College football rankings 2022: Projected Week 7 AP Top 25 after Alabama barely escapes, Tennessee, Ohio State & Georgia cruise

Projected AP Top 25 college football rankings after Week 6: No. 16-15

16. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Admittedly, Mississippi State got somewhat of a gift on Saturday as Arkansas was forced to play without KJ Jefferson. With that being said, if not for an almost inexplicable slip-up against LSU, you could make the case for the Bulldogs being a Top 15 team with the performances they’ve been putting forth this season and Saturday’s win over the Hogs in Starkville was no exception to that.

The defense was stifling as they held Arkansas to just 17 points in the game, but the emergence of Will Rogers as a star should not go unnoticed as he was nails again in passing for 395 yards and three touchdowns on 31-of-48 passing. Tests against Kentucky (assuming Will Levis is back) and Alabama are up in the next two games, but Mississippi State is proving they aren’t to be taken lightly in the SEC hierarchy.

15. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Despite the season that Wake Forest enjoyed a year ago, one of the closest games they played in 2021 came against Army as the Demon Deacon had a horrendous time trying to contend with the triple-option rushing attack and they couldn’t stop it. This time around, however, it was barely a game.

Wake jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first half with Sam Hartman not even throwing a touchdown pass and they never looked back. The offense was head and shoulders above the Army defense and simply had their way with them. The starters rested late and the Deacs walked out of their home stadium with a convincing 45-10 win. With how they played Clemson and how they’ve performed since Hartman has shaken off the rust, it’s hard to not think that we’re watching one of the SEC’s best.