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ESPN staff 5y

Power 5 conference power rankings after Week 6

College Football

These rankings are all about rating teams against their conference brethren, but we are also ranking the conferences against each other.

Check out the chart below, and click on a conference to get full details on why we ranked teams how we did.

1. SEC | 2. Big Ten | 3. Big 12 | 4. Pac-12 | 5. ACC

1. SEC

One more undefeated team goes down. LSU's loss to Florida and Kentucky's overtime loss at Texas A&M leaves just two unbeatens in the SEC, and you know who they are: Alabama and Georgia.

Suddenly, Florida is rising and A&M looks interesting, too. Mississippi State bounced back with a nice win, and what to make of Auburn? The shuffling after the top two is in full swing.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0)
So maybe giving up 31 points to Arkansas has Nick Saban upset. But when you look at what this offense is doing, hanging 65 on the Hogs, you're really just nitpicking.

2. Georgia Bulldogs (6-0)
A Vanderbilt field goal meant the Bulldogs trailed for the first time all season. They didn't like that. Fifteen seconds later, Jake Fromm threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Terry Godwin as Georgia took the lead and continued its romp through the early part of its schedule.

3. Florida Gators (5-1)
Dan Mullen keeps getting the job done. I mean, did you see that offensive sequence to take the lead against LSU? That's why Florida brought him back to the Swamp.

4. LSU Tigers (5-1)
Ed Orgeron said he was worried about his offensive and defensive lines last week, and against Florida we saw why as the Gators consistently won the battle at the line of scrimmage. Joe Burrow didn't play his best game by any means, but neither did the receivers, who dropped two huge passes on the final drive.

5. Texas A&M Aggies (4-2)
It wasn't pretty vs. Kentucky, but it was an SEC home win over a ranked team, something the Aggies haven't done often in the past six-plus seasons. Jimbo Fisher's team is beginning to take shape.

6. Kentucky Wildcats (5-1)
The Wildcats' first loss is one they wish they could have back, because if they generated anything offensively, they could be 6-0. More touches for Benny Snell Jr. (who had 17 vs. A&M) should be in order.

7. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-2)
The Bulldogs needed a bounce-back win and got it, shutting down Auburn's offense pretty much from start to finish. While you'd like to see better success throwing the ball from Nick Fitzgerald, he keeps running with success.

8. Auburn Tigers (4-2)
Maybe Jarrett Stidham needs a boost of confidence. Maybe the running game needs more chunk plays. Whatever it is, Gus Malzahn needs to get this offense back on track or the season will go fully off the rails.

9. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-2)
The Gamecocks got one they needed, and without Jake Bentley  as Michael Scarnecchia led them to a last-second win over Mizzou. Can they build off this one?

10. Missouri Tigers (3-2)
The Tigers are now 0-2 in the SEC with Alabama up next. Dropping the South Carolina game -- one they could've won with better red zone offense -- means they'll have quite the hole to dig out of in the SEC East.

11. Ole Miss Rebels (4-2)
That was more like the offensive output we saw from the Rebs early in the season. After a couple of down weeks, Jordan Ta'amu threw for three touchdowns on the way to a 70-point outing.

12. Vanderbilt Commodores (3-3)
The Commodore offense showed against Georgia that it's capable of making nice plays here and there, but it's incapable of doing so consistently in big games.

13. Tennessee Volunteers (2-3)
The bye week came at the right time for the Vols as coach Jeremy Pruitt & Co. look to bounce back after two consecutive losses to start SEC play.

14. Arkansas Razorbacks (1-5)
They weren't going to beat Alabama, but to put more points on the Crimson Tide (31) than anyone else and frustrate Nick Saban? That's a small step in the right direction.

2. Big Ten

The Big Ten separated itself into three distinct classes during the first six weeks of the season, and it's going to take an unexpected multiple-game run for any team to be promoted or demoted from its current grouping.

Iowa solidified itself as part of the upper echelon with a big offensive performance against Minnesota, even though the Hawkeyes will have a hard time catching Wisconsin in the West. Northwestern's win over Michigan State muddled the large middle class, where there is little separation between teams, even further. Nebraska and Rutgers continue to bring up the rear.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0)
Parris Campbell told reporters that they were watching "a legend in the making" after Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins threw for 455 yards and six touchdown passes to hold off an Indiana team that always seems to put a little scare into the Big Ten's best.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-1)
The Nittany Lions got a week to regroup from the one-point loss to the Buckeyes before hosting Michigan State and its FBS-leading run defense.

3. Wisconsin Badgers (4-1)
Jonathan Taylor led a rushing attack that racked up 370 yards against Nebraska's hapless defense in Madison Saturday night. A much stiffer test awaits in Ann Arbor this week.

4. Michigan Wolverines (5-1)
Without two of its starting defensive linemen for most of the game, the Wolverines had no trouble holding Maryland at an arm's length. Add to that two different fullbacks reaching the end zone, and it's clear that the ghost of Bo Schembechler was smiling Saturday.

5. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-1)
Six Hawkeyes scored touchdowns, including one on the Big Ten's best trick play of the weekend, in a 48-21 win over Minnesota.

6. Indiana Hoosiers (4-2)
Quarterback Peyton Ramsey's big day (322 yards, 3 TDs) helped the Hoosiers hang around with Ohio State for three quarters in Columbus.

7. Maryland Terrapins (3-2)
Nearly half of the Terrapins' 219 offensive yards in a loss to Michigan came when the game was already out of reach, but that season-opening win over Texas seems to look better with each passing week.

8. Northwestern Wildcats (2-3)
Squeaking out a close win in East Lansing puts Northwestern ahead of the Spartans this week, but they've got work to do if that's going to remain the case.

9. Michigan State Spartans (3-2)
Michigan State's offense didn't have any answers for how to find production without running back LJ Scott and top receiver Cody White (broken hand) on the field. The Spartans need to figure that out quickly with Penn State and Michigan up next.

10. Purdue Boilermakers (2-3)
A trip to Illinois and a chance to get back to .500 awaits the Boilermakers after their bye this week.

11. Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-2)
The Gophers' defense has allowed 90 combined points in its first two games against Big Ten opponents, and the offense turned over the ball four times in a loss to Iowa this week.

12. Illinois Fighting Illini (3-2)
The Illini are clearly a step ahead of Rutgers after a 38-17 win in Piscataway, which is a clear step up from where the Illinois program was a year ago.

13. Nebraska Cornhuskers (0-5)
Two highly recruited underclassmen jumped ship prior to a loss at Wisconsin. Will the Cornhuskers still be looking for their first win under Scott Frost when Bethune-Cookman visits at the end of October?

14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-5)
The Scarlet Knights are one of two FBS teams (along with UTEP) that have not yet scored 100 total points on the season. They also have allowed the most points of any Big Ten team.

3. Big 12

Well, well, well. Things have become rather interesting in the Big 12.

Texas' upset of the league's reigning champ and top dog -- Oklahoma -- has shaken up things in the league. The Longhorns, suddenly, look like a legitimate conference title contender. West Virginia is in the driver's seat. And the Sooners -- particularly their defense -- have work to do.

The bottom half of the league is shuffling, too. Baylor -- yes, Baylor -- has won four of six. Oklahoma State is faltering. And things are pretty rough in the Little Apple.

1. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-0)
Only one team in the Big 12 is unbeaten, and it's the Mountaineers. This team still has flaws (four turnovers vs. Kansas come to mind), but if they can put it all together, they're in great shape.

2. Texas Longhorns (5-1)
Welcome to conference title contention, Longhorns. Their thrilling win in the Red River Showdown has stamped Texas as a team to be reckoned with the rest of the way.

3. Oklahoma Sooners (5-1)
The Sooners rallied late against Texas but were outplayed for three-plus quarters, particularly on defense. That must be fixed if they're to have a shot at reaching their goals.

4. Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-2)
Off weekend for the Red Raiders as they prepare for a key Thursday night clash with TCU in Week 7. Will it be Jett Duffey or Alan Bowman starting?

5. TCU Horned Frogs (3-2)
Will Shawn Robinson be available vs. Texas Tech? Gary Patterson has been mum on the QB's status after he left the Week 5 win with an injury. Having this weekend off should help.

6. Iowa State Cyclones (2-3)
Brock Purdy's 318-yard, four-touchdown performance vs. No. 25 Oklahoma State took the Cyclones to their second consecutive road win over a ranked team (they beat OU in Norman last year).

7. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-2)
Things look rough in Stillwater after a 1-2 Big 12 start. The Cowboys' defense crumbled against an Iowa State team without its starting quarterback and running back. Offensively, they couldn't protect QB Taylor Cornelius (sacked seven times) and the team averaged just 2.9 yards per rush.

8. Baylor Bears (4-2)
Charlie Brewer has settled in now as the Bears' QB and this team is much improved from a season ago. The schedule toughens up soon, but two more wins will have Baylor bowling.

9. Kansas State Wildcats (3-3)
The Wildcats have lost three in a row and this most recent setback was winnable. A host of special teams miscues and three turnovers (two of which were Skylar Thompson interceptions), continued K-State's slide.

10. Kansas Jayhawks (2-4)
The Jayhawks showed some fight, picking off Will Grier four times and staying in the game into the second half, but the result was the same: their 13th consecutive Big 12 loss.

4. Pac-12

Another week provided more evidence that the Pac-12 is the most unpredictable Power 5 conference and -- barring some unforeseen developments -- will again be left out of the College Football Playoff. Consider this: Headed into the week, Washington and Stanford were widely considered the best two teams in the conference. Stanford got smashed at home against a Utah team that was 0-2 in conference play, while Washington won by a touchdown against winless UCLA.

1.  Washington Huskies (5-1)
It counts the same as a lopsided win would as far as the standings are concerned, but Washington's unimpressive win against UCLA doesn't exactly bolster its résumé.

2.  Colorado Buffaloes (5-0)
The Buffs are the Pac-12's only undefeated team, but because it's at least partially a result of a poor schedule we're hesitant to give them the top spot. With road games at USC and Washington the next two weeks, we'll have a much better sense soon enough.

3.  Washington State Cougars (5-1)
The Cougars would be considered the team to beat in the Pac-12 if they didn't blow a 13-point lead in the second half at USC. The pleasant surprise this year: QB Gardner Minshew has been an upgrade over Luke Falk.

4.  Oregon Ducks (4-1)
The Ducks don't have a strong win on their résumé, but have a huge opportunity this week with Washington coming to town. All eyes will be on QB Justin Herbert, who will have his hands full dealing with the Huskies' defense.

5. USC Trojans (3-2)
Clay Helton's job security has been a major talking point for Trojans fans. However, a win against Colorado this week would put USC in control of the South and on course to defend its conference title.

6. Utah Utes (3-2)
Coming out of an 0-2 hole will make winning the South a tall order, but Utah at its best might be the best team in the division.

7. Stanford Cardinal (4-2)
Since allowing just three points against USC in Week 2, the Cardinal's defense has gotten progressively worse and after allowing 40 points against Utah, a team that has been poor offensively, there should be genuine concern. That plus Bryce Love's rough start makes it tough to buy the Cardinal as a real contender at this point.

8. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-3)
They have the ability to beat every team left on their schedule. They also could lose to each of those teams. The Pac-12 in a nutshell.

9. Arizona Wildcats (3-3)
Khalil Tate has 109 yards rushing in six games. Last year, he ran for more than that in each of the first six games he saw meaningful playing time.

10. California Golden Bears (3-2)
The Bears' 3-0 start made a bowl game look like nearly a sure thing, but after two poor showings to open up conference play it's clear they'll struggle to find three more.

11. UCLA Bruins (0-5)
In the words of Chip Kelly, "Close isn't good. Close is bad." But close is better than not close, so the Bruins' 31-24 loss was a step in the right direction and enough to move the Bruins one spot up in this week's power rankings.

12. Oregon State Beavers (1-5)
There will come a point during Jonathan Smith's tenure where signs of progress won't matter, but that time has yet to come. Until then, Oregon State's 37 points against Washington State was encouraging.

5. ACC

Clemson reasserted itself with a definitive 63-3 win over Wake Forest behind Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, while NC State held on to beat Boston College, setting up an Atlantic Division showdown on Oct. 20 in Clemson. Both teams have bye weeks to prepare, and while most expected the Tigers to be undefeated at this point in the season, NC State is among the biggest surprises at 5-0. Ryan Finley and a strong passing game have much to do with that.

Meanwhile, the Coastal Division contenders muddle along, and it's still unclear who is going to emerge as the biggest threat to the Atlantic champ. Is it Miami, which needed to overcome a 20-point deficit to beat Florida State? Is it Virginia Tech, which got beaten soundly at home to Notre Dame (and also lost to Old Dominion)?

1. Clemson Tigers (6-0)
The question that emerged after its win over Wake Forest -- should Travis Etienne be in the Heisman conversation?

2. NC State Wolfpack (5-0)
NC State nearly blew its win over Boston College, but the victory qualifies as substantial progress for a program that has lost these exact games in the past.

3. Miami Hurricanes (5-1)
The Hurricanes stumbled in the opening half against Florida State before relying on turnovers (and the power of the chain) to come back and beat rival Florida State.

4. Virginia Tech Hokies (3-2)
For a half at least, the Hokies looked competitive against Notre Dame. Then Dexter Williams happened.

5. Duke Blue Devils (4-1)
The Blue Devils had their bye week to prepare for Georgia Tech this week.

6. Virginia Cavaliers (3-2)
Virginia hosts Miami on Saturday -- the Cavs have given the Hurricanes fits in recent years.

7. Boston College Eagles (4-2)
The Eagles played at NC State without top rusher AJ Dillon, and that impacted the offense.

8. Pittsburgh Panthers (3-3)
Pitt might be the most difficult team to figure out in the ACC. The Panthers lost to North Carolina, but beat a vastly improved Syracuse team?

9. Syracuse Orange (4-2)
Another disappointing loss for Syracuse, losing in overtime to Pitt. For the Orange to be the program it wants, it has to find ways to put heartbreaking losses aside and move forward.

10. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-3)
The Jackets demolished Louisville in a game that should be titled: Coach Paul Johnson gets his revenge.

11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-3)
Coach Dave Clawson fired his defensive coordinator weeks ago, but the Deacons' defense remains a liability.

12. Florida State Seminoles (3-3)
Florida State built a 27-7 halftime lead on rival Miami but let it slip away in a crushing loss that showed many of the same flaws that have hurt this team.

13. North Carolina Tar Heels (1-3)
North Carolina had a bye and hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday.

14. Louisville Cardinals (2-4)
Another dispiriting loss for the Cardinals, and a schedule that will make it extremely difficult to make a bowl.

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