FANPULSE: Week 6 college football rankings

Two bad losses equals a severe happiness drain on the part of Kansas State fandom, as your confidence level in the state of the program has fallen to 70.6% in this week’s FANPULSE results.

On the one hand, this isn’t surprising; on the other, it is perhaps unfair if we’re taking “confidence in the direction” of the program to be a long-term question. Chris Klieman came to town and looked in the pantry to discover nobody’s been to the store in a minute, so we’re choosing to view this dip in confidence as the result of deflated expectations which may have been too high in the first place.

As for the top 25 poll itself, Alabama remains in the top spot. Georgia and Ohio State swapped places, while Auburn slipped to 12th after losing to Florida. Those were the only changes amid the top 12, and Iowa‘s tumble to 17 marks the only other change in the top 15 — after which there are concerns being raised that people aren’t bothering to rank teams, anyway.

That said, #18 California, #23 USC, and #24 Michigan State all departed this week; taking their places are Wake Forest at #20, Southern Methodist at #22, and Oklahoma State at #24.

That’s right, Oklahoma State moved up into the poll after getting wrecked.

Whatever.

Who didn’t move into the poll that could and should have if Oklahoma State, #25 Texas A&M, and perhaps even #23 Central Florida had been treated properly? Baylor, Memphis, Cincinnati, and Minnesota are all undefeated but looking up at two teams that don’t even deserve to be receiving votes at all.

How’d your ballot differ from the national ballot? For starters, you have Oklahoma all the way up in the third spot. Your 9-12 are instead Penn State, Auburn, Notre Dame, and Texas. You had Iowa ahead of Michigan, Wake ahead of Arizona State, and both SMU and Baylor ahead of Virginia Cavaliers, followed by UCF and Memphis.

Because you’re not dumb and you recognize Oklahoma State and A&M are garbage.

The bonus question this week asked what your most anticipated game is for Week Seven. 38.5% of respondents said the Red River ShootoutShowdown is the game to which they’re most looking forward. Trailing only ever so slightly behind, at 32%, is the big battle between Florida and Louisiana State.

Major confidence shake-ups for the week:

Aside from our group meltdown, Auburn experienced a 31-point hit, Iowa dropped by 30, Miami tumbled by 42 all the way down to 26.2%, Oklahoma State plunged 51 points, Texas Christian suffered a 38-point dip, and UCLA — which was already mired at 29.2% — fell all the way down to 10%.

Teams on the rise include a 19-point bump for Arkansas (now all the way back up to 72.7% after sinking all the way to zero after losing to San Jose State two weeks ago), a 34-point jump for Mississippi, a 45-point hike for Texas Tech, and Kansas climbing to 90.9% from an even 75 last week.

That’s right, folks, KU fans are more confident in Les Miles than you are in Chris Klieman.

Bring me the hemlock.