College football rankings 2021: Projected Week 7 AP Top 25 after Alabama, Penn State fall & Oklahoma, Michigan survive

Projected AP Top 25 college football rankings after Week 6: No. 4-3

4. Oklahoma Sooners

Through the first quarter of the Red River Showdown, it seemed like the Sooners were heading for a free fall down the Top 25 college football rankings. Texas was absolutely dominating the Sooners and looked as if they might not just win the rivalry matchup but might run away with it. Instead, Lincoln Riley made a move to Caleb Williams, benching Spencer Rattler, and that sparked the Sooners.

Completing an epic comeback and a game that is sure to be one of the best of the 2021 season, the Sooners fought back and found enough defensive answers to make it a tie game in the final moments. Kennedy Brooks then secured the win with a near walk-off touchdown that could be a jump-off point for a team that entered the year with National Championship expectations.

3. Cincinnati Bearcats

Many people, myself included, were looking for a letdown game from Cincinnati as, even though the Bearcats had a soft opponent in Temple and were playing at home, they were coming off the huge win over Notre Dame and seemed like they could just coast to a win. Instead, they went out and run roughshod over the Owls ina dominant 52-3 victory on Friday night.

Desmond Ridder, who threw for three more touchdowns, is playing the best football of his storied career and has weapons stepping up all around him. When you couple that with the level that the Cincinnati defense continues to play at under Luke Fickell, it’s going to be more and more difficult to deny the Bearcats their place in the College Football Playoff.