CFB Week 6 knee-jerk reactions: Top SEC teams collapse, two Big Ten playoff contenders eliminated

We’re now roughly halfway through the college football season, a crossroads where every win is a step in the right direction and every loss is scrutinized like an elimination game.

Here are some knee-jerk reactions to the Week 6 action: 

Alabama didn’t deserve to be ranked No. 1

Losing is one thing, but to give up 40 points to Vanderbilt in a game that Alabama never led is downright unacceptable for the supposed No. 1 team in the nation. The 40-35 score line marked the most points the Commodores have ever scored against an AP No. 1 foe and the fourth time in college football history that the top-ranked team has lost to an unranked program a week after beating a top-two opponent, per the SEC Network broadcast. Don’t be shocked if the Crimson Tide tumble a lot farther down than where No. 5 Georgia currently resides.

Missouri was not who we thought they were

The No. 9 Tigers looked to be a real threat after starting 2-0 and outscoring opponents 89-0. But the two following weeks featured one-score wins that the team barely squeaked out, leading to suspicions that the team’s explosive offense may not be sustainable in the SEC. On Saturday, Missouri’s hot hype was extinguished by hungry No. 25 Texas A&M, which held the Tigers offense to just 10 points in a 41-10 beatdown. Tigers quarterback Brady Cook was held to a season-low 186 yards and an abysmal 25.3 QBR, tied for a career-worst since becoming the full-time starter.

Tennessee has lost all its momentum

It’s fair to say the No. 4 Volunteers had their humbling moment Saturday, falling 19-14 to unranked Arkansas. Finding the end zone just twice after blowing out previous opponents by a combined score of 216-28 does not instill confidence in those who bought into Tennessee’s candidacy to win the SEC and compete for a national title. The only thing going for UT is the fact that nobody but Texas is undefeated in the SEC any longer. The Volunteers face Alabama in two weeks and a win will be necessary to stay in the College Football Playoff race.

Indiana is the (second) best Big Ten team

The No. 23 Hoosiers are one of just three teams in the FBS to have never trailed through six weeks and are the first team to become bowl-eligible this season at 6-0. They are also fortunate to evade Penn State, USC and Oregon on their remaining schedule. However, bouts with Michigan (Nov. 9) and Ohio State (Nov. 23) still remain late in the year. If one of those is Indiana’s only loss on the year, a trip to Indianapolis for a crack at the Big Ten title and a stamped ticket to the College Football Playoff is on the horizon.

Michigan and USC are all but eliminated from playoff contention

Speaking of the Big Ten title, the No. 10 Wolverines and No. 11 Trojans both earned their second losses of the season and made their respective paths to the College Football Playoff incredibly narrow. USC is worse off due to its loss to Michigan two weeks ago and not having Indiana, Oregon or Ohio State on its remaining schedule as marquee chances to bolster its resume. Michigan, while on the outside looking in for the foreseeable future, has both Indiana and Ohio State left to potentially upset (the latter being especially unlikely) and sneak into an at-large bid.

Undefeated Army and Navy deserve more respect

The two premier service academies should, at the very least, be earning votes in this week’s AP poll after defeating conference foes by a combined score of 83-14. Both programs remain undefeated for the first time since 1945, per FOX Sports. And don’t be surprised if Army-Navy becomes a de facto College Football Playoff play-in game. Not the annual game in December (that will always be a non-conference game). But if both are still undefeated after the regular season, they could find themselves opponents in the American Athletic Conference championship game before facing off again for the Commander in Chief Trophy. There’s a significant chance the winner could earn a berth as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion.

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty will break Barry Sanders’ 1988 season rushing record

With 186 yards and three touchdowns against Utah State on Saturday, Jeanty eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark (1,031) after just five games. At the same juncture during his 1988 Heisman Trophy-winning season, Barry Sanders had 1,002 yards. Jeanty is averaging 206.2 yards a game and is on pace for a 2,474-yard season. (Sanders finished with 2,628.) With No. 21 Boise State running up the score so early in contests, Jeanty hasn’t played a complete five games. So, if the coaching staff continues to bench him with winning results in hand, that could be the only thing that hampers his record quest.