Power Ranking All 124 College Football Teams
Joe PenkalaCorrespondent INovember 6, 2012Power Ranking All 124 College Football Teams
This week was supposed to be the week that one of the undefeated teams fell, but that was not the case. This week the Tide took down the Tigers late in the fourth, the Wildcats rolled over Oklahoma State, Notre Dame took three overtimes to dispose of Pitt and Oregon may still be scoring on USC.
With four teams still undefeated, the nation is bracing for a BCS meltdown as the lack of a playoff system could cause two undefeated teams to sit on the sidelines.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, here is a look at this week's complete 124 team power rankings.
No. 124- No. 85
No. 124: Massachusetts
No. 123: Southern Miss
No. 122: Eastern Michigan
No. 121: Akron
No. 120: New Mexico State
No. 119: Idaho
No. 118: Kentucky
No. 117: Colorado
No. 116: Hawaii
No. 115: Memphis
No. 114: Kansas
No. 113: FIU
No. 112: Florida Atlantic
No. 111: South Alabama
No. 110: Washington State
No. 109: Wyoming
No. 108: Colorado State
No. 107: Army
No. 106: Buffalo
No. 105: UAB
No. 104: UTEP
No. 103: Illinois
No. 102: Boston College
No. 101: Tulane
No. 100: UNLV
No. 99: Auburn
No. 98: Texas State
No. 97: North Texas
No. 96: Central Michigan
No. 95: Purdue
No. 94: Connecticut
No. 93: Cal
No. 92: South Florida
No. 91: Temple
No. 90: Virginia
No. 89: Arkansas
No. 88: Troy
No. 87: Tennessee
No. 86: Utah
No. 85: Missouri
No. 84- No. 51
No. 84: New Mexico
No. 83: Western Michigan
No. 82: Miami (OH)
No. 81: Rice
No. 80: Houston
No. 79: SMU
No. 78: Marshall
No. 77: Indiana
No. 76: Iowa
No. 75: Syracuse
No. 74: Baylor
No. 73: Georgia Tech
No. 72: Virginia Tech
No. 71: Pittsburgh
No. 70: Maryland
No. 69: UTSA
No. 68: Louisiana Lafayette
No. 67: Ole Miss
No. 66: Vanderbilt
No. 65: BYU
No. 64: Washington
No. 63: Air Force
No. 62: Arizona State
No. 61: NC State
No. 60: Minnesota
No. 59: Iowa State
No. 58: Michigan State
No. 57: Navy
No. 56: Wake Forest
No. 55: Middle Tennessee
No. 54: Nevada
No. 53: Bowling Green
No. 52: Duke
No. 51: East Carolina
No. 50: Arizona
After USC lost, Arizona held its own fate in its hands and then went out and got blown out by UCLA. With the loss, the Wildcats feel out of the running for the Pac-12 South title and failed to see their offense show up.
Going forward, Rich Rodriguez has done a nice job but must find a way to help this team improve from week to week and get the best out of it on a weekly basis.
No. 49: Miami
This past Thursday night, Miami picked up a big win by taking down Virginia Tech. With the win, Miami continues to keep its hopes of going to the ACC title game alive.
The problem that Miami has been faced with so far this year has been consistency. Throughout the year, the offense and defense have both shown signs of life, but until they put together a consistent stretch of play, the Hurricanes will struggle.
No. 48: Ball State
Ball State continues to be a surprise team in the MAC as it is now 6-3 overall this year. The Cardinals have been getting things done this year behind a strong offense, which is good because their defense is one of the worst in the nation.
If the defense can turn things up down the stretch, the Cardinals can put together a great end to the year.
No. 47: North Carolina
After losing to Duke, North Carolina had bounced back with a dramatic victory over NC State and had last week off. This week the Tar Heels return to play against Georgia Tech at home.
So far this year, the Tar Heels are 6-3 but have lost two games in conference. Regardless, they are still alive in the conference race.
No. 46: Western Kentucky
As we are coming down the stretch, Western Kentucky is starting to struggle as it has lost two of its last three games. This past week, the Hilltoppers lost to Middle Tennessee and it dropped their record to 6-3.
With three games remaining, Western Kentucky has all winnable games left and could finish the year at 9-3.
No. 45: Arkansas State
By beating North Texas, Arkansas State extends its win streak to four games and sets up a huge game this coming week against Louisiana Monroe.
This year the Red Wolves have been led by their offense that has been putting up 34 points per game. When going up against the Warhawks, they will need their defense to be better than average to earn a huge win.
No. 44: San Jose State
One of the best offenses in the nation is San Jose State, and it is doing so very quietly. This year, the offense has led the Spartans to a 7-2 record, which has them third in the WAC.
As long as the defense can continue to hold up its end, the offense does enough for this team to hang in any game.
No. 43: Louisiana Monroe
After a great run in conference, Louisiana Monroe finally slipped up and it was against Louisiana Lafayette this past week. With the loss, Louisiana Monroe lost its first conference game and is now tied with two other teams.
This coming week the Warhawks head on the road to take on Arkansas State, and as long as they can take care of business in that game, they will likely put a firm grasp on the conference title.
No. 42: Cincinnati
After dropping two straight games, Cincinnati got back to winning this past week as it locked up a victory over Syracuse.
With the win, the Bearcats still only have one loss, but with the loss to Louisville, the Bearcats are in a huge hole as they head down the stretch.
No. 41: Wisconsin
After a tough overtime loss to the Michigan State Spartans, Wisconsin had this past week off and return to play this week against Indiana.
As the Badgers head down the stretch of their schedule, they still play Ohio State and Penn State, two games that will be huge tests for them.
No. 40: Fresno State
Fresno State continues to remain out in front in the Mountain West Conference as it has a 7-3 record and is now looking to close the season out strong.
This year the Bulldogs have made timely plays on both offense and defense, and after the way that 2011 went, this has been a great turnaround for this program.
No. 39: West Virginia
The 5-0 start that West Virginia got off to this year is just a distant memory at this point as it is now 5-3 after three straight losses. This past week was an incredibly tough loss for the Mountaineers as they went to double overtime and lost on a tough two-point conversion by TCU.
Geno Smith has to get back to playing like he did in September if this team wants to turn things around.
No. 38: Tulsa
Tulsa took a break from conference play and took on Arkansas. Despite keeping the game close, Tulsa dropped the game 19-15 on the road.
The Golden Hurricanes have looked strong all year long and continue to remain on top of the Conference USA standings.
No. 37: Boise State
This past week the Boise State Broncos saw their hopes of going to a BCS game dashed as San Diego State came in and beat them on their own blue turf.
Throughout this season, things have been quiet for the Broncos, and with this loss, they will continue to stay under the radar and will hope to rebuild towards 2013.
No. 36: Penn State
Penn State did a great job this past week by bouncing back from a loss to Ohio State and defeated Purdue, 34-9.
Throughout this season, it has been surprising to see how well this team has been able to play with a depleted depth chart. As the season winds down, it continues to surpass all expectations.
No. 35: San Diego State
In putting together their fifth straight win, San Diego State went on the road and beat Boise State on the blue turf. The win is a huge one for the program and in this year's conference race.
With the win, the Aztecs remain in the hunt for the Mountain West Conference title but will need Fresno State to drop another game due to its victory over San Diego State in their head-to-head matchup.
No. 34: UCF
With five straight wins, UCF has quickly moved to the top of the Conference USA rankings and it only has three games remaining.
At 7-2, the Knights are having an outstanding season but will need to answer the bell when they play Tulsa in a couple of weeks.
No. 33: Michigan
At 6-3, Michigan is hoping that it can keep winning and keep the pressure on Nebraska in the division. This past week the Wolverines were able to take care of business against Minnesota and keep their Big Ten hopes alive.
With games against Northwestern, Iowa and Ohio State remaining, Michigan cannot afford to lose another game if it hopes to end up in Indianapolis.
No. 32: Ohio
After losing to Miami of Ohio, Ohio bounced back this week and blew out Eastern Michigan in their matchup. Ohio had a special year going, but a late-game mistake by Tettleton cost them the game a couple of weeks ago.
Going forward, the Bobcats should likely run the table and will give themselves a great shot of heading to the MAC title game.
No. 31: Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State had a chance to make a statement this past week but came up short against Kansas State on the road.
So far this year the offense has not missed a beat from last year, but the defense has let down the Cowboys in their big games. In order for this team to reach last year's success, the defense must improve and do so fast.
No. 30: Northwestern
Northwestern just continues to surprise people as it is now 7-2 on the season. After a win this past week, the Wildcats are going up against Michigan this coming week.
If the Wildcats can find a way to take down the Wolverines, they will really gain some attention around the Big Ten and the nation.
No. 29: TCU
When you looked at the schedule in the final four games of the year for TCU, you knew it would be a tough road for the Horned Frogs. This past week that schedule got off to a great start as they earned a double-overtime win on the road over West Virginia.
With three games remaining, TCU must find a way to compete with Kansas State, Texas and then Oklahoma.
No. 28: Utah State
After taking down Texas State, Utah State improved its record to 8-2 on the year. With the win under their belt, the Aggies now have a bye week before having to take on Louisiana Tech, a game that will likely decide the WAC title.
No. 27: Kent State
Kent State continues to have an outstanding season as it has now moved to 8-1 on the year. Down the stretch, the Golden Flashes have a few more tests which include playing Miami of Ohio and Ohio.
If the Golden Flashes can continue to show the solid balance on offense and defense, this could be a huge season for the program.
No. 26: Northern Illinois
At 9-1, Northern Illinois is coming off a blowout victory over Massachusetts. The Huskies have been looking dominant all year long, and the offense continued to look sharp this past week as it put up 63 points.
In a couple of weeks, the Huskies will be tested for the final time as they welcome in Toledo for a huge conference game.
No. 25: USC
Despite an amazing effort for their offense, the USC Trojans lost their second straight game this year and have now lost three of the last four games against Oregon.
While the offense got rolling, the defense got destroyed. The Trojans defense had no answers for the Oregon rushing and passing attack and saw the Ducks go up and down the field on them all game long.
No. 24: Texas Tech
Texas Tech came into its game against Texas with an offense that was putting up great numbers. In the game against Texas, the Red Raiders offense fell flat and only managed 22 points.
With the loss, the Red Raiders continue to have trouble finding consistency and will now try to bounce back from this loss against the Longhorns.
No. 23: Rutgers
After losing its first game of the year, Rutgers had last week off and now it returns to play this week against Army.
The Scarlet Knights are also still very much alive in the Big East race, and it will likely come down to their head-to-head matchup against Louisville at the end of the year.
No. 22: Toledo
Despite its season-opening loss to Arizona, Toledo has gone on a hot streak and was won its past eight games to move to 8-1.
Right now the offense and defense are both clicking and going forward, and the Rockets must get past both Ball State and Northern Illinois.
No. 21: Mississippi State
Despite being 7-2, the Bulldogs are showing that they are an average to good SEC team. The past two weeks has seen them play the Tide and now the Aggies, and they were unable to keep either game close.
If the Bulldogs want to gain some respect around the conference, Mississippi State must find a way to win one of these big games.
No. 20: Louisiana Tech
Now 8-1, Louisiana Tech continues to win and will be putting control of the WAC on the line in two weeks when it takes on Utah State.
This coming week the Bulldogs take on Texas State. The only question they have facing them is if they can stay focused and take care of business before heading into their big game against the Aggies.
No. 19: Texas
Texas has now won its third straight game on the road and did so against an offense that can really put up a lot of points. Despite the offensive abilities of Texas Tech, the Texas defense stepped up and held the Red Raiders to 22 points.
With the win, Texas 7-2 and has some huge games remaining against TCU and Texas.
No. 18: UCLA
With its win over Arizona this past week, UCLA came out and made a statement, winning 66-10. With the win, the Bruins grabbed control of the Pac-12 South and are now in control of their own destiny.
If the Bruins can find a way to win out, including a win over USC, the Bruins will be heading back to the Pac-12 title game.
No. 17: Nebraska
While it may not have been pretty, a win is a win and Nebraska earned a late victory over the Spartans on the road.
With the win, the Cornhuskers remain in control of their division and have the inside track to make it to the Big Ten title game.
No. 16: South Carolina
South Carolina has had a week to get over the loss of Marcus Lattimore and returns to play this week against Arkansas.
At 7-2, the Gamecocks are out of the SEC title hunt but can still turn in a 10-win season and end this season on a positive note as they head down the stretch.
No. 15: Texas A&M
Texas A&M beat Mississippi State this past week but faces a huge test coming up this week. This week the Aggies take on Alabama on the road and will need every point they can muster.
If the Aggies defense can find a way to limit the Tide on offense, the Aggies will have a shot at pulling off the upset.
No. 14: Stanford
Very quietly, Stanford continues to win and looks like it will head into its game with Oregon in a couple of weeks with its Pac-12 fate in its control.
If the Cardinal is able to win out, it will include a head-to-head victory over the Ducks and will allow them to head to the Pac-12 title game. Is the third time against the Ducks a charm?
No. 13: Oklahoma
After losing to Notre Dame, Oklahoma bounced back nicely by beating Iowa State. With the win, the Sooners move to 6-2 on the year.
Despite what the preseason expectations were, the Sooners are not going to be winning the Big 12 this year. With their head-to-head loss to Kansas State, they are effectively down by three games.
No. 12: Oregon State
Oregon State continues to surprise people be the way it continues to win. On the year, the Beavers are now 7-1.
The next three weeks will tell the nation all it needs to know about the Beavers. Coming up, Oregon State plays Stanford, Cal and then Oregon. Going 2-1 would be a huge success for this team.
No. 11: LSU
LSU had a chance to its season around. The Tigers had Alabama down and out and had been dominating its offense the entire second half. Despite all of that, they couldn't shut the door and let Alabama beat them in the finale minute.
With a second loss, LSU is out of the SEC hunt and will try to find a way to salvage its season.
No. 10: Clemson
Despite the head-to-head loss to Florida State, the Tigers continue to keep the heat on them by winning week after week. This past week, Clemson dominated Duke and still has the one conference loss.
Going forward, the Tigers have to hope that Florida State drops one of its next two games or they will be out of the ACC title game.
No. 9: Florida State
Florida State enjoyed a week off this past week and is now in the final stretch of its schedule. With two road games remaining, the Seminoles must win against Virginia Tech and Maryland to secure their spot in the ACC title game.
With Clemson hot on their trail, the Seminoles continue to hold on to the tiebreaker but need to keep winning for that to matter.
No. 8: Louisville
Louisville is the undefeated team that nobody is talking about this year, and that mainly is due to the fact that it is in the Big East and is not on the same level as the other four.
Despite the lack of attention, Teddy Bridgewater and the Cardinals keep on winning and appear to be on their way to a second straight conference title.
No. 7: Florida
While it may not have been pretty, the Gators earned a 14-7 win at home over Missouri this past week. There is no doubt that the Gators defense is strong as ever, but the question mark remains on the offense.
Going down the stretch, the Gators must find some offensive answers if they hope to beat the Seminoles.
No. 6: Georgia
Against Ole Miss, Aarron Murray played an outstanding game, going for four touchdowns and almost 400 yards passing.
With the win, Georgia remains in control of its own destiny in the SEC. With a win over Auburn, the Bulldogs will be heading back to the SEC title game.
No. 5: Notre Dame
There were multiple times this past week that it appeared that the Fighting Irish were about to lose to Pitt. Despite how things looked, the Irish bounced back and found a way to win in triple overtime.
With the win, the Irish stay undefeated and appear to only have USC to worry about the rest of the way.
No. 4: Ohio State
While the rest of the Big Ten is not showing many signs of life, Ohio State has been dominant in a year that it cannot be rewarded for it. Still undefeated, the Buckeyes have two games remaining, including their matchup with Michigan.
Despite the inability to go to a bowl game or conference title game, this is a great way for Urban Meyer to start his time at Ohio State.
No. 3: Kansas State
Kansas State came up big this past week by taking down Oklahoma State. The biggest question will be the health of Collin Klein, who left the game in the second half.
If Klein is OK and can come back this week, the Wildcats should be fine, but things will get really interesting if he is unable to play this week.
No. 2: Oregon
Going into its game against USC, Oregon had been blowing teams out by the half and putting it in cruise control down the stretch. Against USC, the Ducks offense had no issues, but the Trojans kept things close by putting up score after score.
With a win over USC, the Ducks still have Cal, Stanford and Oregon State remaining. If the Ducks win out, they are heading back to the Pac-12 title game.
No. 1: Alabama
While it may have looked bleak and that the Tide were about to go down, the offense came through in the final minute and helped keep Alabama undefeated.
With the win at LSU behind the Tide, Texas A&M is up next. As long as the Tide can get through that game, they should remain undefeated heading to the SEC title game.