CBS Sports 128 rankings: Washington jumps into top five, SEC reigns again
The college football rankings that matter: every FBS team ranked from 1-128
•
2 min read
After six weeks of college football action, all we know is that a handful of teams are bowl eligible. We're still a month away from the release of the first College Football Playoff Rankings and even further from the conclusion of the regular season and conference championship games. The thinning of undefeated teams during this part of the season lifts those unbeatens to the top rankings like the CBS Sports 128, but how long can those teams keep a clean sheet going?
Houston, Tennessee and Miami were all top 10 teams in the CBS Sports 128 after five weeks, but each fell after suffering its first loss of the season. All three teams are still in the top 20 and recognized by the voters as conference title contenders, but those spots at the are saved for perfect records.
Over the next month, this ongoing eliminator-style challenge will continue in the polls and rankings. Until the CFP Selection Committee resets the conversation in early November, all eyes will be on these few remaining undefeated teams who continue to win and move ahead of their peers.
College football experts from CBS Sports -- and for the first time this year, partner 247Sports -- contribute ballots each week, which are averaged together for our rankings. You can see the top-25 below, and 26-128 on our rankings page.
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | PREVIOUS |
| 1 | Alabama | 6-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 5-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Clemson | 6-0 | 3 |
| 4 | Washington | 6-0 | 7 |
| 5 | Michigan | 6-0 | 6 |
| 6 | Louisville | 5-1 | 4 |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 6-0 | 8 |
| 8 | Nebraska | 5-0 | 11 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 4-1 | 13 |
| 10 | Houston | 5-1 | 5 |
| 11 | Baylor | 5-0 | 12 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 5-1 | 9 |
| 13 | Boise State | 5-0 | 16 |
| 14 | Miami | 4-1 | 10 |
| 15 | Ole Miss | 3-2 | 14 |
| 16 | Virginia Tech | 4-1 | 31 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 3-2 | 21 |
| 18 | Florida State | 4-2 | 27 |
| 19 | Western Michigan | 6-0 | 19 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 4-0 | 22 |
| 21 | Florida | 4-1 | 20 |
| 22 | Utah | 5-1 | 28 |
| 23 | Auburn | 4-2 | 35 |
| 24 | Arkansas | 4-2 | 17 |
| 25 | South Florida | 5-1 | 26 |
Auburn and Arkansas are moving in difference directions in the rankings but having both teams in the top 25 gives the SEC seven of the top 24 teams in the CBS Sports 128.
Biggest Movers
- Virginia Tech (+15): Untested by Power Five competition since the Battle at Bristol, Virginia Tech was a team that the CBS Sports 128 voters couldn't quite figure out through four games. After going into Chapel Hill in the midst of Hurricane Matthew and beating up on the Tar Heels, the Hokies' stock has soared.
- Auburn (+12): Forget all the talk of sleepy early starts and an Auburn team that is "looking for something." After two straight losses to the Bulldogs, Auburn came out with fire early and ran away from Mississippi State in a big win for coach Gus Malzahn.
- Florida State (+9): Miami wasn't heavily penalized for the loss, dropping just four spots, but Florida State's win brought the Seminoles right back into the top 20.
- Arkansas (-7): An 0-2 start in SEC play hasn't scared off the CBS Sports 128 voters from dropping the Hogs out of the top 25, but a second double-digit loss did result in a seven-spot slide down to No. 24.
- North Carolina (-8): The other side of Virginia Tech's rainy road win is North Carolina's slide from No. 18 to No. 26 following the Tar Heels' first ACC loss of the season.
Check out the rest of the CBS Sports 128: Teams ranked 26-128
