Week 6 Result: Defeated North Carolina
Big days by quarterback Eli Holstein (381 passing yards and three scores and 76 rushing yards) and running back Desmond Reid (210 total yards) helped guide Pitt to a 34-24 win at North Carolina. Coach Pat Narduzzi's team is 5-0 for the first time since 1991.
25. USC (3-2)
Last Week: 12
Week 6 Result: Lost to Minnesota
The Trojans dropped their second road trip in the Big Ten this season, losing a 24-17 thriller to Minnesota. USC had three costly turnovers in the defeat, and the defense gave up two touchdown drives to the Golden Gophers in the fourth quarter to end any hopes of a victory.
Up Next: Nebraska, Navy, SMU, Army
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