College Football AP Top 25: Missouri Surges, Florida Plummets in Chaotic Week 6 Poll

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The first weekend of October delivered on its promise of chaos, and the newly released Week 6 AP Top 25 poll reflects a rapidly shifting college football landscape.

While the very top of the rankings remained stable, the middle and lower tiers of the Top 25 experienced massive volatility following several high-profile blowouts and upsets. Texas, Georgia, and Notre Dame maintain their grip on the top three spots, but the rest of the poll was heavily reshuffled.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the biggest risers, the steepest fallers, and what the new rankings mean moving forward.

The Risers

No. 14 Missouri Tigers (Up 11 Spots)

No team benefitted more from Week 6 than Missouri. The Tigers orchestrated an absolute masterclass at home, burying the previously No. 8-ranked Florida Gators 45-17. The dominant 28-point victory proved to pollsters that Missouri is a legitimate SEC heavyweight, propelling them 11 spots up the board to No. 14.

No. 21 UCLA Bruins (Up 2 Spots)

The Bruins are quietly putting together a fantastic season out west. Off to a perfect 4-0 start, UCLA made a massive 14-spot leap into the rankings to land at No. 23. They will face a massive test next week when they travel to take on No. 15 Oregon.

No. 25 Pittsburgh Panthers (New Entry)

Pat Narduzzi’s squad finally cracked the Top 25 after grinding out a narrow road victory over Virginia Tech to improve to 5-0. However, the ranking comes with a devastating caveat: the Panthers lost star quarterback Mason Heintschel to a season-ending ACL tear during the win. Pitt will now have to defend its new ranking—and its unblemished record—with a backup under center.

The Fallers

No. 16 Florida Gators (Down 8 Spots)

Florida was America’s hottest team entering the weekend, riding high in the top 10. That momentum came to a screeching halt in Columbia. The Gators were thoroughly outclassed by Missouri, dropping their first game of the season and plummeting eight spots to make room for LSU in the top 10.

Final @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/cUOWUmx33e

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) October 3, 2026

No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes (Down 6 Spots)

Kinnick Stadium was electric for a massive Big Ten showdown against No. 5 Ohio State, but the Hawkeyes failed to deliver. Iowa’s offense reverted to its old struggles, managing just 14 points, while its normally stalwart defense had no answers for the Buckeyes’ playmakers in the 31-14 defeat. The loss knocks Iowa down six spots and puts a serious dent in their Big Ten championship aspirations.

No. 24 SMU Mustangs (Down 3 Spots) The Mustangs found themselves sliding down the rankings without even taking the field. Idle teams are often the victims of poll volatility, and SMU dropped three spots from No. 21 down to No. 24 as voters elevated fast-rising teams like UCLA and Pitt into the bottom of the rankings. The Mustangs will look to climb back up the board when they return to ACC play against Virginia.

What to Watch Next Week

The entire college football world will be focused on Tuscaloosa next Saturday. No. 6 Alabama’s dominant win set the stage perfectly for a titanic, top-10 SEC clash when they host No. 2 Georgia under the lights.