The SportsRatings Top 25 is our answer to the AP and coaches' polls. This subjective "poll" properly reflects head-to-head results and give additional consideration to teams who have victories over other top 25 teams.
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But it's Notre Dame who takes our top spot. Arguably the weakest team of the top three, they nevertheless have the best résumé with wins over Oklahoma and Stanford, and at this point in the year résumé is the top consideration. They defeated Oklahoma just as soundly as #2 Kansas State. But teams avoided upset this weekend, the Irish topping Boston College 21-6 and the Wildcats dispatching TCU 23-10. That leaves Oregon—possibly the best team of the three—at #3; they ran away from Cal 59-17 late Saturday.
The next three spots are occupied by the SEC. #4 Georgia holds a win over #5 Florida and blanked Auburn 38-0 Saturday. #5 Florida struggled against Louisiana-Lafayette—not a bad team by any means—winning just 27-20 on late TDs, but they have an incredible slate of victories that was made even better by Texas A&M's win. Alabama falls to #6, remaining ahead of 10-0 Ohio State who was idle this weekend. The Buckeyes are both weak in true strength and lacking in prominent wins.
Jumping from #10 to #8, LSU knocked former #18 Mississippi State out of the top 25 (37-17) and also holds a win over new #10 Texas A&M, who gains 4 spots for their upset of Alabama. In between, Florida State holds at #9 after edging Virginia Tech 28-22 on Thursday.
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SportsRatings Top 25 - week 11 2012 (thru 11/10/2012)
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Résumé: Losses/important wins
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| 2 | 1 | Notre Dame | 10-0 | [email protected] 30-13, Stanford 20-13ot |
| 3 | 2 | Kansas State | 10-0 | [email protected] 24-19 |
| 4 | 3 | Oregon | 10-0 | |
| 5 | 4 | Georgia | 9-1 | [email protected] 35-7; w=Florida 17-9 |
| 6 | 5 | Florida | 9-1 | L=Ga 17-9; wLSU 14-6, TexAM 20-17, SCar 44-11 |
| 1 | 6 | Alabama | 9-1 | L TexAM 29-24; [email protected] 21-17, MissSt 38-7 |
| 7 | 7 | Ohio State | 10-0 | |
| 10 | 8 | LSU | 8-2 | [email protected] 14-6, Bama 21-17; wSCar 23-21, @TexAM 24-19, MissSt 37-17 |
| 9 | 9 | Florida State | 9-1 | [email protected] 17-16; wClemson 49-37 |
| 14 | 10 | Texas A&M | 8-2 | L FLA 20-17, LSU 24-19; [email protected] 29-24, @LTech 59-57, @MissSt 38-13 |
| 11 | 11 | Oklahoma | 7-2 | L ND 30-13, KSt 24-19; w=Tex 63-21 |
| 12 | 12 | Clemson | 9-1 | [email protected] 49-37; wBallSt 52-27 |
| 17 | 13 | South Carolina | 8-2 | [email protected] 23-21, @FLA 44-11; wGeorgia 35-7 |
| 8 | 14 | Louisville | 9-1 | [email protected] 45-26; wCincy 34-31ot |
| 15 | 15 | Louisiana Tech | 9-1 | L TexAM 59-57 |
| 19 | 16 | Stanford | 8-2 | [email protected] 17-13, @ND 20-13ot; wOreSt 27-23 |
| 20 | 17 | Kent State | 9-1 | [email protected] 47-14; [email protected] 35-23, BallSt 45-43 |
| 21 | 18 | Rutgers | 8-1 | L KentSt 35-23 |
| 13 | 19 | Oregon State | 7-2 | [email protected] 20-17, @Stan 27-23; wUCLA 27-20 |
| 24 | 20 | N. Illinois | 9-1 | L=Iowa 18-17; [email protected] 35-23 |
| 16 | 21 | Toledo | 8-2 | [email protected] 24-17ot, BallSt 34-27; wCincy 29-23 |
| 22 | 22 | Cincinnati | 7-2 | [email protected] 29-23, @Lou 34-31ot |
| 23 | 23 | Texas | 8-2 | L WVa 48-45, =OK 63-21 |
| -- | 24 | UCLA | 8-2 | [email protected] 43-17, OreSt 27-20 |
| -- | 25 | Ball State | 7-3 | [email protected] 45-43, NIU 35-23, @Clem 52-27; [email protected] 34-27 |
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| 18 | -- | Mississippi State | 7-3 | [email protected] 38-7, TexAM 38-13, @LSU 37-17 |
| 25 | -- | Ohio | 8-2 | [email protected] 23-20, BowlGreen 26-14 |
Oklahoma 's two losses are now to the #1 and #2 teams, so in theory they might be the 3rd best team in the country. For now we have them just outside the top 10; they beat Baylor just 42-34 so being ranked #3 is going to have to wait. Clemson crushed Maryland 45-10 to hold at #12. South Carolina beat Arkansas 38-20 and their two losses to top 10 teams plus a top ten win is better than #14 Louisville's loss to an unranked team (Syracuse, 45-26) and overtime win against Cincy. The Cardinals fell 6 spots with their first loss.
Louisiana Tech didn't lose, but their defense took a beating against lowly Texas State. The Bulldogs pulled out a 62-55 win and hold at #15. It doesn't seem to matter much who they play, as they almost came back to beat Texas A&M weeks ago, losing 59-57. Yes, they were a field goal away from beating the team that just beat Alabama.
Stanford topped Oregon State 27-23 and jumps to #16 while the Beavers fall from #13 to #19. At #17, Kent State has two top 25 wins to go with their crippling loss to Kentucky; the Flashes beat Miami of Ohio 48-32 to go to 9-1. One of their victims, Rutgers, is just behind at #18 after topping Army 28-7.
Northern Illinois was idle but gained a top 25 win as Ball State enters the top 25 at #25; with just one loss, we move the Huskies up to #20. At 7-3, Ball State has losses to three top 25 teams and now a 34-27 win over Toledo, who falls from #16 to #21, just ahead of former victim Cincinnati who beat Temple 34-10 Saturday. Texas holds at #23 after beating Iowa State soundly, 33-7.
Mississippi State lost its third consecutive game Saturday. All three losses were to top 10 foes, but each was a blowout, and the Bulldogs have no impressive wins to offset that. They exit the top 25 along with Ohio who lost to Bowling Green 26-14 on Wednesday. Filling the gap is UCLA, who has a close loss to Oregon State and a win over another 2-loss team, Nebraska. They also have a blowout loss to 3-8 California, so we think they're vastly overrated in the AP and coaches poll. Both those polls have them below Nebraska, too, which is just wrong.
Next Weekend: #3 Oregon has one of its toughest challenges of the season in #16 Stanford. #20 Northern Illinois and #21 Toledo face off in the MAC, while in the Big East #18 Rutgers takes on #22 Cincinnati.
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