Week 6 had plenty of chaos, which once again shook up the College Football Playoff picture. Penn State stumbled at UCLA, and Texas coughed up a winnable game at Florida. Both teams are looking at an uphill battle to somehow get back in the race for the 2025 season. Using this weekend’s results and the latest national temperature checks, here’s a Top-12 projection after Week 6.
Playoff Picture
1) Ohio State
The Buckeyes looked every inch No. 1 in a 42–3 dismantling of Minnesota, 326 yards and three TDs from Julian Sayin, the defense holding the Gophers to 162 total yards, in another showcase night for Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith. It was clinical and convincing.
2) Miami
The Hurricanes just banked another résumé win, edging #18 Florida State 28–22. The margin wasn’t super crazy, but in a rivalry spot on the road, Miami will take it. The tape shows a team that knows how to win, that matters in October.
3) Oregon
The Ducks remain a trustworthy blend of tempo and control. With #8 Indiana coming to Eugene next week, Oregon’s chance to validate top-three status is imminent; national voters are already treating the Ducks like a near-lock top line.
4) Oklahoma
The Sooners keep stacking clean Saturdays. This week’s 44–0 victory over Kent State was no different, and their defense is matching the offense’s pace more often than not. The upcoming Red River game now doubles as a playoff clarifier for Oklahoma and an eliminator for Texas.
5) Ole Miss
When the Rebels are humming, they look like a semifinal team. They’ve flashed top-five upside often enough that sliding them just outside the top four feels more about the quality of the teams above than a knock on the Rebs’ ceiling.
6) Texas A&M
A late pull-away against Mississippi State (31–9) backed up what the Aggies’ defense has hinted at all month. The Aggies’ fourth-quarter surge and 299 rushing yards underscore a team built for November football.
7) Alabama
A steadying win over ranked Vanderbilt kept the Tide in the first chase pack. The profile isn’t flawless, but the trend line is positive and the defense is rounding into form.
8) Indiana
The Hoosiers’ start (5–0) has been legit, and the defense is only allowing 221.4 yards per game. The trip to Oregon next week will be the big reveal whether this Hoosier team is elite or overrated.
9) Georgia
Beating Kentucky by three scores helps, but the Bulldogs still feel a notch below their vintage standard. They’re inside the top 10 on brand and the quality they showed against Tennessee, but they need to keep winning.
10) Texas Tech
One of the bigger surprises of the year has been Texas Tech. The Red Raiders’ body of work, plus the eye test, has vaulted them toward the fringe of the top-10 consensus this week. If they can continue to run the Big 12, they should be in the conversation for a January run.
11) Tennessee
Flashes of a high ceiling keep the Vols inside the cut, but they’ll need a signature scalp to nudge higher in a crowded SEC picture.
12) Memphis
The Group-of-Five flag-bearer is 6–0 and scoring 40+ per game. It’s a soft landing spot in the bracket right now, but the Tigers have earned their seat at the table.
Bottom Line
Penn State’s 42–37 loss at UCLA, a second defeat and a gut-check the committee will notice, and Texas, where Arch Manning’s late interceptions in a 29–21 loss at Florida pushed the Longhorns from contender to bystander for now. Both outcomes reshaped the national projections overnight.
Ohio State owns the pole, Miami and Oregon are jockeying for the second lane, and the fourth seed may become a weekly revolving door. With heavyweight games lining up the next two weeks, expect more turbulence because Week 6 just proved we’re not done flipping the bracket yet.
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