What a slate of action we saw across college football today. From Texas A&M rallying for a historic second-half comeback, to the Georgia Bulldogs and Oklahoma Sooners making statements against the Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide. Oh, we also saw seven of the top 25 teams go down this weekend.
Last week, we attempted our first College Football Playoff rankings predictions. We got the first 14 exactly right, with 23 of the 25 teams picked (missed Cicninnati and South Florida). So, we’ll see how we fare after the college football games today.
Let’s dive into the latest top 25 college football rankings right now, projecting what the College Football Playoff rankings after Week 12 might look like.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (1)
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Just another easy Saturday night for the best team in college football. The Ohio State Buckeyes took a different path to victory versus UCLA, with the passing game taking a back seat, allowing all the running backs to find the end zone while Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith just moved the chains. Set to race Rutgers next Saturday, Ohio State will make it 11 consecutive wins very soon.
2. Indiana Hoosiers (2)
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It was just another Saturday where the Indiana Hoosiers defense and quarterback Fernando Mendoza handled their business. Coming off an emotional comeback win over Penn State thanks to his game-winning drive, Mendoza had more passing touchdowns (four) than incompletions (two) in Week 12. That’s the third time this season (Indiana State and Illinois games) Mendoza has achieved that feat. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers defense limited Wisconsin to a 3.7 yards-per-play average. This is the domination you expect from Indiana. The Hoosiers will be 12-0 after facing Purdue on Nov. 28, capping off a perfect regular season.
3. Texas A&M Aggies (3)
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We said it last week: these aren’t the same ol’ Texas A&M Aggies. It certainly looked like that in the first half versus South Carolina, trailing 30-3 at halftime. Of course, that took multiple interceptions and missed field-goal attempts along with a dropped touchdown. In the second half, we saw the version of Texas A&M that has been out there all season. Marcel Reed put on a Heisman-caliber second half, and the Aggies defense surrendered just 76 total yards to the Gamecocks on five drives. We’re not saying to forget the ugly first half, but the comeback deserves the most attention. Now 10-0 on the year, the Aggies can use Samford as a tune-up game next week before the Lone Star Showdown versus Texas on Nov. 28.
4. Georgia Bulldogs (5)
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The Georgia Bulldogs simply proved they were the better and more aggressive team than Texas on Saturday night. There were no running lanes to speak of for Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens, but quarterback Gunner Stockton made the throws he needed to and this defense was outstanding. Paired with the Alabama loss, Georgia is suddenly in the driver’s seat of the SEC.
5. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6)
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You know it’s not a competitive game when the Texas Tech Red Raiders let linebacker Jacob Rodriguez take the direct snap into the end zone for the touchdown. It only took a half on Saturday, with texas Tech putting up 38 points at home and allowing just 70 total yards despite UCF possessing the football for 17 minutes in the first half. Texas Tech (10-1) has its first season with double-digit wins since 2008, R.I.P. Mike Leach, and they can match that 11-win campaign in two weeks at West Virginia.
6. Ole Miss Rebels (7)
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Lane Kiffin beat Florida, and he can thank Kewan Lacy for it. Lacy was even better than his instrumental performance in the victory over South Carolina, erupting for a 200-yard game and delivering the go-ahead touchdown run that capped off the comeback by Mississippi. The Egg Bowl is up next on Nov. 28, and while chaos happens in at least one rivalry game every season, it’s difficult to see Kiffin allowing that to happen here with a chance at an 11-win regular season at stake.
7. Oregon Ducks (8)
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After a rough statistical performance in the rain at Iowa, quarterback Dante Moore returned to Eugene and put on a passing clinic (306 passing yards, 2-0 TD-INT, and a 91.7Â ESPN QBR) in a dominant win over Minnesota. Credit also belongs to Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (8-96-1), who has really stepped up amid a litany of injuries at wide receiver. Now at 9-1 on the year, Oregon gets its next big test at home next week against the USC Trojans. If the Ducks handle their business, the College Football Playoff feels like destiny.
8. Oklahoma Sooners (11)
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Credit to Brent Venables, because this Oklahoma Sooners defense (6 takeaways in the last two games) is on an incredible run right now. The Sooners offense went just 3-for-13 on its third-down attempts with 212 total yards on Saturday and still won in Tuscaloosa, because this pass rush and secondary put on a defensive masterclass in coverage, defending the run, and creating pressure. With Mizzou and LSU now starting backup quarterbacks, the Sooners should return home and win both games to finish the regular season at 10-2.
Related: Winners, Losers from Oklahoma vs Alabama
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9)
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This is what makes the Notre Dame Fighting Irish so dangerous right now. Pittsburgh’s run defense bottled up Jadarian Price (21 yards on 8 carries) and picked off CJ Carr twice. It didn’t matter, because Notre Dame could just turn to Jeremiyah Love (167 scrimmage yards) and Malachi FIelds (99 yards and 2 touchdowns) to trounce the Panthers. We also have to highlight this Fighting Irish defense, a unit that struggled early this fall, keeping Pitt without a third-down conversion on 13 attempts. Notre Dame now returns home to face a Syracuse team that is nothing without functional quarterback play.
10. Alabama Crimson Tide (4)
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It all comes down to the Alabama Crimson Tide offensive line losing that battle in the trenches. Ty Simpson was pressured 16 times with 4 sacks taken on Saturday, and there was no traction in the ground game (2.4 yards-per-carry average). For as good as Alabama looked for nearly the last two months, it all came undone by the buzzsaw that was the Sooners’ pass rush. A bit ominous for a team with College Football Playoff aspirations.
11. BYU Cougars (11)
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Updated Sunday morning after TCU vs BYU
12. Utah Utes (13)
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A theme from Saturday’s Week 12 college football action seemed to be pick-sixes. Utah Utes corner Elijah Davis got in on the trend with a 65-yard house call that put Baylor in a hole at home it could never overcome. A lot of credit for this win also goes to Byrd Ficklin, with the freshman quarterback taking one 67 yards to the house at a time when Devon Dampier was struggling through the air. The Utes avoided a challenge on Saturday night in Baylor and now get to close out the season versus the two Kansas programs.
13. Miami Hurricanes (15)
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The Miami Hurricanes defense does it again. Jakobe Thomas (2 interceptions) provided the early spark with a pick-six in the first quarter/ On the very next drive, he picked off NC State again with an interception at the 37-yard line. Miami’s offense finally found a bit of life after that, but its the defense and not the highly-paited quarterback who continues to deliver the most for the Hurricanes this season.
14. USC Trojans (17)
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It certainly feels like the old USC Trojans, when facing a 14-0 hole against Iowa, would’ve collapsed. That wasn’t the case on Saturday. Jayden Maiava’s rapport with Makai Lemon (10-153-1) was on full display, with that duo setting up King Miller and Bryan Jackson for 97 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Putting up 19 unanswered points on the Hawkeyes defense in a comeback win at home warrants some College Football Playoff buzz for Lincoln Riley’s Trojans.
15. Vanderbilt Commodores (14)
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With the Vanderbilt Commodores on the bye in Week 12, it’s not unreasonable to think they could drop two spots in the College Football Playoff Rankings. USC, another two-loss team, beat No. 21 Iowa, and the 15th-ranked Hurricanes blew the doors off NC State. It also kind of hurts the Commodores’ resume at this point that the program’s two biggest wins – LSU and Missouri – are now against teams who haven’t looked looked like top-25 teams in weeks.
16. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (16)
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Haynes King saves the day again, with Malachi Hosley playing the supporting role in a 19-point fourth-quarter comeback by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. It looked pretty bleak at one point on Saturday against one-win Boston College, but the Yellow Jackets finally got it together in the final quarter with 16 unanswered points, and then King answered the Eagles’ go-ahead touchdown with a game-winning drive. Escaping with a win over a 10-loss team doesn’t warrant moving up, but Georgia Tech (9-1) should be able to hold its ground.
17. Virginia Cavaliers (19)
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Chandler Morris played and we got the best version of the Virginia Cavaliers that we’ve seen in weeks. Incredibly, it wasn’t even as close as the final score (34-17) indicates. With a quarterback that the Blue Devils defense had to respect, J’Mari Taylor put up 133 yards (7.4 ypc) and 2 scores, while Trell Harris (161 receiving yards) delivered explosive plays early. The real standout was Virginia’s defense, which allowed Duke to go just 4-for-15 on its third-down attempts and shut down Nate Sheppard (3.6 ypc). Virginia needed a decisive win like this and it restores a lot of confidence in the Cavaliers walking all over Virginia Tech in two weeks.
18. Michigan Wolverines (18)
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Marsh is everything for the Michigan Wolverines. Jordan Marshall (142 yards and 3 touchdowns) and Andrew Marsh (12 receptions for 189 yards) accounted for 74 percent of the Wolverines’ total yards (496) in Saturday’s comeback win at Wrigley Field over Northwestern. It took a herculean effort from those two and the Wolverines defense to overcome five turnovers and two missed field goals. The 8-2 record is nice, and Michigan probably achieves a nine-win season next Saturday at Maryland, but this team feels destined to lose The Game and then lose to whoever it gets matched up with in a bowl game.
19. Texas Longhorns (10)
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The better quarterback, the more well-coached team, and the more aggressive head coach won on Saturday night in Athens. Plenty of blame certainly falls on the shoulders of the Texas Longhorns offensive line, but Arch Manning missed some open receivers, Longhorns’ wideouts had costly drops, and Steve Sarkisian coached this game like Texas had a playoff spot locked up. The Longhorns deserved their third loss of the season and it’s fitting this game extinguished the program’s playoff hopes.
20. Tennessee Volunteers (23)
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The Tennessee Volunteers put up 42 points in a game where Joey Aguilar was picked off twice and the offense managed just a 27.3 percent third-down conversion rate in 24 minutes of possession time. That’s how good the Vols’ rushing attack and defense were on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee still doesn’t have a signature win this season, but it is 7-3 and could at least end the regular season on a high note in the next two weeks if the Vols can win in The Swamp and then ruin Vandy’s playoff hopes.
21. James Madison Dukes (Unranked)
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We felt like the James Madison Dukes should’ve been in the College Football Playoff rankings last week, but the committee saw it differently. Maybe that finally changes after Louisville (20), Iowa (21), Pittsburgh (22), South Florida (24), and Louisville (25) all lost in Week 12. Meanwhile, James Madison improved to 9-1 after it took a 44-zip lead over App State into the fourth quarter before slightly relaxing and winning 58-10.
22. North Texas Mean Green (Unranked)
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If the Group of Five teams can’t make their way into the College Football Playoff rankings now, when will they? The North Texas Mean Green improved to 9-1 on the season in Week 12, routing UAB 53-24 thanks to 210 scrimmage yards and 5 touchdowns from Caleb Hawkins. We’ll also note that North Texas beat Navy earlier this season, a team that might crack the top 25 itself after defeating South Florida.
23. Navy Midshipmen (Unranked)
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The Navy Midshipmen are now 8-2 on the season, with those two losses coming against Notre Dame and North Texas on the road. Until Saturday, you could fairly critique the Midshipmen’s schedule by pointing to the fact that they hadn’t beaten a quality team. So, they went out and put up 338 rushing yards on No. 24 South Florida. With Memphis slumping, there’s a chance that Navy could make it consecutive wins against teams with eight-plus wins.
24. Houston Cougars (Unranked)
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There’s nowhere else for the Houston Cougars to go but up with all of the chaos above them in the top 25 college football rankings. Houston (8-2) has beaten Arizona and Arizona State this season, two other programs generally viewed as top-36 teams this season. On top of that, the Cougars have a 5-2 record in the Big 12 Conference. We don’t have a ton of faith in them winning the next two in-state battles versus TCU and Baylor, but Houston’s resume is good enough for now.
25. Tulane Green Wave (Unranked)
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The Oct. 30 loss at UTSA is still so baffling for the Tulane Green Wave and the only reason they’ve been unable to crack the top-25 until now. With that said, Tulane is on a list of two-loss teams that shrunk dramatically on Saturday. Furthermore, the Green Wave rank 24th in ESPN’s Strength of Resume and that’s ahead of teams like Mizzou, James Madison, and North Texas while placing just behind Tennessee.
Matt Johnson is Senior Editor of NFL and College Football for Sportsnaut. His work, including weekly NFL and college … More about Matt Johnson