AP Poll: Buckeyes stay put after dominating Indiana
COLUMBUS — Ohio State handed Indiana its first loss of the season on Saturday in an emphatic 38-15 win inside the Horseshoe.
That win allowed the Buckeyes to stay in control of their own destiny for a spot in the Big Ten title game with just one week left. And it kept them in the No. 2 spot, just behind undefeated Oregon, in the latest AP Top 25 rankings release.
The Ducks have already clinched a spot in the Big Ten title game, regardless of what happens this weekend when they face Washington. Oregon retained the top spot in the AP Poll and is followed by Ohio State, Texas, Penn State and Notre Dame. Previous No. 5 Indiana, of course, fell to the Buckeyes.
Eight different ranked teams from last week’s poll lost this week, including three SEC teams that had two losses coming into this week, all being handed their third loss by lesser-than opponents. Ole Miss lost to Florida, Alabama was badly beaten by Oklahoma and Texas A&M was downed by a bad Auburn team in quadrouple overtime.
Ohio State, meanwhile, notched its second top-five win in three tries on Saturday. The Buckeyes previously lost to Oregon in October but beat Penn State earlier this month.
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Of course, these rankings are diminished now that the Buckeyes and the rest of the sport are getting rankings every Tuesday night from the College Football Playoff committee. Those rankings hold more weight because they determine who will play for the national title in December and January, especially as we get closer to the 12-team field being set in just two weeks. Ohio State is very likely to be in the 12-team field.
But the AP Poll is still a good barometer for how the media from around college football feels about the Buckeyes and other teams.
The full AP Poll can be found below.
AP Poll (Nov. 24)
1. Oregon (61)
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Penn State
5. Notre Dame
6. Georgia
7. Tennessee
8. Miami
9. SMU
10. Indiana
11. Boise State
12. Clemson
13. Alabama
14. Arizona State
15. Ole Miss
16. South Carolina
17. Iowa State
18. Tulane
19. BYU
20. Texas A&M
21. UNLV
22. Illinois
23. Colorado
24. Missouri
25. Army
