November 24th 2024.
In a shocking turn of events, both Alabama and Mississippi have fallen out of the top 10 rankings in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll. Taking their places are Miami and SMU, following a tumultuous weekend in the Southeastern Conference and across college football as a whole.
At the top of the rankings, Oregon remains at No. 1 for the sixth consecutive week, with Ohio State, Texas, and Penn State holding on to their respective places behind the Ducks. Oregon is also the only remaining unbeaten team in the league.
The shakeup begins at No. 5, where Notre Dame has returned for the first time since Week 2 after securing their ninth consecutive victory against Army. Georgia and Tennessee each move up two spots to No. 6 and No. 7, respectively, while Miami jumps three spots to No. 8 and SMU makes a big leap of four places to secure their first top-10 ranking since 1985. Interestingly, SMU has already secured a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game and would potentially face Miami if the Hurricanes can get a win against Syracuse this week, or No. 12 Clemson.
Indiana, previously at No. 5, has dropped down to No. 10 after suffering their first loss of the season in a 38-15 defeat against Ohio State. Speaking of the Buckeyes, they could potentially face Oregon in the Big Ten championship game if they can overcome their longtime rivals, Michigan, this coming Saturday.
The Southeastern Conference's hopes of securing four spots in the College Football Playoff took a hit this past weekend as two of their teams, Alabama and Mississippi, both suffered losses as double-digit favorites. This has resulted in them both dropping six spots in the AP poll, with Alabama now at No. 13 and Mississippi at No. 15. Meanwhile, Texas A&M has also fallen down the rankings after their four-overtime loss to Auburn, but they could still potentially face Georgia in the SEC championship game if they can defeat Texas this week.
In other news, losses by BYU and Colorado have resulted in a four-way tie for first place in the Big 12. Arizona State, who was predicted to finish last in the conference, has now earned the highest ranking for a Big 12 team at No. 14, after defeating BYU for their second consecutive win. Iowa State has also made a significant jump, climbing five spots to No. 17 after their impressive win against Utah. BYU falls to No. 19, while Colorado, who suffered a loss against Kansas, is now at No. 23.
Looking ahead, there are some highly-anticipated matchups between ranked teams, including No. 16 South Carolina facing off against No. 12 Clemson, and No. 3 Texas taking on No. 20 Texas A&M in their first meeting since 2011. The stakes are high for the latter match, with the winner securing a spot in the SEC championship game.
In terms of poll points, Oregon has maintained their position as the consensus No. 1 team for the fourth week in a row, and they have the opportunity to remain unbeaten in the regular season if they can defeat Washington at home this coming Saturday. It's also worth noting that Boise State has secured their highest ranking since 2011, and Arizona State has earned their highest ranking since 2014.
Other notable changes in the rankings include Missouri returning to the top 25 after a one-week absence, and Washington State dropping out after suffering their second consecutive loss. In terms of conferences, the SEC still holds the most spots with eight teams, followed by the Big Ten with five, and the Big 12 with four.
As we look ahead, there are still some exciting matchups to come, including the final top-five matchup of the regular season between Indiana and Ohio State. This is the most top-five matchups we've seen in a regular season since 1996, and only the third time in history. And finally, for those interested in more sports news, be sure to sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all of our analysis and updates on Denver's teams.
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