Major shuffle at top of Power Rankings after chaotic Week 11
What a week, huh?
Given the dearth of top-notch matchups in Week 11, it was supposed to be a relatively quiet Saturday. So of course the Nos. 2–4 teams all lost in the same week for the first time in 31 years.
The thing is, not a whole lot has changed in the bigger picture—yet. Clemson, Michigan and Washington are all still in good shape in the College Football Playoff race provided they win out, particularly the Tigers and Wolverines. What Saturday’s results did do, however, was open the door for a radical reshuffling should more chaos occur. Now, a loss by any of the top contenders will throw a ton of doubt into the eventual four-team field. There’s no more margin for error.
Here’s a look at the college football hierarchy heading into Week 12:
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
PREVIOUS: 1
RECORD: 10-0
Last week: Beat Mississippi State 51-3Next week: Saturday vs. Chattanooga
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
PREVIOUS: 5
RECORD: 9-1
Last week: Beat Maryland 62-3Next week: Saturday at Michigan State
3. Louisville Cardinals
PREVIOUS: 6
RECORD: 9-1
Last week: Beat Wake Forest 44-12Next week: Thursday at Houston
4. Clemson Tigers
PREVIOUS: 2
RECORD: 9-1
Last week: Lost to Pitt 43-42Next week: Saturday at Wake Forest
5. Michigan Wolverines
PREVIOUS: 3
RECORD: 9-1
Last week: Lost to Iowa 14-13Next week: Saturday vs. Indiana
6. Wisconsin Badgers
PREVIOUS: 7
RECORD: 8-2
Last week: Beat Boston Illinois 48-3Next week: Saturday at Purdue
7. Oklahoma Sooners
PREVIOUS: 9
RECORD: 8-2
Last week: Beat Baylor 45-24Next week: Saturday at West Virginia
8. Washington Huskies
PREVIOUS: 4
RECORD: 9-1
Last week: Lost to USC 26-13Next week: Saturday vs. Arizona State
9. Penn state nittany lions
PREVIOUS: 10
RECORD: 8-2
Last week: Beat Indiana 45-31Next week: Saturday at Rutgers
10. Utah Utes
PREVIOUS: 11
RECORD: 8-2
Last week: Beat Arizona State 49-2Next week: Saturday vs. Oregon
11. West Virginia Mountaineers
PREVIOUS: 14
RECORD: 8-1
Last week: Beat Texas 24-20Next week: Saturday vs. Oklahoma
12. USC Trojans
PREVIOUS: 24
RECORD: 7-3
Last week: Beat Washington 26-13Next week: Saturday at UCLA
13. COLORADO BUFFALOES
PREVIOUS: 15
RECORD: 8-2
Last week: Beat Arizona 49-24Next week: Saturday vs. Washington State
14. Oklahoma State Cowboys
PREVIOUS: 16
RECORD: 8-2
Last week: Beat Texas Tech 45-44Next week: Saturday at TCU
15. Western Michigan Broncos
PREVIOUS: 18
RECORD: 10-0
Last week: Beat Kent State 37-21Next week: Saturday vs. Buffalo
16. Auburn Tigers
PREVIOUS: 8
RECORD: 7-3
Last week: Lost to Georgia 13-7Next week: Saturday vs. Alabama A&M
17. LSU Tigers
PREVIOUS: 19
RECORD: 7-3
Last week: Beat Arkansas 38-10Next week: Saturday vs. Florida
18. Florida State seminoles
PREVIOUS: 20
RECORD: 7-3
Last week: Beat Boston College 45-7Next week: Saturday at Syracuse
19. nebraska cornhuskers
PREVIOUS: 21
RECORD: 8-2
Last week: Beat Minnesota 24-17Next week: Saturday vs. Maryland
20. Florida Gators
PREVIOUS: 22
RECORD: 7-2
Last week: Beat South Carolina 20-7Next week: Saturday at LSU
21. Washington State Cougars
PREVIOUS: 23
RECORD: 8-2
Last week: Beat Cal 56-21Next week: Saturday at Colorado
22. Boise State Broncos
PREVIOUS: 25
RECORD: 9-1
Last week: Beat Hawaii 52-16Next week: Friday vs. UNLV
23. nORTH cAROLINA taR hEELS
PREVIOUS: 12
RECORD: 7-3
Last week: Lost to Duke 28-27Next week: Saturday vs. The Citadel
24. San Diego State Aztecs
RECORD: 9-1
Last week: Beat Nevada 46-16Next week: Saturday at Wyoming
25. Texas A&M Aggies
PREVIOUS: 13
RECORD: 7-3
Last week: Lost to Ole Miss 29-28Next week: Saturday vs. Texas-San Antonio
Dropped out: Virginia Tech
Next five: Navy, Virginia Tech, Troy, Temple, Tennessee