Boise State has been the top team in FanSided’s Group of 6 power rankings all season. Memphis has been the No. 2 team but couldn’t take the Broncos down, while Western Michigan was the other previous top 5 opponent that got blown out. Now it’s Fresno State’s turn. Can the Bulldogs do what no other G6 has been able to do and threaten Boise State’s CFP bid? The Bulldogs debut in the 2026 G6 rankings this week and have a lot of momentum. If they can pull off the win or even play Boise State close, they’ll prove to be one of the top G6 teams at the midway point of the season.
Here’s a look at this week’s rankings, new teams that entered the polls and what this week’s slate of games means halfway through the season.
G6 college football rankings: Mountain West, Pac 12 dominating CFP race
RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | LAST WEEK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Boise State Broncos | 4-1 | 40 | 1 |
2 | North Dakota State Bison | 5-0 | 36 | 2 |
3 | James Madison Dukes | 5-0 | 29 | 3 |
4 | Memphis Tigers | 4-1 | 27 | 6 |
5 | New Mexico Lobos | 4-1 | 25 | 4 |
6 | Fresno State Bulldogs | 4-1 | 14 | -- |
7 | UTSA Roadrunners | 4-1 | 12 | 9 |
8 | Toledo Rockets | 4-1 | 11 | -- |
9 | Oregon State Beavers | 3-2 | 10 | 10 |
10 | Florida Atlantic Owls | 4-1 | 8 | -- |
- Dropped out: UMass Minutemen, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, USF Bulls
- Others receiving votes: UMass Minutemen (6), Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (2)
Fresno State debuts at No. 6 with Boise State in its sights
- Avg. rank this week: 7.5
- Highest rank this week: 5
- Lowest rank this week: 10
Fresno State is adding depth to the newly formed Pac 12 in this week’s poll with its debut. The Bulldogs are 4-1 with their only loss coming to USC and have proven to the voters this week that they should be seriously considered as one of the top G6 teams this year. It’s a fair assumption and with a big game this week against Boise State, they could quickly show the voters and the college football world they’re really good.
Toledo enters the top 10 as UMass slips out
- Avg. rank this week: 8.3
- Highest rank this week: 7
- Lowest rank this week: 9
Toledo is in the top 10 G6 rankings this week after proving they might be the best team in the Mid-American Conference. Western Michigan was bumped out after a blowout loss to Boise State, and UMass was knocked out after a bad loss to Eastern Michigan last week, ending their undefeated start. The Rockets went toe-to-toe with Michigan State to start the season and haven’t looked back since. They’ve won the last four games and have a really good chance to prove the MAC isn’t as volatile as it seems.
Florida Atlantic’s fourth straight win earns a top-10 spot
- Avg. rank this week: 8.3
- Highest rank this week: 7
- Lowest rank this week: unranked
Florida Atlantic was on the cusp of getting into the rankings last week, appearing on two polls and receiving three points. This week, they finally earned enough points to get into the top 10. Since the Week 1 loss to Florida, the Owls have dominated their opponents. This is what the CFP selection committee likes to see. It’s going to be hard for the American teams to beat out the Mountain West and Pac 12 teams, but if any team is going to do it at this point, it just might be Florida Atlantic.
Louisiana receives votes but still has ground to make up
UMass received six points in the latest poll after a frustrating loss to Eastern Michigan in Week 5, but the team to watch this week is the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. They received just two points and appeared on one poll this week. Louisiana makes a case for being ranked after winning the last three games. Their only loss of the season is to USC. They don’t quite have the resume as some of the other teams with a weaker non-conference schedule, but it’s something to be said for having just one loss in five games. Realistically, it’s going to take a lot for Louisiana to get into the CFP race, but it’s not completely out of the question. After all, James Madison made a late-season case a year ago.
Notable G6 matchups in Week 6
Boise State at Fresno State
This has a chance to be one of the biggest G6 matchups this season. Sure, Memphis and Boise State had a great early season matchup, but this one is a little different. It’s a conference matchup and it’s Boise State’s first big game on the road against G6 teams. Jayden Mandel leads the way for Fresno State, throwing for over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns already this season. If Fresno State wants to win it has to do two things: Force bad throws from Maddux Madsen and contain Dylan Riley. Riley has nearly 700 rushing yards already this year and Madsen hasn’t thrown an interception. This is either the game the Broncos meet their match or essentially solidify their CFP bid.
North Dakota State at UNLV
UNLV might be out of the G6 rankings after a rough start to the 2026 season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play spoiler this week. North Dakota State has dominated in its first season as an FBS program, but they’ve also had the benefit of an easier schedule. This will be their toughest game of the season so far. In theory, this shouldn’t be a tough game for NDSU. If they lose, it won’t just hurt their rankings in the G6 power rankings, but it will pretty much end their shot at getting into the CFP their first season as an FBS member.
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