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The Big Ten may have three teams in the top five of the Associated Press Top 25. But led by No. 1 Alabama, the SEC has the most ranked teams in the FBS.
Coaches placed five SEC teams in their poll while sports writers included six conference squads in the AP Top 25.
Among SEC teams, Florida moved up eight spots to No. 13 in the AP Poll following its 16-10 win at LSU. Meanwhile, the Tigers slid seven spots to No. 25 while Tennessee moved back in at No. 24 following its 63-37 victory over Missouri.
What do we make of the moves by the Gators and the Bayou Bengals? And are other teams deservedly where they should be?
Not falling victim to massive overreactions, here’s how the AP Top 25 Poll should’ve looked based on Week 12 performances.
HOW THE AP TOP 25 POLL SHOULD’VE LOOKED
1. Alabama (11-0; 61 first-place votes) — It’s a good thing Alabama ended up beating Chattanooga, otherwise who knows how Nick Saban would’ve reacted. Maybe he was upset at halftime of last week’s 31-3 victory because he knew that a loss to the Mocs would’ve been about the only thing that would’ve kept the Crimson Tide out of the top four of the College Football Playoff Rankings. In any event, he and his players can now focus on Auburn in Saturday’s Iron Bowl and the SEC Championship Game against Florida. Life is definitely good for Bama, which has now won 23 straight games.
2. Ohio State (10-1) — The Buckeyes are actually quite fortunate to be in this position after escaping 17-16 against Michigan State. Spartans coach Mark D’Antonio deserves either credit or scorn for going for two, depending on your outlook. Either way, the play call on the two-point try left a lot to be desired. Two things are working in Ohio State’s favor. Their 45-24 victory over Oklahoma earlier this season is looking more and more impressive with each passing week. And the same can be said about the Buckeyes’ 24-21 loss at Penn State. Urban Meyer’s team can clinch a spot in the CFP without reaching the Big Ten Championship Game by beating Michigan at home on Saturday, provided Penn State beats Michigan State.
3. Michigan (10-1) — Backup quarterback John O’Korn and the Wolverines struggled to put Indiana away last week, but they got the job done, and at this time of year, that’s all that really matters. The Wolverines hold the tiebreaker over Penn State in the Big Ten East race; they win the division if they beat Ohio State on Saturday.
4. Clemson (10-1) — The Tigers, who relatively speaking are having a worse season than they did last year when they were unbeaten before losing to Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game, are clearly the best team in the ACC. If Clemson and the Crimson Tide win out, a rematch between them is likely. And considering how exciting their 2015 matchup was, who wouldn’t want that?
5. Wisconsin (9-2) — The Badgers’ terrific season continued with their 49-20 win over Purdue last week. They will clinch the Big Ten West and a spot in the conference championship game with a victory over Minnesota or a Nebraska loss at Iowa. Nebraska would win the West if Wisconsin loses and the Huskers win. But if Wisconsin happens to beat Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan in two weeks, it will be in the CFP as a two-loss team.
6. Washington (10-1) — The Huskies’ 44-18 win over Arizona State last week put them in position to clinch the Pac-12 North with a victory at Washington State on Friday in the Apple Cup. Should Chris Petersen’s team win that matchup, it would face either Colorado or USC in the conference championship game. But even if the Huskies win that tilt, it might not be enough to put them in the CFP, especially if the teams closest to them in the rankings win out.
7. Oklahoma (9-2) — The hottest team in the FBS not named Alabama routed West Virginia 56-28 for its eighth straight victory. Plus, with Louisville’s loss last week, Sooners QB Baker Mayfield is catching up to Lamar Jackson in the Heisman Trophy race. Oklahoma captures the Big 12 title with a victory over visiting Oklahoma State on Saturday.
8. Penn State (9-2) – Speaking of hot teams, the Nittany Lions routed Rutgers 39-0 to win their seventh straight game and move a step closer to the Big Ten East title. They can clinch it with a win over Sparty and a Michigan loss at Ohio State, a likely scenario. If Penn State reaches the conference title game against Wisconsin, it will be a matchup of two of the best two-loss teams in the FBS.
9. Colorado (9-2) – The Buffaloes, who beat Washington State by three scores last week, are one win away from winning the Pac-12 South. Colorado hosts Utah on Saturday.
10. Oklahoma State (9-2) – He’s a man, and he’s almost 50, but Mike Gundy seems to be aging in reverse with his mullet and his coaching. His Cowboys, who rolled at TCU 31-6 last week to run their winning streak to seven, will capture the Big 12 title if they win at Oklahoma on Saturday.
11. USC (8-3) — Seven weeks ago, the Trojans were 1-3 and fading fast. But those three losses were to teams that were all ranked at the time, including Alabama. Seven wins later, USC has a chance to win the Pac-12 South. Clay Helton’s team, which hosts Notre Dame on Saturday, needs Colorado to lose to Utah for that to happen.
12. Louisville (9-2) — Getting crushed by Houston really hurt Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals. The QB is still leading the Heisman Trophy race, but his team is out of the CFP one. Louisville hosts Kentucky on Saturday in its annual rivalry game.
13. Florida (8-2) — Here we go again. For the second year in a row, the Gators will face Alabama in the SEC Championship Game thanks to their 16-10 win at LSU last week. Before going to Atlanta, Florida has to go to Tallahassee to face Florida State on Saturday.
14. Western Michigan (11-0) — The Broncos, the Group of 5’s only remaining unbeaten team, stayed perfect with last week’s 38-0 blowout of Buffalo. Western Michigan will win the MAC’s West division title with a victory over visiting Toledo on Saturday.
15. Florida State (8-3) — The Seminoles, who stomped Syracuse 45-14 last week, play host to Florida on Saturday.
16. Auburn (8-3) — It was good to see Jeremy Johnson lead the Tigers to victory over Alabama A&M in his final home game last week. For Auburn’s sake, it was also good to see Sean White and Kamryn Pettway get a game off to rest up for Saturday’s Iron Bowl.
17. Nebraska (9-2) — The Cornhuskers stayed alive in the Big Ten West race with their 28-7 victory over Maryland last week. They must win at Iowa on Friday and Wisconsin must lose to Minnesota on Saturday for them to go the conference championship game.
18. Houston (9-2) — The Cougars crushed Louisville 36-10 last week in what might be one of Tom Herman’s last games with Houston. With LSU and Texas losing last week, those teams might engage in a battle for Herman, whose team visits Memphis on Saturday in its regular-season finale.
19. West Virginia (8-2) — The Mountaineers apparently can’t beat Oklahoma unless they face the Sooners in a bowl game, which they did in the Sugar Bowl following the 2007 season. That 48-28 victory seems like a distant memory for West Virginia, which visits Iowa State on Saturday.
20. Boise State (10-1) — The Broncos, who topped UNLV 42-25 last week, still have a shot at winning the Mountain West’s West Division title. For that to happen, however, they have to win at Air Force on Friday while Wyoming has to lose at New Mexico on Saturday.
21. Utah (8-3)
22. Texas A&M (8-3) — Last week, the Aggies struggled with UTSA before finally securing a 23-10 victory behind Myles Garrett’s 4.5-sack day. This week, Kevin Sumlin faces interim coach Ed Orgeron and LSU in what seems more like an audition than a game for both men.
23. Washington State (8-3)
24. Tennessee (8-3) — Scoring 63 points against Missouri was a good thing, but surrendering 37 to the Tigers at home last week was not. If the Volunteers beat Missouri on Saturday and win their bowl game, they will improve upon their 9-4 season of a year ago. It’s not the finish most people expected, but a 10-win campaign is nothing to sneeze at nonetheless.
25. LSU (6-4) — Orgeron, who won his first three games after replacing Les Miles, has now lost two of his last three. A victory at Texas A&M Saturday night probably won’t be enough for him to have his interim tag dropped.
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
