Contenders avoid slippage in college football Power Rankings after Week 6

Game control became the buzzword of the 2014 College Football Playoff race. It wasn't just, Did you win? or Who’d you beat? It was, How’d you win? This year’s playoff race looks like it will have a different buzz word: Survival.

It’s only mid-October, but the idea of expecting perfection—60 minutes of dominance week in and week out—seems laughable. So while winning with style may still help, it won’t save a team if that team goes on to lose the next week.

Week 6 was almost completely devoid of game control outside of Lawrence, Kan.—and beating up on the Jayhawks hardly seems impressive (despite TCU’s near loss last season). What’s most important is that, with a few exceptions, nearly every team with playoff aspirations managed to survive to contend another week.

• NADKARNI: Three thoughts on AP Poll after Week 6 | Complete AP Top 25

1. Utah Utes

PREVIOUS: 1

RECORD: 5-0

Next week: Saturday vs. Arizona State

2. Clemson Tigers

PREVIOUS: 2

RECORD: 5-0

Last week: Beat Georgia Tech 43-24 Next week: Saturday vs. Boston College

3. Baylor Bears

PREVIOUS: 3

RECORD: 5-0

Last week: Beat Kansas 66–7 Next week: Saturday vs. West Virginia

4. LSU TIGERS

PREVIOUS: 5

RECORD: 5-0

Last week: Beat South Carolina 45-24 Next week: Saturday vs. Florida

5. FLORIDA GATORS

PREVIOUS: 8

RECORD: 6-0

Last week: Beat Missouri 21-3 Next week: Saturday at LSU • STAPLES: Impact of Grier's suspension on UF

6. Alabama Crimson Tide

PREVIOUS: 6

RECORD: 5-1

Last week: Beat Arkansas 27-14 Next week: Saturday at Texas A&M

7. Texas A&M Aggies

PREVIOUS: 7

RECORD: 5-0

Last week: Bye week Next week: Saturday vs. Alabama

8. TCU Horned Frogs

PREVIOUS: 10

RECORD: 6-0

Last week: Beat Kansas State 52-45 Next week: Saturday at Iowa State

9. Michigan Wolverines

PREVIOUS: 19

RECORD: 5-1

Last week: Beat Northwestern 38-0 Next week: Saturday vs. Michigan State

10. Ohio State Buckeyes

PREVIOUS: 11

RECORD: 6-0

Last week: Beat Maryland 49-28 Next week: Saturday vs. Penn State • Ellis: Biggest takeaways from Week 6

11. Michigan State Spartans

PREVIOUS: 12

RECORD: 6-0

Last week: Beat Rutgers 31-24 Next week: Saturday at Michigan

12. Ole Miss Rebels

PREVIOUS: 13

RECORD: 5-1

Last week: Beat New Mexico State 52-3 Next week: Saturday at Memphis

13. Oklahoma State cowboys

PREVIOUS: 23

RECORD: 6-0

Last week: Beat West Virginia 33-26 in overtime Next week: Bye week

14. Iowa Hawkeyes

PREVIOUS: 15

RECORD: 6-0

Last week: Beat Illinois 29-20 Next week: Saturday at Northwestern

15. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

PREVIOUS: 14

RECORD: 5-1

Last week: Beat Navy 41-24 Next week: Saturday vs. USC • Notre Dame checks in at No. 14 in AP Poll

16. Florida State seminoles

PREVIOUS: 17

RECORD: 5-0

Last week: Beat Miami 29-24 Next week: Saturday vs. Louisville

17. Northwestern wildcats

PREVIOUS: 9

RECORD: 5-1

Last week: Lost to Michigan 38-0 Next week: Saturday vs. Iowa

18. Stanford Cardinal

PREVIOUS: 18

RECORD: 4-1

Last week: Bye week Next week: Thursday vs. UCLA

19. UCLA BRUINS

PREVIOUS: 22

RECORD: 4-1

Last week: Bye week Next week: Thursday at Stanford

20. Oklahoma sooners

PREVIOUS: 4

RECORD: 4-1

Last week: Lost to Texas 24-17 Next week: Saturday at Kansas State • HAMILTON: Texas shows progress in upset

21. hOUSTON cOUGARS

PREVIOUS: 24

RECORD: 5-0

Last week: Beat SMU 49-28 Next week: Friday at Tulane

22. California Golden Bears

PREVIOUS: 16

RECORD: 5-1

Last week: Lost to Utah 30-24 Next week: Bye week

23. Boise State Broncos

PREVIOUS: 25

RECORD: 5-1

Last week: Beat Colorado State 41-10 Next week: Friday at Utah State

24. Toledo Rockets

RECORD: 5-0

Last week: Beat Kent State 38-7 Next week: Saturday vs. Eastern Michigan

25. Duke Blue Devils

RECORD: 5-1

Last week: Beat Army 44-3 Next week: Bye week

Dropped out: Georgia, USC
Next five: Temple, Mississippi State, Wisconsin, Memphis, Georgia