Coaches Poll top 25: Alabama, Ole Miss sink in college football rankings for Rivalry Week

Where things stand in the Coaches Poll top 25 college football rankings after a weekend of upsets and prove-it moments heading into Rivalry Week and the final regular season Saturday of 2024.

What teams moved up, and down, in the Coaches Poll top 25 college football rankings moving into Rivalry Week. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Where things stand in the Coaches Poll top 25 college football rankings as we move into Rivalry Week, coming out of a weekend of prove-it moments that separated some of the contenders from the pretenders with just one week of regular season action left to make a statement.

Saturday didn’t disappoint, as eight teams in the top 25 rankings lost their games, including another huge shakeup in the Big 12 title picture as BYU and Colorado both lost, and Arizona State and Iowa State won, leaving that conference far from sorted out heading into the season finale.

Indiana’s first loss of the season, on the road against Ohio State, temporarily re-draws the borders around the top of the Big Ten pecking order, while the SEC got weird after Alabama and Ole Miss both lost on the road, throwing another wrench into the playoff bracket this week.

Where does that leave everything in the updated top 25 college football rankings moving into the final week of the 2024 regular season?

Let’s take a look at what teams moved up, who slid down, and who stayed put in the Week 14 rankings, according to the coaches’ vote.

Coaches Poll top 25 rankings

First-place parentheses

1. Oregon (55)
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Penn State
5. Notre Dame
6. Georgia
7. Miami
8. Tennessee
9. SMU
10. Indiana
11. Boise State
12. Clemson
13. Alabama
14. South Carolina
15. Arizona State
16. Ole Miss
17. Iowa State
18. Tulane
19. Texas A&M
20. BYU
21. UNLV
22. Army
23. Memphis
24. Missouri
25. Illinois

Teams that dropped out

These teams played themselves out of the Coaches Poll rankings this week

No. 18 Colorado. The coaches dropped the Buffaloes out of their rankings entirely this week as a punishment for losing on the road against unranked Kansas, and losing considerable grip on their place in the Big 12 title race as a result.

No. 25 Kansas State. Likewise for the Wildcats, even though they routed Cincinnati and inched their way back into the conference championship picture, but the coaches wanted to make way for Illinois in this week’s poll instead.

Other teams receiving votes

The coaches lent some of their votes to these teams, but not enough in the final tally to qualify for the official rankings entering Week 14

Kansas State 124; Colorado 115; Duke 31; Syracuse 19; 

Louisville 8; Louisiana 7; Washington State 6; LSU 3; 

Miami (OH) 1; James Madison 1; Iowa 1; Georgia Tech 1; Baylor 1

Coaches Poll biggest movers

Ole Miss (Down 7). With their playoff hopes on the line, the Rebels lost by a touchdown on the road against unranked Florida, almost certainly dooming their national title chances after the offense failed to come away with points in three red zone trips and Jaxson Dart had 2 late picks.

Arizona State (Up 7). A statement win at home over former Big 12 favorite BYU puts the Sun Devils squarely in place to secure a spot in Arlington after moving to 9-2 behind one of the nation’s most confident offenses right now.

Alabama (Down 6). Another SEC playoff hopeful dropped an ugly one on the road as the Crimson Tide failed to come away with any touchdowns at Oklahoma, while Jalen Milroe had 3 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Clemson (Up 4). A nice little jump for the Tigers after smashing The Citadel at home and moving closer towards securing a spot in the ACC Championship Game against SMU, but a huge meeting against resurgent South Carolina awaits fraught with postseason implications.

Army (Down 5). A big drop for the Black Knights after losing their first game in ugly fashion, on the wrong end of a 49-14 decision at Yankee Stadium that exposed the gulf between Army’s opponents up to now and what Notre Dame put on the field.

Texas A&M (Down 5). A four-overtime loss at Auburn has the Aggies reeling, but a date against rival Texas at home in the finale will be a play-in game for the SEC title bout.

BYU (Down 5). A second-straight loss for a Cougars team that was undefeated and the Big 12 favorite two weeks ago, but after dropping a close one to the Sun Devils now finds themselves in a very crowded conference title picture.

College football’s undefeated teams

Or team, more accurately.

And then, there was one.

All alone embodying perfection is the consensus No. 1 team in the national rankings and the presumptive top seed in this week’s College Football Playoff bracket projection.

Oregon stayed undefeated this week in the easiest way you can, by not playing, staying at 11-0 and having clinched a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Who will the Ducks play in Indy on Championship Saturday? That remains to be seen, but it seems like a rematch with Ohio State is in the cards after the Buckeyes took down Indiana.

More ... ESPN top 25 college football rankings for Rivalry Week

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