College football rankings: AP Top 25 prediction after Week 13

Is it possible for No. 10 upsetting Ohio State arch-rival No. 4 Michigan in a blowout to get upstaged? Seven overtimes say yes.

When it comes to the College Football Playoff final four, Ohio State’s 62-39 win over Michigan is the most important outcome of the weekend. For much of the SEC, however, the LSU-Texas A&M is the most important score of the weekend.

12-0 Alabama and 11-1 Georgia play next Saturday for the SEC Championship. The Crimson Tide will be the favorites to win and get back to the CFP.

If Alabama goes to the CFP semifinal, the Sugar Bowl takes the highest-ranked available SEC team. Had LSU won Saturday night, there was a chance the Tigers (at 10-2) could have been in position to move ahead of a post-SEC Championship Game two-loss Georgia team.

Instead, LSU falls to 9-3, the same record as Florida (a team the Tigers lost to) and Kentucky (a team that beat Florida).

Where SEC teams go bowling, including the New Year’s Six at-large spots, will ultimately be determined by the CFP selection committee, but the next AP Top 25 will likely frame the conversation.

1. Alabama (12-0) def. Auburn
2. Clemson (12-0) def. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame (12-0) def. USC
4. Georgia (11-1) def. Georgia Tech
5. Ohio State (11-1) def. No. 4 Michigan
6. Oklahoma (11-1) def. No. 12 West Virginia
7. UCF (11-0) def. USF
8. Michigan (10-2) lost to No. 10 Ohio State
9. LSU (9-3) lost to Texas A&M
10. Washington (9-3) def. No. 7 Washington State
11. Florida (9-3) def. Florida State
12. Penn State (9-3) def. Maryland
13. Texas (9-3) def. Kansas
14. Washington State (10-2) lost to No. 16 Washington
15. West Virginia (8-3) lost to No. 6 Oklahoma
16. Kentucky (9-3) def. Louisville
17. Boise State (10-2) def. No. 14 Utah State
18. Utah (9-3) def. BYU
19. Syracuse (9-3) def. Boston College
20. Northwestern (8-4) def. Illinois
21. Mississippi State (8-4) def. Ole Miss
22. Texas A&M (8-4) def. No. 8 LSU
23. Army (9-2) OFF
24. Iowa State (7-4) def. Kansas State
25. Utah State (10-2) lost to No. 21 Boise State

Predicted to fall out AP Top 25: No. 24 Pittsburgh (7-5) lost to Miami

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.