In November, this sport devours the weak.
The tree shook, and the teams that didn’t have what it takes fell out. That includes Alabama and Texas, both of whom now look farther from the College Football Playoff than at any point since Week 1, when each opened the season with a loss.
For the Tide, it’s their first conference defeat — and the loss of control over their own destiny. For the Longhorns, it’s another nail in the coffin of their bid to reach the CFP for a third time, despite entering the season as the preseason No. 1 team in the country.
With that, here’s a look at my top 25 rankings following Week 12 of the college football season:
1. Ohio State (10-0), Previously Ranked: 1
Week 12 result: Defeated UCLA, 48-10
The more Ohio State plays, the more it looks like every other team is playing for second.
The Buckeyes rushed for 200 yards against a Power 4 opponent for the first time all year, and did that without CJ Donaldson in the lineup.
2. Indiana (11-0), Previously Ranked: 2
Week 12 result: Defeated Wisconsin, 31-7
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza continued his season-long surgical dismantling of Big Ten pass defenses, completing 22 of 24 attempts for 299 yards and four touchdowns. He was sacked five times — nobody’s perfect. But Indiana is, and the Hoosiers are hunting for a national title.
For now, being 11-0 for the first time in school history will have to do. Indiana has only hapless in-state rival Purdue standing between it and a perfect regular season.
3. Texas A&M (10-0), Previously Ranked: 3
Week 12 result: Defeated South Carolina, 31-30
Ampersand U trailed the Gamecocks 30-3 at halftime.
Then the Aggies turned back into Texas A&M in the second half, thanks largely to quarterback Marcel Reed remembering exactly who he is — and how good he can be.
Reed completed 9 of 12 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns in the third quarter alone. Most importantly, he kept the Aggies in the SEC title race and pushed them to 10-0 for the first time since 1992.
4. Georgia (9-1), Previously Ranked: 6
Week 12 result: Defeated Texas, 35-10
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann ran circles around Steve Sarkisian’s offense, particularly with their ability to stop the run. Texas carried the ball 17 times for just 23 yards.
With the win, the Dawgs solidified their standing among the SEC elite — and perhaps positioned themselves for a College Football Playoff bid.
5. Oregon (9-1), Previously Ranked: 5
Week 12 result: Defeated Minnesota, 42-13
The Ducks stuffed the Gophers in a locker and twisted the dial lock. It wasn’t just the 510 yards of offense the Ducks put up — it was that 21 of Oregon’s 27 first downs came on first or second down.
The Ducks looking like they’re coached by Gordon Bombay in November is nothing new. Let’s see how well they fly together in December.
6. Ole Miss (10-1), Previously Ranked: 7
Week 12 result: Defeated Florida, 34-24
With the win, the Rebels are one win away from clinching their first invitation to the CFP. What remains to be seen is whether it’s the last season for Lane Kiffin in Oxford, Mississippi, if they do.
7. Oklahoma (8-2), Previously Ranked: 11
Week 12 result: Defeated Alabama, 23-21
It’s not just that Oklahoma needed only 212 yards of offense to beat Alabama on the road. It’s that 212 total yards is the fewest an OU team has gained in a win since the Sooners defeated No. 5 Texas in 2001.
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables was co-defensive coordinator at OU then, too.
8. Texas Tech (10-1), Previously Ranked: 8
Week 12 result: Defeated UCF, 48-9
In its most blatant act of boosterism yet, Tech put its best player — linebacker Jacob Rodriguez — in at quarterback for a rushing touchdown to pad his Heisman bona fides.
Through 11 games, Rodriguez has been statistically better than 2012 Heisman finalist Manti Te’o and is leading a Tech team that has reached 10 wins for the first time since 2008.
But Heisman voters don’t hand the trophy to defensive players who take a snap or two on offense.
9. BYU (9-1), Previously Ranked: 9
Week 12 result: Defeated TCU, 44-13
BYU QB Bear Bachmeier continues to prove he is among the top signal-callers in the Big 12, and yes, he’s only a freshman. The Cougars’ do-it-all QB threw for 296 yards and a touchdown while also adding 59 yards and a score on the ground.
Meanwhile, BYU’s defense held Josh Hoover and the Horned Frogs to less than 300 yards of total offense.
10. Texas (7-3), Previously Ranked: 10
Week 12 result: Lost to Georgia, 35-10
Texas is back … Not so fast.
Fresh off a bye week and riding four straight conference wins, the Longhorns were outplayed by Georgia in every facet. On top of that, Texas committed nine penalties — seven in the first half — and had several costly drops.
11. Notre Dame (8-2), Previously Ranked: 12
Week 12 result: Defeated Pittsburgh, 37-15
The Fighting Irish would be the ACC’s best team if they’d ever make the marriage legal.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love tightened his grip on what’s looking more and more like a Doak Walker Award season, piling up 147 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.
But it was Chris Ash’s defense that stole the show, holding an otherwise prolific Pitt offense to 0-for-13 on third down, recording four sacks, and forcing two turnovers.
12. Alabama (8-2), Previously Ranked: 4
Week 12 result: Lost to Oklahoma, 23-21
Alabama had committed just six turnovers in its first nine games this season. Against Oklahoma, the Crimson Tide had two in the first half alone.
By the end, they had three turnovers, allowed four sacks on Heisman candidate Ty Simpson, and managed just seven second-half points.
This is the same Alabama team that became the first to beat Georgia on the road in five years and looked like a legitimate SEC title threat — before being dumped at home by the new money land thieves.
13. Vanderbilt (8-2), Previously Ranked: 13
Week 12 result: Idle
14. Georgia Tech (9-1), Previously Ranked: 14
Week 12 result: Defeated Boston College, 36-34
With the ACC title and a playoff spot on the line, Georgia Tech QB Haynes King delivered, going 26-for-34 for 371 yards and a touchdown. He led a 13-play, 69-yard drive to set up the game-winning field goal and a thrilling come-from-behind win.
15. Michigan (8-2), Previously Ranked: 15
Week 12 result: Defeated Northwestern, 24-22
The Wolverines blew a two-score lead in the fourth quarter. They committed five turnovers. They missed two field goals. And yet.
Chip Lindsey’s offense put up 496 yards of offense, and wideout Andrew Marsh solidified his status as a burgeoning star with 12 catches for 189 receiving yards.
Needing a walk-off field goal to beat the Wildcats will be forgotten quickly if Michigan finishes with 10 wins and knocks off Ohio State on Nov. 30.
16. Utah (8-2), Previously Ranked: 17
Week 12 result: Defeated Baylor, 55-28
Baylor got beat like it stole something, and the Utes look like the third-best team in the Big 12. That might not be good enough to make the CFP this season, which is one more reason to expand the playoff from 12 to 24 teams.
17. Virginia (9-2), Previously Ranked: 18
Week 12 result: Defeated Duke, 34-17
Having Chandler Morris at QB matters. In last week’s loss to Wake Forest, he was knocked out early. Against the Blue Devils, he rebounded, completing 23 of 35 passes for 316 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for a team staking a claim as the ACC’s best.
18. Miami (Fla.) (8-2), Previously Ranked: 20
Week 12 result: Defeated NC State, 41-7
The Canes would not fall for the same trap NC State set for Georgia Tech and Virginia. Then again, after Miami’s loss to SMU on the road, perhaps the Wolfpack couldn’t be bothered to set one.
19. USC (8-2), Previously Ranked: 21
Week 12 result: Defeated Iowa, 26-21
The Trojans held serve, keeping themselves in contention for what could be the fourth Big Ten spot in the CFP. They’ll still need a little help — a Michigan slip-up, perhaps an Ohio State loss — and a 10-win season with a strong résumé to earn an invitation to play on the road in the first round.
20. North Texas (9-1), Previously Ranked: 22
Week 12 result: Defeated UAB, 53-24
North Texas running back Caleb Hawkins set a school record with five rushing touchdowns in a single game. He also added 189 yards on the ground in yet another 500-plus-yard offensive performance for what’s arguably the best team in the American Conference — and one of the most explosive offenses in the sport.
21. Navy (7-3), Previously Ranked: NR
Week 12 result: Defeated South Florida, 41-38
It’s not just that the Midshipmen put up 41 points on the only G6 team in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s top 25. It’s that they did it without star QB Blake Horvath in the fourth quarter.
Navy wide receiver Eli Heidenreich broke the school record for career receiving yards with five catches for 146 yards, pushing him to 1,794 yards and past Rob Thompson, who’d held the mark since 1967.
22. Tennessee (7-3), Previously Ranked: 23
Week 12 result: Defeated New Mexico State, 42-9
Somehow, the Vols gave up 313 passing yards and went just 8-of-19 on third down to an Aggies team that has won only three games this season. But since what’s left in the SEC behind Tennessee isn’t much better, here I am, ranking three-loss teams.
23. James Madison (9-1), Previously Ranked: 24
Week 12 result: Defeated Appalachian State, 58-10
Unlike the committee, I’m in favor of ranking multiple G6 programs in the top 25 — as long as they’ve earned it. And James Madison has.
The Dukes piled up 607 yards of offense in a dominant win over Appalachian State, including 324 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. That’s impressive.
24. Houston (8-2), Previously Ranked: NR
Week 12 result: Idle
25. Missouri (6-3), Previously Ranked: 25
Week 12 result: Defeated Mississippi State, 49-27
Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy had himself a night in his home state of Mississippi. The Tigers’ sophomore running back carried the ball 25 times for a career-best 300 yards and three touchdowns.
That was Missouri’s 23rd straight win against an unranked opponent.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him @RJ_Young.
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