College Football Rankings: Conference championships locked in after crazy Week 13

As the title suggests, this is the second-to-last top 25 I’ll have out for the college football season. The next one will be Sunday, as it is the day after the conference championship games. Here is my top 25 heading into champ weekend:

  1. Georgia (12-0) (PREV: 1)

Georgia, win or lose on Saturday, should be in the College Football Playoff. They’re undefeated after a 37-14 win over rival Georgia Tech in Athens. They’re the consensus top team in the country and are seeking their first SEC title since 2017, where they routed Auburn. They will face LSU in Atlanta for the SEC Championship.

  1. Michigan (12-0) (PREV: 3)

Michigan has a chance to go back-to-back in Big Ten titles as they travel to Indianapolis to take on Purdue. Despite not having star running back Blake Corum for the majority of the game, Donovan Edwards ran in for two touchdowns, one being a 75-yard run and the second being 85 yards. The top receiver was Cornelius Johnson, who had a 69 and 75-yard touchdown, both in the second quarter. J.J. McCarthy and the Wolverines defeated Ohio State for the second straight year. This year was more difficult, as they won in Columbus for the first time since 2000.

  1. TCU (12-0) (PREV: 4)

TCU is seeking its program’s first Big 12 Championship since 2014 and the first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. There is a possibility that they still make the CFP win or lose their next game. They blew out Iowa State in the regular season finale, 62-14. Max Duggan could be in New York as one of the Heisman Trophy finalists, he’s certainly the best player in the Big 12 this season. The Horned Frogs will be in Arlington on Saturday, facing Kansas State.

  1. USC (11-1) (PREV: 6)

Caleb Williams seems to have locked the Heisman Trophy as C.J. Stroud’s Buckeyes fell to Michigan on Saturday and the Trojans defeated Notre Dame for the first time since 2016. They have a chance on Friday night to win their first Pac-12 Championship since 2017, facing Utah in Las Vegas. USC has never made the College Football Playoff, but if they win their next game, they will be a lock.

  1. Ohio State (11-1) (PREV: 2)

Ohio State was a significant favorite at home against arch-rival Michigan, but their defense could not contain J.J. McCarthy and the Wolverines’ offense. C.J. Stroud came into Saturday as the Heisman Trophy favorite but failed to keep the Buckeyes undefeated, so they will miss the Big Ten Championship again. If Michigan wins Saturday night, Ohio State will be in the Rose Bowl.

  1. Alabama (10-2) (PREV: 7)

Alabama finished the season strong with a dominant 49-27 victory over their arch-rival Auburn. Bryce Young will not win back-to-back Heisman Trophies, but the Crimson Tide looks to be locked in for the Sugar Bowl unless LSU wins on Saturday.

  1. Tennessee (10-2) (PREV: 10)

Tennessee wrapped their regular season up with a 56-0 blowout victory over rival Vanderbilt in Nashville. The Vols will wait, but they’re likely in a New Year’s Six Bowl. The Vols are at a disadvantage with Hendon Hooker’s torn ACL making him out for whatever bowl game they make.

  1. Clemson (10-2) (PREV: 8)

Clemson snapped their 40-game winning streak at home as in-state rival South Carolina upset the Tigers, 31-30. Dabo Swinney’s team has a tough matchup in the ACC Championship as they travel to Charlotte to face North Carolina, also coming off a loss.

  1. Utah (9-3) (PREV: 14)

Utah had a blowout victory in Boulder to clinch the Pac-12 Championship game, defeating Colorado 63-21. Cameron Rising will try to make the Utes back-to-back conference champions, which would give them a ticket to their second-straight Rose Bowl.

  1. Kansas State (9-3) (PREV: 12)

Kansas State clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship with a win over in-state rival Kansas in Manhattan, 47-27. I’m excited to see how running back Deuce Vaughn and the offense performs against undefeated TCU. If they win on Saturday, the Wildcats would travel to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.

  1. Penn State (10-2) (PREV: 11)

Penn State is a fringe top-10 team in the country thanks to a phenomenal performance by Sean Clifford in their rivalry win over Michigan State. Right now, I think they’re a lock for at least the Citrus Bowl.

  1. Washington (10-2) (PREV: 13)

Washington, led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr., spoiled Washington State’s Senior Night, 51-33. The Pac-12 finished strong, with a battle of a few teams battling this past weekend for the second spot in the championship game.

  1. LSU (9-3) (PREV: 5)

LSU could have become the first two-loss team in the College Football Playoff if they won out. But, on Senior Night, despite an extremely disappointing season, Texas A&M won 38-23. John Emery Jr. had a three-touchdown night, but Jayden Daniels was disappointing. They will have their toughest challenge of the season, as they go to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to take on No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship.

  1. Florida State (9-3) (PREV: 16)

Trey Benson scored the game-winning touchdown on a 17-yard run with 4:06 remaining. Even though they are not in the ACC Championship game, they are the second-highest-ranked ACC team in my pre-conference championship top 25. If Clemson wins, expect the Seminoles to be in the Cheez-It Bowl, but if North Carolina wins, I’m expecting the Gator Bowl.

  1. Oregon State (9-3) (PREV: 21)

Oregon State came back from a 31-10 deficit as three unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter gave the Beavers a 38-34 win to wrap up their season in Corvallis. It also shut Oregon out of the Pac-12 Championship game, so for Oregon State to defeat their rival, they ended the season right.

  1. Tulane (10-2) (PREV: 19)

Cincinnati turned the ball over on downs, which led to Tulane winning and hosting the American Athletic Conference Championship game on Saturday. If they defeat UCF, they will be in the Cotton Bowl as the top Group of Five team.

  1. Oregon (9-3) (PREV: 9)

Oregon choked a multi-score lead in the fourth quarter when they could have held onto their lead and advanced to the Pac-12 Championship game. Instead, the Ducks fell far in my rankings, and are now waiting to see which bowl game they are headed to.

  1. UCLA (9-3) (PREV: 18)

UCLA had a scare in Berkeley, but Zach Charbonnet and Dorian Thompson-Robinson rallied to beat California 35-28. They won’t be in Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Championship game, but they will be in one of the Pac-12’s top bowl games.

  1. Notre Dame (8-4) (PREV: 15)

Notre Dame is the best four-loss team in college football. They could not contain future Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, as they lost 38-27 to USC on Saturday night. The connection between Drew Pyne and Michael Mayer has worked this season and it will in their bowl game, which they will find out on Sunday.

  1. South Carolina (8-4) (PREV: N/A)

South Carolina could not have ended their regular season better. Week 12 was Senior Night, and they upset Tennessee to force the Vols out of the College Football Playoff. This past weekend, they traveled to Clemson and snapped the Tigers’ long home winning streak. Shane Beamer’s team had one of the best momentum shifts in college football this season, which is why they go from unranked to No. 20.

  1. Texas (8-4) (PREV: 23)

Texas kept the team’s Big 12 Championship hopes alive, later killed by Kansas State’s win the following day, with Bijan Robinson scoring twice in what could be his final game as a Texas Longhorn. I am excited to see which bowl game the Longhorns receive, as I love watching Quinn Ewers and Bijan Robinson run the offense.

  1. UCF (9-3) (PREV: 22)

The Knights had a miracle with 20 seconds to go, as Mikey Keene passed to Alec Holler for 14 yards and the game-winning touchdown to beat rival South Florida, 46-39. They will travel to Yulman Stadium for the American Athletic Conference Championship game, where they seek the program’s first conference championship since 2018.

  1. North Carolina (9-3) (PREV: 23)

North Carolina’s Senior Night was spoiled by NC State, but it could have been a longer game than two overtimes. Noah Burnette missed a field goal from 35 yards out, which gave NC State the rivalry win in Chapel Hill. Drake Maye and the Tar Heels have a shot to bounce back, but they have Clemson in the ACC Championship game. North Carolina is seeking their first ACC title since 1980.

  1. Mississippi State (8-4) (PREV: N/A)

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart had a shot to tie the game after a 23-yard touchdown pass to Dayton Wade, but the two-point conversion failed and Mississippi State won the Egg Bowl in Oxford. Ole Miss is out of the top 25, and in come the Bulldogs. Will Rogers and Mike Leach’s group will wait for their bowl selection, but the rivalry win capped off a solid season in Starkville.

  1. Purdue (8-4) (PREV: N/A)

Purdue is only in the top 25 because they won a crazy Big Ten West division, punching their ticket to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game against No. 2 Michigan. If they pull off the upset on Saturday night, it would be their first Big Ten Championship since 2000 and send the Boilermakers to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. Because the conference championship game is newer, this year’s division title is the first in program history.

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