Week 6: Georgia takes over at No. 1, Texas falls to No. 7, and Arch Manning gets a Day 2 grade
A Week 6 digest of the AP Top 25 released Oct. 11 — Georgia to No. 1, Texas down to No. 7, Oregon and Florida out — with the games behind the movement and the week's 2027 NFL Draft stock shift.
This issue covers Oct. 5–11, 2026.
Georgia had been No. 2 for five straight polls. Sunday's Associated Press ballot made the Bulldogs No. 1 for the first time since Sept. 8, 2024, a day after they won 20-17 at Alabama. 12
Texas held No. 1 for four weeks and lost it on the last snap in Dallas. Oklahoma's Tate Sandell kicked a 47-yard field goal as time expired for a 27-24 win, and the Longhorns fell six places to No. 7. 34
Oregon, Florida and Pittsburgh dropped out of the poll. Oregon opened the season at No. 2, Florida was No. 8 in the Sept. 27 ballot, and Pittsburgh had just entered it. Kentucky, Wake Forest and Northwestern took their places. 12
Georgia received 66 of the 70 first-place votes. Notre Dame took one, Miami two and Indiana one. Alabama and Texas, now No. 6 and No. 7, sit one point apart, 1,372 to 1,371. 2
One calendar note before the numbers. This is the seventh ballot of the 2026 season, and it grades the games of Oct. 9–10, which ESPN's schedule lists as Week 6. USA TODAY files the same ballot as the Week 7 poll, so the same release carries different week numbers across outlets; this issue names the games and their dates. 56
Official AP Top 25: full ballot and movement
| Rank | School (first-place votes) | Record | Points | Previous | Movement and driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia (66) | 6-0 | 1,745 | 2 | Up one to No. 1 after a 20-17 win at Alabama, Georgia's first in Tuscaloosa since 2014. 17 |
| 2 | Notre Dame (1) | 6-0 | 1,630 | 3 | Up one after a 58-7 rout of Stanford, the largest margin in series history; highest ranking since the final 2024 poll. 17 |
| 3 | Miami (Fla.) (2) | 5-0 | 1,594 | 4 | Up one while idle. 7 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 5-1 | 1,508 | 5 | Up one after a 45-16 win over Maryland. 7 |
| 5 | Indiana (1) | 6-0 | 1,461 | 7 | Up two after a 20-17 win at Nebraska that needed two fourth-quarter touchdown passes. 47 |
| 6 | Alabama | 5-1 | 1,372 | 6 | Held at No. 6 after the 20-17 home loss to Georgia. 7 |
| 7 | Texas | 4-1 | 1,371 | 1 | Down six after the 27-24 loss to Oklahoma, one point behind Alabama. 12 |
| 8 | BYU | 5-0 | 1,237 | 8 | Held after a 24-10 win over Iowa State; 5-0 for a third straight season. 7 |
| 9 | Ole Miss | 4-1 | 1,135 | 9 | Held after a 52-17 win over Vanderbilt. 7 |
| 10 | Texas Tech | 5-0 | 1,132 | 11 | Up one while idle. 7 |
| 11 | Utah | 5-0 | 1,073 | 12 | Up one after a 41-24 win over Kansas, Utah's first 5-0 start since 2015. 7 |
| 12 | UCLA | 5-0 | 951 | 21 | Up nine, the week's biggest climb, after forcing seven turnovers in a 17-15 win at Oregon. 37 |
| 13 | Missouri | 5-1 | 882 | 14 | Up one after a 27-6 win over Texas A&M. 7 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 5-1 | 706 | 15 | Up one after a 24-17 win at Arkansas. 7 |
| 15 | Kentucky | 5-1 | 655 | NR | Re-enters at its highest spot since October 2022 after a 35-34 overtime win at LSU. 17 |
| 16 | Mississippi State | 4-1 | 650 | 17 | Up one while idle. 7 |
| 17 | Iowa | 5-1 | 621 | 20 | Up three after a 41-24 win at Washington on Friday. 47 |
| 18 | Oklahoma State | 4-1 | 604 | 18 | Held after a 42-28 win over UCF, with 40 or more points in three straight games. 7 |
| 19 | USC | 6-1 | 505 | 19 | Held after a 31-23 win at Penn State. 7 |
| 20 | Houston | 5-1 | 380 | 22 | Up two after a 35-16 win over Kansas State. 7 |
| 21 | Wake Forest | 5-1 | 326 | NR | Ranked for the first time since Oct. 20, 2022, after a 38-14 win over NC State. 7 |
| 22 | LSU | 4-2 | 274 | 10 | Down twelve, the week's largest fall, after the overtime loss to Kentucky; six straight road losses. 37 |
| 23 | Boise State | 5-1 | 268 | 23 | Held after a 38-31 win over Fresno State. 7 |
| 24 | SMU | 4-1 | 142 | 24 | Held while idle. 7 |
| 25 | Northwestern | 4-1 | 112 | NR | Debut after a 45-14 win over Ball State; first ranking under fourth-year coach David Braun. 17 |
Also receiving votes: Wisconsin 92, Oregon 86, Arizona 82, Nebraska 65, Oklahoma 44, James Madison 29, Florida 9, Duke 5, New Mexico 3, Oregon State 1. 2
UCLA's nine-place climb is the week's biggest move. The Bruins forced seven turnovers at Autzen Stadium, and Oregon finished with 242 yards of total offense. 34
LSU's slide from No. 10 to No. 22 is the week's largest. Kentucky, which beat the Tigers in overtime, re-entered at No. 15, its highest ranking since October 2022. Wake Forest is ranked for the first time since Oct. 20, 2022, and Northwestern for the first time under Braun. 17
All three dropouts lost this weekend. Oregon is unranked for the first time since the 2022 opener and sits at 3-2; Florida, No. 8 two ballots ago, lost 38-19 at home to South Carolina; Pittsburgh lost 21-17 at home to North Carolina. 17
The conference split is 9 SEC teams, 6 Big Ten, 5 Big 12, 3 ACC, Boise State for the Pac-12 and independent Notre Dame. 1
The Coaches Poll, released the same day, agrees on Georgia at No. 1 with 60 of its first-place votes and then diverges. The coaches give Indiana nine first-place votes and fourth place, keep Oregon at No. 25 while the AP puts the Ducks outside, rank USC 15th against the AP's 19th, and leave Northwestern out while giving it 107 points, the most of any team outside their 25. 6
The games behind the movement
Georgia 20, Alabama 17: the win that moved No. 1
Gunner Stockton threw for 249 yards and a touchdown, and Georgia sealed the game with a 23-yard field goal with 5:25 left. It was Georgia's first win in Tuscaloosa since 2014. 16
Alabama's last drive is the argument that followed the result. Rico Scott was essentially tackled in the end zone on a pass the crew ruled incomplete, Kalen DeBoer argued on the sideline, and Keelon Russell was sacked on the next play, which pushed the Tide out of field-goal range. 4 USA TODAY's account counted three no-calls by the officiating crew on the day. 6
Oklahoma 27, Texas 24: the last snap
Sandell's 47-yard field goal as time expired won it, and his celebration outlasted the kick. He carried an Oklahoma flag to midfield and planted it on the logo, then rode his teammates' shoulders wearing the Golden Hat and throwing double Horns Down. 4
Arch Manning went 19-for-31 for 260 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. His first touchdown was a 41-yard pass to Cam Coleman in the first quarter, and both interceptions came in the fourth, one of them returned for a score that put Oklahoma ahead. 8
Texas had won 38 straight games when leading entering the fourth quarter. The Longhorns are 4-1 and now face five consecutive opponents ranked in this week's AP poll. 479
UCLA 17, Oregon 15: the nine-place climb
Dylan Raiola completed 6 of 19 passes for 43 yards and two interceptions before Brock Thomas replaced him and went 11 of 15 for 156 yards and a touchdown. Oregon finished with 242 yards of offense. 4
Dante Moore, Oregon's starter, remained out with the concussion he sustained on the Sept. 26 targeting hit at USC. UCLA lost its own quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, in the first half and won anyway. 46
UCLA is 5-0 for the first time since 2022, and USC at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 28 is the only ranked team left on its schedule. 4
Kentucky 35, LSU 34: the same score, eight days apart
Will Stein went for two in overtime for the second straight week, and for the second straight week it worked. Kentucky beat South Carolina 35-34 in overtime, then beat LSU by the same score on Kenny Minchey's conversion run. 4
It is the first time since overtime was adopted at the FBS level in 1996 that a team has won consecutive overtime games by one point. Stein is the third SEC coach to beat multiple AP top-10 opponents in his first season. 4
LSU is 4-2 and has lost six straight road games. 7
The rest of the ranked results
- Indiana 20, Nebraska 17: Indiana trailed 17-6 in the fourth quarter before Josh Hoover hit Nick Marsh for touchdowns of 75 and 44 yards. The Hoosiers' 22 straight wins are the longest streak in program history. 4
- Notre Dame 58, Stanford 7: the 51-point margin was the largest in the series. 7
- South Carolina 38, Florida 19: LaNorris Sellers threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a fifth. 8
- Ohio State 45, Maryland 16: the Buckeyes are 10-0 against Maryland since the Terrapins joined the Big Ten. 7
- Ole Miss 52, Vanderbilt 17: a sixth straight win in the series. 7
- Utah 41, Kansas 24: Utah's first 5-0 start since 2015. 7
- Missouri 27, Texas A&M 6: Missouri has won 28 straight games against unranked opponents. 7
- Tennessee 24, Arkansas 17: a fourth straight road win, Tennessee's longest such streak since 2005-06. 7
- Iowa 41, Washington 24 (Friday): Iowa has won 14 straight against unranked teams. 7
- BYU 24, Iowa State 10 (Friday): a third straight 5-0 start, the first in program history. 7
- Oklahoma State 42, UCF 28: 40 or more points in three consecutive games. 7
- USC 31, Penn State 23: USC's 6-1 start is its best since joining the Big Ten. 7
- Houston 35, Kansas State 16, Wake Forest 38, NC State 14, Boise State 38, Fresno State 31 and Northwestern 45, Ball State 14 kept those teams moving up or in. 7
- Outside the poll: James Madison beat Georgia Southern 27-24 and is the only undefeated Group of 6 team. UNLV beat North Dakota State 13-7, and Georgia Tech handed Duke its first loss. 4
Miami, Texas Tech, Mississippi State and SMU were idle. 7
2027 NFL Draft: Week 6 stock movement
Four dated documents sit behind this section, and they carry four different publication dates. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Jordan Reid filed their weekly notes on Oct. 11. Jordan Reid published a ranking of the top 15 quarterbacks on Oct. 9 and his top 50 on Oct. 1. The NFL Draft Bible's Hot 100 is a monthly board, and its Sept. 18 edition is still the newest, so every Hot 100 placement below predates four weeks of games. 8101112
| Prospect (position, school) | This week's game evidence | Where the boards have him | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arch Manning, QB, Texas | 260 yards, three touchdowns and two fourth-quarter interceptions against Oklahoma | No. 17 on Reid's top 50 (Oct. 1); No. 2 on the Hot 100 (Sept. 18); fifth among quarterbacks on Reid's QB board, early Day 2 (Oct. 9) | Falling 81011 |
| LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina | 279 yards and four touchdown passes against Florida, plus 20 rushing yards and a fifth score | No. 64 on the Hot 100 (Sept. 18); outside Reid's top 50 | Rising, unverified 812 |
| Nick Marsh, WR, Indiana | Six catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns at Nebraska, a week after seven catches for 120 yards and a score at Rutgers | No. 27 on Reid's top 50 (Oct. 1) | Rising 811 |
| Jamal Roberts, RB, Missouri | 222 rushing yards and two scores against Texas A&M | Outside Reid's top 50; graded early-to-mid Day 3 before the season | Rising 811 |
| David Stone, DT, Oklahoma | Pushed the pocket against Texas with nothing on the stat sheet; 0.5 sacks this season and three for his career | No. 39 on Reid's top 50 (Oct. 1) | Rising 811 |
| Coleton Price, C, Kentucky | Paved the lane for CJ Baxter's 77-yard run on Kentucky's first play at LSU | Outside Reid's top 50; a fourth-round grade that has climbed for a month | Rising 811 |
| Koi Perich, S, Oregon | 11 tackles and an interception against UCLA, his second pick of the season | Outside Reid's top 50 | Rising 811 |
| Dylan Stewart, EDGE, South Carolina | First sack of the season in his return from a one-game suspension | No. 5 on Reid's top 50 (Oct. 1); No. 6 on the Hot 100 (Sept. 18) | Holding 81112 |
"Rising" marks a player the analysts raised this week on game evidence. "Holding" marks one whose standing survived the week. 8
Arch Manning and the two boards that disagree
Reid asked the question directly in his Oct. 11 notes: is Manning sliding in the class? His answer was that Manning has "two or three plays per game that explain why some scouts still view him as a potential top-10 pick," and that too much inconsistency sits between them. Reid grades him a Day 2 prospect on his quarterback board. 8
That board, published Oct. 9, ranks the position outright: Drew Mestemaker first, Darian Mensah second, Trinidad Chambliss third, CJ Carr fourth and Manning fifth. The top four carry Round 1 projections, while Manning and Dante Moore, sixth, project in the early-Day-2 range. 10
The NFL Draft Bible's Hot 100 puts the position somewhere else. Its Sept. 18 top ten holds five quarterbacks: Manning second, Mensah third, Julian Sayin fourth, Mestemaker eighth and Dante Moore tenth. Reid's own top 50 holds none in its top ten, with Mestemaker the first quarterback at No. 11 and Manning at No. 17. 1112
The gap is larger than an argument about one quarterback. One board treats this as a class whose value sits at the top of the quarterback group; the other fills its top ten with five defenders and skill players. 1112
Other names that moved
- Kip Lewis, LB, Oklahoma: 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds, "always around the ball," with instincts Kiper likes; a Day 3 name. 8
- Peter Clarke, TE, Temple: five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown against UConn after a slow start to the season. At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, out of the NFL Academy in London, he is a Day 3 pick in Kiper's reading. 8
- Nov. 7, Miami at Notre Dame: the date Reid's quarterback board circles for Darian Mensah and CJ Carr, both of whom have played soft schedules so far. 10
What the poll points to next Saturday
Six games on Oct. 17 match two ranked teams. No. 2 Notre Dame plays at No. 8 BYU, No. 4 Ohio State at No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama at No. 14 Tennessee, No. 13 Missouri at No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 16 Mississippi State at No. 22 LSU and No. 18 Oklahoma State at No. 20 Houston. 3
BYU plays that game without running back LJ Martin. 4
Ohio State at Indiana is a rematch of last season's Big Ten championship game, which Indiana won to end a 30-game losing streak against the Buckeyes and Ohio State's 16-game winning streak. 4
References
- 1
- 2The AP Top 25
apnews.com
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 122027 NFL Draft Hot 100 (September Edition)
allaccessfootball.com
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