Week 6 Football AP Poll: Frogs Break Through

The TCU Horned Frogs have climbed up to #17 in the AP Poll following its demolition of the Oklahoma Sooners. Those Sooners weren’t the only high profile team to fall in the Week 5 blood bath, with ten ranked teams suffering a loss. When the dust settled, seven teams dropped from the Top 25 (Baylor, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Minnesota, Florida State, and Pitt), replaced with fresh faces UCLA, Kansas, Syracuse, Mississippi State, Cincinnati, and LSU in addition to the Frogs.

Most Overrated

#11 Utah Utes - Find somebody that looks at you the way that AP Voters look at the Utes. There’s very little to see in the strength of its schedule to force this team to be just outside the Top 10. It’s not the “good loss” excuse: a Week 1 loss in The Swamp seemed acceptable at the time, but the Gators are now 3-2 and down to #43 in SP+. It’s not the “great win” excuse: Utah’s best win came at home this past week against Oregon State, #47 in SP+. Then it must just be the dubious “eye test” as Utah has done its job in easily handling its middling competition thus far. The same could be said for many other teams, against better competition and without yet taking a loss. Utah will certainly either sink or swim over its next three games, against UCLA, USC, and Washington State. So either the Utes will earn their top-tier ranking or voters will have to find other excuse to keep Utah in the Top 20.

Most Underrated

Unranked Memphis Tigers - The Tigers opened the season with a loss at Mississippi State and have been a complete afterthought ever since. The following four weeks have been dominant Memphis victories, albeit against overmatched opponents. Already 2-0 in the American, the Tigers have been able to work out the weaknesses that were on display Week 1 in Starkville. Now headed into a very difficult five week stretch, beginning Saturday against a struggling Houston squad, the Tigers’ season is reaching an inflection point. How many more wins will it take for Memphis to get any looks from the voters?

Spotlight Voter

Darren Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes), Washington, DC - While sometimes mildly critical, in previous weeks this space has been used to discuss the challenge of filling out a ballot, reviewed intriguing voting strategies, and pointed out curiosities. This week, it’s time for a rant. This ballot is an affront to College Football. This is one of those that makes you question why the AP Poll even exists, how it was ever used as a means to determine National Championships, and confirms why no one should give it any consideration as a legitimate entity. Did Mr. Haynes watch any football this weekend? Not only was he one of three voters to omit TCU from his ballot, this man RANKED OKLAHOMA. TCU just eviscerated the Sooners to give OU its 2nd consecutive loss; the Frogs completely outclassed the Sooners in every facet of the game, running up 55 points in 3 quarters before pulling the starters. There is no way you can claim that you put any serious consideration into your voting process when this is what you’re submitting. But it’s not just the Frogs getting the short straw from Haynes, he also did not rank Mississippi State after its drubbing of Texas A&M, while being the only voter to rank the 2-loss Aggies. Haynes ranked the Washington Huskies at #20 after it got run out of the Rose Bowl by the UCLA Bruins, which on its own could have some merit, except Haynes was one of only two voters who didn’t rank UCLA. He very clearly didn’t take into account the events of the weekend when submitting this ballot. If you aren’t even going to attempt to pay attention, please give your vote to someone who will.

TCU Status

Next week’s College GameDay destination will be a showdown of #17 TCU vs. #19 Kansas in Lawrence. It’s the Horned Frogs first entry into the poll since Week 4 of 2019, when they snuck in at #25. For the Jayhawks, the wait has been a decade longer, last appearing in the AP Poll in Week 8 of the 2009 season. In the Coaches Poll this week, the Frogs were placed at #18, one spot below Kansas.

Big 12 (+4) Votes

• #7 Oklahoma State - The Cowboys avenged their Big 12 Title loss to Baylor with big win in Waco.
• #16 BYU - The Cougs’ upcoming schedule looks less daunting than preseason projection, as Notre Dame and Arkansas each already have 2-losses.
• #17 TCU - Riff Ram Bah Zoo Lickety Lickety Zoo Zoo Who Wah Wah Who
• #19 Kansas - The nation has put its support behind the suddenly great Jayhawks and will likely all be rooting against TCU Saturday. After waiting almost 13 years to return to the rankings, the Frogs will be looking to send Kansas back below the cut line
• #20 Kansas State - The Wildcats will need a win in Ames to hold a spot in the rankings into the Bye week before a trip to Fort Worth on October 22.
• #24 Cincinnati - Despite a season-opening loss at Arkansas, the Bearcats have climbed back into the rankings and look positioned to earn the G5 NY6 bid again.
• #27 Baylor - The Bears pick up another “good loss” that some certain voters love. That said, Baylor very well may run the table until the Frogs come to town
• #39 Oklahoma - The Sooners will finally get to play a team that doesn’t wear purple this week, perhaps they’ll fare better against 2-loss Texas in the Red River Rivalry than they have the previous two weeks.