It's Week 12 of the college football season, and nothing is certain in the sport, which is a far cry from previous years when we all stressed over the same handful of blue bloods vying for the top four spots in the College Football Playoff -- or the top two spots in the terrible BCS era. It's a beautiful mess, the type of scenario television executives dream about and fans have wanted for 20-plus years.
This season hasn't included insane upsets, but we have much more parity leading into the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Only one of the aforementioned undefeated teams could be considered a blue blood (Oregon), and the other three (Army, BYU and Indiana) weren't even ranked in the preseason polls.
Every team ranked in the top 12 of the initial CFP Rankings was in action last week, and two lost: Georgia and Miami. The Hurricanes' 28-23 loss at Georgia Tech and the Bulldogs' 28-10 loss at Ole Miss didn't just carry CFP implications, it shook up our expectations in the ACC and SEC. In the ACC, SMU jumped to the top of the league standings and Clemson re-emerged as a contender after Pitt was upset by Virginia for its second conference loss.
The 16-team SEC is a mess in its first season without divisions, and it's possible -- not likely -- that we could have an eight-way tie atop the standings at the end of the season that would require a crazy set of tiebreaker procedures (even mathematicians could get a migraine figuring it out).
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But enough about the CFP and conference standings; we have three weeks to figure that out. Let's turn to the CBS Sports Power Rankings and see which teams stood tall and deserve more attention down the stretch.
Biggest Movers
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| Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -- | 11-0 | |
Oregon is 10-0 for the third time in program history - and third time in 14 years - following a record-breaking 38-19 win against Maryland. Dillon Gabriel now owns the FBS record for total touchdowns in a career (180) after a three-touchdown performance against the Terps. The Ducks scored 16 points off three turnovers on an otherwise lackluster offensive performance (Gabriel and running back Jordan James each set season lows in production). Oregon has been playing much better lately on defense, allowing 11 points per game in the last four wins. Oregon next travels to Wisconsin, a tricky spot for the Ducks.
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| 2 | -- | 9-1 | |
Ohio State maintains position with a 45-0 win against Purdue, handing the Boilermakers their largest shutout loss since 2013. Jeremiah Smith also broke the school freshman receiving records for receptions (45), yards (765) and touchdowns (nine) in a season in the victory, surpassing Cris Carter in all categories. Next up is an expected laugher against Northwestern. The Buckeyes host Indiana Nov. 23 for what will likely be a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game.
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| 3 | 2 | 9-1 | |
Texas is still on track for a title run. The Longhorns dominated Florida 49-17 to stay atop the SEC in a four-way tie for first place. Quinn Ewers threw a career-best five touchdown passes, becoming the first Longhorn to do so since Casey Thompson (2021). More importantly, he didn't throw an interception for the first time in five starts. Next up is a trip to Arkansas to renew an old Southwest Conference rivalry. The Hogs have been blown out at home against LSU and Ole Miss since upsetting Tennessee inside Razorback Stadium.
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| 4 | 2 | 10-0 | |
Indiana is 10-0 for the first time ever, and Curt Cignetti's daughter will apparently live happily ever after, too; she received a marriage proposal from her boyfriend via the stadium's video board after the Hoosiers held on to beat Michigan 20-15. Indiana was challenged for the first time this season, and the offense was an absolute mess in the third quarter, but the Hoosiers managed a field goal in the fourth quarter for some breathing room. Indiana had won every game by at least 14 points. The problem here is the slow adjustments in the second half when Michigan held Indiana to only 18 yards. Next up is a bye week before the season-defining road trip to Ohio State.
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| 5 | 2 | 9-1 | |
Notre Dame doesn't necessarily need style points to reach the playoff, but the Irish got 'em Saturday with a 52-3 win against Florida State while handing the Seminoles their second-largest margin of defeat in school history. FSU hasn't scored 21 points in 12 straight games and is 1-9 for the first time since 1974. This wasn't just an FSU problem Saturday. The Irish have outscored opponents by 33.9 points during their seven-game winning streak and have effectively done enough to counterbalance the loss to Northern Illinois. If the Irish won that game in September, would they be No. 1 in the power rankings? Eh, maybe No. 2. We can't wait for the Nov. 23 showdown with Army.
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| 6 | 2 | 8-2 | |
Tennessee did what it had to do to beat the SEC's worst team, Mississippi State, in a 33-15 win. The concern is the health of quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who injured his upper body in the first half and did not return to the field after halftime. Coach Josh Heupel said the decision to not play Iamaleava was a precaution. Hopefully that's the case for the Vols, who have a chance to solidify themselves as a national title contender this week with a win at Georgia. The Vols' offense hasn't been impressive since the nonconference season, and they'll need the best out of Iamaleava to beat the Bulldogs.
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| 7 | 2 | 9-1 | |
Believe it or not, the 35-6 win against Washington might actually be the most impressive win of Penn State's season. The Nittany Lions scored a touchdown on every possession in the first half, Tyler Warren broke the single-season record for receptions (59) and the team responded with flair after a disheartening loss to Ohio State. The defense held Washington to 193 yards, the program's lowest since 2021, and quarterback Will Rogers threw for a career-low 59 yards. Next up is the worst team in the conference: Purdue.
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| 8 | 2 | 8-2 | |
Jalen Milroe reminded us all why Alabama can be dangerous in the playoff. The quarterback rushed for a career-high 185 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-13 blowout of LSU in Baton Rouge. The Tide's defense was impressive, too, only allowing a touchdown in garbage time with the backups, who nearly extended their streak of not allowing a TD to two games. LSU has been hot and cold all season, but handing Brian Kelly his first home loss at LSU is a feather in the cap of coach Kalen DeBoer, who is 33-2 in November as a head coach and has wins against Georgia and the Tigers. If the Tide win out against Mercer, Oklahoma and Auburn, they're in the playoff - and maybe in the SEC title game.
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| 9 | 8 | 8-2 | |
Ole Miss picked up the most impressive win of Week 12 with its 28-10 demolition of Georgia. The Rebels' defense has been on a tear all season but is playing their best this month. They have an incredible 23 sacks in the last three games, including five against Georgia, and lead the nation with 46 sacks. The win against a top-five Georgia team is Lane Kiffin's first since he was at USC in 2011. Georgia's loss was its first against a non-Alabama team in 52 games. If Ole Miss wins its final two winnable games (at Florida and the Egg Bowl rivalry against Mississippi State), the Rebels should be in the playoff field.
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| 10 | 1 | 9-1 | |
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. BYU was abysmal at times on offense against Utah but was bailed out on a fourth-down holding call on the final possession and the offense did just enough to set up a game-winning field goal to end a memorable Holy War with a 22-21 win. BYU is still undefeated and controls its own destiny in the Big 12 title chase, but it's clear now that the conference is a one-bid league in the playoff, so anything less than a Big 12 title will kill its playoff hopes. Next up is Kansas, which suddenly seems dangerous after an explosive performance to upset Iowa State last week.
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| 11 | 8 | 8-2 | |
Georgia has the pieces in place to be a contender, but the Bulldogs can't seem to put them all together with Carson Beck at quarterback. The Bulldogs' only touchdown in the loss to Ole Miss came with a short field after a turnover on the first possession. They managed only 245 yards, the program's lowest total in seven years, and Beck committed two turnovers. He now has 12 interceptions in the last six games, the most in a six-game stretch in the SEC since 2020 (Ole Miss' Matt Corral). It's a one-game season now for Georgia, which needs to beat Tennessee this week to keep its postseason and SEC title hopes afloat.
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| 12 | 1 | 9-1 | |
SMU sat at home on a bye week and happily watched the world burn. Miami played with fire again and this time was burned in a loss at Georgia Tech; and Pitt, which SMU bludgeoned a week ago, was upset by Virginia. The Mustangs sit alone atop the ACC standings this week. SMU controls its own destiny in the ACC title chase with games remaining against Boston College, Virginia and Cal. Should the Mustangs win out, it appears their opponent in the ACC title game will emerge from the threesome of Clemson, Miami and Pitt.
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| 13 | 1 | 9-1 | |
Ashton Jeanty rushed for 200 yards for the fourth time this season and Boise State held on for a 28-21 win against Nevada. Four running backs have won the Heisman Trophy since 1999, and Jeanty has out-rushed them all with 1,734 yards and 23 touchdowns with three games remaining in the regular season. As for the team? Well, a win is a win at this point as the Broncos remain alive for the MWC title. Nevada stormed back from a 14-0 deficit to tie the game late in the second quarter, but Boise State responded to grab a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter and held on for the win.
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| 14 | -- | 8-2 | |
Texas A&M controls its own destiny in the SEC title race, and it seems we'll be waiting patiently for the season finale against rival Texas to see if the Aggies fulfill their dreams. The Aggies had a chance to regroup and rest this week following their first SEC loss to South Carolina. They can heal up more and work out some kinks - and perhaps build more confidence in quarterback Marcel Reed - against New Mexico State before traveling Nov. 23 to Auburn.
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| 15 | 3 | 9-0 | |
Bryson Daily returned from injury and Army put together one of the most impressive possessions you'll ever see in the sport in a 14-3 win against North Texas. Daily led an insane 21-play touchdown drive that covered 94 yards and bled 13 minutes and 54 seconds off the clock. The Black Knights remain undefeated for the first time since 1996 and do not play this week as they prepare for a critical showdown with playoff implications at Notre Dame.
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| 16 | 12 | 9-1 | |
We all seemed to be waiting for Miami to stumble this season, and it finally happened Saturday at Georgia Tech. Miami was unable to mount its fourth double-digit comeback of the season and lost 28-23. The Hurricanes rely too heavily on quarterback Cam Ward to pull them out of the muck, and though he is incredible and worthy of Heisman Trophy consideration, he can't do it every week. The whole matters more than the parts, and the Hurricanes deserve a steep fall from the top four after challenging fate so many times this season only to finally lose to unranked Tech. All hail Brent Key, who moved to 14-6 against the spread as an underdog along with 11 outright wins at Georgia Tech, which is now bowl eligible for the second straight year.
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| 17 | 3 | 7-3 | |
Kansas State hasn't necessarily looked the part of a top-15 team since mid-October. A win against Arizona State this week would solidify the Wildcats in this spot, if not allow them to move up depending on results across the country. K-State nearly lost to Kansas before falling in a lackluster performance at Houston, a retread of their early season loss at BYU. Let's see if the Wildcats tightened things up during the bye week.
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| 18 | 3 | 8-2 | |
Colorado has a clear path to the playoff after dispatching Texas Tech 41-27 on the road. The Buffaloes have won six of their last seven games and four straight on the road (in the same season) for the first time since 1996. Deion Sanders has delivered on his promise of resurrecting the program, becoming the first coach since Rick Neuheisel in 1996 to win at least 11 games in their first two seasons. If Colorado wins its remaining games, the Big 12 Championship Game sets up as a play-in game for a CFP berth.
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| 19 | 3 | 8-2 | |
Feeding on the mid- and bottom-tier teams in the ACC is Clemson's identity this season, which still might be enough to reach the ACC Championship Game. The Tigers responded from their home loss to Louisville with a 24-14 win at Virginia Tech. The Tigers are undefeated when scoring 21 or more and winless when falling below that total. Next up is a trip to Pitt, which is reeling with back-to-back losses after starting the year undefeated. Pitt's defense can be difficult to crack, so Clemson has its hands full this week.
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| 20 | 3 | 8-2 | |
John Mateer tied Washington State's single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (11) in a 49-28 win against Utah State. Wazzu has won six straight home games for the first time since 2018. The Cougars have changed their identity after years of pass-first philosophies and have rushed for 100-plus yards, including 303 on Saturday, in eight games for the first time since 2005.
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| 21 | 4 | 7-3 | |
South Carolina beat Vanderbilt 28-7 on the road to pick up back-to-back wins against top 25 teams and its third SEC road win of the season for the first time since 2011. It's not easy winning on the road at Vanderbilt this season (just ask Alabama and Texas), so the Gamecocks' "three-phase ass kicking" as Vandy coach Clark Lea phrased it, was impressive. Raheim Sanders rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback LaNorris Sellers threw for 238 yards and two scores.
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| 22 | NR | 8-2 | |
No Cam Skattebo, no problem. Arizona State, which had been threatening to enter the power rankings, makes its debut following a 35-31 win against UCF. The Sun Devils won despite playing without Skattebo, the nation's seventh-leading rusher, and scored on a pick six. ASU and UCF exchanged the lead five times before the Sun Devils took control in the final five minutes.
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| 23 | 1 | 6-4 | |
Louisville remains in the rankings after the impressive win at Clemson two weeks ago. The Cardinals sat at home on a bye in Week 11 and return to action Saturday with a cross-country trip to Stanford.
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| 24 | NR | 9-2 | |
Tulane needs to only beat Navy this week to secure a spot in the AAC Championship Game. Jon Sumrall has managed an 8-2 record in his first season despite taking over and rebuilding the roster, particularly on defense, after the departure of Willie Fritz. The Green Wave's only losses are to Oklahoma and nationally ranked Kansas State. They're averaging 41 points per game, the fourth-best scoring offense in the country, while holding opponents to 18.7 points (18th).
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| 25 | NR | 8-2 | |
The Sun Belt isn't quite as strong as it has been in recent seasons, but Louisiana (8-1) is unbeaten in the conference and owns only one loss to Tulane, which is on track to reach the AAC title game. This has been a great rebound season for coach Michael Desormeaux, who started his career with back-to-back losing records after taking over for Billy Napier.
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