The latest AP rankings are out for college football with many big names rising as other powerhouses fall. Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M survived another week to remain the final undefeated teams.
A&M faced the hardest challenge of the three last week, as they found themselves down 3-30 at halftime against South Carolina. Aggies head coach Mike Elko must have pieced his halftime speech together perfectly as A&M would go on to score 28 unanswered points in the second half, securing the 31-30 victory. This marked the largest comeback in school history. While AP News has found that SEC teams have lost 286 games straight since 2004 when trailing by at least 27 points, Texas A&M changed the narrative. A&M will host a struggling Samford side this weekend, before preparing their season closer on the road against rival Texas.
Georgia rose up to the fourth spot after defeating No. 10 Texas 35-10. Previously No. 4, Alabama had their eight-game win streak snapped, as they fell short against No. 11 Oklahoma 21-23. Alabama fell to No. 10 following this loss. Georgia will face off against Charlotte this weekend, while Alabama hosts Eastern Illinois.
Only two Top 25 matchups will take place over the weekend with the first amidst two heavyweights in the Big Ten, No. 16 USC and No. 6 Oregon. Both squads are 6-1 in conference play, behind undefeated Indiana and Ohio State. This game is pivotal for both sides, with a victory bolstering their argument for a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
Oklahoma saw the biggest jump in the standings after taking down No. 4 Alabama on the road. This was the Tide’s first conference loss of the season coming at a costly time as they might have lost their spot in the SEC championship game. The Sooners are trying to add another crucial game to the win column as they take on No. 23 Missouri in the second Top 25 matchup of the week.
Two ACC programs are looking to punch their ticket into the ACC Championship, as Pittsburgh travels to face No. 15 Georgia Tech. Pitt fell in the standings after No. 9 Notre Dame dominated them last week 37-15. This game does not affect the ACC standings for Pittsburgh though, so they are still contenders in the conference championship. Georgia Tech could secure their spot with a win against Pittsburgh, as they end the season against non-ACC opponent Georgia.
Another noteworthy feature in the ACC occurs when Louisville takes on SMU. The Mustangs are tied for third in the conference and are also looking to sneak into the championship game. SMU is trying to return to the stage, after falling short last year in a last second overtime field goal against Clemson.
With many shakeups in the AP rankings, No. 22 North Texas cannot go unnoticed. Although this may be a name few are used to, North Texas hoists an impressive record of (9-1) on the season and is ranked for the first time since 1959. This brings the number of Group of Five teams in the Top 25 to three, the first of this season. The Mean Green take on Rice this weekend, before ending their season at home against Temple.
No. 20 Tennessee will travel to Florida this weekend after blowing out New Mexico State 42-9. Although the Gators sit 3-7 on the season, they have proven to be a challenge against ranked opponents. With seven opponents placed in the Top 25 at some point this season, the Gators have seen a tougher end to their SEC schedule. Despite this, they kept it close against Georgia, LSU and South Florida, along with defeating ranked Texas.
As playoff tensions rise and rivalry weekend approaches, this week’s matchups promise to shake up national rankings. The stakes could not be higher, and the margins are becoming razor thin. All that is left to do is wait and let the results speak for themselves.