College Football Rankings: Projecting AP Poll Top 25 after Week 13

Another week, another significant shakeup for both the AP Top 25 and the College Football Playoff rankings. Both are coming after a major upset or two over the weekend.

The day started off with a bang, with a rejuvenated Florida squad springing a big upset for the second straight week. This time it was No. 9 Ole Miss that was on the wrong end of Florida’s resurgence, falling 24-17 in the Swamp.

That automatically threw a kink in the current rankings, one that will see projected playoff teams shift around again.

But that was far from the only upset on the day. Oklahoma absolutely ambushed Alabama, making life tough on Jalen Milroe on the road for a huge upset.

On3 stops to break down the projected moves in the AP Top 25 poll following the action.

1. Oregon Ducks (11-0)

RESULT: Bye
Oregon got a bye week at a good time, coming right after a bit of a struggle in a win over Wisconsin. The Ducks will have the chance to rest and recover, as well as reset mentally, before taking on Washington in the regular-season finale. Oregon is sitting pretty in the College Football Playoff picture, already locked into the Big Ten title game and probably safely in the playoff field even with a loss there. That is, if Oregon takes care of Washington as expected.
NEXT UP: Washington

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1)

RESULT: W 38-15 vs Indiana
Indiana took the early lead in the contest, then Ohio State settled in and that was all she wrote. It was the Buckeyes defense that really made the difference in the contest. The unit allowed just 151 total yards to a Hoosiers’ offense that had given a lot of teams problems. With the win, Ohio State hasn’t quite clinched a spot in the Big Ten title game, but take care of Michigan and it will earn the rematch against Oregon.
NEXT UP: Michigan

3. Texas Longhorns (10-1)

RESULT: W 31-14 vs. Kentucky
Texas was never really in danger against Kentucky, courtesy of a defense that played shutdown football for most of the afternoon. The unit forced two interceptions and held the Wildcats to just 21 yards rushing in the contest. Still, the Texas offense didn’t quite look fully in sync and that has to be concerning going forward. But keep winning and Texas will be where it wants. Now the showdown everyone has been waiting for.
NEXT UP: @ Texas A&M

4. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-1)

RESULT: W 26-25 @ Minnesota
It isn’t easy to play on the road in conference play, and Penn State got all it could handle on a tough Saturday afternoon at Minnesota. The Nittany Lions, though, had the answers when called on. A fake punt was a huge turning point in the game, and the offense killed the clock with a key conversion from Drew Allar to Tyler Warren late. Survive and advance (and remain ranked high in the AP Top 25).
NEXT UP: Maryland

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-1) +1

RESULT: W 49-14 vs Army
It was a game many had waited for, thinking perhaps Army could surprise and announce itself as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender. Nobody told Notre Dame, though. The Fighting Irish treated the game as another tune-up on the way to a likely CFP berth, rolling from start to finish. Now the season finale at a struggling USC is all that stands in the way.
NEXT UP: @ USC

6. Georgia Bulldogs (9-2) +2

RESULT: W 59-21 vs UMass
The offensive stars shined for Georgia in a dominant win over UMass. The Minutemen were in the game early before a strong second quarter created some separation. Carson Beck threw for four touchdowns, Nate Frazier rushed for three scores and receiver Arian Smith went for 110 receiving yards and a touchdown. An easy tune-up before a regular-season rivalry finale.
NEXT UP: Georgia Tech

7. Tennessee Volunteers (9-2) +3

RESULT: W 56-0 vs UTEP
It was a tune-up opponent for Tennessee ahead of the regular-season finale and the Volunteers treated it as such. They raced out to a 28-0 lead by halftime after getting blanked in the first quarter, then kept pouring it on in the second half. Nico Iamaleava threw f or four touchdowns, the Volunteers ran for four more and it was a worry-free day in Knoxville.
NEXT UP: @ Vanderbilt

8. Miami Hurricanes (10-1) +3

RESULT: W 42-14 vs Wake Forest
It was a bit of a funky game against Wake Forest, with the teams trading quick scores early on offensively and then bogging down. Miami used a 76-yard pick-six to generate some breathing room, then gave up a 100-yard kickoff return to give it right back. But Cam Ward and company settled in and dominated the latter part of the second half. One more win and Miami will clinch an ACC title game berth.
NEXT UP: @ Syracuse

9. Boise State Broncos (10-1) +3

RESULT: W 17-13 @ Wyoming
Boise State has had to battle in recent weeks and Saturday’s road trip to Wyoming was one of the toughest ones yet. In part because leading rusher Ashton Jeanty missed time with an injury. But the Broncos got the job done. Now the question is whether one-loss Boise State (with a lone loss to Oregon) will rank ahead of Indiana this week. We say yes, just slightly.
NEXT UP: Oregon State

10. Indiana Hoosiers (10-1) -5

RESULT: L 38-15 @ Ohio State
The Hoosiers made things at least temporarily interesting by scoring first against the Buckeyes, but it was short-lived. Ohio State scored four straight touchdowns between the second and third quarters to take a commanding lead. For Indiana, the key will be how far they call in the College Football Playoff rankings. It’s going to be a nervous 48 hours for Hoosiers fans.
NEXT UP: Purdue

11. SMU Mustangs (10-1) +2

RESULT: W 33-7 @ Virginia
SMU clinched a spot in the ACC title game with an easy win on the road at Virginia. The Cavaliers didn’t score until the game was essentially over. Quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns, also rushing for another score. The Mustangs now wait to see who they’ll get in the conference title game, a fun position to be in.
NEXT UP: California

12. Clemson Tigers (9-2) +5

RESULT: W 51-14 vs The Citadel
Saturday was never expected to be a difficult day for Clemson, a bit of a breather before the always-intense regular-season rivalry finale against South Carolina. And Clemson made short work of it, going up 35-0 by halftime. Cade Klubnik threw for three touchdowns and Jay Haynes rushed for a pair as the Tigers cruised. On to that rivalry game, which will also carry AP Top 25 poll implications.
NEXT UP: South Carolina

13. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-3) -6

RESULT: L 24-3 @ Oklahoma
Alabama never looked ready to play on Saturday night in Norman, Okla. The Crimson Tide were disjointed from the start, with the Sooners defensive line making life a nightmare on quarterback Jalen Milroe. Milroe threw three interceptions and couldn’t get anything done on the evening. Now Alabama’s wait becomes super nerve-wracking. The Crimson Tide aren’t likely to fall far past the playoff cut line, but they almost certainly need a good deal of help if they’re going to make it in now. The AP Top 25 should be a good gauge of just how much help.
NEXT UP: Auburn

14. South Carolina Gamecocks (8-3) +5

RESULT: W 56-12 vs Wofford
Like Clemson, South Carolina had a patsy ahead of its showdown with the Tigers. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers was sharp, throwing for 307 yards and three touchdowns in the win before he gave way with a big lead. The carries on the ground were well-distributed; Five different South Carolina players scored a rushing touchdown, including backup quarterback Robby Ashford. Now onto a finale that could really cement this as Shane Beamer‘s best year yet.
NEXT UP: @ Clemson

15. Ole Miss Rebels (8-3) -6

RESULT: L 24-17 @ Florida
Ole Miss likely watched its playoff hopes crumble on Saturday on the road in the Swamp. Killer execution mistakes on fourth down offensively hurt, and Florida’s defense showed up to play, ready to take full advantage of them. It’s hard to see a scenario where Ole Miss gets into the playoff field with three losses, given the nature and quality of those losses.
NEXT UP: Mississippi State

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

RESULT: Bye
Tulane entered its final bye week in a dominant run of form, having recorded three straight blowouts over American opponents. The Green Wave have already clinched a conference championship game appearance against Army and, as such, are still clinging to an outside shot at a College Football Playoff appearance. Of course, Tulane would need a little help with Boise State stumbling. We’ll see how things play out.
NEXT UP: Memphis

17. Arizona State Sun Devils (9-2) +4

RESULT: W 28-23 vs BYU
Arizona State celebrated a little early with a field storming, causing an awkward final few seconds against BYU. But ultimately a strong start offensively, spearheaded by running back Cam Skattebo, was enough to down the Cougars. Skattebo ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns. Does Arizona State have an outside shot at the College Football Playoff? We’ll see how far up they move up the AP Top 25 rankings, but it’s at least a point of discussion now.
NEXT UP: @ Arizona

18. Iowa State Cyclones (9-2) +4

RESULT: W 31-28 @ Utah
It took all of four quarters but eventually Iowa State outlasted Utah. A 54-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right for the Utes in the final seconds, keeping the game from going to overtime. The stats weren’t overwhelming either way in the contest, but the Cyclones remained alive for a potential berth in the Big 12 Championship Game. That’s a good week’s work.
NEXT UP: Kansas State

19. BYU Cougars (9-2) -5

RESULT: L 28-23 @ Arizona State
BYU was blitzed from the start on the road, falling behind 21-0 before finally notching a field goal just before the half. The Cougars made a valiant comeback attempt the rest of the way and even had a chance on a late Hail Mary, but it came up short. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff was also picked off twice, which didn’t help. BYU’s once promising playoff hopes are all but dashed at this point, and they’ll take a healthy slide in the AP Top 25.
NEXT UP: Houston

20. Texas A&M Aggies (8-3) -5

RESULT: L 43-41 @ Auburn
Texas A&M got everything it could handle on the road at Auburn, and such is life in the SEC. The Aggies had their chances but ultimately let the game get to overtime, where the Tigers were all too ready to pounce. It took four frames in overtime, but Texas A&M eventually caved. It was a huge missed opportunity to move up into playoff range thanks to Alabama and Ole Miss slipping up.
NEXT UP: Texas

21. UNLV Rebels (9-2) +2

RESULT: W 27-16 @ San Jose State
UNLV put itself firmly in the danger zone in the first half, trailing SJSU 16-10. But the second half was all Rebels on Friday night. Jai’Den Thomas ran for 135 yards and a touchdown, while UNLV piled up 257 yards rushing in the contest. Meanwhile, the defense held San Jose State to just 114 total yards in the contest. That’ll win plenty of games.
NEXT UP: Nevada

22. Colorado Buffaloes (8-3) -6

RESULT: L 37-21 @ Kansas
Kansas has been knocking off higher-ranked teams for the last couple weeks and Colorado had no answers for the Jayhawks offense. Kansas ran for 331 yards, led by Devin Neal‘s 207 yards and three touchdowns. Shedeur Sanders was plenty good himself, but Colorado couldn’t keep pace with Kansas on the afternoon. A significant blow with Big 12 title hopes on the line.
NEXT UP: Oklahoma State

23. Illinois Fighting Illini (8-3) +1

RESULT: W 38-31 @ Rutgers
In one of the wildest finishes of the weekend, Illinois trailed Rutgers 31-30 after the Scarlet Knights scored with 1:08 remaining. Luke Altmyer and company quickly worked up the field, into long field goal range with time winding down. Illinois attempted a 58-yard field goal, but Rutgers called timeout and the kick was missed badly. So the Fighting Illini instead sent the offense back out. Then Altmyer found Pat Bryant on a 40-yard touchdown reception with just four seconds remaining to pull ahead for the win. That’s certainly one way to stay ranked in the AP Top 25.
NEXT UP: @ Northwestern

24. Army Black Knights (9-1) -6

RESULT: L 49-14 vs Notre Dame
It wasn’t the kind of outing Army had hoped for, though the Black Knights knew it would be an uphill climb against the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame struck early and often en route to a blowout win. The Army defense just didn’t have any answers for Jeremiyah Love or the Irish run game, which had piled up more than 200 yards through the first three quarters. Now with a Group of Five playoff berth out of the cards, Army has to close out strong vs. UTSA and Navy, but for now it remains at the tail end of the AP Top 25.
NEXT UP: UTSA

25. Missouri Tigers (8-3) NR

RESULT: W 39-20 @ Mississippi State
It was a reasonably competitive game early on, then Missouri leaned on Mississippi State and finished things off. Tailback Marcus Carroll ran for three touchdowns and the Tigers tallied a total of 204 yards on the ground. Quarterback Brady Cook was sharp and finished with 268 yards passing and a touchdown. Missouri was essentially eliminated from playoff contention last week but can still close the season strong.
NEXT UP: Arkansas