College football overreactions after Week 6: Texas from No. 1 to missing CFP?

Week 6 of college football didn’t disappoint and it was arguably the best slate of the entire year. From the early kick to the late kick, there was action-packed football all day long. Nebraska had a chance to have its signature win under Matt Rhule, but the Hoosiers had two long touchdowns to remain undefeated.
In SEC play, Georgia took down Alabama in the game of the week, Texas lost a stunner to Oklahoma, Florida continues to be humbled after a great start, and LSU lost to Kentucky in overtime.
There was a lot of shuffling in the latest AP Top 25 poll, and here are four overreactions from Week 6.
MORE: College football stock up, stock down from Week 6: A New No. 1 on Sunday
Nobody is touching Georgia in the SEC
Oct 10, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) calls a play at the line of scrimmage against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second quarter at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)Alabama was always going to be Georgia’s biggest threat on its 2026 schedule. Not only did the Bulldogs go down to Alabama and pull out a 20-17 win, but the Bulldogs’ offense moved the ball with ease and gained 455 yards of offense.
Georgia’s offense only continues to improve with more and more running backs impressing. The Bulldogs have at least four backs they can play at any given time and feel like they can trust them to be productive.
Looking ahead, the last two remaining ranked teams on Georgia’s schedule are an away game at Ole Miss and a home game against Missouri. The Bulldogs also play Florida, but the Gators have been embarrassing the last two weeks.
The Bulldogs are the real deal, and have been playing like the best team in college football for weeks now.
UCLA will contend for Big Ten title
Oct 10, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Ty Dieffenbach (14) signals a first down during the second half in a game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)There are four Big Ten teams that are undefeated in conference play: Ohio State, Indiana, Wisconsin, and UCLA. The Bruins are coming off their statement win in Eugene this past Saturday, taking down Oregon, 17-15. Many expected a high-scoring affair, but instead, it was a defensive battle and UCLA’s defense forced seven turnovers.
The Bruins appear to be a complete team, but the only worry going forward is the status of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. He left Saturday’s game against Oregon and was replaced with Cal Poly transfer Ty Dieffenbach.
After the game, head coach Bob Chesney said Iamaleava was hit in the thigh but “there might be a little bit more to it.”
“We got to just figure out as we go through the process tonight, tomorrow, the rest of the way,” Chesney said.
Losing Iamaleava would be worrisome, but UCLA’s lone remaining ranked team on its schedule is USC at the end of the season. Games against Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan won’t be easy, but they are all winnable for a healthy Bruins team.
Texas could go from No. 1 to missing CFP
Oklahoma’s Kip Lewis (10) chases down Texas’ Arch Manning (16) in the first half of the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Texas Longhorn at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, Oct., 10, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)Texas has two of the more impressive wins this season, taking down Ohio State in thrilling fashion, and then beating Tennessee on the road. But when you take a step back, have the Longhorns really been that impressive? Not on the offensive side of the ball.
Arch Manning continues to play way too inconsistently, and a horrendous fourth quarter allowed Oklahoma to take down the Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry on Saturday. Manning tossed two fourth-quarter interceptions — one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Looking ahead, the former No. 1-ranked team will play four ranked teams in a row, including two of those on the road. If Manning doesn’t improve his play, Texas could lose at least two more games. At 9-3, the Longhorns would be in the discussion to make the playoff, but there would be no guarantees.
There’s no easy pick in the Big 12 despite three undefeated teams
Oct 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes linebacker Johnathan Hall (7) reacts during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)There is no conference as wide-open as the Big 12. There are three teams ranked inside the top-15: BYU (8), Texas Tech (10), and Utah (11) — all three undefeated. But don’t forget about No. 18 Oklahoma State or No. 20 Houston, plus both Arizona and Baylor look like the real deal.
Soon enough, these teams are going to start picking one another off, but none of these teams look dominant enough to say there is a clear leader in the pack. Utah appeared to be that team, but despite beating Kansas 41-24 on Saturday, the Utes needed 14 fourth-quarter points to fully put the game away.
Neither BYU nor Texas Tech look as dominant as they were supposed to, and there is certainly a lot of parody in the Big 12. This will be a conference to pay attention to as the playoff starts to unfold.
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