College Football 2019: Week 6 AP Top 25 winners, losers

Winners

Winner: Alabama (No. 2 to No. 1)

While Alabama only climbed one spot in the poll, leapfrogging Clemson for the No. 1 position in the AP Top 25 is a huge victory for Nick Saban’s team. The Crimson Tide dominated Ole Miss in a four-touchdown blowout on Saturday that could have been even worse. Interesting enough, they lost seven points in the AP Top 25 this week and still overtook the Tigers. As more teams get consideration for No. 1 on individual ballots, we will see the top of the poll tighten up.

Winner: SMU (Unranked to No.  24)

At the other end of the poll, SMU returned to the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1986 — before the program received the death penalty. The Mustangs climbed four spots in the rankings after clobbering South Florida 48-21 in an interdivisional American Athletic Conference matchup. Their entrance into the poll gives the AAC two teams in the AP Top 25 along with UCF, a huge win for a league that is pushing the ACC as the fifth-best league in the country this year.

Winner: Oklahoma State (Unranked to No. 21)

Oklahoma State was the biggest mover other than Arizona State. With their 26-13 takedown of then-No. 24 Kansas State, the Cowboys vaulted six spots from No. 27 among the others receiving votes all the way to No. 21. Their lone loss comes against a Texas team hovering on the cusp of the top 10 in the AP Top 25, and they have plenty of Big 12 battles left to play. Getting to the Big 12 championship game is a real possibility for this year’s squad in Stillwater.