No. 1 Texas went down in Week 6, collapsing during the fourth quarter in a brutal setback to rival Oklahoma, and just like that, college football’s midpoint is a beautiful mess with no clear favorite. Six weeks into the 2026 season, our opinions might be building a backbone, but the reality is any number of teams could be plugged into the spots for “contender” or “pretender.” There is simply no undisputed top team in the nation.
Chaos Reigns at the Top, Unbeatens Are Barely Hanging On
Georgia has a strong case for the top spot, sure, after picking up a massive win Saturday at Alabama. But let’s be real: the Dawgs, who have stood atop B/R’s Top 25 for weeks, needed every single one of those 60 minutes to clip the Crimson Tide. And get this: the toughest part of UGA’s schedule is only now arriving! Rivalry games against Auburn and Florida are up next, then a trip to Ole Miss and a clash with Missouri. Taking down Bama on the road is fantastic, but the real tests are just beginning.
Then you’ve got Notre Dame and Miami, both Top Five programs, appearing destined for a spot in the CFP. They’re undefeated and play each other on November 7. But what’s their *best* win? Wisconsin? Wake Forest? Seriously? Scan the rest of the nation’s unbeatens and you will not find a dominant, runaway team anywhere. Indiana held off Northwestern and needed a comeback to survive Nebraska on Saturday. BYU hasn’t even scored more than 28 points in three Big 12 matchups. Texas Tech, Utah, and UCLA? They’ve all played a low level of competition on their path to 5-0. James Madison rounds out that group. Nobody looks invincible.
The Week of Losing Got Crazy
Literally every other team in college football has a loss. Every single one. Texas became the most prominent casualty in Week 6, but they weren’t alone. Saturday’s slate also ended the perfect records of Duke, Pitt, and North Dakota State. Nebraska and Alabama lost their marquee games. And beyond that, preseason hopefuls like LSU and Oregon already endured their second losses of the campaign. Florida fell for the second week in a row, joining the ever-growing list. Ohio State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and USC all already had a loss apiece before this week even started. The mood around teams like Michigan, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M has soured big time, and one upset of Texas isn’t enough evidence to suddenly buy into OU, especially with their early mess on offense. Pick any team not mentioned, and we could easily find a bad result, an obvious flaw, or an uphill climb ahead.
What’s Next for This Wild Ride?
We still don’t know who the favorite is. That’s the best part, right? The second half of the 2026 season doesn’t have a seemingly inevitable ending, and that makes for must-watch football. Georgia heads to Ole Miss in a month for a critical SEC tilt that could redefine the season. In addition to that later showdown with Miami, Notre Dame is set to play BYU in Week 7, and BYU also travels to Utah. Indiana hosts Ohio State in Week 7. UCLA’s schedule is incredibly favorable, and Iowa lands in that category, too, but are we genuinely ready to trust the Bruins or Hawkeyes? Ole Miss, conversely, is hugely talented but faces a nightmare slate remaining, and Texas’ path is comparably brutal after their Week 6 collapse. Kentucky, Missouri, and Mississippi State have impressed early, but they’ll be challenged often in the SEC. Houston and Oklahoma State are bracing for a prime-time meeting in Week 7, and a future date with a Big 12 unbeaten awaits both. Ohio State has a difficult three-game run surging over the horizon, as well. Get ready, because this is going to be a wild finish.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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