The first of several big games featuring College Football Playoff contenders, unbeaten Michigan edged out Jim Harbaugh-less Penn State to advance to Week 12 of the AP Top 25 on Sunday. Fellow unbeatens Florida State and Washington were also winners, and in much more dramatic fashion that must be retained. Those at the top of the final four are chasing unscathed.
There were no major surprises among the top 10 teams, but Penn State’s loss to Michigan should knock the Nittany Lions out of the title mix. In prime time, Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon all won as double-digit favorites and move closer to their respective conference championship games – and rivalry weekends – later this month. Oklahoma State suffered a loss at UCF, missing a chance to secure second place in the Big 12 behind Texas.
Undefeated Group of Five teams JMU and Liberty were both big winners, putting pressure on Tulane, which with one loss is the current favorite to make the New Year’s Six outside of the Power Five.
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Here’s a look at what the AP Top 25 rankings should look like on Sunday in Week 12:
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The result from Saturday: Beat Ole Miss, 52-17
Georgia rushed for 300 yards, recorded no negative plays on offense and steamrolled one of the SEC’s best players under the lights at Sanford Stadium. Is there a chance Michigan could knock Georgia out of the No. 1 spot in the new AP poll? Maybe, but we don’t think it will happen after this dominant performance from the Bulldogs. Next up is a battle with Tennessee, with the SEC East already decided and a ticket to Atlanta to face Alabama in a few weeks.
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The result from Saturday: Defeated Penn State, 24-15
So far, so good for Michigan without Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh served the first multi-game suspension and watched the Wolverines beat Penn State defensively and remain undefeated on their way to a third straight Big Ten championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff. Blake Corum increased his nation-leading touchdown total from the running back position and Michigan’s defense shined on the road in the second half under acting head coach Sherrone Moore.
(Photo: Rich Schultz, Getty)
The result from Saturday: Defeated Michigan State 38-3
Fueled by a pair of touchdown receptions and another 100-yard game from Marvin Harrison Jr., the Buckeyes moved closer to a titanic matchup with Michigan within weeks of steamrolling the Spartans on the road. Ohio State’s defense played one of its best games overall, allowing just 182 total yards and a single field goal in the second quarter. It was the fourth time this season the Buckeyes held an opponent to single digits.
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The result from Saturday: Beat Miami 27-20
Rivalry games are a whole different ball game, and the Seminoles almost did it the hard way when they narrowly beat Miami. Needing a late stop to stay undefeated, FSU found itself in the thick of the national championship hunt after Miami pulled within a score midway through the fourth quarter on an 85-yard touchdown reception by Jacolby George. Keon Coleman was great for FSU, getting a clutch punt return score and receiving a touchdown in a crucial situation.
(Photo: M. Samek, 247Sports)
The result from Saturday: Defeat Utah 35-28
For the second time in program history, Washington is 10-0. And the last time it happened, the Huskies finished 12-0 and were co-state champions (1991). Michael Penix Jr. scored another 300-yard multi-touchdown and Dillon Johnson surpassed it for the third time this season. Washington plays Oregon State next week, followed by the rivalry final against Washington State. Win both games and a possible rematch against Oregon in the Pac-12 Finals will ensure a playoff spot.
(Photo: Jason Fairchild, 247Sports)
The result from Saturday: Defeated USC 36-27
Oregon stayed one game behind Washington in the Pac-12 title race with a tougher-than-expected win over the Trojans and reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams. The Ducks scored touchdowns on 84- and 77-yard plays in the first half, but USC made things a little more difficult after that. Bo Nix had his first 400-yard passing game of the season as Oregon broke 500 yards of total offense against one of the worst units in the country that had just relieved Alex Grinch of his duties.
(Photo: Ricardo B. Brazzell/American-Statesman, Getty)
The result from Saturday: Beat TCU 29-26
In Quinn Ewers’ first game back from his injury, the junior threw for 317 yards and a touchdown, but it was a late stop by the Longhorns’ defense that secured the victory. Texas led 26-6 at one point early in the fourth quarter before the Horned Frogs staged a furious comeback. Savion Williams brought TCU within a field goal with a 14-yard touchdown reception with 3:28 left before Texas managed to win and stay atop the Big 12.
(Photo: Andy Lyons, Getty)
The result from Saturday: Defeat Kentucky 49-21
Jalen Milroe accounted for six career touchdowns as Alabama defeated the Wildcats in the Bluegrass, securing the Crimson Tide’s spot in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia within weeks. Milroe threw for 231 yards and three scores while adding three touchdowns on the ground to push Alabama closer to the top five. The Crimson Tide are peaking at the right time and next month’s game in Atlanta could determine a playoff spot.
(Photo: © Jamie Rhodes, USA TODAY Sports)
The result from Thursday: Defeated Virginia 31-24
The Cardinals avoided a colossal upset in the ACC with a narrow win over Virginia this week and are just a few wins away from securing a New Year’s Six berth in the Orange Bowl this season. However, Louisville is thinking further. Winning and then knocking out undefeated FSU in the ACC Championship Game may give the Cardinals a chance to get into the Final Four discussion as one-loss conference champions. The strength of the schedule probably isn’t enough, but the only way Louisville can do its part is to keep winning.
(Photo: Jackson Moore, 247Sports)
The result from Saturday: Beat Stanford, 62-17
Come play, Damien Martinez. The Oregon State running back rushed for four touchdowns on 146 yards and a career-best 15 carries as the Beavers continued to keep things interesting at the top of the Pac-12 standings. The Beavers get a chance to write their own script by playing season-ending showdowns against Washington and Oregon in the final two weeks.
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The result from Saturday: Lost to Michigan, 24-15
In Penn State’s most important remaining game, the Nittany Lions couldn’t muster enough offense other than a crucial second-quarter touchdown drive during a setback against the undefeated Wolverines. That’s two losses for Penn State this fall, knocking James Franklin’s team out of the Big Ten East title game and out of the College Football Playoff race. The Nittany Lions could certainly still reach a New Year’s Six bowl, but a 10-2 record at best still falls short of preseason expectations in Happy Valley.
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The result from Saturday: Beat Tennessee 36-7
Missouri bounced back from a tough loss to Georgia with a home win over Tennessee and moved closer to its first 10-win season under Eli Drinkwitz. The Tigers are expected to move up in the AP poll on Sunday and, more importantly, will move closer to the top 10 in the third playoff rankings released Tuesday night as they were on the rise late in the season. Cody Schrader led the offense for Missouri with a rush for 205 yards and a touchdown, which was Tennessee’s best performance at the line of scrimmage.
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
The result from Saturday: Lost to Georgia, 52-17
Georgia opened a tie game in the second quarter and didn’t look back, slapping the Rebels in Athens and giving the Bulldogs their second straight win against a top-15 team. Ole Miss has now suffered two losses this season, both against teams that clinched a spot in the SEC Championship. Lane Kiffin said after the game that he didn’t mind the playoff talk after the Rebels’ elimination. Ole Miss will now look to prevail and play in a New Year’s Six game.
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The result from Saturday: Beat West Virginia 59-20
Dillon Gabriel threw for a school-record eight touchdowns in the Sooners’ win over West Virginia, Oklahoma’s eighth win of the season. Gabriel finished with 423 yards through the air and 50 yards on the ground to lead the blitzkrieg. Three of Gabriel’s five touchdown passes went to Drake Stoops, who was asked earlier this week how he stayed motivated with Oklahoma out of the playoff race. He gave a rather lengthy and strong answer.
(Photo: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports, USA TODAY Sports)
The result from Saturday: Beat Florida 52-35
Jayden Daniels totaled 606 yards of offense and five touchdowns against the Gators, becoming the first FBS quarterback to throw for more than 350 yards and rush for another 225 yards or more in the same game. He entered the Heisman conversation weeks ago, but his performance in the win over Florida should cement his status as a finalist regardless of LSU’s final record this month.
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The result from Saturday: Lost to Washington, 35-28
Utah didn’t have enough strength to upset the undefeated Huskies on the road, but it was still an impressive performance for a team that’s been picking things up since losing at home to Oregon a few weeks ago. Utah’s finish at the top of the Pac-12 in consecutive seasons has come to an end, but Kyle Whittingham has still won seven games this season with a rough lineup of spots. We don’t expect Utah to suffer big losses in Sunday’s poll.
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The result from Saturday: Defeat Tulsa, 24-22
Give credit to Michael Pratt and the Green Wave – they continue to get it done despite not playing their best football and changing over the last month. Tulane’s only loss this season came at Ole Miss without Pratt in the lineup, and the playoff selection committee particularly respected that result. Tulane was the highest-ranked Group of Five team in last week’s poll and that won’t change in Sunday’s updated AP rankings.
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The result from Saturday: Defeat UConn, 44-6
What a month it has been for JMU athletics. There were several big wins on the hardwood before defeating another opponent on the gridiron en route to national Top 20 prominence. That’s where we expect the Dukes to show up on Sunday, dropping several teams ahead of them in Week 11. The playoff selection committee has refrained from selecting JMU given the postseason situation in the two-year transition from the FCS to the FBS ranks evaluate.
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The result from Saturday: Lost to Missouri, 36-7
Tennessee’s recent road woes under Josh Heupel, aside from the recent win at Kentucky, continued into Week 11 and will result in a significant drop in the new AP rankings on Sunday. The Vols turned over three times, never got anything going against a strong front seven and gave up 33 unanswered points after Joe Milton found Dont’e Thornton for a 46-yard touchdown in the first half. Tennessee tried to stay alive in the SEC East race, but Georgia prevailed in the Vols’ loss.
(Photo: Cory Fravel, 247Sports)
20. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-3)
The result from Saturday: Open
21. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-2)
The result from Saturday: Beat Duke, 47-45
22. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-2)
The result from Saturday: Defeat Rutgers 22-0
23. Kansas State Wildcats (7-3)
The result from Saturday: Defeat Baylor, 59-24
24. Arizona Wildcats (7-3)
The result from Saturday: Defeat Colorado 34-31
25. Liberty Flames (10-0)
The result from Saturday: Defeated Old Dominion 38-10