College football rankings 2021: Projected Week 6 AP Top 25 after Notre Dame, Oregon lose, Alabama and Georgia dominate

Projected AP Top 25 college football rankings after Week 5: No. 6-5

6. Oklahoma Sooners

The struggles of Oklahoma have been widely noted to this point but their performance in Manhattan on Saturday might’ve been their best showing yet. Yes, on paper, the Sooners should blow out Kansas State every time out, so a 37-31 win might not look all that impressive. But with the Wildcats at home and having a leg up on OU in the recent series while also getting Skylar Thompson back, Lincoln Riley’s team stepped up and pulled out a crucial win.

Spencer Rattler had one of his best games of the year, even with an interception, going 22-of-25 for two touchdowns while Kennedy Brooks stepped up with a key 91 yards and a touchdown on the ground. It was the best the offense has looked in some time after struggling to take off in recent weeks. That bodes well for a team that is still unbeaten and their chances of getting into the playoff.

5. Cincinnati Bearcats

Coming into the season, the book on Cincinnati was that their shot to crash the College Football Playoff party as a Group of Five team hinged upon their performance at Indiana and, more importantly, at Notre Dame. They knocked off the Hoosiers and, on Saturday, they didn’t just beat the Fighting Irish, they dominated them.

In South Bend, the Bearcats controlled the game on both sides of the ball. Desmond Ridder submitted arguably the best game of his already illustrious career by going 19-of-32 for 297 yards and two scores along with a rushing touchdown. But the Cincinnati defense also lived up to the billing, forcing three turnovers and completely stifling Notre Dame.

Luke Fickell’s team may have gotten some help thus far with other potential contenders dropping like flies but they’ve continued to do everything necessary to get into the CFP picture.