NCAA Football 2018 Week 6 results and Top 25

Some Top 25 upsets knocked folks around.  Rivalry games made heroes of Florida State (despite a slight one-point loss) and Texas, and punched serious holes in the playoff hopes of Miami and the Big XII conference.

Three unbeatens lost this week, dropping us to 12.  Four share a conference with other unbeatens, so we are guaranteed for that number to drop.  All Power Five conferences have at least one unbeaten each, while only the American Athletic Conference in the Group of Five has unbeaten teams.

Top 25 [Last week's position]
1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0) [1]
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0) [2]
3. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-1) [3]
4. Georgia Bulldogs (6-0) [4]
5. Clemson Tigers (6-0) [6]
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-0) [7]
7. UCF Golden Knights (5-0) [9]
8. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-0) [10]
9. Michigan Wolverines (5-1) [14]
10. Colorado Buffaloes (5-0) [12]
11. Oklahoma Sooners (5-1) [5]
12. Wisconsin Badgers (4-1) [15]
13. Oregon Ducks (4-1) [13]
14. Florida Gators (5-1) [17]
15. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-1) [19]
16. LSU Tigers (5-1) [8]
17. Texas Longhorns (5-1) [NR]
18. Miami Hurricanes (5-1) [18]
19. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-0) [23]
20. Washington Huskies (5-1) [21]
21. North Carolina State Wolfpack (5-0) [25]
22. Kentucky Wildcats (5-1) [11]
23. Syracuse Orange (4-2) [16]
24. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-2) [NR]
25. Fresno State Bulldogs (4-1) [NR]

Dropped off: Auburn Tigers [#20], Stanford Cardinal [#22], Oklahoma State Cowboys [#24]
On the Edge: Washington State Cougars (5-1), Appalachian State Mountaineers (3-1), Texas A&M Aggies (4-2), Utah State Aggies (4-1), Memphis Tigers (4-2), North Texas Mean Green (5-1)

Big Ten Report
Northwestern showed some spunk (which they only seem to do on the road this season) and upset Michigan State.  With Maryland's loss to Michigan, it basically makes the East division a 3-way race among Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan.  Northwestern has the 2nd best conference record in the West, but their slow start makes them an underdog.  Iowa is really the only team with a chance to chase Wisconsin.

Pac-12 Report
Stanford has lost two games in a row and face an uphill battle in the North.  The Washington teams are definitely the most impressive ones there, and they both played well this week.  Cal is fading fast.  In the South, Colorado is the lone unbeaten in the conference, and definitely the strongest team so far.  Utah is improving, while the other teams leave something to be desired (or several things). If Washington wins out in impressive style they might be a dark horse for the playoffs, but I think this conference has lost a bid.

SEC Report
Kentucky's loss makes Florida the most likely team to chase Georgia for the East title.  Florida lived up to that expectation by surprising LSU this week.  If the Gators do that again, to another ranked team, they are a Top Ten team and a definite contender. With Auburn's second loss and LSU's loss to Florida, Alabama may have already (practically, if not mathematically) sewn up the West title.

ACC Report
BC's loss makes NC State the only team to challenge Clemson for the Atlantic title.  With the Hokies second loss, Miami might have the Coastal sewn up, although their near-upset to Florida State makes them unsteady.  If Clemson falls, this conference will be shut out of the playoffs.

Big XII Report
Texas' win in the Red River Showdown leaves West Virginia the lone unbeaten in the conference, and likely leaves the conference in the cold when it comes to the playoffs. Texas has definitely shaken off their loss to Maryland and could battle for the conference title.  Oklahoma is still in it, but it appears the Cowboys are not.

Group of Five and Independents
Notre Dame just keeps getting stronger, and some national analysts are starting to project the Irish in the playoffs.  They still have to face Syracuse, and given that Pitt beat the Orange this weekend, the Panthers may give them a challenge, too.

Could a Group of Five team make the playoffs?  That depends on UCF.  The Golden Knights went unbeaten last year.  If they do it again, that might earn them enough respect to get an at-large bid, but Notre Dame would have to fall in order for that to happen.