Update AP Poll Tennessee's gets shocked
Who joins top five after Tennessee's shocking loss? Our college football coaches poll prediction
For a good chunk of Saturday, the best teams in the Bowl Subdivision escaped with close wins to avoid any major shakeups to the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.
Then South Carolina scored 35 points in the first half and upset Tennessee 63-38, ending the Volunteers' hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff and bringing change to the top five for the first time in weeks.
This loss losses shake things up just after the top four. Not that this group had it easy: Georgia managed just one touchdown in a 16-6 win against Kentucky, Ohio State didn't put Maryland away until the final minute, Michigan beat Illinois 19-17 on a field goal with nine seconds left and TCU topped Baylor 29-28 with a field goal as time expired.
What do with Tennessee is the biggest question when it comes to predicting the top 10 in this week's rankings. How far will the Volunteers fall given this year's wins against LSU and Alabama?
1. Georgia (11-0)
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The Bulldogs' 361 yards of offense were a season low and the 16 points the fewest in an SEC game since beating the Wildcats 14-3 in 2020. This is the second time this year that Georgia has been unable to put away a lesser opponent, joining the 26-22 win against Missouri to begin October.
HIGHS AND LOWS:Winners and losers in Week 12 of college football
MAJOR MATCHUPS:Scores and analysis from every Top 25 game in Week 12
2. Ohio State (11-0)
A strange-but-true fact: Ohio State has been outgained in three of its last four games despite winning each game by at least 13 points. Penn State had 482 yards to the Buckeyes' 452. Northwestern gained 285 yards, OSU 282. And in the 43-30 win against Maryland, the Buckeyes put up 401 yards but gave up 402. Getting outgained by Michigan on Saturday might yield a different result.
CLOSE SHAVE:Ohio State survives scare from Maryland to stay unbeaten
3. Michigan (11-0)
Had TCU put together a double-digit win at Baylor, it might've been easy to see the Horned Frogs leapfrog the Wolverines into third. As it is, the 19-17 win is by far Michigan's closest result of the season; before Saturday, only one game had been decided by single digits. Give the game ball to All-America kicker Jake Moody, who made all four of his field goals, three in the fourth quarter alone.
MAJOR COMEBACAK:Late field goal gets Michigan past Illinois
4. TCU (11-0)
That TCU has managed to be so successful in close games is a reflection on first-year coach Sonny Dykes, who has imbued the Horned Frogs with the confidence to overcome any deficit. Against Baylor, that meant climbing out of a 28-20 hole with just minutes left in the fourth quarter.
STILL ALIVE:TCU remains in playoff hunt with dramatic defeat of Baylor
5. Southern California (10-1)
After beating UCLA 45-42, the Trojans are a simple pick to replace Tennessee in the top five and as the team set to crack the top four after next weekend's huge matchup between the Buckeyes and Wolverines - should they get past Notre Dame.. On an individual level, it's also very easy to see how Caleb Williams takes home the Heisman Trophy after another terrific performance.
6. LSU (9-2)
LSU won't get any credit for beating Alabama-Birmingham, nor will the Tigers be boosted in the poll with a win next Saturday against Texas A&M. The big one is coming: Georgia will be by far the toughest test for a team already familiar with some of the top teams in the FBS.
7. Alabama (9-2)
The Crimson Tide's 34-0 win against Austin Peay continued a predictably long winning streak against Championship Subdivision competition. Alabama's last loss against a current FCS program came in 1951 against Villanova, which remains one of just 11 programs across all division to be unbeaten against the mighty Tide.
8. Tennessee (9-2)
It would be very strange to see Tennessee behind two teams with similar records and a head-to-head loss to the Volunteers — especially LSU, which was hammered in a 40-13 loss. But voters are swayed by recent results, and giving up 63 points to South Carolina is going to make it difficult for the panel to keep Tennessee ahead of the other two-loss teams in the SEC despite the head-to-head results.
9. Clemson (10-1)
Clemson did another number to Miami (Fla.), putting up a few late scores in a 40-10 win to mark the fourth consecutive blowout in the series. While a lopsided win helps the Tigers, it wasn't a great day overall: North Carolina's loss to Georgia Tech will do some major damage to Clemson's overall strength of schedule heading out of the regular season.
10. Oregon (9-2)
With its gritty defeat of Utah behind a hobbled Bo Nix, Oregon will rebound into the top 10 after falling six spots to No. 12 in last week's poll following a loss to Washington. While the playoff is out of the question, topping Oregon State in next week's Civil War pushes the Ducks into the Pac-12 title game and should get them into New Year's Six bowl.
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My TV (thanks Dish) was out due it raining the day of the TN/GA game. It was on a local channel. (One of a very few I could watch.) I watched the game. (One of the only football games I have watched in many years.) Would have been nice to see TN win.
Our grocery store frequently has people decked out in UT colors. A Mom and her infant caught my eye yesterday. All color coordinated in UT gear.
Funniest one I've seen?
"This is Richard. (Insert photo/image.) Richard is an Alabama fan.
Don't be a Dick.
Go UT."
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Carolina has played bad all yr. Was a huge shock to watch them play that well last night.
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This late in the season it becomes harder and harder to decide if the rankings are correct. With injuries, it has become a war of attrition. I only watched two games yesterday and was surprised by the small margin Michigan won by and also surprised by how close Maryland kept it until the last half of the fourth quarter against Ohio State. Not something I expected from the 2nd and 3rd rated teams. The upcoming Michigan/Ohio State game will be decided by who has the healthiest players left this next saturday. As we say, " Happiness is crushed Buckeye nuts" but I am not sure Michigan can pull it off this year. Bob
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Georgia looked terrible yesterday.. but they held on and won .
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Just like when tenn won earlier this yr.. the fans rushed the field in Columbia. Just cannot for the life of me know why kids, folks waste their time at a football stadium, buy worthless tickets when they can watch the game on TV with friends.
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Can't believe Tennessee got their butts stomped into a mud hole like that every team has a day like that now and again.
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AP Top 25 poll: Clemson jumps Alabama, Tennessee plummets in updated college football rankings
The Tigers moved ahead of Alabama for No. 7 and USC is in the top five for first time in five years
By David Cobb
18 hrs ago • 1 min read
USATSI
Clemson rose two spots, jumping Alabama, for No. 7 in the new AP Top 25 poll released Sunday as the Tigers quietly lurk in the background of the race for College Football Playoff bids. Though the Tigers do not have a true marquee win on their resume, they are now 10-1 with games against quality foes South Carolina and North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game remaining before the four-team CFP field is announced on Dec. 4.
The Tigers crushed Miami 40-10 on Saturday behind a dominant effort from their defense and benefitted from Tennessee's surprising 63-38 loss at South Carolina. The Volunteers dropped from No. 5 to No. 9 because of the defeat. Tennessee's loss also allowed USC to jump two spots to No. 5 after the Trojans beat crosstown rival UCLA 48-45.Among the other big winners in Sunday's new AP poll were Oregon, which rose two spots to No. 10 after beating Utah and Notre Dame, which vaulted up five spots to No. 13 following a 44-0 win over Boston College.
No. 15 Kansas State and No. 16 Florida State rose four spots each after wins Saturday.
North Carolina dropped five spots to No. 18 following a surprising loss to Georgia Tech and Ole Miss dropped six spots to No. 20 after losing at Arkansas.
Here's a look at the entire top 25 college football rankings as voted on by the AP panel. First-place votes are in parenthesis.
AP Top 25
- Georgia (62)
- Ohio State (1)
- Michigan
- TCU
- USC
- LSU
- Clemson
- Alabama
- Tennessee
- Oregon
- Penn State
- Washington
- Notre Dame
- Utah
- Kansas State
- Florida State
- UCLA
- North Carolina
- Tulane
- Ole Miss
- Cincinnati
- Oregon State
- Coastal Carolina
- Texas
- UCF.
Others receiving votes: UTSA 85, South Carolina 44, Troy 34, Boise State 16, Illinois 12, Iowa 5, Louisville 5, South Alabama 3, Mississippi State 3, Oklahoma State 2, Arkansas 2, Purdue 2, Fresno State 1
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Even though TCU is undefeated, I can't help but believe that USC, LSU, Clemson and Alabama all would beat them.
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neacpa: 30423102801691/comments/30423095137819
Even though TCU is undefeated, I can't help but believe that USC, LSU, Clemson and Alabama all would beat them.
That could get interesting when the final polls come out.
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