After a series of Week 13 upsets, our college football coaches poll ranking projection

Posted by Admin November 24, 2024 Football

Three big results in the Big Ten and SEC will shake up the top of this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll.

First, No. 2 Ohio State spotted No. 5 Indiana a touchdown but dominated from there, riding a huge punt return for a touchdown by Caleb Downs early in the second half to a 38-15 win. That moves the Buckeyes one win away from a trip back to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020.

Over in the SEC, Mississippi suffered an inexplicable loss to Florida that dumps the Rebels out of at-large College Football Playoff contention. Alabama was smothered by Oklahoma in a 24-3 loss that could mean the same for the Crimson Tide’s postseason destination.

These losses will drop the Tide and Rebels in this week’s Top 25. Where will the Hoosiers land? Here’s our projection for the top 10 of the Coaches Poll, set to be released later on Sunday:

1. Oregon (11-0)

The Ducks have already clinched a Big Ten championship game appearance heading into Saturday’s rivalry game against Washington. Oregon is in position to reach the playoff even with two losses in a row to end the regular season.

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2. Ohio State (10-1)

Beating the Hoosiers locks the Buckeyes into the playoff but doesn’t guarantee a rematch with the Ducks. That requires a win against Michigan, snapping the Wolverines’ three-game winning streak in the series. Michigan’s offense stirred to life at long last with a 50-6 win against Northwestern.

3. Texas (10-1)

There wasn’t anything pretty about a 31-14 win against Kentucky, just like there wasn’t anything aesthetically pleasing about last weekend’s 20-10 victory against Arkansas. But Texas continues to stack together wins against overmatched competition heading into the rekindle rivalry against Texas A&M. A win there sends the Longhorns to the SEC championship game and probably gets them in the field regardless of what happens in Atlanta.

4. Penn State (10-1)

Penn State avoided what would’ve been a crippling loss to Minnesota with some late heroics, including a pair of gutsy four-down conversions late to seal the 26-25 win. The Nittany Lions close the regular season as heavy favorites against Maryland after being eliminated from Big Ten contention by the Buckeyes’ win.

5. Notre Dame (10-1)

For the second time this season, Notre Dame took a sledgehammer to a ranked service-academy opponent. After topping Navy 51-14 in late October, the Fighting Irish beat Army 49-14 behind a dominant game from maybe the best defense in the country. Next up is rival Southern California with a win likely guaranteeing a home game in the playoff.

6. Georgia (9-2)

It was a great day for the Bulldogs, who secured a spot in the SEC title game with the SEC losses. After beating Massachusetts 59-21, Georgia turns to rival Georgia Tech with a chance to secure an at-large playoff bid. The Yellow Jackets have been feisty and have a flair for winning close games, with a 5-1 mark in games decided by 10 or fewer points.

7. Miami (10-1)

Miami got back on track after a rough start to November by scoring the final 25 points in a 42-14 win against Wake Forest. The Hurricanes move to 6-1 in ACC play and need to win at Syracuse next Saturday to finish ahead of Clemson and meet SMU for the league title. The Orange have won three in a row to hit eight wins for the first time since 2018.

8. Indiana (10-1)

The Hoosiers could still come in ahead of the Bulldogs and Hurricanes but will struggle to gain traction with voters due to a weak résumé of wins. Indiana has three wins against teams with a winning record, but just barely: Washington, Nebraska and Michigan are 6-5. They’re still in good shape for the playoff despite the loss.

9. Tennessee (10-1)

Tennessee had a terrific Saturday, starting with a 56-0 whitewashing of Texas-El Paso. Better yet, the Volunteers will leap back into this week’s hypothetical playoff field after Mississippi’s loss to Florida. They’ll just need to avoid a stumble to Vanderbilt next week.

10. SMU (10-1)

At long last, SMU should break into the top 10 after dominating Virginia in a 33-7 win. The Mustangs have won eight in a row since losing to Brigham Young by a field goal in non-conference play. After this weekend, the ACC has to feel pretty good about getting two teams in the playoff if both Miami and SMU bring just one loss to the conference title game.