Week 7 of college football is set to send shockwaves through the AP Top 25.
Arch Manning and a stout Texas defense restored faith in the Longhorns with a dominant 23-6 win against No. 6 Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry game. No. 7 Indiana made a statement with a 30-20 victory over No. 3 Oregon, while No. 4 Ole Miss showed weakness against Washington State, setting the stage for major movement in the top 10.
No. 24 South Florida improved to 5-1 on Friday with a 63-36 win, handing North Texas its first loss of the season. The Bulls returned to the rankings last week after a 54-26 win against Charlotte. It’s the third consecutive outing South Florida has scored 50 or more points.
No. 8 Alabama scraped out a 27-24 victory over No. 14 Missouri, sealing the deal with a fourth-quarter interception from Dijon Lee Jr. with 37 seconds left. It’s Alabama’s third straight SEC win, sending the Crimson Tide to 5-1 on the season and emerging as a true contender.
No. 7 Indiana improved to 6-0 with an impressive road win over No. 3 Oregon led by a dominant Hoosiers pass rush. Indiana is neck and neck with No. 1 Ohio State, tying the Buckeyes’ 3-0 conference record.
No. 25 Florida State’s 3-0 start and top-10 days are long gone. The Seminoles lost their third straight game on Saturday, dropping 34-31 to an unranked Pitt team. After losses to Virginia, Miami and now Pitt, Florida State’s immediate future in the poll appears bleak.
No. 4 Ole Miss pulled out a 24-21 victory over Washington State in a game that shouldn’t have been close to begin with. The Rebels got off to a slow start, with their first three drives resulting in a turnover on downs, a missed field goal and a fumble. Ole Miss went on a 10-0 run in the second quarter before a back-and-forth contest in the second half. The Rebels secured the win, but it wasn’t top-five caliber play.
No. 3 Oregon lost to No. 7 Indiana at home — the Ducks’ first loss of the season. It was a tough day for quarterback Dante Moore, who was sacked six times and threw two interceptions.
No. 6 Oklahoma was outperformed in all three phases against an unranked Texas team on Saturday. Quarterback John Mateer uncharacteristically threw three interceptions in his first outing since undergoing hand surgery in September.
If Missouri drops in the rankings, it likely won’t be far. The Tigers were every bit in the game for all four quarters. A close loss to a top-10 Alabama team could cause some movement, but it shouldn’t set the Tigers back too far in the rankings.
The Longhorns’ stint as an unranked team was likely short-lived after a convincing win against Oklahoma on Saturday. Texas went on a 20-0 run in the second half, solidifying a 23-6 win.
Cincinnati improved to 5-1 on Saturday with a 20-11 win over UCF. The Bearcats received the most votes of any unranked team last week, finishing 18 points shy of No. 25 Florida State. Another win paired with Florida State’s loss could do the trick.
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