College Football Rankings: Projecting AP Poll Top 25 after Week 12

While the college football slate this weekend didn’t have a ton of marquee games that might shake up the AP Top 25 rankings, it had more than a few tussles that moved the needle.

On3 stops to break down the projected moves in the AP Top 25 poll following the action. There was absolute chaos in the back half of the rankings, so this week’s projections include several new teams featuring in the Top 25.

There’s plenty to dive into, so let’s stop wasting time. We begin with the new projections.

1. Oregon Ducks (11-0)

RESULT: W 16-13 @ Wisconsin
For the second straight week, Oregon was a little bit sluggish. This time, though, the game actually went down to the wire. Still, it was the Ducks who managed to make the plays in crunch time, with running back Jordan James delivering a fantastic game to help pace things. He finished with 23 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown in the win, leading all rushers.
NEXT UP: Bye

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1)

RESULT: W 31-7 @ Northwestern
Ohio State recovered from a slow start to put it on Northwestern, as the offense operated crisply after the first quarter. Quarterback Will Howard threw two touchdown passes and running back Quinshon Judkins rushed for two more. Now safely past Northwestern, Ohio State can focus on a much-ballyhooed matchup between AP Top 25 teams … a showdown with unbeaten Indiana.
NEXT UP: Indiana

3. Texas Longhorns (9-1)

RESULT: W 20-10 @ Arkansas
It was a bit of a struggle for Texas, which had trouble safely pulling away from Arkansas until the fourth quarter. Still, the Longhorns got the job done and quarterback Quinn Ewers made the plays he needed to when it mattered. The defense held strong to do the rest, keeping Texas marching toward that critical matchup with Texas A&M at the regular season’s end.
NEXT UP: Kentucky

4. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-1)

RESULT: W 49-10 @ Purdue
Penn State cruised on Saturday, never really breaking a sweat in a 49-10 romp over Purdue. Drew Allar threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns, while tight end Tyler Warren had 63 yards rushing and a score, as well as 127 yards receiving and another score. The offense once again looked dangerous after a down performance a couple weeks ago against Ohio State.
NEXT UP: @ Minnesota

5. Indiana Hoosiers (10-0)

RESULT: Bye
Following a scintillating 10-0 start to the season, Indiana got a bye week at the best possible time. The Hoosiers are set to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on the other side of the bye in a matchup that will help shape both the Big Ten title race and the College Football Playoff picture. Indiana has a chance to shock the world. And it doesn’t have much longer to wait.
NEXT UP: @ Ohio State

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-1) +2

RESULT: W 35-14 vs Virginia
Notre Dame opened up a 35-0 lead on Virginia, then hit the cruise control button a bit too early. Still, it was a dominant 35-14 win at the end of the day. Riley Leonard threw for three scores, while running back Jeremiyah Love ran for 137 yards and two scores. The result sets the Fighting Irish up for the big showdown with unbeaten Army, a contest that will carry surprising weight with where each team currently stands.
NEXT UP: Army

7. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-2) +2

RESULT: W 52-7 vs Mercer
Alabama cruised in its final non-conference game of the season, against Mercer. It was an all-hands-on-deck kind of day, with 11 different players receiving a carry in the game. Four quarterbacks threw passes. That result will keep Alabama riding high in the AP Top 25, looking to close the season out strong and jump a few spots to clinch a playoff berth.
NEXT UP: @ Oklahoma

8. Ole Miss Rebels (8-2) +2

RESULT: Bye
What better way to enter a bye week than bouncing Georgia 28-10 to fully get back into the College Football Playoff race? Ole Miss has as good a shot as anyone at making the field now. The Rebels have just two games remaining, both against struggling teams in the SEC: at Florida, then home against Mississippi State. Win those and see where the chips fall.
NEXT UP: @ Florida

9. Georgia Bulldogs (8-2) +2

RESULT: W 31-17 vs Tennessee
For most of three quarters things were pretty even between Georgia and Tennessee, with a pair of quarterbacks battling hard to keep their team in the thick of the College Football Playoff conversation. Carson Beck didn’t get a ton of help from the ground game until late, but he played one of his best games in a while. Georgia thrilled the home crowd with a late touchdown with about two minutes to go, turning it into a two-score game and a huge win for the Bulldogs.
NEXT UP: UMass

10. Miami Hurricanes (9-1) +2

RESULT: Bye
Miami fell to Georgia Tech 28-23 last week, failing to engineer the late-game heroics the team had become so accustomed to relying on. The good news for Miami is one loss doesn’t appear to be a death knell. Make it to the ACC title game and win and the Hurricanes are in, of course. They just need to avoid any further slip-ups on the way. The remaining schedule sets up nicely for that.
NEXT UP: Wake Forest

11. Tennessee Volunteers (8-2) -6

RESULT: L 31-17 @ Georgia
The Volunteers played an excellent game early on, with quarterback Nico Iamaleava sharp and running back Dylan Sampson consistently getting yardage after contact. Tennessee took the early lead but couldn’t hold on. One major issue was the lack of a consistent pass rush on Beck; he simply had too much time to operate. Now the Volunteers wait to see where they’re ranked… it will matter quite a good deal. We don’t expect them to fall much further than this.
NEXT UP: UTEP

12. Boise State Broncos (9-1) +1

RESULT: W 42-21 @ San Jose State
Boise State spotted San Jose State an early 14-0 lead before waking up and tying it just before halftime. The second half was more of what we’re used to seeing out of the Broncos: a healthy dose of Heisman Trophy contender Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty finished the game with 32 carries for 159 yards and three touchdowns, putting in another solid day’s work in the backfield. And Boise State maintained its inside track to a berth in the College Football Playoff.
NEXT UP: @ Wyoming

13. BYU Cougars (9-1) -6

RESULT: L 17-13 vs Kansas
BYU had a chance to win it at the end, inside the red zone and trailing 17-13 inside the final two minutes. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff and company couldn’t quite get it done, completing a pass short of the sticks on fourth down. That loss will put a serious dent in BYU’s College Football Playoff hopes, though the possibility of winning out and taking the Big 12 crown remains. But now there is no more margin for error. None.
NEXT UP: @ Arizona State

14. SMU Mustangs (9-1)

RESULT: W 38-28 vs Boston College
SMU got all it could handle against Boston College, despite leading for the vast majority of the game. The Eagles took a brief lead early in the third quarter, but the Mustangs answered right back and then held on down the stretch to remain unbeaten in ACC play. SMU remains high in the projected AP Top 25 rankings, and a trip to the ACC title game seems almost wrapped up at this point.
NEXT UP: @ Virginia

15. Texas A&M Aggies (8-2)

RESULT: W 38-3 vs New Mexico State
Texas A&M cruised in a game it was supposed to. The Aggies jumped out to an early lead on the other Aggies, with quarterback Marcel Reed sharp in the early going. Reed had 235 yards passing and two touchdowns by halftime, as well as 36 rushing yards, and the game was never really in question. Everything for Texas A&M continues to progress toward a monster regular-season finale against Texas.
NEXT UP: @ Auburn

16. Army Black Knights (9-0)

RESULT: Bye
Army had a bit of a slow game against North Texas last week, winning just 14-3. Still, quarterback Bryson Daily continues to get back into the mix. And the more comfortable he is, the better the Black Knights will be. Now the big one, if Army hopes to crash the College Football Playoff party: a date with Notre Dame.
NEXT UP: Notre Dame

17. Clemson Tigers (8-2)

RESULT: W 24-20 @ Pittsburgh
The Clemson offense was completely one-dimensional against Pittsburgh until it wasn’t. That was all the Tigers needed, as a brief burst of productivity on the ground culminated in a 50-yard go-ahead touchdown run by Cade Klubnik. It wasn’t pretty, but Clemson survived and maintains its positioning in the AP Top 25 right around the playoff contender level. Clemson still needs a little help, but it’s staying in the fight.
NEXT UP: The Citadel

18. Colorado Buffaloes (8-2)

RESULT: W 49-24 vs Utah
It wasn’t the cleanest start for Colorado, which saw Shedeur Sanders throw an interception on his first pass of the game and also fumble early on. But the Buffaloes got things together and ended up steamrolling the Utes. Sanders threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns, while two-way star Travis Hunter scored on a touchdown run. Colorado is clearly working its way into the College Football Playoff picture as it also works its way up the AP Top 25 poll.
NEXT UP: @ Kansas

19. South Carolina Gamecocks (7-3) +4

RESULT: W 34-30 vs Missouri
South Carolina has been in some battles this year, and Saturday’s showdown with Missouri was one of the best. The game went down to the wire in the fourth quarter, and the Gamecocks had a chance to tie it with a field goal to send it to overtime. Rocket Sanders had other ideas. The talented back caught a short pass and ran over and through defenders en route to a 15-yard touchdown with just 15 seconds remaining. The defense did the rest on an electric night in Williams-Brice. Do the Gamecocks have a legitimate chance to work their way up toward the playoff positions? It would take a whole lot, but it may not be completely out of the realm of possibility.
NEXT UP: Wofford

20. Arizona State Sun Devils (8-2) NR

RESULT: W 24-14 @ Kansas State
Arizona State jumped all over Kansas State early, taking a 24-0 lead early in the third quarter. Credit the Wildcats, who refused to go away despite the big deficit. Kansas State scored twice late to make it a game but couldn’t pull any closer as Cam Skattebo and company closed out the win. Receiver Jordyn Tyson was the star on the night, with 12 catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns.
NEXT UP: BYU

21. Tulane Green Wave (9-2) +4

RESULT: W 35-0 @ Navy
Tulane clinched its spot in the AAC Championship Game with a win over Navy on Saturday, and it was quite a comfortable win. Makhi Hughes ran for 82 yards and a pair of scores, while Darian Mensah threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third. Tulane just cracked the AP Top 25 this week, but the resume has become pretty impressive. The two losses were competitive games against ranked Kansas State and Oklahoma squads.
NEXT UP: Bye

22. Iowa State Cyclones (8-2) NR

RESULT: W 34-17 vs Cincinnati
Iowa State was in a competitive contest with Cincinnati until it began to pull away in the second half. The biggest difference in the game? The Cyclones didn’t allow almost anything through the air. The Bearcats threw for only 66 yards in the contest, unable to get much going consistently in the passing game. The win gets Iowa State to eight wins on the year, a really nice campaign so far for Matt Campbell and company.
NEXT UP: @ Utah

23. UNLV Rebels (8-2) NR

RESULT: W 41-20 vs San Diego State
UNLV has a resume that keeps improving over time, with a road win at Kansas starting to look much better in the last two weeks. Moreover, both of the program’s losses are respectable: to Syracuse and Boise State. With Saturday’s comfortable win to get to 8-2, we’re projecting UNLV enters the AP Top 25 this week in the final few slots.
NEXT UP: @ San Jose State

24. Syracuse Orange (7-3) NR

RESULT: W 33-25 @ California
Syracuse’s defense chipped in in a big way, picking off two passes by California to set up the offense in favorable position. Kyle McCord and company did the rest. McCord finished the game with 323 yards passing and a touchdown, while LeQuint Allen ran for 109 yards and two scores. The win was a nice bounce-back after a close loss to Boston College in the previous outing.
NEXT UP: @ UConn

25. Washington State Cougars (8-2) -6

RESULT: L 38-35 @ New Mexico
Washington State played a back-and-forth game with New Mexico but couldn’t come up with a goal-line stand when it needed to late in the fourth quarter. The Lobos held on for the win despite a really productive day from Cougars quarterback John Mateer. Matteer finished with 375 yards passing and four touchdowns without a pick, but Washington State picked up its second loss of the season anyway.
NEXT UP: @ Oregon State

DROPPED FROM RANKINGS

Kansas State Wildcats (20)
LSU Tigers (21)
Louisville Cardinals (22)
Missouri Tigers (24)