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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No Change in Top 5: Nothing out of the ordinary—or violating the top 5 order—occurred over the long Thanksgiving rivalry weekend, leaving the top 5 intact. #1 Notre Dame handled USC 22-13 to remain unbeaten and finish 12-0. #2 Georgia throttled Georgia Tech 42-10, #3 Florida beat Florida State 37-26, #4 Ohio State got past Michigan 26-21, and #5 Alabama demolished Auburn 49-0.
Oregon dispatched Oregon State 48-24 on the road, giving them a strong top 25 win and popping the Ducks back up to #6. After that the teams at #7, 8, and 9 remain the same. LSU had trouble with Arkansas before winning 20-13, Kansas State was idle, and Texas A&M overwhelmed Missouri 59-29.
Stanford rounds out the top 10, jumping from #15 after beating UCLA 35-17. With San Jose State's entry into the top 25 the Cardinal now have four top 25 wins, equal to Florida's total.
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SportsRatings Top 25 - week 13 2012 (thru 11/24/2012)
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Résumé: Losses; important wins
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| 1 | 1 | Notre Dame | 12-0 | w@Oklahoma 30-13, Stanford 20-13ot |
| 2 | 2 | Georgia | 11-1 | L@SCar 35-7; w=Florida 17-9 |
| 3 | 3 | Florida | 11-1 | L=Ga 17-9; wLSU 14-6, TexAM 20-17, SCar 44-11, @FSU 37-26 |
| 4 | 4 | Ohio State | 12-0 | wNebraska 63-38 |
| 5 | 5 | Alabama | 11-1 | L TexAM 29-24; w@LSU 21-17 |
| 12 | 6 | Oregon | 11-1 | L Stanford 17-14ot; w@OreSt 48-24 |
| 7 | 7 | LSU | 10-2 | L@Fla 14-6, Bama 21-17; wSCar 23-21, @TexAM 24-19 |
| 8 | 8 | Kansas State | 10-1 | L@Baylor 52-24; w@Oklahoma 24-19 |
| 9 | 9 | Texas A&M | 10-2 | L FLA 20-17, LSU 24-19; w@Bama 29-24, @LTech 59-57 |
| 15 | 10 | Stanford | 10-2 | L@Wash 17-13, @ND 20-13ot; w@Ore 17-14ot, OreSt 27-23, @UCLA 35-17, SJSt 20-17 |
| 13 | 11 | South Carolina | 10-2 | L@LSU 23-21, @FLA 44-11; wGeorgia 35-7, @Clemson 27-17 |
| 11 | 12 | Oklahoma | 9-2 | L ND 30-13, KSt 24-19; w=Tex 63-21 |
| 6 | 13 | Florida State | 10-2 | L@NCState 17-16, Fla 37-26; wClemson 49-37 |
| 10 | 14 | Clemson | 10-2 | L@FSU 49-37, SCar 27-17; wBallSt 52-27 |
| 16 | 15 | Kent State | 11-1 | L@Kentucky 47-14; w@Rutgers 35-23, BallSt 45-43 |
| 19 | 16 | N. Illinois | 11-1 | L=Iowa 18-17; w@BallSt 35-23 |
| 21 | 17 | Utah State | 10-2 | L@Wisc 16-14, @BYU 6-3; wLaTech 48-41ot, SJSt 49-27 |
| -- | 18 | San Jose St | 10-2 | L UtahSt 49-27, @Stanford 20-17; wLaTech 52-43 |
| 24 | 19 | Nebraska | 10-2 | L@UCLA 36-30, @OhioSt 63-38 |
| 18 | 20 | Oregon State | 8-3 | L@Wash 20-17, @Stan 27-23, Ore 48-24; wUCLA 27-20 |
| 20 | 21 | UCLA | 9-3 | L@Cal 43-17, OreSt 27-20, Stanford 35-17; wNeb 36-30 |
| 25 | 22 | Ball State | 9-3 | L@KentSt 45-43, NIU 35-23, @Clem 52-27 |
| 22 | 23 | Louisiana Tech | 9-3 | L TexAM 59-57, UtahSt 48-41ot, @SJSt 52-43 |
| 17 | 24 | Rutgers | 9-2 | L@Pitt 27-6, KentSt 35-23 |
| 14 | 25 | Louisville | 9-2 | L UConn 23-20ot, @Syr 45-26 |
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| 23 | -- | Texas | 8-3 | L WVa 48-45, TCU 20-13, =OK 63-21 |
South Carolina moves up to #11 from #13 after beating Clemson 27-17. Combined with Florida's win over FSU—also on the road—and Georgia's destruction of Georgia Tech, the SEC's domination of the ACC is underscored yet again. In one weekend, SEC teams beat the two teams that are easily the best in the league, and another that is playing for the ACC title. What's more, it shows that the SEC is not slowing down at all—in fact, it's getting stronger if anything, with teams at #2, #3, #5, #7, #9, and #11, or 6 of the top 11 spots. There's a clear line from the SEC's dominance in recruiting to its dominance on the field.
Oklahoma falls back a notch to #12 after needing overtime to edge Oklahoma State 51-48. The Sooners also lose their only top 25 win as Texas falls out, leaving just two Big 12 teams in the rankings. Florida State and Clemson—the only two ACC teams—land at #13 and #14 after their losses. Interestingly, the teams at #14, 15, and 16 all beat Ball State, with the Tigers the most convincing victor among they and Kent State and Northern Illinois. The Golden Flashes beat 28-6 and the Huskies defeated Eastern Michigan 49-7 to set up a showdown for the MAC title. Interestingly, we rank more MAC teams (3) than Big 12 or ACC teams, as Ball State—whose three losses are all to top 25 teams—moves up to #22 after beating Miami Ohio 31-24.
There are also 3 WAC teams in the rankings now. Utah State beat Idaho 45-9 to finish 10-2 with wins over San Jose State and Louisiana Tech. The former beat the latter 52-43 in yet another shootout loss for the Bulldogs, who are 9-3 with three narrow losses to top 25 teams. They drop to #23 while San Jose State debuts at #18. The Spartans narrowly lost to Stanford, 20-17, in the first game of the season.
The Big Ten's only other rep, Nebraska, escaped 13-7 at Iowa to finish 10-2 and moves up to #19. Oregon State and UCLA—losers to Oregon and Stanford—fall to #20 and #21.
Rutgers and Louisville, the best that the Big East can hold out, both lost in upsets to losing teams on Saturday. The Scarlett Knights, soon headed to the Big Ten, were blown out at Pitt 27-6, while the Cardinals lost in overtime at home to UConn 23-20. They drop to #24 and #25 and the loser of their showdown next week—which will send one of them to the Orange Bowl—will fall out altogether.
Texas dropped out after losing to TCU 20-14. The 3-loss teams in our top 25 are the ones who have only lost to top 25 teams (Ball State, Louisiana Tech) or have a top 25 win (Oregon State, UCLA). Boise State is the only 2-loss team left out, and they'll probably replace Rutgers/Louisville next weekend if they beat Nevada.
This leaves the conference tally at SEC 6, Pac-12 4, MAC 3, WAC 3, Big Twelve 2, ACC 2, Big Ten 2, Big East 2, independents 1. The C-USA, Mountain West, and Sun Belt have none.
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