College Football Polls

Alabama won a thrilling SEC Championship Game shootout against Florida on Saturday to retain the top spot in the Associated Press' Top 25 Poll after Championship Week. 

The rest of the rankings received a shakeup after Clemson cruised past Notre Dame in a battle of Top Five teams in the ACC title game. In other key matchups, Oklahoma knocked off Iowa State in the Big 12, and USC came up short in an upset loss to Oregon in the Pac-12.

Ohio State and Cincinnati also added conference titles to their resumes, albeit in less-than-impressive fashion to make the situation more complicated for the AP voters.

Here's a look at the complete Top 25 for Week 17 released Sunday:

1. Alabama (all 62 first-place votes)

2. Clemson

3. Ohio State

4. Notre Dame

5. Texas A&M

6. Cincinnati

7. Indiana

8. Oklahoma

9. Coastal Carolina

10. Florida

11. Georgia

12. Iowa State

13. BYU

14. North Carolina

15. Northwestern

16. Louisiana-Lafayette

17. Iowa

18. Miami (Fla.)

19. San Jose State

20. Texas

21. USC

22. Tulsa

23. Liberty

24. NC State

25. Oregon

                 

Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide head toward the College Football Playoff as the clear team to beat.

They've sat atop the AP poll since overtaking Clemson in Week 11, and they rank first in ESPN's Football Power Index, which suggests Bama is 6.4 points better than any other team in the country and has a 49.7 percent of winning the national title before the semifinals even kick off.

Saban explained after the Tide escaped a serious challenge from the Gators, 52-46, that he was happy with how his team dealt with the challenges of a unique season amid the coronavirus pandemic:

"Really proud of our team for the way they competed in the game. I think I'm really proud of our team for the way they competed all year long. This has been a year of lots of disruptions, a lot of abnormal things happening. The resiliency that our team has shown throughout the season to win 11 games is pretty phenomenal. I think it speaks to the togetherness on the team, everybody sort of buying in, trying to do the things they needed to do to contribute to the team."

Clemson also made a major statement with its 34-10 triumph over Notre Dame. It avenged an earlier 47-40 double-overtime loss to the Fighting Irish in early November when star quarterback Trevor Lawrence was out of the lineup.

Lawrence threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns while running for 90 yards and another score in a last-ditch effort to put himself back in the Heisman Trophy conversation.

"It would be a crying shame if the Heisman didn't attach their name to Trevor Lawrence," Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said. "I know that has become a stat award, but if you watch and you don't know this is the best player in the country, I don't what you're looking at."

Other contenders for college football's top individual honor include Alabama's DeVonta Smith and Mac Jones as well as Florida's Kyle Trask.

Alabama and Clemson have faced off in the National Championship Game three times in the first six years of the CFP era. The Tigers won the last two meetings after the Tide took the first matchup.

A fourth encounter with the national title on the line Jan. 11 wouldn't come as a surprise.

Two losses by Top 10 teams Saturday led to some movement in the latest Associated Press poll. 

LSU handed Florida a shocking loss that will likely affect the College Football Playoff picture, while North Carolina earned a road upset over Miami. Alabama didn't have any such trouble in its blowout win over Arkansas to stay No. 1.

Here is the latest Top 25 heading into Week 16 of the college football season.

      

AP Poll

1. Alabama

2. Notre Dame

3. Ohio State

4. Clemson

5. Texas A&M

6. Cincinnati

7. Indiana

8. Iowa State

9. Coastal Carolina

10. Georgia

11. Florida

12. Oklahoma

13. USC

14. BYU

15. Northwestern

16. North Carolina

17. Louisiana-Lafayette

18. Iowa

19. Miami (Florida)

20. Tulsa

21. Texas

22. Liberty

23. Buffalo

24. North Carolina State

25. San Jose State

      

The biggest story of the weekend was the Florida Gators suffering a home loss against a team that entered with a 3-5 record.

It ended up being a close battle throughout, with LSU's Cade York making his game-winning kick in the final minute, which Florida was unable to match:

LSU UPSETS NO. 6 FLORIDA 37-34 😱

Tigers win on a 57-yard go-ahead FG https://t.co/37P1LRXhJE

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 13, 2020

A late unsportsmanlike conduct penalty also played a significant factor as it extended the Tigers' final drive and led to the winning points:

Florida was flagged with unsportsmanlike conduct after this play: pic.twitter.com/BBsmOu64j9

— ESPN (@espn) December 13, 2020

Florida was No. 6 in the country going into the game, potentially controlling its own playoff destiny with a SEC title game against Alabama still on the schedule, but the latest loss dropped the team to No. 11 in the AP poll.

Miami fell from No. 9 to No. 19 after its 62-26 loss to North Carolina.

The Tar Heels totaled 778 yards of offense, including 554 rushing yards, on the way to a blowout victory:

No. 17 UNC crushes No. 10 Miami, 62-26

Tar Heels finished with 554 rush yards and 6 TDs 😳

(via @accnetwork)pic.twitter.com/7pmcv4liEA

— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) December 13, 2020

North Carolina has several close losses this season but moved up to No. 16 in the rankings.

USC also climbed in the rankings to No. 13 after its come-from-behind win over UCLA. Down 35-23 going into the fourth quarter, Kedon Slovis turned things around late and found Amon-Ra St. Brown for the go-ahead score with 16 seconds remaining.

It was enough for a 43-38 Trojans win, helping the team improve to 5-0 on the season.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, USC now has a 49.7 percent chance of reaching the playoff, ahead of both Clemson (45.5 percent) and Texas A&M (33.7 percent).

Most of the top contenders were inactive this week, either by schedule or cancellations because of COVID-19.

No. 1 Alabama did play, facing little resistance from Arkansas on the way to a 52-3 victory. Heisman Trophy contenders Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith each had quiet games, while backups like Brian Robinson Jr. had a chance to shine with three touchdowns.

It sets up an exciting slate of games next week with the ACC Championship Game (Notre Dame vs. Clemson), SEC Championship Game (Alabama vs. Florida) and Big Ten Championship Game (Ohio State vs. Northwestern) especially playing significant roles in the Top 25.

When Texas A&M passed Florida in the Amway Coaches Poll last week, there did not seem to be any particular reasoning behind the flip-flop at Nos. 5 and 6. 

Seven days later, the coaches appear to be prescient.

Alabama sits atop of an unchanged Top Five, with Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State and Texas A&M rounding things out. However, the changes begin at No. 6, with Cincinnati moving up following Florida's upset loss to LSU.

Here is a look at how the rankings played out.

1. Alabama

2. Notre Dame

3. Clemson

4. Ohio State

5. Texas A&M

6. Cincinnati

7. Indiana

8. Iowa State

9. Georgia

10. Oklahoma

11. Florida

12. Coastal Carolina

13. USC

14. Northwestern

15. North Carolina

16. BYU

17. Iowa

18. UL Lafayette

19. Miami

20. Tulsa

21. Liberty

22. Oklahoma State

23. NC State

24. Texas

25. San Jose State

LSU, days after announcing a self-imposed 2020 bowl ban, played the spoiler for Florida's national title hopes in Gainesville when Cade York nailed a 57-yard field goal through the fog to give the Tigers a 37-34 win. Evan McPherson missed a 51-yard response as time expired.

Kyle Trask likely saw his Heisman hopes dashed in a 474-yard, two-touchdown passing performance by throwing two picks and losing a fumble. 

"Obviously, you just look at all the things we did — you can't win doing what we did tonight," Florida coach Dan Mullen told reporters. "No matter what is going on. No matter who you're playing. We lose the turnover battle. We turn it over three times, minus-three turnover ratio. We don't score touchdowns in the red zone. We can't make key stops when we need to defensively. And we lose the special teams part of the game.

With four games featuring Top 10 teams canceled or postponed due to COVID-19, Miami's embarrassing 62-26 loss to North Carolina was the only other notable result of the week. Michael Carter and Javonte Williams combined for 544 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a start-to-finish shellacking that ranked among the worst performances in Miami history.

“It was a humiliating performance. We have to give credit to North Carolina. They were phenomenal. That was probably as good as they could play matched up with as badly as we can play and that is the result," Miami coach Manny Diaz told reporters.

North Carolina moved up five spots to No. 15 with the victory. Miami dropped all the way to No. 19. 

No. 22 Oklahoma State and No. 25 San Jose State moved into the Top 25. 

The top teams in college football continued to prove themselves over the weekend, but there was still some movement in the latest Associated Press poll. 

Alabama and Notre Dame remain on top going into Week 15 after blowout victories, although losses by BYU and Wisconsin caused some shifts in the middle of the rankings with time running out in the 2020 season.

Here is the latest Top 25 with only two more weeks remaining before the final College Football Playoff rankings.

      

AP Poll

1. Alabama

2. Notre Dame

3. Ohio State

4. Clemson

5. Texas A&M

6. Florida

7. Cincinnati

8. Indiana

9. Miami (Florida)

10. Iowa State

11. Coastal Carolina

12. Georgia

13. Oklahoma

14. BYU

15. Northwestern

16. USC

17. Louisiana-Lafayette

18. Tulsa

19. Iowa

20. North Carolina

21. Colorado

22. Liberty

23. Texas

24. Buffalo

25. Wisconsin

      

No one would have expected it coming into the season, but Coastal Carolina and BYU were involved in arguably the biggest game of Week 14.

The late addition to the schedule created a matchup of undefeated Group of Five teams trying to impress voters with a resume-building win.

The result was a low-scoring battle in which BYU quarterback Zach Wilson was mostly kept in check. The Cougars had one last shot at a win but were stopped just before the goal line on the final play:

Coastal Carolina edges out BYU to stay undefeated 👀

(via @CFBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/zZsWNqtb2t

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 6, 2020

CJ Marable rushed for 132 yards and two scores as the Chanticleers improved to 10-0, moving up to No. 11 in the latest rankings.

BYU fell from No. 8 to No. 14, ruining any hope of earning a playoff spot in the process. 

The Big Ten featured another matchup of highly touted teams as Indiana survived a 14-6 battle against Wisconsin. The Hoosiers now sit at No. 8 in the rankings, while the Badgers are left to wonder "What if?" after a 2-0 start.

There was little drama at the top of the rankings, with Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Clemson all winning by at least 20.

Alabama ran up the score on rival LSU with a 55-17 win, featuring an outstanding performance from DeVonta Smith. The receiver finished with 231 receiving yards and three scores, most of it coming in the first half:

DEVONTA SMITH IS UNREAL 🔥

(via @CBSSports)pic.twitter.com/wWmEEznvVI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 6, 2020

Justin Fields also lit up the box score for Ohio State, totaling 199 passing yards, 104 rushing yards and four scores.

Texas A&M faced the toughest challenge among the title contenders in a competitive one against Auburn. Tigers quarterback Bo Nix kept the game close, including one of the most impressive individual plays of the day:

Bo Nix with the most absurd play of the day 😱

(via @SECNetwork)pic.twitter.com/8afMPw9063

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 5, 2020

The Aggies still came through with a 31-20 win thanks to a physical performance from both the offensive and defensive lines. It was enough to stay in the playoff hunt and strengthened an impressive resume that includes a win over Florida.

Week 15 will give No. 7 Cincinnati a chance to impress voters with a matchup against Tulsa, while Ohio State will try to build its profile with a game against Michigan.

The top of the Amway Coaches Poll continues to look stable. 

Alabama leads an unchanged look at the top of the poll, with each of the nation's six highest-ranked teams getting double-digit wins this weekend. Notre Dame holds in the No. 2 spot, with Clemson, Ohio State and Texas A&M rounding out the Top Five. The Aggies leapfrogged Florida by just eight total points in the poll.

Here is a look at how the entire rankings played out.

1. Alabama

2. Notre Dame

3. Clemson

4. Ohio State

5. Texas A&M

6. Florida

7. Cincinnati

8. Miami

9. Indiana

10. Georgia

11. Iowa State

12. Oklahoma

13. Coastal Carolina

14. Northwestern

15. USC

16. BYU

17. UL Lafayette

18. Iowa

19. Tulsa

20. North Carolina

21. Liberty

22. Colorado

23. Texas

24. NC State

25. Wisconsin

The most notable result of the week belongs to Coastal Carolina, with the Cinderella Chanticleers moving up only one spot to No. 13 after a 22-17 win over BYU on Saturday. Scheduled just days before Coastal Carolina was originally slated to play Liberty, the Chanticleers pulled off the upset by stopping Dax Milne at the 1-yard line as time expired.

BYU and Coastal Carolina both viewed this matchup as something of an attempt to keep their outside chances of making the playoffs alive. The teams put on a Game of the Year candidate, with Coastal Carolina's 281 rushing yards proving the difference. CJ Marable led the way with 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

"After this game was announced, basically it was a coronation for them to go to the New Year's Six [bowls] and solidify their chance to overtake Cincinnati, and we're not good enough, etc., etc.," Coastal coach Jamey Chadwell told reporters. "One thing about our football team, if you slight us, we find that and use that as motivation."

Coastal Carolina now finds itself in a position to potentially become the top non-Power Five team in the nation once the regular season ends. If that's the case, the Chanticleers will receive a New York Six berth—even if it isn't necessarily to the playoffs. ESPN currently gives Coastal Carolina a 2.2 percent chance of making the playoffs.

Marshall's bid to the New Year's Six ended with a 20-0 home loss to Rice. Herd quarterback Grant Wells threw five interceptions in one of the ugliest performances from a ranked team this season.

Other notable results were few and far between during a week that largely consisted of blowouts. Indiana continued its surprising run through the Big Ten with a 14-6 win over Wisconsin, despite the loss of Michael Penix Jr. to a season-ending ACL injury.

The Hoosiers, whose only loss came to Ohio State, are now ranked ninth in the country. 

There was little movement in the latest Associated Press poll after several strong performances from the top teams in college football. 

Three different battles between ranked opponents highlighted the weekend's action, but favorites Alabama, Notre Dame and Iowa State each survived tough tests. On the other hand, Northwestern and Oregon suffered their first losses of the season to likely ruin their title hopes going forward.

It leaves even fewer elite teams at the top of the rankings as voters tried to determine the best in the sport ahead of Week 14.

     

AP Poll

1. Alabama

2. Notre Dame

3. Ohio State

4. Clemson

5. Texas A&M

6. Florida

7. Cincinnati

8. BYU

9. Miami (Florida)

10. Indiana

11. Georgia

12. Iowa State

13. Oklahoma

14. Coastal Carolina

15. Marshall

16. Northwestern

17. USC

18. Wisconsin

19. Oklahoma State

20. UL Lafayette

21. Oregon

22. Tulsa

23. Washington

24. Iowa

25. Liberty

      

The biggest news out of the Big Ten was the cancellation of Saturday's scheduled game between Ohio State and Illinois. If another Buckeyes game is canceled, they will be ineligible to participate in the Big Ten title game.

Another significant update in the conference came when Northwestern was upset by Michigan State. The Wildcats were undefeated entering Saturday but struggled offensively with 1.7 yards per rush and 5.0 yards per pass. It led to a 29-20 loss that dropped the team from No. 11 to No. 16 in the latest poll.

Oregon was involved in the other big upset of the week, as Oregon State handed its rival a 41-38 loss.

Jermar Jefferson was the star in this one, rushing for 226 yards and two touchdowns, including an 82-yard score.

Oregon State’s Jermar Jefferson had 226 rushing yards last night.

Most Oregon has allowed since Ezekiel Elliott’s 246 in the 2014 championship. pic.twitter.com/vrXHHK0sP2

— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 28, 2020

It was enough to drop Oregon to No. 21 in the rankings and likely end any hope of reaching the playoff.

Other top teams lived up to expectations, including No. 1 Alabama in its 42-13 win over Auburn. Mac Jones had 302 passing yards and five more touchdowns to continue his Heisman Trophy campaign.

This is basically a perfect throw from Mac Jones. pic.twitter.com/dFwTItyzZq

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 28, 2020

Trevor Lawrence was back on the field for Clemson for the first time in over a month but didn't lose a step in the 52-17 dismantling of Pittsburgh.

Trevor Lawrence had his groove going in his return! 🏈#ALLIN | @ClemsonFB @Trevorlawrencee pic.twitter.com/9FITWk8EOo

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) November 29, 2020

The Tigers led 31-0 in the first quarter before coasting to an easy win.

Notre Dame also remained at No. 2 in the polls thanks to a 31-17 win over North Carolina. The game was tied 17-17 at halftime, but the Fighting Irish defense was dominant after intermission, while Ian Book did enough to lead his team to victory.

SEC schools Texas A&M, Florida and Georgia all continued to roll as well and will hope to finish the year strong.

The top of the college football landscape looks increasingly stable after another week of strong performances by the nation's best teams. 

Alabama remains the nation's top-ranked team after a blowout win over rival Auburn, with No. 2 Notre Dame also picking up an impressive win at North Carolina. Clemson, Ohio State and Florida round out the Top Five.

Here is a look at how the remainder of the Amway Coaches Poll played out.

1. Alabama

2. Notre Dame

3. Clemson

4. Ohio State

5. Florida

6. Texas A&M

7. Cincinnati

8. BYU

9. Miami

10. Georgia

11. Indiana

12. Iowa State

13. Oklahoma

14. Coastal Carolina

15. Marshall

16. USC

17. Northwestern

18. Oklahoma State

19. Wisconsin

20. Oregon

21. UL Lafayette

22. Tulsa

23. Washington

24. Iowa

25. Liberty

The most notable results included the Pac-12 and Big Ten all but certainly losing their playoff spoiler chances. The Pac-12, already fighting an uphill battle because of its shortened schedule, lost its only legitimate playoff contender in Oregon. The Ducks allowed 532 total yards and 22 fourth-quarter points in a 41-38 loss to rival Oregon State.

Beavers running back Jermar Jefferson rushed for 226 yards and two scores to lead Oregon State, which entered the weekend 1-2 and as heavy underdogs.

"We got to finish the game. We didn't finish it. We always tell our players, we take all these things together, the losses. We got to coach it better, we got to play it better, together. Had a chance to close out, a couple of chances to close out and we didn't. Credit to them as well. They deserve it," Oregon coach Marc Cristobal told reporters.

The Big Ten's playoff chances will come down to Ohio State finishing its regular season undefeated after Northwestern's 29-20 loss to Michigan State. The Wildcats entered this week ranked eighth in the initial CFP rankings, their best mark in school history. Unfortunately, they came out flat, allowing Michigan State to score the game's first 17 points and turning the ball over four times.

Ohio State was idle this weekend after the Buckeyes' game against Illinois was canceled because of COVID-19. The Buckeyes have already canceled two of their scheduled eight games, which could put them at some level of jeopardy of missing the playoffs—even if they finish undefeated. 

Under Big Ten rules, a team must play six regular-season games to qualify for the conference championship game. There are some unlikely scenarios that would allow the Buckeyes to sneak in with five games played, but those would require mass cancellations over the final two weeks of the regular season.

The top teams in college football continue to separate themselves from the pack as seen in the latest Associated Press poll. 

Ohio State survived a battle of Top 10 teams, while Alabama cruised to its seventh straight victory. Cincinnati and BYU also continued to shine as the non-Power Five teams try to earn spots in the College Football Playoff.

Here is the latest Top 25 heading into Week 13:

       

AP Poll

1. Alabama

2. Notre Dame

3. Ohio State

4. Clemson

5. Texas A&M

6. Florida

7. Cincinnati

8. BYU

9. Oregon

10. Miami (Florida)

11. Northwestern

12. Indiana

13. Georgia

14. Oklahoma

15. Iowa State

16. Coastal Carolina

17. Marshall

18. Wisconsin

19. USC

20. Texas

21. Oklahoma State

22. Auburn

23. UL Lafayette

24. Tulsa

25. North Carolina

      

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to play a significant role in the 2020 season, with top teams like Texas A&M and Clemson inactive this week because of outbreaks.

Clemson's game against Florida State was postponed at the last minute Saturday after "both teams' medical personnel were unable to mutually agree on moving forward with the game."

The Tigers are coming off a loss to Notre Dame and are still looking for opportunities to prove they are among the best teams in the country.

Alabama did just that, routing Kentucky 63-3. DeVonta Smith was the star in that one with nine catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns, keeping his dream of a Heisman Trophy alive after an outstanding start to the season.

It was enough to keep the Crimson Tide at No. 1 in the rankings.

Ohio State stayed at No. 3 in the polls after a tough win against Indiana, which proved it was worthy of its Top 10 ranking. Michael Penix Jr. totaled 491 passing yards and five touchdowns for the Hoosiers, connecting with Ty Fryfogle for three scores:

FRYFOGLE CANNOT BE STOPPED 😱

He has seven catches for 223 yards and 3 TDs

(via @CFBONFOX)⁰pic.twitter.com/0cx9RGP1Kd

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 21, 2020

Justin Fields was still able to keep the Buckeyes undefeated with three total touchdowns (with three INTs) in the 42-35 win:

Justin Fields took flight to help No. 3 Ohio State hold off No. 9 Indiana, 42-35 🔥

(@DosEquis) https://t.co/J3rquBYGNh

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 21, 2020

Indiana fell to No. 12 in the latest ranking.

Fellow Big Ten team Wisconsin also dropped out of the Top 10, falling to No. 18 after a 17-7 loss to Northwestern.

Graham Mertz threw three interceptions as the Badgers were unable to score in the second half. Meanwhile, Northwestern had just 24 rushing yards on 23 attempts but still escaped with a hard-fought win, improving to 5-0 and No. 11 in the AP poll.

The week was also big for programs outside the major conferences looking to prove they deserve playoff consideration.

Cincinnati improved to 8-0 with a 36-33 win over UCF, overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit in the team's closest game of the season. BYU moved to 9-0 with a 66-14 win over North Alabama, featuring four more touchdown passes for Zach Wilson.

"We want to have an opportunity to win a championship," Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell said after Saturday's game. "Every win gives us an opportunity to state our case."

The CFP committee will release its first rankings Tuesday, giving an early indication whether either Cincinnati or BYU has a real chance to compete for a title.

There will continue to be more drama in Week 13, including the Iron Bowl battle between Alabama and Auburn.

With six more games featuring Top 25 teams being postponed or canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the college football slate was once again limited this weekend. 

That said, there were a few games that helped shift the outlook of the nation.

Alabama remains unchallenged as the nation's top-ranked team, with Notre Dame, Ohio State, Clemson and Florida rounding out the Top Five. 

Here is a look at how the remainder of the Amway Top 25 played out.

1. Alabama

2. Notre Dame

3. Ohio State

4. Clemson

5. Florida

6. Texas A&M

7. Cincinnati

8. BYU

9. Miami

10. Georgia

11. Oregon

12. Indiana

13. Northwestern

14. Oklahoma

15. Iowa State

16. Marshall

17. Coastal Carolina

18. USC

19. Auburn

20. Wisconsin

21. Texas

22. Oklahoma State

23. North Carolina

24. UL Lafayette

25. Tulsa

The weekend's two biggest games were provided by the Big Ten, with Ohio State escaping a challenge from Indiana and Northwestern continuing its surprising ascent with a win over Wisconsin.

Ohio State overcame three Justin Fields interceptions and a torrid fourth-quarter comeback to earn a 42-35 win over Indiana. The Hoosiers were down 42-21 before scoring two quick touchdowns in the fourth only to have their final two drives falter as they looked to cap off the comeback.

Michael Penix Jr. threw for 491 yards and five touchdowns against an interception, but Indiana was undone by three lost fumbles.

"We've got to figure out a way to close out games," Ohio State coach Ryan Day told reporters. "This is kind of the second week now we let a team hang around a little bit, and we've got to get that fixed. But [there were] so many great things in this game. Indiana is a good team, they're a top-10 team, so this was not easy."

Northwestern took advantage of five Wisconsin turnovers, four of which were by quarterback Graham Mertz, on its way to a 17-7 victory over the Badgers. The Wildcats largely played the field-position game in an ugly slugfest, winning despite gaining only 263 yards of total offense. Peyton Ramsey threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns, both coming in the first half.

Northwestern came into the week motivated by ESPN college football analyst Joey Galloway, who called the team "a bunch of Rece Davises running around" before Saturday's game. 

"That really ticked our guys off," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald told reporters. "We just use that as fuel in the engine. We have really good football players. We have a bunch of guys who are going to be potentially All-Big Ten, potentially All-American, potentially in the NFL. ... We have one bad year and it's like 19-whatever again."

Oklahoma was dominant in the week's other matchup of Top 25 opponents, rolling to a 41-13 win over rival Oklahoma State. The Sooners have rebounded with five straight wins since a disappointing 1-2 start. 

The only notable upset of the week was Liberty falling 15-14 to North Carolina State, leading to Flames falling out of the Top 25. 

A relatively quiet week of college football led to little movement in the latest Associated Press poll, setting up plenty of drama as the season nears its end. 

The biggest story of the week was the spread of COVID-19 leading to postponements in the SEC and canceled games in the Big Ten. It left teams like Alabama, Ohio State and Texas A&M inactive while Clemson already had a scheduled week off.

The teams that did play mostly lived up to expectations, with Notre Dame and Florida each winning by double digits.

Here is how Saturday's action shaped the latest Top 25 going into Week 12.

     

AP Poll

1. Alabama

2. Notre Dame

3. Ohio State

4. Clemson

5. Texas A&M

6. Florida

7. Cincinnati

8. BYU

9. Indiana

10. Wisconsin

11. Oregon

12. Miami (Florida)

13. Georgia

14. Oklahoma State

15. Coastal Carolina

16. Marshall

17. Iowa State

18. Oklahoma

19. Northwestern

20. USC

21. Liberty

22. Texas

23. Auburn

24. UL Lafayette

25. Tulsa

    

The only ranked team to lose in Week 11 was SMU, which was No. 19 entering the week but blew a 24-7 halftime lead to Tulsa to suffer its second loss of the season. Tulsa ended up replacing its opponent in the rankings, checking in at No. 25.

Miami appeared set for a similar fate down 24-13 in the second half to Virginia Tech. The team bounced back with two touchdowns late, including a 36-yard pass from D'Eriq King to Mark Pope to put the team in front for good:

King delivers a strike to Pope! 👑🎯#ItsAllAboutTheU | @CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/q3W8OoZBYO

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) November 14, 2020

Notre Dame also had some trouble in the early going against Boston College, but the connection between Ian Book and Ben Skowronek was too good to stop:

Ben Skowronek has a career-high 3 TDs... in the first half. 👀#GoIrish | @NDFootball @BSkowronek10 pic.twitter.com/jGbDmCd4hJ

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) November 14, 2020

The Fighting Irish remain No. 2 in the country and are inching closer to a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Saturday also showed some outside teams that deserve playoff consideration after impressive wins.

Florida cruised to a 63-35 win behind six touchdown passes for Kyle Trask. The quarterback finished 23-of-29 for 356 yards while producing a near-perfect 97.6 QBR.

"I think I did a great job of executing and being efficient," Trask said after the game, via ESPN. "You strive for perfection, but it's really hard to get there."

The quarterback has thrown at least four touchdown passes in all six games this year, totaling 28 scores with only three interceptions on the season. He has clearly put himself in the Heisman Trophy conversation and has the Gators sitting at No. 6 in the latest poll.

Wisconsin also turned heads in just its second game of the season, handing Michigan a historic loss:

Michigan suffered its largest home loss since Nov. 23, 1935, a 38-0 loss to Ohio State.

They fall to 1-3 this season, its worst 4-game start to a season since 1967. The only season in school history with a worse 4-game start was 1928. pic.twitter.com/vabyq9pAht

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 15, 2020

The Badgers totaled 341 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in the 49-11 win, helping the team move to No. 10 in the rankings.

Oregon took care of business in its second game of the year as well, earning a 43-29 victory over Washington State.

An unbalanced season creates some difficulty for voters, but teams know they must impress when given the opportunity.

There will be more chances next week as a battle between Ohio State and Indiana highlights the Week 12 slate.