Kirk Herbstreit ranks top seven teams from college football Week 14

The college football regular season has come to a close, meaning we get one last edition of ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit‘s top performing teams from the week.

Week 14, or “rivalry week” as it has come to be known, featured several surprising results and many top teams falling. That gave Herbstreit some tough decisions to make as he narrowed the list of his top teams down to seven.

No. 1 was an easy choice as Michigan claimed that spot following its 13-10 victory against Ohio State to knock the Buckeyes out of contention for the Big Ten title. Syracuse was right behind it at No. 2 following a top-five win against Miami that similarly ensured the Hurricanes would not play in the ACC Championship.

Those were just two of several big-time performances from teams around the country to close out the regular season. You can view Kirk Herbstreit’s full list of the top teams from Week 14 below.

1. Michigan Wolverines

Michigan won its fourth straight game against bitter rival Ohio State in a defensive battle over the weekend. The game remained tied at 10 for all of the second half until the Wolverines drove down to kick the go-ahead field goal with 40 seconds remaining and win 13-10.

Running back Kalel Mullings rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown in the win as Michigan finished the regular season 7-5. It also got the chance to play spoiler in the Big Ten and shake up the Buckeyes spot in the College Football Playoff rankings.

2. Syracuse Orange

Syracuse was another creator of chaos this past week as it came from behind to hand Miami its second loss of the season. The Orange trailed 21-0 at one point in the second quarter but fought back for an eventual 42-38 victory.

Quarterback Kyle McCord finished with 380 yards passing and three touchdowns as Syracuse scored on five of its final seven offensive drives. They also recovered a fumble that was returned for a score in the second half that gave them their first lead of the game. The Orange close out the season at 9-3, their best record since 2018.

3. Texas Longhorns

Texas punched its ticket to the SEC Championship game and likely secured its spot in the College Football Playoff with a 17-7 road win against Texas A&M on Saturday. It marked the first meeting between the two rivals in 13 years as they once again find themselves in the same conference.

The Longhorns used a dominant defensive effort to earn the victory as they held a 17-0 lead at halftime. They got a huge day out of running back Quintrevion Wisner, who ran for 186 yards and also added two catches for 21 yards.

4. South Carolina Gamecocks

South Carolina earned its second Palmetto Bowl in the past three years with a 17-14 win against Clemson this past week. With that, the Gamecocks reached nine wins, their highest total in four years under coach Shane Beamer and most since 2017.

Quarterback LaNorris Sellers was once again electric on the ground to finish with 166 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He has led South Carolina to six straight wins and has it right in the mix to earn an at-large bid to the College Football Playoff.

5. Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State did what it needed to claim a 29-21 victory against Kansas State on Saturday and punch its ticket to the Big 12 Championship. There the Cyclones will face Arizona State with a trip to the College Football Playoff on the line.

Quarterback Rocco Becht threw for a pair of touchdowns in the win against the Wildcats, while Iowa State also rushed for 187 yards as a team. Their defense will face a tall task against Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo in the Big 12 title game, as he has rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns in each of the past two games.

6. Wyoming Cowboys

Wyoming came back late to score the go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute remaining in a 15-14 win against Washington State. Evan Svoboda found John Michael Gyllenborg on an 18-yard score that marked the first lead of the game for the Cowboys.

The defense then forced the game-sealing interception a few plays later to end the year on a high note. It hasn’t been an easy season for Wyoming, which ends 3-9, but this will be a game to remember.

7. Memphis Tigers

Memphis ended the College Football Playoff hopes of Tulane on Thursday with a 34-24 upset win against the Green Wave. The Tigers got a big day running the ball from Mario Anderson Jr., who finished with 177 yards and a touchdown.

That performance was good enough to earn them the final spot on Kirk Herbstreit’s list of the top teams from Week 14. They end the season 10-2, marking their second straight 10-win season.