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The fact that neither of these teams are at the top of the American Athletic Conference standings right now says a lot about the depth of the league in their first year as this league could easily finish the regular season with three teams with double digit win totals.
The Week 15 AP top 25 college football rankings were released on Sunday. A new name atop the rankings for the first time this season as Alabama’s loss to Auburn allowed Florida State to move into the top spot.
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Alabama fell back to No. 4 with the loss, while Auburn moved up to No. 3, but failed to leapfrog undefeated Ohio State. The Seminoles received 58 of 60 first place votes, with the other two going to third-seeded Auburn, while No. 2 Ohio State did not receive a first place vote.
Michigan State climbed into the top 10 with their eighth consecutive win, with Clemson moving out, falling back to No. 13.
Not many games on the schedule for championship weekend, but many of the top teams will be in action, which could mean some movement in next week’s poll. Let’s take a look at the top 10 teams and their chances of moving up, or down on Sunday when the next set of rankings are released.
1. Florida State Seminoles (12-0, previous: 2)
Florida State overcame a shaky start in Gainesville to down the Gators, 37-7. In the game, quarterback Jameis Winston broke the team’s single-season passing touchdown record with a three-touchdown day to get to 35 on the year, breaking Chris Weinke’s record of 33 set in 2000. Under his leadership, the Seminoles have racked up the second most points on a per game basis in the FBS with 53.7, while the team also ranks first in the nation in scoring defense, surrendering only 11.0 points per game. The Seminoles are a tough matchup for any program, and should cruise through the ACC title game to the national title game. They get Duke on Saturday as 29-point favorites.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0, previous: 3)
The Buckeyes had more trouble with the Wolverines than they would have liked in their biggest rivalry game, but squeaked past Michigan late, 42-41. The team hasn’t gotten much respect nationally because of a weak non-conference schedule, but it will be hard to keep them out of the title game if they can get past Michigan State in the Big Ten title game on Saturday. The Buckeyes are installed as 5.5-point favorites in that contest.
3. Auburn Tigers (11-1, previous: 4)
Auburn certainly can’t claim to be short on luck this season. The team has been the benefactor of last minute wins in back-to-back weeks, most recently a win over top-seeded Alabama. They’ll face one more hurdle if they hope to get to the title game, as they have a date with No. 5 Missouri in the SEC championship game. The Tigers will be favored by 1.5 points in Georgia.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1, previous: 1)
Worse than the loss suffered in Saturday’s Iron Bowl is that the Tide don’t have any games left on their schedule. Falling to Auburn 34-28 was bad enough, but the loss also cost the team a shot at a three-peat. Alabama would need a whole lot of losses in front of them if they hope to get to the title game.
5. Missouri Tigers (11-1, previous: 5)
The Tigers took care of business against the Aggies on Saturday and now find themselves in a pretty favorable spot. With a win over Auburn as 1.5-point underdogs in the SEC championship game on Saturday, the team will have a very strong case to make the trip to Pasadena as a 12-1 SEC team with wins over ranked opponents littered throughout their schedule.
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6. Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-1, previous: 7)
Oklahoma State was off but still moved up a spot in the latest poll because of Clemson’s loss. The team is well positioned for a BCS bowl berth but will first face a tough Oklahoma team as 10.5-point favorites.
7. Stanford Cardinal (10-2, previous: 8)
The Cardinal got past a good Fighting Irish team on the weekend and now face an even tougher test when they go to Tempe to face a streaking Arizona State team that will be without their top ball carrier, but just put up 58 points on Arizona without him. Stanford is installed as a 3.5-point underdog for the game.
8. South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2, previous: 10)
A couple losses earlier in the year knocked the Gamecocks out of the national title conversation, but they ended their year on a five-game winning streak, putting the exclamation point on their regular season with a beat down on instate rival Clemson, 31-17.
9. Baylor Bears (10-1, previous: 9)
Baylor had more trouble with TCU than they should have on Saturday, but they were able to hold off the Horned Frogs down the stretch. They’ll need a better effort all around on Saturday when they take on Texas as 13.5-point favorites.
10. Michigan State (11-1, previous: 11)
The Spartan defense held five of their final six opponents to six point or fewer as the team won eight games in a row down the stretch and all finished the regular season at 8-0 in Big Ten play, but they’ll face their toughest conference opponent yet in the Big Ten title game on Saturday, taking on the Buckeyes as 5.5-point underdogs.
Florida lost to Georgia Southern last week which is making this matchup between the supposed two best teams in the state of Florida look like a battle between the haves and have nots.
Baylor vs TCU College Football Spread/Handicapping
If you were believing the success of the Baylor Bears was too good to be true than you were not all surprised with what happened last week when they were dominated on the road at Oklahoma State.
The 11th-ranked Michigan State State Spartans have some work to do before making it through to the Big Ten title game with a date against the 8-3 Minnesota Golden Gophers still in front of them.
While it may sometimes be overshadowed by the rivalry games in Alabama and Florida, the battle for South Carolina is always one of the weekend’s more lively affairs. This weekend the South Carolina Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers will meet with each side ranked in the top 10.
The top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will make the trip out to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sunday to take on the fourth-ranked Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have their eyes set on an undefeated season and a trip to the National Championship game. The Michigan Wolverines want nothing more than play spoilers and upset the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Wisconsin Badgers are looking for their 4th 10-win season in the past 5 years, and are still in position to play in a BCS Bowl game this year.
The Stanford Cardinal have locked up a spot in the Pac-12 championship with the Oregon Ducks’ loss last weekend, but there’s still rankings and bragging rights on the line this week against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Rivalry Week is at its finest when the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins are both relevant, and that’s exactly what college football fans can look forward to entering Week 14.
Not a lot of juice for this traditional season ending game for these programs. The lofty hopes of LSU were dashed many weeks ago even though they are looking very good after beating up Texas A&M last week.
The Arizona Wildcats played spoiler to the Oregon Ducks last weekend, and they’ll look to do the same against another ranked opponent in the Arizona Stat Sun Devils.
The Fresno State Bulldogs have clinched a spot in the Mountain West Conference title game, but their BCS eligibility is in question ever because they were recently leapfrogged in the polls by Northern Illinois.
The 2013 Apple Cup will be played at the newly renovated Husky Stadium, and it will feature two teams who have had their ups and downs this season. For the most part, Washington State has exceeded all expectations.
Washington State (6-5, 4-4 Pac-12) @ Washington (7-4, 4-4 Pac-12)
Friday, Nov. 29 3:30 PM ET @ Husky Stadium
Spread: Washington -14.5
O/U: OFF
Dropping four of five in the middle of the year is never ideal, but having a winning record at this juncture is a huge step up from where they were a year ago.
Washington also endured a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season, but it has won three of its last four entering Week 14.
The Washington Huskies will enter this one as favorites by more than two touchdowns, but WSU will use its patented Mike Leach-led passing attack to attempt to shorten the gap. On the season, the Cougars are fifth in the country in passing yards per contest.
They average 372 yards per game in the air, and while they have only scored 31 points per outing, it has been good enough to win half of their conference games up to this point.
As well as Connor Halliday has played this season, Washington State’s biggest hope for victory will have to do more with the opposing quarterback. The problem, however, is that we don’t know exactly who will play behind center for UW on Friday.
Regardless of who plays, whether it’s Keith Price or Cyler Miles, getting pressure on the QB has to be a priority for Washington State.
Price blew an 18-point lead in last year’s matchup with the Cougars, and while you can’t count on that to happen again, knowing you can rattle the opponent is a confidence builder entering a rivalry.
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Defensively, there is no mystery about what Washington must do in this one. Defend the pass, defend the pass and defend the pass. Washington State hasn’t been able to run the ball all year, as it is 123rd in rushing yards at this juncture, and you shouldn’t expect that to change in the last game of the season.
Offensively, the Huskies have proven that they have a very balanced attack.
They’re 29 in passing, 15th in rushing and the combined yardage has resulted in nearly 40 points per game—the 16th-best mark in the FBS.
Historically, betting trends point in both directions. WSU is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 versus a team with a winning record, but UW is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 home games.
What you have to take into consideration is that this is a rivalry, and often times that means the underdog shows up to play even when they’re not expected to.
In the last 18 meetings between these two in-state opponents, the underdog has won ATS 13 times. WSU is far from a guarantee at this point in the process, but with a solid season officially behind them, expect them to show up and play a good game, even if they don’t come out on top.
Prediction: Washington 37 – Washington State 30
Only No.12 Texas A&M and 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel stand in the way of No. 8 Missouri and the SEC Championship game in just their second year in the conference.
