Dan Mullen releases Top 25 college football rankings after Week 12

Week 12 has come and gone and coach-turned- ESPN analyst Dan Mullen revealed his updated college football Top 25 after another wild weekend of games, and once again his rankings tend to favor teams with the fewest losses leading the way.

At least according to Mullen, the biggest losers this week were BYU, which dropped its first game of the season when visiting Kansas left Provo with a 17-13 upset of the Big 12 leaders, and Tennessee, which dropped out of Mullen’s Top 10 following its 31-17 loss to a revived Georgia in Athens.

Nevertheless, Mullen made sure to include teams from all four Power conferences in his Top 10, highlighted by three apiece from the Big Ten and SEC, two from the ACC, one Big 12 squad along with independent Notre Dame finding its way into the mix.

1. Oregon Ducks

The Ducks continue to win and remain atop Mullen’s personal Top 25 as one of just three undefeateds left in college football through the first 13 weeks of the regular season.

Heisman Trophy-hopeful Dillon Gabriel didn’t have his best game in a closer-than-expected 16-13 win at Wisconsin, but overall Oregon did what it needed to do to secure the victory with a 10-0 fourth quarter.

2. Indiana Hoosiers

As the Big Ten’s other undefeated, the Hoosiers enter a pivotal Week 13 showdown at Ohio State as the second-highest rated team in Mullen’s Top 25.

If Indiana is to remain so highly ranked, it’ll necessitate a win or at worst an extremely close loss to the Buckeyes in a game many aren’t giving Curt Cignetti and company much credit heading into. As evident by his personal ranking, Mullen is in the Hoosiers’ corner.

3. Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns rekindled their rivalry with Arkansas this week before a challenging final two weeks of the regular season that will be capped by the renewal of the Lonestar State Showdown series with bitter rival Texas A&M.

Mullen remains high on a one-loss Texas despite its overall lack of any quality wins over fellow Top 25 teams, but that grace will likely only last as long as the ‘Horns keep winning.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes are the third Big Ten team in Mullens’ Top 4, indicating a high level of respect the former SEC coach has for the elite teams in the Big Ten Conference.

That said, one of those teams will likely see a drop in their rankings with the result of Saturday’s showdown between Ohio State and Indiana. Much like college football fans everywhere, expect Mullen to keep a close eye on this one.

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Outside of the previously-mentioned undefeateds, the independent Fighting Irish are one of the hottest teams in college football having won eight straight since a stunning home loss to Northern Illinois.

Despite that early-season setback, Notre Dame remains in the running for a College Football Playoff bid and a first-round home game while also representing one of Mullen’s Top 5 teams nationally.

6. Ole Miss Rebels

One of a few idle teams in Week 12, Ole Miss is still riding high after its stunning home upset of Georgia in Oxford two weeks ago. Mullen certainly took notice, leapfrogging the Rebels ahead of several one-loss teams to land at No. 6 in Mullen’s Top 25.

Lane Kiffin and company still have everything ahead of them, including a potential College Football Playoff bid, as long as it keeps winning with an always-difficult road game at Florida followed by the Egg Bowl on Black Friday.

7. Miami Hurricanes

Mullen clearly doesn’t think less of the idle Hurricanes despite still reeling from its 28-23 upset at the hands of Georgia Tech, keeping Heisman hopeful Cam Ward and company firmly within his Top 10.

Still, Miami will need to finish the drill and lock up a bid in the ACC Championship Game with wins in its final two games of the regular season vs. Wake Forest and Syracuse to keep those Playoff dreams alive.

8. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Crimson Tide received a nice boost from Mullen following its convincing 52-7 win over FCS-level Mercer on Saturday, returning to the Top 10 after dropping out the week before.

With three touchdowns in less than three quarters of play Saturday, Jalen Milroe continues to show flashes of greatness and why Alabama remains a serious SEC and Playoff contender with leading the charge.

9. BYU Cougars

Mullen dropped the Cougars of Provo six spots following BYU’s first loss of the regular season, a 16-13 upset at the hands of visiting Kansas.

That said, BYU still remains in control of its own destiny and will advance to the Big 12 Championship game with wins over Arizona State and Houston over the final two weeks. A College Football Playoff bid remains a possibility, but it may require the Cougars win the Big 12 to secure it.

10. SMU Mustangs

Mullen’s second-highest rated ACC team are the surprising Mustangs, which have won seven straight since an early-season loss to the aformentioned BYU.

But what matters even more is Rhett Lashlee and SMU staying atop the ACC standings with upcoming games against Virginia and California on the horizon. Should the Mustangs hold serve, Mullen could see his top two ACC teams battle it out for the league’s championship bye in the College Football Playoff.

The rest of Dan Mullen’s Top 25 College Football Rankings

11. Georgia
12. Penn State
13. Tennessee
14. Boise State
15. South Carolina
16. Army
17. Texas A&M
18. Clemson
19. Colorado
20. Arizona State
21. Tulane
22. Syracuse
23. UNLV
24. Iowa State 
25. Kansas State