The Minnesota Top 20, the Star Tribune’s statewide, class-crossing football rankings: Week 6

Well, this is a bit of a conundrum.

I’ve written in past weeks, explaining why Class 6A teams tend to dominate any statewide rankings — size and depth of talent, mostly — but I admit, I didn’t see this coming.

While the top three teams in 6A — Maple Grove, Lakeville North and Minnetonka — are all undefeated and deserve to be at the top of the rankings, results from other parts of the state are making it tougher and tougher to stay consistent.

Two other teams in 6A, Edina and Shakopee, have a single blemish on their records and are, understandably, the next two teams in line. After that, Class 6A is a quagmire. Eleven teams are sitting at 3-2, many of them losing just when it looked like they were finding their footing.

And then there’s the case of Eden Prairie. The 11-time state champion Eagles are 2-3, marking the first time they’ve been under .500 in more than 30 years. It’s understood these rankings are a snapshot of the season, but I can’t, in good conscience, rank a team in the statewide Top 20 that’s lost more games than it’s won.

I’ve been saying all season to anyone who would listen (which tends to be mostly my wife) that Class 5A is the deepest in the state.

That shows in the rankings, with six very good 5A teams holding down the next six spots, starting with Alexandria at No. 6 and Moorhead at No. 7. Those two exceptional teams square off two Fridays from now in what is looking like a Game of the Year candidate. Moorhead at Alexandria on Oct. 11 will be must-see football.

Becker’s No. 12 ranking is unusually lofty for a Class 4A team, but the Bulldogs just put a 49-6 hurtin’ on Hutchinson at Hutch. That sort of domination just never happens to Hutchinson, particularly at home, and can’t be ignored.

1. Maple Grove (5-0)

Previous: 1. Last: def. Blaine 35-0. Next: Friday, at Coon Rapids, 7:05 p.m.

2. Lakeville North (5-0)

Previous: 2. Last: def. Eagan 36-33. Next: Friday, at Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.

3. Minnetonka (5-0)

Previous: 4. Last: def. Shakopee 21-13. Next: Friday, at Eden Prairie, 7 p.m.

4. Edina (4-1)

Previous: 5. Last: def. Prior Lake 28-21. Next: Friday, at Shakopee, 7 p.m.

5. Shakopee (4-1)

Previous: 3. Last: lost to Minnetonka 21-13. Next: Friday, home vs. Edina, 7 p.m.

6. Alexandria (5A, 5-0)

Previous: 7. Last: def. Brainerd 55-17. Next: Friday, at Bemidji, 7 p.m.

7. Moorhead (5A, 5-0)

Previous: 8. Last: def. St. Cloud Tech 55-8. Next: Friday, home vs. Sartell, 7 p.m.

8. Owatonna (5A, 5-0)

Previous: 11. Last: def. Rochester Century 42-7. Next: Friday, home vs. Mankato West, 7 p.m.

9. Armstrong (5A, 5-0)

Previous: 19. Last: def. St. Thomas Academy 20-14. Next: Friday, at Hastings, 7:30 p.m.

10. Andover (5A, 4-1)

Previous: 10. Last: def. Spring Lake Park 35-14. Next: Friday, home vs. St. Francis, 7 p.m.

11. Elk River (5A, 4-1)

Previous: 12. Last: def. Sauk Rapids-Rice 58-19. Next: Friday, home vs. Rogers, 7 p.m.

12. Becker (4A, 5-0)

Previous: 15. Last: def. Hutchinson 49-6. Next: Friday, at Rocori, 7 p.m.

13. Eagan (3-2)

Previous: 9. Last: lost to Lakeville North 36-33. Next: Friday, home vs. Farmington, 7 p.m.

14. Centennial (3-2)

Previous: 17. Last: def. Osseo 36-14. Next: Friday, home vs. Anoka, 7 p.m.

15. Forest Lake (3-2)

Previous: NR. Last: def. Stillwater 27-21. Next: Friday, at Woodbury, 7 p.m.

16. Stillwater (3-2)

Previous: 6. Last: lost to Forest Lake 27-21. Next: Friday, home vs. White Bear Lake, 7 p.m.

17. Totino-Grace (4A, 5-0)

Previous: 18. Last: def. Holy Angels 28-12. Next: Friday, home vs. Minneapolis North, 7 p.m.

18. Farmington (3-2)

Previous: 20. Last: def. Rosemount 21-14. Next: Friday, at Eagan, 7 p.m.

19. Mounds View (3-2)

Previous: NR. Last: def. Woodbury 50-7. Next: Friday, at East Ridge, 7 p.m.

20. Mankato East (5A, 4-1)

Previous: NR. Last: def. Waconia 34-31, OT. Next: Friday, at Chanhassen, 7 p.m.

Also worth a mention: Anoka, East Ridge, Blaine, Buffalo, Two Rivers (5A).