College Football Rankings 2014: Week 11 Standings and Top 25 Team Records
As we inch closer to this year's College Football Playoff, intensity continues to build throughout the nation's Top 25 teams. In the wake of the Week 10 action, the Top Four remain the same; however, things have begun to tighten up atop college football's hierarchy.
Something has to give.
Week 11 brings a slate of games that will have severe postseason implications for these teams, as several highly ranked squads are set to duke it out on the gridiron. Rest assured, the nation's pecking order will shift dramatically once again following these pivotal matchups.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Before we get to what should be an action-packed Saturday full of an exuberant amount of twists and turns, here's a look at the Top 25 teams in the nation—for now.
| 1 | Mississippi State (8-0) | Mississippi State Bulldogs | Mississippi State Bulldogs |
| 2 | Florida State (8-0) | Florida State Seminoles | Florida State Seminoles |
| 3 | Auburn (7-1) | Auburn Tigers | Auburn Tigers |
| 4 | Alabama (7-1) | Alabama Crimson Tide | Oregon Ducks |
| 5 | Oregon (8-1) | Oregon Ducks | Alabama Crimson Tide |
| 6 | TCU (7-1) | Michigan State Spartans | Michigan State Spartans |
| 7 | Michigan State (7-1) | TCU Horned Frogs | Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
| 8 | Notre Dame (7-1) | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | TCU Horned Frogs |
| 9 | Kansas State (7-1) | Kansas State Wildcats | Kansas State Wildcats |
| 10 | Baylor (7-1) | Baylor Bears | Baylor Bears |
| 11 | Arizona State (7-1) | Ohio State Buckeyes | Ole Miss Rebels |
| 12 | Ole Miss (7-2) | Arizona State Sun Devils | Arizona State Sun Devils |
| 13 | Ohio State (7-1) | Ole Miss Rebels | Ohio State Buckeyes |
| 14 | LSU (7-2) | Nebraska Cornhuskers | Nebraska Cornhuskers |
| 15 | Nebraska (8-1) | LSU Tigers | LSU Tigers |
| 16 | Oklahoma (6-2) | Oklahoma Sooners | Oklahoma Sooners |
| 17 | Georgia (6-2) | Georgia Bulldogs | Georgia Bulldogs |
| 18 | UCLA (7-2) | UCLA Bruins | UCLA Bruins |
| 19 | Clemson (6-2) | Clemson Tigers | Clemson Tigers |
| 20 | Utah (6-2) | Duke Blue Devils | Duke Blue Devils |
| 21 | Arizona (6-2) | Arizona Wildcats | Utah Utes |
| 22 | Duke (7-1) | Utah Utes | Arizona Wildcats |
| 23 | Marshall (8-0) | Marshall Thundering Herd | Marshall Thundering Herd |
| 24 | West Virginia (6-3) | Wisconsin Badgers | West Virginia Mountaineers |
| 25 | Wisconsin (6-2) | West Virginia Mountaineers | Colorado State Rams |
AP poll can be viewed at CollegeFootball.AP.org.
Amway poll can be viewed at USAToday.com.
B/R poll can be viewed at BleacherReport.com.
Projected Upset of the Week
(9) Kansas State at (6) TCU
This should be a fantastic showdown between two one-loss teams that are still well within the College Football Playoff picture. The loser of this contest, however, is likely to lose all hope of a bid for one of the year's most prestigious bowl games.
TCU enters this contest on a three-game winning streak. The team's only loss this season came in a 61-58 shootout against the Baylor Bears. The Horned Frogs are no stranger to lighting up the scoreboard, boasting the nation's second-ranked scoring offense. Although, that's not what they looked like in Week 10.
This team faced a tough West Virginia defense that made quarterback Trevone Boykin look more like a Heisman afterthought. The signal-caller completed just 12 of his 30 passing attempts for 166 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports tweeted his thoughts during the game:
While the offense pulled out the win with a late-game surge, it was mostly due to errors on the part of the Mountaineers—they turned the ball over five times throughout the contest.
This week, TCU faces another strong defense in Kansas State.
The Wildcats are ranked 12th in the nation in points against, allowing an average of just 18.6 per game. This will surely be an interesting battle to watch, as Kansas State has allowed 30 points to an opponent just once this season, while the Horned Frogs have put that number on the scoreboard in each of their contests.
While Kansas State will feature that strong defense, the performance of quarterback Jake Waters will also come into play. He's a gritty player who isn't afraid of contact to get the extra yards. He's composed as a passer and dangerous when he decides to take off and run.
This season, the signal-caller has become very efficient, completing 65.2 percent of his passes for 1,878 yards, 11 touchdowns and just three interceptions while adding 404 yards and seven rushing scores. His ability to make plays with his arm and his legs could give the TCU defense fits.
D. Scott Fritchen of Rivals.com tweeted the quarterback's efficiency in the Big 12 this season:
Expect an experienced Kansas State team to control the pace of the game, utilizing a strong rushing attack, high-percentage passes and stout defense to win the battle for field position and time of possession. This one will remain close, but in the end, TCU's offense will score less than 30 for the first time this year.
Prediction: Kansas State 27, TCU 24
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
