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After a dismal showing from the Big Ten in the first three weeks of the season, the conference finally had a strong performance this past Saturday as they finished 12-1 with the only loss being Michigan at home against Utah. That game was one of two that had to be halted for a weather delay, though the Illini were able to mount a comeback after their inclement weather passed. Overall it was a successful Saturday for Jim Delany's teams, but several schools in the top ten rankings struggled to eek out a win. It took a Winston-less Florida State overtime to defeat Clemson, and Oregon needed a late touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to slip past the Washington State Cougars. The Tide rolled and the Sooners took care of business against the Mountaineers, but there was certainly room for some shakeups in the top 25 rankings. And though these polls are often subject to much debate and controversy, they're an interesting thing to keep track of throughout the college football season, especially now that we've got the College Football Playoff to look forward to. The human element will be felt more than ever this postseason, as a panel of "esteemed football experts" will be the ones choosing the final four teams, humans much like those that fill out these weekly top 25 polls. Here's how they shook out after an exciting final week before the conference season begins went final:
AP Top 25
|
Team |
Pts (Votes Received for #1) |
| 1. Florida State | 1,439 (34) |
| 2. Oregon | 1,400 (12) |
| 3. Alabama | 1,377 (6) |
| 4. Oklahoma | 1,343 (4) |
| 5. Auburn | 1,268 |
| 6. Texas A&M | 1,232 |
| 7. Baylor | 1,143 |
| 8. Notre Dame | 967 |
| 9. Michigan State | 905 |
| 10. Ole Miss | 889 |
| 11. UCLA | 806 |
| 12. Georgia | 789 |
| 13. South Carolina | 764 |
| 14. Mississippi State | 706 |
| 15. Arizona State | 702 |
| 16. Stanford | 564 |
| 17. LSU | 541 |
| 18. USC | 459 |
| 19. Wisconsin | 451 |
| 20. BYU | 376 |
| 21. Nebraska | 296 |
| 22. Ohio State | 196 |
| 23. East Carolina | 180 |
| 24. Oklahoma State | 132 |
| 25. Kansas State | 131 |
Others receiving votes: Duke (86), Penn State (81), Clemson (48), TCU(35), Marshall (33)
Coaches Top 25
|
Team |
Pts (Votes Received for #1) |
| 1. Florida State | 1,494 (36) |
| 2. Alabama | 1,466 (11) |
| 3. Oklahoma | 1,425 (12) |
| 4. Oregon | 1,403 (3) |
| 5. Auburn | 1,316 |
| 6. Baylor | 1,213 |
| 7. Texas A&M | 1,197 |
| 8. Notre Dame | 1,022 |
| 9. Michigan State | 920 |
| 10. UCLA | 899 |
| 11. Ole Miss | 875 |
| 12. Arizona State | 792 |
| 13. Georgia | 768 |
| 14. Stanford | 657 |
| 15. South Carolina | 630 |
| 16. Mississippi State | 523 |
| 17. Wisconsin | 518 |
| 18. LSU | 514 |
| 19. Nebraska | 433 |
| 20. Ohio State | 407 |
| 21. BYU | 381 |
| 22. USC | 309 |
| 23. Duke | 155 |
| 24. East Carolina | 153 |
| 25. Kansas State | 128 |
Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State (110), Penn State (67), Clemson (63), Washington (62), TCU (44)
Quick Thoughts
Again, I don't like to get too wrapped up over these polls, but we're headed towards the conference season and a couple of things jump out at me:
- East Carolina is a newcomer to both of the top 25 polls, but it's well-deserved as the Pirates are 3-1 with wins over Virginia Tech and North Carolina.
- Mississippi State is the biggest riser in both polls from being unranked to being in the top 20 after an impressive road win at LSU, 34-29.
- There are four Big Ten teams that made the cut in each poll (the same four): Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. Penn State received a significant amount of votes in both too, however.
- BYU continues to climb up the rankings, but if they finish the year with a perfect record, do they make the College Football Playoff? I doubt it.
- Missouri and Clemson both fell out of each poll after losing to Indiana and Florida State respectively.