College football takeaways: Key storylines and performances from Week 6 - ESPN

Week 6 was full of surprises. Texas and Penn State fell out of this week's AP poll after tough losses Saturday, while other programs made the college football universe take notice (hello, UCLA and Cincinnati).

Texas and Penn State both lost to unranked opponents on the road this week (the Nittany Lions fell to UCLA, which was 0-4 entering Saturday's matchup). On the other hand, Cincinnati showed that it's a program to watch after a 38-30 win over then-No. 14 Iowa State. While multiple Big 12 quarterbacks got a lot of attention in the offseason, Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby wasn't one of them. But he showed Saturday that he's someone to keep your eye on throughout the rest of the season.

After a tough weekend for the Longhorns and Nittany Lions, what would they need to do to get back into College Football Playoff conversations? What's happening with Penn State's slow-starting offense? And what's ahead for Cincinnati as it gets into the thick of its conference matchups?

Our college football experts break down key takeaways from Week 6.

Jump to:
Penn State and Texas | Respect for Sorsby
Napier's recruits | Penn State's offense
UCLA playing for pride | Alabama bounces back
Pitt freshman delivers

The preseason rankings have never been less relevant. Based on what has unfolded so far, both Penn State and Texas haven't played like teams capable of contending for their own conference titles, let alone the national title. Both teams likely need to run the table and finish 10-2 to have a chance, but neither will do that if they continue to play the way they have this season.

Technically, neither team is eliminated from the playoff — there's a lot of season left and both teams have multiple opportunities to impress the selection