College Football Rankings: Bleacher Report's Week 6 Top 25

For the second year in a row, the first week of October has proven to be an ominous one for the highest-ranked teams in college football.

Previously unbeaten teams Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, UCLA and West Virginia, among others, suffered their first losses of the 2015 season, while schools such as Clemson, Florida State, Michigan State and Ohio State escaped by the skin of their teeth. The only league that seemed to avoid having any major turmoil among its elite was the Big 12, and that disaster avoidance is quite noticeable in our latest Bleacher Report Top 25.

Twenty-one of our college football staff voted in this week's Top 25: writers Ben Axelrod, Greg Couch, Ed Feng, Justin Ferguson, Bryan Fischer, David Kenyon, Ben Kercheval, Adam Kramer, Brian Leigh, Mike Monaco, Brian Pedersen, David Regimbal, Barrett Sallee, Brad Shepard, Greg Wallace and Christopher Walsh; video experts Michael Felder and Sean McManus; and editors Eric Bowman, Hunter Mandel and Eric Yates.

First-place votes were worth 25 points, with each subsequent rank worth one fewer point, all the way down to one for 25th place. The 25 highest vote-getters made our list, with the rest falling into the "others receiving votes" category.

See where everyone falls after Week 5, then give us your thoughts in the comments section.

West Virginia (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) allowed more points in the first half in Saturday's 44-24 loss at Oklahoma than it had in its previous three games, and thus the Mountaineers slipped out of the Top 25 after ranking 21st last week.

Here's the full list of teams that received votes but not enough to make the Top 25.

• West Virginia (19)
• Houston (14)
• Memphis (14)
• Boise State 913)
• Toledo (13)
• Arizona State (12)
• Temple (11)
• Kansas State (9)
• Mississippi State (7)
• Auburn (4)
• Navy (4)
• Georgia Tech (2)
• Kentucky (2)
• Purdue (2)
• Wisconsin (2)

Poll points: 25

Last week's ranking: Not ranked

Week 5 result: Won 9-7 vs. Boston College

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 at Army

Duke (4-1, 2-0 ACC) only managed three first-half field goals in an offensively challenged game, but it was enough for a second straight home win in conference play thanks to great defense.

Ross Martin connected from 36, 38 and 53 yards, respectively, making him 9-of-9 for the season. That was all the Blue Devils needed, as they allowed only a third-quarter touchdown and held Boston College (3-2, 0-2) to 305 yards.

Duke only had 228 yards, including just 33 yards on the ground.

Poll points: 34

Last week's ranking: 23rd

Week 5 result: Won 41-24 at Colorado

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 vs. Washington State

Oregon (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) avoided starting conference play with two straight losses for the first time since 1996 thanks to a massive rushing attack paced by two quarterbacks and its many rushers.

The Ducks ran for 361 yards and three touchdowns on 60 carries, with Royce Freeman leading the way with 163 yards and two TDs. Taj Griffin added 109 yards and a score, while quarterbacks Taylor Alie and Jeff Lockie combined for 40 yards on the ground and 137 through the air.

Poll points: 88

Last week's ranking: Not ranked

Week 5 result: Won 10-6 at Wisconsin

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 vs. Illinois

Iowa (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) is off to its best start since 2009 after winning a defensive struggle in Madison to open conference play, doing so with only 221 yards of total offense.

A week after putting up 62 points at home against North Texas, the Hawkeyes got only a one-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Beathard to George Kittle and a Marshall Koehn field goal (both in the second quarter) and then relied on their defense to make stops. They did that in spades, forcing four turnovers while holding Wisconsin (3-2, 0-1) to 86 rushing yards.

Jordan Canzeri had 125 rushing yards for Iowa, which beat Wisconsin for the first time since 2009. 

Poll points: 99

Last week's ranking: 20th

Week 5 result: Won 36-34 vs. Kansas State

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 at West Virginia

Oklahoma State (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) won on a late field goal from Ben Grogan for the second week in a row, this one from 37 yards out with 32 seconds remaining.

Grogan kicked two field goals in the final minutes in last week's 30-27 win at Texas. His game-winner on Saturday came after Kansas State (3-1, 0-1) went up 34-33 with 3:01 left on a five-yard touchdown run from Joe Hubener.

The Cowboys trailed by 15 points late in the first half but got a career-high 437 passing yards with three touchdowns from Mason Rudolph.

Poll points: 100

Last week's ranking: 22nd

Week 5 result: Won 34-28 vs. Washington State

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 at Utah

California (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) rallied from a two-touchdown deficit late in the first half to continue its hot start to 2015, matching last year's win total and moving within a game of its first season of bowl eligibility since 2011.

Jared Goff threw for 390 yards and four touchdowns, including a 24-yard TD pass to Maurice Harris in the final minute of the third quarter for the game-winning score. The Golden Bears outscored Washington State (2-2, 0-1) by a 27-7 margin after trailing 21-7 late in the second quarter.

Kenny Lawler had two TD catches and Bryce Treggs added a TD reception for Cal, which matches its best start since 2007.

Poll points: 152

Last week's ranking: 25th

Week 5 result: Won 28-0 at Maryland

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 vs. Northwestern

Michigan (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) shut out its second straight opponent, giving Jim Harbaugh his first conference win despite turning it over three times and not scoring a touchdown until the second half.

The Wolverines led 6-0 at halftime but then got two TDs from Drake Johnson (one rushing, one receiving) and a 66-yard scoring run from Jehu Chesson. 

Maryland (2-3, 0-1) was held to 105 yards and committed three turnovers. Michigan has allowed just 14 points during its four-game win streak. 

Poll points: 159

Last week's ranking: 6th

Week 5 result: Lost 38-23 vs. Arizona 

Week 6 matchup: Bye

UCLA (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) continued a recent trend of perplexing home losses, falling in the Rose Bowl in conference play for the fourth time in the past 12 months a week after posting a blowout win at Arizona.

The Bruins trailed 29-10 in the third quarter before waking up and getting within six points, but they never led after Josh Rosen was sacked for a safety in the first quarter. Rosen threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, but he got no help from the run game, as Paul Perkins was held to 63 yards and a TD on 18 carries.

UCLA ran for 62 yards as a team, compared to 192 for Arizona State (3-2, 1-1).

Poll points: 175

Last week's ranking: 18th

Week 5 result: Won 55-17 vs. Arizona

Week 6 matchup: Bye

Stanford (4-1, 3-0 Pac-12) continued its offensive onslaught, topping 40 points for the third straight game.

The Cardinal gained 570 yards of total offense, with quarterback Kevin Hogan having a nearly perfect night. The senior was 17-of-19 for 217 yards and two touchdowns, while backup Keller Chryst added a TD pass.

Stanford's run game churned out 314 yards and four TDs, getting 156 and a TD from Christian McCaffrey.

Poll points: 188

Last week's ranking: 8th

Week 5 result: Lost 38-10 vs. Alabama

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 at Tennessee

Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC) got blown out on its rain-soaked field, giving up 35 straight points in a myriad of ways to fall flat in its biggest game of the year.

After tying the game at three early in the second half, the Bulldogs didn't score again until Nick Chubb's 83-yard touchdown run with five seconds remaining in the third quarter. By then they were down 38-10 and had allowed Alabama (4-1, 1-1) to score three offensive TDs as well as one each on a blocked punt and an interception return.

Greyson Lambert, who had thrown only two incomplete passes in Georgia's previous two games, was just 10-of-24 for 86 yards with an interception. Brice Ramsey replaced him and did no better, getting picked twice (including one that was brought back for a TD).

Chubb finished with 146 yards on 20 carries, tying a school record with his 13th straight 100-yard game.

Poll points: 189

Last week's ranking: 16th

Week 5 result: Bye

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 8 vs. Washington

USC (3-1, 1-1 Pac-12) is averaging 46.8 points and 532 yards per game, but because of a loss two weeks ago at home to Stanford, the Trojans are playing catchup early in conference play. They rebounded from that setback with a blowout win at Arizona State on Sept. 26, a game that saw Cody Kessler throw five touchdown passes for the fourth time in his career.

Kessler, who has 15 TDs and one interception this season, is completing 73 percent of his passes. He's set to pass Rodney Peete for fifth on the USC career passing list, and his 74 TDs are third in school history.

Poll points: 224

Last week's ranking: 17th

Week 5 result: Won 27-0 vs. Minnesota

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 at Michigan

Northwestern (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) posted its second shutout of the season, while quarterback Clayton Thorson ran for two touchdowns in the Wildcats' dominant victory to open conference play.

The Wildcats have given up 35 points in five games this season, and in four home games they're allowing 6.3 points per game. 

Thorson threw for 128 yards on 14-of-19 passing to go with his rushing TDs, while Justin Jackson ran for 120 yards on 20 carries. Northwestern held Minnesota (3-2, 0-1) to 173 yards and got a 13-yard fumble return TD from Anthony Walker. 

Poll points: 262

Last week's ranking: 2nd

Week 5 result: Lost 38-10 at Florida

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 vs. New Mexico State

Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1 SEC) fell behind 25-0 and never had a chance to get back into it, marking the third time it's lost by 28 or more points since November.

The Rebels were unable to get to Florida quarterback Will Grier, who completed 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns, and four turnovers prevented their own offense from getting any traction.

Chad Kelly threw for 259 yards and a TD with an interception but he was also Ole Miss' leading rusher, with 40 yards. The Rebels gained 69 yards on 33 carries.

Poll points: 287

Last week's ranking: 5th

Week 5 result: Lost 24-22 at Clemson

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 vs. Navy

Notre Dame (4-1) came up a yard short on a two-point conversion with seven seconds remaining, nearly pulling off a massive comeback in a game where it trailed 21-3.

The Fighting Irish committed four turnovers, including a fumble by Chris Brown at Clemson's 4-yard line with 2:09 left down 24-16. The Irish got the ball back and pulled within two on Torii Hunter Jr.'s one-yard touchdown catch from DeShone Kizer.

Kizer had 381 of Notre Dame's 437 yards of total offense, throwing for 321 yards and two TDs and adding 60 yards with a rushing score.

Poll points: 288

Last week's ranking: 14th

Week 5 result: Won 24-16 at Wake Forest

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 vs. Miami (Florida)

Florida State (4-0, 2-0 ACC) won its 26th consecutive game against a conference opponent, making a late defensive stand on the road, but early on it lost top running back Dalvin Cook to a leg injury.

Cook had a 94-yard rushing touchdown midway through the first quarter, but not long after he was hurt and did not return. With him out, the Seminoles finished with only 329 yards while committing 10 penalties for 100 yards.

Everett Golson threw for 202 yards and a TD, and Johnathan Vickers added a rushing score. FSU's defense forced two turnovers, including an interception by Tyler Hunter in the end zone with 21 seconds left.

Poll points: 306

Last week's ranking: Not ranked

Week 5 result: Won 38-10 vs. Ole Miss

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 at Missouri

Florida (5-0, 3-0 SEC) has arrived, doing so by knocking Ole Miss from its perch as the previous darling of the conference thanks to a dominant home victory that was a rout before the first half was over.

The Gators led 25-0 at halftime and didn't allow a touchdown until the fourth quarter, when they were already up 38-3. All told they forced four turnovers and held the Rebels (4-1, 2-1) to 328 yards, far below their season averages of 54.8 points and 543.5 yards per game.

Florida's own offense was paced by freshman quarterback Will Grier, who threw for 271 yards and four TDs on 24-of-29 passing.

Poll points: 315

Last week's ranking: 15th

Week 5 result: Won 44-24 vs. West Virginia

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 vs. Texas (in Dallas)

Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) used its own defensive plays to set the tone against the nation's top-rated scoring defense, forcing five turnovers and recording seven sacks in an impressive conference-opening victory.

The Sooners also gained 427 yards against a team that had allowed 23 points in its first three games, a total they topped before halftime thanks to two of Baker Mayfield's three passing touchdowns and a long rushing score from Joe Mixon.

Mayfield's 71-yard TD pass to Durron Neal gave Oklahoma a 34-24 lead late in the third quarter, 45 seconds after West Virginia (3-1, 0-1) had pulled within three. The Sooners then put it away when Eric Striker stripped Skyler Howard and Jordan Evans returned the fumble 41 yards for a TD.

Poll points: 342

Last week's ranking: 13th

Week 5 result: Won 30-17 vs. Mississippi State

Week 6 matchup: Bye

Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 SEC) got another big game from quarterback Kyle Allen, while the Aggies defense did its best to keep Mississippi State's top weapon in check.

Allen threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-41 passing, while Tra Carson ran for 110 yards and a score as A&M put up 516 yards of total offense.

The Aggies gave up 406 yards to Mississippi State (3-2, 1-2), but Dak Prescott threw for only 210 yards, along with 96 on the ground and a five-yard TD in the fourth quarter.

Poll points: 379

Last week's ranking: 9th

Week 5 result: Won 44-22 vs. Eastern Michigan

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 at South Carolina

LSU (4-0) jumped out to a 17-0 lead but then allowed its Mid-American Conference opponent to hang around until the fourth quarter, though whenever it needed a big play the call went to workhorse running back Leonard Fournette.

Fournette became the first rusher in SEC history with three straight 200-yard games, as the sophomore ran for 233 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. That included a 75-yard TD run on the Tigers' first play of the second half, giving them a 27-14 lead.

Eastern Michigan (1-4) committed three turnovers, including an interception that Deion Jones returned 26 yards for a TD, but got as close as 30-22 in the third quarter despite only gaining 255 yards.

Poll points: 383

Last week's ranking: 12th

Week 5 result: Won 38-10 at Georgia

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 vs. Arkansas

Alabama (4-1, 1-1 SEC) paid no mind to being a Vegas underdog for the first time since 2009, nor did it let heavy rain and wind keep it from putting forth a dominant performance to put to rest any talk that its run as the top program in the conference and one of the best in the nation was coming to an end.

"The Alabama dynasty looks pretty good for a corpse," USA Today's Paul Myerberg tweeted. 

The Crimson Tide scored 35 straight points to break a 3-3 tie midway through the second quarter, getting scores on the ground, through the air, on defense and on special teams during the run.

Jake Coker had his best game yet as Alabama's starting quarterback, throwing for 190 yards and a touchdown along with a rushing score, while Derrick Henry had a career-best 148 yards with a 30-yard TD on 26 carries.

Alabama got a blocked punt return TD from Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Eddie Jackson returned an interception 50 yards for a score less than two minutes in the second half for a 31-3 lead.

Poll points: 398 (two first-place votes)

Last week's ranking: 11th

Week 5 result: Bye

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 vs. California

Utah (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) is still basking in the glow of its biggest win since joining the Pac-12, a 62-20 thrashing of Oregon on the road. The Utes scored 42 consecutive points during one stretch, scoring via the run, pass and on special teams.

Devontae Booker has 592 yards of total offense, rushing for 443 yards and adding 15 receptions for 159 yards, while quarterback Travis Wilson has four passing TDs and three rushing scores.

The Utes have won six consecutive games, their longest streak since a nine-game run in 2009-10.

Poll points: 407

Last week's ranking: 3rd

Week 5 result: Won 24-21 vs. Purdue

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 at Rutgers

Michigan State (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) put up a third straight shaky performance against a weak opponent, nearly blowing a 21-point lead before hanging on to win its conference opener.

The Spartans scored on three of their first four possessions and led 21-0 at halftime but managed only a fourth-quarter field goal after that. LJ Scott had two rushing touchdowns and ran for 146 yards on 18 carries, part of 267 rushing yards for MSU, while Connor Cook threw for 139 yards and a TD on 13-of-19 passing. 

MSU forced three turnovers and held Purdue (1-4, 0-1) to 301 yards, the first time since the season opener that it outgained its opponent. 

Poll points: 442 (two first-place votes)

Last week's ranking: 10th

Week 5 result: Won 24-22 vs. Notre Dame

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 vs. Georgia Tech

Clemson (4-0) used a quick start, four forced turnovers and a final stand on a two-point conversion to hold off visiting Notre Dame during heavy rain on Saturday night in a game in which it was massively outgained.

The Tigers managed 296 yards to 437 for Notre Dame (4-1), but thanks to the four takeaways, they were able to avoid blowing a 21-3 lead.

Deshaun Watson threw for 97 yards and two TDs and ran for 93 yards and a score, while Wayne Gallman ran for 98 yards on 22 carries.

Clemson led 24-16 with 2:09 left when Jayron Kearse recovered a Notre Dame fumble at the Tigers' 4-yard line. After Notre Dame got the ball back and scored a TD with seven seconds left, the Tigers stuffed Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer on a two-point conversion run.

Poll points: 479 (eight first-place votes)

Last week's ranking: 1st

Week 5 result: Won 34-27 at Indiana

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 vs. Maryland

Ohio State (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) trailed 10-0 and was down by a touchdown in the second quarter, then needed to stifle host Indiana on 4th-and-goal for its 18th straight victory on an afternoon when it seemed like the defending national champions were going to fall.

If not for Ezekiel Elliott's monster day, that might have happened.

Elliott ran for a career-high 274 yards on 23 carries, scoring three long TDs to account for 21 of the Buckeyes' 28 second-half points. He scored from 55 yards out early in the second half for a 13-10 lead, then after Indiana (4-1, 0-1) went up by four, he broke off a 65-yard scoring run. His third score was from 75 yards out with 10:24 left in the fourth quarter to give OSU a 34-20 lead.

Indiana got a 79-yard TD run from backup quarterback Zander Diamont just 21 seconds later to pull within seven, but OSU kept the Hoosiers from scoring again.

It's the third time this season OSU has either trailed or been tied with an opponent, a scenario we saw last year with another unbeaten defending champion.

"2015 Ohio State is really similar to 2014 Florida State," Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee tweeted.

Poll points: 482 (three first-place votes)

Last week's ranking: 7th

Week 5 result: Won 50-7 vs. Texas

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 at Kansas State

TCU (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) jumped all over visiting Texas in the first quarter, to the tune of 30 points, and then cruised to its most lopsided victory over the Longhorns (1-4, 0-2) since 1956.

The Horned Frogs gained 604 yards, with Trevone Boykin accounting for 384, including 332 passing yards and five touchdowns. Four of those TD passes went to KaVontae Turpin, who had six catches for 138 yards, while Josh Doctson had seven catches for 129 yards and two scores. 

A week after giving up 52 points and 607 yards in a three-point win at Texas Tech, the Frogs allowed 313 yards and only a fourth-quarter TD for their biggest win over the Longhorns since a 46-0 decision 59 years ago.

"TCU had enough of that whole heart-stopping, victory-from-the-jaws-of-defeat business last weekend against Texas Tech," Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee wrote. 

It's TCU's second straight win over Texas, following up last year's 48-10 road win on Thanksgiving. 

Poll points: 484 (six first-place votes)

Last week's ranking: 4th

Week 5 result: Won 63-35 vs. Texas Tech (in Arlington, Texas)

Week 6 matchup: Oct. 10 at Kansas

Baylor (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) needed 65 seconds to score its first touchdown and four minutes to get to 14 points. It got to 28 before the first quarter was over in another offensive onslaught from the nation's top-scoring offense.

The Bears racked up 680 yards of total offense, which was actually a season low after going for more than 700 in their first two games. But they did so on only 76 offensive plays, scoring on seven of their first eight possessions to lead 49-21 at halftime.

Seth Russell had six total TDs, throwing for 286 yards and four scores on 15-of-23 passing while scoring twice on the ground with 81 yards on 12 carries. Shock Linwood ran for 221 yards and two scores, part of 368 rushing yards for Baylor.

“When you can run the ball, it hurts people in the heart,” Baylor coach Art Briles said, per the football team's Twitter account.

Corey Coleman had seven catches for 110 yards and three TDs, giving him 11 scores on 24 receptions this season.

All slides written by Brian J. Pedersen. Follow the writer on Twitter at @realBJP.