Week 12 Top 25

Rank	BCS	AP	Jeremy	Nick
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25	Alabama (9-0) Florida State (9-0) Ohio State (9-0) Stanford (8-1) Baylor (8-0) Oregon (8-1) Auburn (9-1) Clemson (8-1) Missouri (9-1) South Carolina (7-2) Texas A&M (8-2) Oklahoma State (8-1) UCLA (7-2) Fresno State (9-0) Northern Illinois (9-0) Michigan State (8-1) UCF (8-1) Oklahoma (7-2) Arizona State (7-2) Louisville (8-1) LSU (7-3) Wisconsin (7-2) Miami (7-2) Texas (7-2) Georgia (6-3	Alabama Florida State Ohio State Baylor Stanford Oregon Auburn Clemson Missouri Texas A&M South Carolina Oklahoma State UCLA Michigan State UCF Fresno State Wisconsin LSU Louisville Northern Illinois Arizona State Oklahoma Texas Miami Georgia	Florida State (1) Alabama (2) Stanford (4) Baylor (7) Ohio State (5) Oregon (3) Auburn (6) Clemson (8) Missouri (9) South Carolina (11) Oklahoma State (14) Texas A&M (13) Michigan State (17) UCLA (15) UCF (18) Wisconsin (23) Arizona State (20) Fresno State (19) Louisville (21) NIU (22) LSU (12) Texas (NR) Oklahoma (10) Miami (16) Minnesota (NR)	Alabama (1) Florida State (2) Stanford (5) Ohio State (4) Baylor (6) Auburn (7) Oregon (3) Clemson (8) Missouri (9) Oklahoma State (12) South Carolina (13) Texas A&M (14) UCLA (15) Michigan State (16) Fresno State (17) UCF (18) Wisconsin (22) LSU (11) Louisville (20) Northern Illinois (21) Arizona State (NR) Oklahoma (10) Texas (NR) Minnesota (NR) Duke (NR)

Jeremy’s Top 25

1- Florida State (1)

2- Alabama (2)

3- Stanford (4)

4- Baylor (7)

5- Ohio State (5)

Numbers 1, 2 and 5 stay the same this week.  I realize Alabama just beat up LSU pretty good and they may very well be the best team in college football but at the end of the day I like FSU.  If you compare their two biggest wins, how do Alabama’s wins over LSU and A&M stack up against Florida State’s wins over Clemson and Miami?  I’ve moved Stanford to No. 3 after they took Oregon apart.  The Ducks made a run at the end but for 55 minutes, Stanford was absolutely dominant.  Baylor and Ohio State check in at 4 and 5, respectively.  I realize they’re two undefeated teams behind and one loss Stanford, I just don’t know how much I buy Baylor or Ohio State.

6- Oregon (3)

7- Auburn (6)

8- Clemson (8)

9- Missouri (9)

10- South Carolina (11)

Ask and you shall receive.  The question about the Ducks all season is how they’ll stack up against a physical, smash-mouth football team and Thursday we got our answer.  The Ducks got de-feathered.  I still think this is a solid team and they still have a lot to play for.  Auburn moves up to No. 7.  They might be the best of the one loss teams and will have a major role in how the rest of the college football season plays out when they host Alabama on Nov. 30^th.  Clemson and Missouri remain No’s 8 and 9.  South Carolina moves into the top 10.  The Gamecocks are still alive in the SEC East and will be big fans of Ole Miss and Texas A&M the next few weeks. 

11- Oklahoma State (14)

12- Texas A&M (13)

13- Michigan State (17)

14- UCLA (15)

15- UCF (18)

Oklahoma State moves up from 14 last week to 11 this week after taking care of Kansas last week.  The Cowboys get Texas this weekend in a game that will have major implications on how the Big 12 shakes out.  A&M moves up a spot to No. 12.  The Aggies get a bye week before a matchup with an LSU team looking to rebound.  Michigan State has quietly become, perhaps the best team in the B1G.  There’s a good chance they’ll represent the Legends in the B1G Championship and I like this team against Ohio State.  UCLA is coming off a road win over Arizona and host a Washington on the rise.  I’m still not too sure about UCLA.  They control their own fate in the South and we’ll see if they’ve got the stones to handle their remaining schedule.  UCF continues to win and has now taken down the two biggest tests on their schedule having just taken down Houston.  The Knights are in the drives seat in the American and still in it for BCS birth.

16- Wisconsin (23)

17- Arizona State (20)

18- Fresno State (19)

19- Louisville (21)

20- NIU (22)

Wisconsin is another B1G team I’ve got moving up as they took out a solid BYU squad over the weekend.  ASU is up a spot after winning on the road against a Utah team that’s a bear at home.  The Sun Devils got the win but I’m skeptical.  We’ll see if they can keep rolling the rest of the way.  Fresno, Louisville and NIU, I kind of just… meh.  They’re winning but do we really care?  The computers have Fresno and NIU a lot higher than I do but I don’t think either team belongs in a BCS game.  Louisville has been winning but they’ve looked pretty unimpressive doing it the past few weeks. 

21- LSU (12)

22- Texas (NR)

23- Oklahoma (10)

24- Miami (16)

25- Minnesota (NR)

Here is where win/loss record means something.  I would take most of my 21-25 to crush my 16-20 head to head but the records are what they are.  LSU is coming off a bad loss to Alabama.  The Tigers looked the part in the first half but as the game wore on it became pretty clear that LSU isn’t on the same level as the Tide this year.  Texas, despite their near disaster in Morgantown over the weekend has put together a six game winning streak and will hang it all on the line the next three weeks with a chance to win the conference.  I really considered dropping Oklahoma and Miami completely out of my rankings.  These teams have been really exposed the past few weeks.  Miami is coming off back-to-back beat downs, looking overmatched against the Seminoles and beat up and disinterested against Virginia Tech.  Oklahoma on the other hand has looked below average in what’s turned out to be their two biggest games of the season- Texas and Baylor.  “Big Game” Bob Stoops laid another egg last Thursday.  I put Minnesota at No. 25 this week.  There were a few other teams I was considering but what the Gophers have done so far is pretty impressive and I think it deserves some recognition. 

Out-

Notre Dame (24)

Texas Tech (25)

Having watched Notre Dame in person two weeks ago against Navy, I came away pretty unimpressed and thought they might struggle against a salty Pitt team.  This Notre Dame team is really just okay and the loss to Pitt just makes that more obvious.  This Irish squad was never a BCS caliber team. 

Texas Tech, who just a few weeks ago were all the way up in the top ten, has come crashing back down to earth.  The defense is a mess and their freshman quarterbacks are playing like you’d expect freshman quarterbacks to play.  I think the future is bright in Lubbock but I don’t think the growing pains are over just yet. 

On the Radar-

Georgia (6-3), USC (7-3), Nebraska (7-2), Washington (6-3)

Georgia is getting healthy but they’ve got a long way to battle back.  If you could look at USC in a vacuum and forget all the Lane Kiffin nonsense and the sanctions, this is actually a decent football team.  Not great but solid and the reality is, they’ve got a shot at the South.  Nebraska… eh.  7-2 is 7-2.  Washington has gotten a break in the schedule with Cal and Colorado in Seattle.  They better hope they’ve worked the kinks out because their three remaining games are at UCLA and Oregon State and home for the Apple Cup against Washington State. 

Conference Breakdown

SEC (6) - Alabama, Auburn, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas A&M, LSU

Pac-12 (4) - Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Arizona State

Big 12 (4) - Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas, Oklahoma

B1G (4) - Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota

ACC (3) - Florida State, Clemson, Miami

AAC (2) - UCF, Louisville

MWC (1) - Fresno State

MAC (1) – NIU

Nick’s Top 25 Breakdown

1-5

Alabama

Florida State

Stanford

Ohio State

Baylor

I agree with Jeremy that Florida State has probably the most impressive top 10 wins this season, but I cannot put Alabama No. 2. Florida State has been unreal this season and is dominating competition even top 10 competition. I have to ride the fence on this and make it a 1A and 1B. Coming in third is Stanford and I know there has been a lot of push back why should a one loss jump two undefeateds? Here is the answer…they man handled Oregon and plays a much tougher schedule to date. Now that’s not to say Ohio State or Baylor wont jump the Cardinal by seasons end, but for now that’s the order. Ohio State will not really have a chance to prove how good it is tell the Rose Bowl, but Baylor has a chance over the next three weeks.

6-10

Auburn

Oregon

Clemson

Missouri

Oklahoma State

I am not sure what to think about Auburn, I don’t really know if it is the sixth-best team in the country but they way the Tigers are playing they disserve the credit. This is big weekend to see where they really are against a Georgia team that needs another statement win. Oregon only drops because of its loss to Stanford, and I know I am an Oregon hater but this is still one of the top 10 teams in the country. Clemson keeps rolling on and is helping that Florida State strength of schedule. Missouri is still in control of the SEC East and should be able to wrap the division next week. I moved Oklahoma State into the top 10 for this week but that could change quickly with a big date in Austin this week.

11-15

South Carolina

Texas A&M

UCLA

Michigan State

Fresno State

South Carolina stays outside the top 10 because I am not sold on the Gamecocks still and I am not sure if I will be this season. Texas A&M is a one man show, but that one man in Johnny Manziel is having a great season. UCLA is having a great season leading the Pac 12 South and has this week off. Michigan State has been under the radar, but is quietly making a great season coming out of the B1G. Fresno State came away with an easy win over Wyoming last week and that was its stiffest test left on the schedule.

16-20

UCF

Wisconsin

LSU

Louisville

Northern Illinois

UCF is having a great season after its upset of Louisville and remains in line for a BCS berth. I think Wisconsin is the most underrated team in the country, the Badgers can run the ball on anyone and can play the defense to beat lots of teams. LSU drops after getting run over by Alabama in the second half last week. LSU will be fine but with three losses it hard to keep them in the top 15. Louisville still has a not won me over after a home loss to UCF but still has an outside shot at a BCS berth. Northern Illinois is a good team, but has not played anyone yet and will not the rest of the season. The Huskies maybe on the outside looking in of the BCS this year.

21-25

Arizona State

Oklahoma

Texas

Minnesota

Duke

My 21-25 has four new teams led by Arizona State that is leading the Pac-12 South at 5-1. Oklahoma looked bad against Baylor on Thursday and I am not sure if that was Baylor really good or OU really bad. Texas is creeping back into the national scene and has a major showdown this weekend that could go a long way to deciding the Big 12. Minnesota is having a great season and has the chance to win 10 games. The Gophers have solid wins against some of the B1G elite. Some people may call me on this, but Duke has slowly been creeping into the national scene and has a chance to win the ACC Costal, with a big game against Miami this weekend.