ESPN ranks the 22 undefeated teams left in college football ahead of Week 6

As sad as it might sound, we are nearly at the halfway point of the college football season. Week 6 is upon us, with some massive games on deck. There have been plenty of big matchups already played, setting up for what should be a thrilling end to the four-team College Football Playoff era.

Just 22 teams remain at the FBS level through five — maybe six — games played. ESPN decided to rank all of them, with 17 coming from the Power Five level. It’s important to note a Group of Five team will be making the CFP in the future and are still fighting for a spot in the New Year’s Six this season.

Even inside of the top 10, there are a few surprises on where teams rank. Everything is based on how the 2023 season has played out and not determined by preseason ranking.

1. Michigan Wolverines

You can argue Michigan has not played anybody notable yet this season. And while potentially fair, the results have been dominant every single time. With or without Jim Harbaugh on the sideline, the Wolverines are taking care of business.

Nebraska was the latest team to be on the receiving end, losing 45-7 at home. Everybody in Ann Arbor is full steam ahead toward a third consecutive Big Ten title and College Football Playoff appearance.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Do not show this ranking to Lou Holtz as Ohio State checks in at No. 2. An off week was able to bring the emotions down following a huge win against Notre Dame in South Bend. Ryan Day really wanted to beat the Fighting Irish and got a statement victory.

All focus is now back on Big Ten opponents, with an undefeated Maryland team coming to the Shoe. Oct. 21 in Beaver Stadium is setting up to be quite a doozy as well.

3. Oregon Ducks

Maybe this is the year for Bo Nix. Oregon is having a ton of fun at the moment, playing complementary football on both sides of the ball. The last two games against Colorado and Stanford have resulted in scorelines of 42-6.

Dan Lanning has SEC roots and is certainly running his program as such. He apparently brought the tough competition with him too as Oregon’s gauntlet through the Pac-12 is about to begin after this week’s bye.

4. Washington Huskies

No Pac-12 team enjoys going on the road in the desert, especially up from the Pacific Northwest. Washington was able to continue their good start to the season though, sneaking out of there with a touchdown win.

You will be hard-pressed to find a more explosive offense at this point of the season. Michael Penix is right in the Heisman Trophy mix heading into the bye week. Oregon awaits on Oct. 14 for what could be the biggest Pac-12 regular season game in quite some time.

5. Georgia Bulldogs

Two SEC games for the back-to-back champs have presented challenges. South Carolina had a halftime leave in Athens, while Auburn gave Georgia everything they could handle. Not exactly what you would expect from Kirby Smart‘s team after the last two years.

At the end of the day, until Georgia does lose a game, it’s going to be hard to doubt them. Anybody looking to contend for the SEC will likely have to have to get through the Bulldogs first.

6. Texas Longhorns

One of the next two teams will wake up on Sunday without an undefeated record. First up is Texas, heading up to Dallas for the Red River Shootout and looking to retain the Golden Hat. Steve Sarkisian has his team feeling good after a 2-0 start in Big 12 play.

But it will be a different opponent this season at the Cotton Bowl. Last season’s 49-0 will live forever but winning again on Saturday would be another positive resume point for the College Football Playoff campaign.

7. Oklahoma Sooners

There is nobody that would love to bring down the Texas hype more than Oklahoma. Year Two of Brent Venables could not be going any better and will actually have some confidence driving down I-35 this season.

Dillon Gabriel did not get to play in Red River last season, dealing with a concussion. He is going to be ready to go for the Sooners and potentially match the program’s win total from a season ago.

8. Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State has two teams in their own division ranked ahead of them in ESPN’s rankings. Those two have been keeping James Franklin back from really competing for a national championship. But the thought this season is things could be different.

Insert Drew Allar, a former On3 Industry Rankings five-star prospect. His presence alongside a devastating ground game makes Penn State a team nobody in the Big Ten is going to want to face.

9. Florida State Seminoles

At the beginning of the season, if you said Florida State beat LSU and Clemson, you would assume they are higher on the list. Those two have struggled elsewhere and Boston College provided a bit of a scare, maybe bringing some questions.

Either way, the Seminoles have played as well as anybody in the country. A quick reset with an off week should catapult a program looking to get back to the College Football Playoff after nearly a decade hiatus.

10. USC Trojans

Even with Caleb Williams running the show, USC somehow still looks shaky at times. Alex Grinch‘s defense allowed Colorado back into the game, making it tighter than it should have ever been. A recurring problem for Lincoln Riley throughout his career.

Luckily for USC, they still have Caleb Williams. Until he leaves for the NFL next season, the Trojans are always going to have a chance to win.

11. Miami Hurricanes
12. Kentucky Wildcats
13. North Carolina Tar Heels
14. Washington State Cougars
15. Louisville Cardinals
16. Missouri Tigers
17. Maryland Terrapins
18. Air Force Falcons
19. Fresno State Bulldogs
20. Liberty Flames
21. James Madison
22. Marshall Thundering Hurd

There will be three battles of undefeated programs on Saturday, with the Red River Rivalry being the premier game. Kentucky is heading to Athens, while Ohio Stae is playing host to Maryland. By this time next week, the list is going to be significantly shorter.