College Football Rankings Week 14: B/R's Official Top 25
On paper, this past weekend of college football wasn't one to get too excited about. Certainly not in comparison to some of the previous slates, or what's in store next weekend. But paper can only tell us so much, as there were a number of surprising results from Thursday through Saturday that impacted playoff chances and our rankings.
The Bleacher Report Top 25 is voted on by 18 members of our college football team: writers Keith Arnold, Ben Axelrod, Phil Callihan, Michael Felder, Justin Ferguson, Andrew Hall, Kyle Kensing, David Kenyon, Ben Kercheval, Adam Kramer, Brian Pedersen, Barrett Sallee, Brad Shepard, Erin Sorensen and Greg Wallace, as well as editors Eric Bowman, Hunter Mandel and Max Rausch.
Each voter submits their ballots based on observations made during the just-completed week's games. Teams receive 25 points for a first-place vote, all the way down to one point for being ranked 25th, and then the top 25 vote-getters are ranked in order of their point totals.
Check out B/R's Week 14 poll, then give us your thoughts in the comments section.
Others Receiving Votes
1 of 27
Boise State moved closer to winning the Mountain West's Mountain Division with a 63-14 win Saturday night at Wyoming. The Broncos are tied with Colorado State and Utah State for the division lead, but if Boise beats Utah State at home Nov. 29, it will play in the conference title game.
- Boise State (9)
- West Virginia (8)
- Arkansas (5)
- LSU (5)
- Memphis (5)
- Nebraska (5)
- Duke (4)
- Texas A&M (3)
- Boston College (2)
- Utah State (1)
25. (Tie) Utah Utes
2 of 27
Week 13 result: Lost 42-10 vs. Arizona
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 at Colorado
Poll points: 17
Last week's ranking: 18th
Utah (7-4, 4-4 Pac-12) fell behind 21-0, then after pulling within 10 points early in the second half fell apart for its second straight home loss.
Travis Wilson threw for 143 yards and a touchdown pass to Westlee Tonga, but Wilson was also intercepted twice. The Utes turned it over four times, with backup quarterback Conner Manning's interception returned for a score by Arizona.
Devontae Booker ran for 142 yards, giving him 1,255 for the season, but it was his fourth straight game without a TD run.
25. (Tie) USC Trojans
3 of 27
Week 13 result: Lost 38-20 at UCLA
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 vs. Notre Dame
Poll points: 17
Last week's ranking: 24th (tie)
USC (7-4, 6-3 Pac-12) lost to its crosstown rival for the third straight year, getting shut down offensively despite being tied at 14 in the second quarter.
The Trojans led 7-0 after Anthony Sarao returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown just 3:07 into the game, but then UCLA's offense took over. USC allowed 461 yards, including 326 passing yards and three TDs from UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley.
Cody Kessler threw for 214 yards with a TD and an interception, but Javorius Allen was held to just 60 yards and a score.
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24. Colorado State Rams
4 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 58-20 vs. New Mexico
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 28 at Air Force
Poll points: 69
Last week's ranking: 21st
Colorado State (10-1, 6-1 Mountain West) gained a school-record 698 yards and remained in the hunt for the Mountain Division title heading into the final week of the regular season.
Dee Hart ran for 230 yards and five touchdowns plus caught a TD pass. Garrett Grayson threw for 389 yards and three TDs, including 10 throws for 167 yards and two scores to Rashard Higgins.
The Rams allowed New Mexico to rush for 301 yards, but they also forced four turnovers to win their ninth straight game.
22. (Tie) Minnesota Golden Gophers
5 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 28-24 at Nebraska
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 at Wisconsin
Poll points: 78
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
Minnesota (8-3, 5-2 Big Ten) stripped Nebraska's De'Mornay Pierson-El at the 2-yard line with 1:19 left to hold on to its first win in Lincoln since 1960 and remain alive for the West Division title heading into next week's game at division leader Wisconsin.
The Golden Gophers rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit, falling behind 21-7 after Nebraska returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown, by relying on quarterback Mitch Leidner. Leidner threw for 135 yards and added 111 rushing yards and two TDs, the last on a two-yard run with 3:25 left for the go-ahead score.
Leidner had to perform well when tailback David Cobb left the game with a hamstring injury. Cobb ran for 80 yards and a TD before getting hurt. Minnesota held Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah to 98 yards while forcing two turnovers.
22. (Tie) Louisville Cardinals
6 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 31-28 at Notre Dame
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 vs. Kentucky
Poll points: 78
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
Louisville (8-3, 5-3 ACC) won its second straight game on the road, getting three total touchdowns from freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon to beat reeling Notre Dame.
The Cardinals didn't clinch the victory until Notre Dame missed a short field goal in the final minute, but their defense held strong all game by limiting the Fighting Irish to 335 yards and intercepting Everett Golson once. It was Louisville's FBS-leading 23rd interception this season.
Bonnafon threw for 180 yards and a TD and ran for two scores, while Brandon Radcliff added 136 rushing yards and a TD.
21. Clemson Tigers
7 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 28-0 vs. Georgia State
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 vs. South Carolina
Poll points: 81
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
Clemson (8-3, 6-2 ACC) notched its second shutout of the season, getting a huge game from freshman running back Tyshon Dye in a nonconference tuneup before the annual battle for Palmetto State supremacy.
Dye, who came in with 14 yards on five carries, ran for 124 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns. Quarterback Cole Stoudt added 132 yards and a TD on 19-of-29 passing, as the Tigers overcame a pair of turnovers.
Clemson held Georgia State to 155 yards (including only 40 on the ground) and forced three turnovers.
20. Marshall Thundering Herd
8 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 23-18 at UAB
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 28 vs. Western Kentucky
Poll points: 89
Last week's ranking: 19th
Marshall (11-0, 7-0 Conference USA) had its lowest scoring game of the season, but it still picked up a 12th straight win thanks to a defensive touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.
Ra'shawde Myers recovered a fumble in the end zone after Marshall stripped UAB quarterback Cody Clements. That came not long after UAB went up 18-17, the first time the Thundering Herd have trailed in the fourth quarter all season.
Rakeem Cato threw for 284 yards and two TDs, extending his FBS record to 43 straight games with a TD pass. Devon Johnson added 171 rushing yards, giving him 1,573 for the season.
19. Oklahoma Sooners
9 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 44-7 vs. Kansas
Week 14 matchup: Bye
Poll points: 119
Last week's ranking: 24th (tie)
Oklahoma (8-3, 5-3 Big 12) stuck to the ground game to dominate Kansas, turning to Samaje Perine early and often en route to the true freshman running back breaking the FBS single-game rushing record that had just been set a week earlier.
Perine ran for 427 yards and five touchdowns on 34 carries, with his last 42-yard run early in the fourth quarter putting him past the 408 yards that Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon had last week.
"It's still surreal," Perine told The Associated Press (h/t Yahoo Sports). "I just looked at it as doing what I had to do to help my team. I'm not really feeling special in any type of way."
Perine scored on runs of 49, 33, 34, 66 and 27 yards, accounting for all of the Sooners' TDs. Throw in a 19-yard reception, and he had 446 of Oklahoma's 549 yards of total offense. Quarterback Cody Thomas only threw for 39 yards on 3-of-13 passing in his second start in place of injured starter Trevor Knight.
Oklahoma, which also got three field goals from Michael Hunnicutt, held Kansas to 103 yards and forced two turnovers.
18. Ole Miss Rebels
10 of 27
Week 13 result: Lost 30-0 at Arkansas
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 vs. Mississippi State
Poll points: 132
Last week's ranking: 8th
Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3 SEC) lost its third straight conference game after starting the season 7-0, turning it over six times in a sloppy road performance.
Bo Wallace threw two interceptions along with 235 passing yards, and the Rebels managed just 63 yards on the ground. One of Wallace's interceptions was brought back 100 yards for a touchdown by Arkansas' Rohan Gaines late in the third quarter.
Ole Miss hasn't lost four consecutive SEC games since 2011, but it has to face one-loss Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl rivalry game next week.
17. Missouri Tigers
11 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 29-21 at Tennessee
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 28 vs. Arkansas
Poll points: 139
Last week's ranking: 22nd
Missouri (9-2, 6-1 SEC) won its 10th straight road game and moved within a game of a second straight East Division title with a solid victory at Tennessee behind quarterback Maty Mauk.
Mauk threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter as the Tigers broke the game open. His 73-yard TD pass to Jimmie Hunt made it 23-13, then Bud Sasser caught a 13-yard pass later in the fourth.
Marcus Murphy ran for 82 yards and two TDs, and Missouri held Tennessee to 279 yards and limited mobile quarterback Joshua Dobbs to only 13 yards on the ground.
The Tigers will win the East with a home victory over Arkansas on Friday. A loss gives the division title to Georgia.
16. Auburn Tigers
12 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 31-7 vs. Samford
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 at Alabama
Poll points: 162
Last week's ranking: 17th
Auburn (8-3, 4-3 SEC) tuned up for next week's Iron Bowl with a slow start, trailing 7-0 to its FCS opponent midway through the second quarter before coming alive.
Less than a minute after Samford scored, Auburn tied it on a 23-yard touchdown run by Quan Bray, and by halftime the Tigers led 17-7. Nick Marshall threw for 171 yards and a TD on 11-of-18 passing, while Cameron Artis-Payne ran for 129 yards and a score.
Auburn held Samford to 238 yards as it ended a two-game losing streak.
15. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
13 of 27
Week 13 result: Bye
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 at Georgia
Poll points: 182
Last week's ranking: 16th
Georgia Tech (9-2, 6-2) didn't play this week, but because of Duke's loss Thursday against North Carolina, it clinched the Coastal Division title and will face Florida State in the conference title game next month in Charlotte.
Tech has won four straight, the last a dominant 28-6 victory over Clemson. With the No. 4 rushing offense at 327.9 yards per game and 2,223 yards of total offense with 20 touchdowns from quarterback Justin Thomas, the Yellow Jackets are among the hottest teams in the country right now.
Tech has lost five straight games and 12 of 13 to rival Georgia, its last victory coming in 2008.
14. Wisconsin Badgers
14 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 26-24 at Iowa
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 vs. Minnesota
Poll points: 218
Last week's ranking: 13th
Wisconsin (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) set up a showdown with Minnesota for the West Division title next week after Melvin Gordon continued his run through the record books.
A week after rushing for 408 yards against Nebraska—an FBS record that was broken Saturday by Oklahoma's Samaje Perine—Gordon ran for 200 yards and two touchdowns to tie the Big Ten single-season rushing record. He has 2,109 yards, tied with former Wisconsin star Ron Dayne, along with 25 rushing TDs.
Gordon scored on runs of six and 23 yards and had an 88-yard run as the Badgers ran for 266 yards. Tanner McEvoy added a 45-yard TD run, while Joel Stave threw for 139 yards on 11-of-14 passing.
The Badgers have won six straight, but Saturday's scoring output was its lowest during a stretch when it has averaged 41 points per game.
13. Arizona Wildcats
15 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 42-10 at Utah
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 28 vs. Arizona State
Poll points: 237
Last week's ranking: 14th
Arizona (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) used four turnovers and a massive rushing game from freshman Nick Wilson to cruise past Utah on the road, though it did lose starting quarterback Anu Solomon to a foot injury.
Solomon threw for 158 yards and ran for an 11-yard touchdown in helping the Wildcats to a 21-7 halftime lead, but in the second half he was replaced by Jesse Scroggins. Scroggins threw for 64 yards but relied heavily on Wilson, who had 218 yards and three TDs on 20 carries.
Wilson scored twice during a 21-point fourth quarter on runs of 75 and 19 yards, and he now has 1,085 yards and 12 TDs this season. Arizona also got a 39-yard interception return TD from Tra'Mayne Bondurant.
12. Arizona State Sun Devils
16 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 52-31 vs. Washington State
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 28 at Arizona
Poll points: 257
Last week's ranking: 15th
Arizona State (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) rebounded from last week's crushing loss at Oregon State with a come-from-behind win over the Cougars, scoring 31 straight points after trailing 24-21 at halftime.
The Sun Devils were outgained 622-330 but made the most of their yards and the five turnovers they forced. ASU intercepted Washington State quarterback Luke Falk four times, scoring touchdowns after each pickoff.
Taylor Kelly threw for 232 yards and four TDs on 15-of-25 passing, while D.J. Foster ran for 96 yards and three TDs. Cameron Smith had six catches for 131 yards and two TDs, stepping up for injured star wideout Jaelen Strong.
ASU won despite allowing Falk to throw for 601 yards and three TDs on 45-of-74 passing.
11. Kansas State Wildcats
17 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 26-20 at West Virginia
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 vs. Kansas
Poll points: 271
Last week's ranking: 11th
Kansas State (8-2, 6-1 Big 12) held on to a share of first place with a hard-fought win Thursday in Morgantown thanks to quarterback Jake Waters' career night.
Waters threw for 400 yards and a touchdown on 22-of-34 passing, helping to overcome a running game that only managed one yard for the contest.
"The Wildcats put a lot on Waters' shoulders Thursday, asking him to mask a miserable rushing effort with his arm," wrote Kellis Robinett of The Kansas City Star. "Late in the game, instead of trying to burn clock with rushes, [head coach] Bill Snyder told Waters to pick up first downs through the air. Knowing every incomplete miss would stop the clock, Waters led K-State down field and set up a game-clinching field goal."
K-State also got a 43-yard punt-return touchdown from Tyler Lockett, who added 10 catches for 196 yards, while Matthew McCrane kicked four field goals.
The Wildcats were outgained by West Virginia 433-401 but forced four turnovers.
9. (Tie) UCLA Bruins
18 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 38-20 vs. USC
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 28 vs. Stanford
Poll points: 295
Last week's ranking: 12th
UCLA (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) put itself a victory away from winning the South Division while also beating its rival for a third straight season behind Brett Hundley's big night.
Hundley, whose first pass of the night was intercepted by USC's Anthony Sarao for a touchdown, rebounded to throw for 326 yards and three TDs on 22-of-31 passing, while also rushing for a 15-yard score. Hundley hit Devin Lucien for a 10-yard TD pass to tie the game at 7-7, then followed that with a 57-yard TD pass to Thomas Duarte.
The Bruins led 24-14 at halftime and then scored TDs on their first two possessions of the third quarter to break the game open.
Paul Perkins ran for 93 yards and a score, and UCLA held USC to 276 yards.
The Bruins win the South with a victory Friday against Stanford. A loss gives the division to the winner of Friday's Arizona-Arizona State game.
9. (Tie) Michigan State Spartans
19 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 45-3 vs. Rutgers
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 at Penn State
Poll points: 295
Last week's ranking: 10th
Michigan State (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) had no trouble romping past Rutgers in its final home game, jumping out to a 35-0 halftime lead while gaining 520 total yards.
Jeremy Langford ran for 126 yards and two touchdowns, and Nick Hill added two rushing TDs. Connor Cook threw for 254 yards and two scores on 16-of-24 passing.
The Spartans intercepted three passes and held Rutgers to 234 yards of total offense.
8. Georgia Bulldogs
20 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 55-9 vs. Charleston Southern
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 vs. Georgia Tech
Poll points: 302
Last week's ranking: 9th
Georgia (9-2, 6-2 SEC) cruised past its FCS opponent without much difficulty, gaining 580 yards while holding the Buccaneers to 211.
Huston Mason completed 10 of 12 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns, two to Chris Conley. Nick Chubb ran for 113 yards and two scores on just nine carries, including an 83-yard TD run for his sixth straight 100-yard game. The true freshman has run for 1,152 yards this season.
The Bulldogs forced two turnovers and limited Charleston Southern to only 21 passing yards.
7. Ohio State Buckeyes
21 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 42-27 vs. Indiana
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 vs. Michigan
Poll points: 362
Last week's ranking: 5th
Ohio State (10-1, 7-0 Big Ten) struggled to beat last-place Indiana, trailing by six points in the third quarter before 28 straight points in less than a quarter of play to clinch the East Division title and a spot in the conference championship game.
J.T. Barrett had 380 yards of total offense and threw for four touchdowns to give him a single-season school record for total offense at 3,507 yards, but the freshman quarterback was also intercepted twice in the first half. That enabled the Hoosiers to trail by only a point at halftime after falling behind 14-0 early.
Indiana went up 20-14 early in the third quarter on a 90-yard TD run by Tevin Coleman, who rushed for 228 yards and three scores. After that it was all OSU, particularly Jalin Marshall, who scored on a 54-yard punt return to give the Buckeyes back the lead and then caught three TD passes.
"I think we need to recruit four more guys like that," OSU coach Urban Meyer told Ari Wasserman of Cleveland.com about Marshall, a freshman who has caught 10 passes for 190 yards in the past two games.
OSU committed three turnovers.
6. TCU Horned Frogs
22 of 27
Week 13 result: Bye
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 27 at Texas
Poll points: 363
Last week's ranking: 6th
TCU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) takes a tie for first place in the conference into a big Thanksgiving game in Austin, where the Horned Frogs won two years ago.
Sitting fifth in the playoff rankings after struggling to win at Kansas a week ago, TCU is riding a five-game winning streak since losing at Baylor in October. During that streak, the Frogs beat three ranked teams and averaged 46 points per game.
Trevone Boykin has amassed 3,569 yards of total offense with 31 touchdowns, and in the past two games he's gotten help from running back Aaron Green (299, three TDs) in place of injured starter B.J. Catalon.
5. Baylor Bears
23 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 49-28 vs. Oklahoma State
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 vs. Texas Tech (in Arlington, Texas)
Poll points: 365
Last week's ranking: 7th
Baylor (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) used a 21-point first quarter to pace a mostly comfortable win over visiting Oklahoma State, gaining 579 yards in the process.
Bryce Petty threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns (though he was also intercepted twice) and ran for another score, while Shock Linwood and Devin Chafin each ran for more than 100 yards and combined to score four rushing TDs. Linwood had 113 yards and a TD, and Chafin ran for 106 and three scores.
The Bears scored at least 45 points for the eighth time this season.
4. Mississippi State Bulldogs
24 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 51-0 vs. Vanderbilt
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 at Ole Miss
Poll points: 384
Last week's ranking: 4th
Mississippi State (10-1, 6-1 SEC) bounced back from last week's loss at Alabama with a resounding destruction of visiting Vanderbilt, notching its first conference shutout since 1999.
The Bulldogs gained 501 yards and held Vanderbilt to 224, getting 220 yards of total offense and four touchdowns from quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott threw three TD passes and scored on a three-yard run.
Joe Morrow caught two TD passes, and MSU ran for 287 yards. Vanderbilt was held to 51 rushing yards and turned the ball over three times.
3. Florida State Seminoles
25 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 20-17 vs. Boston College
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 vs. Florida
Poll points: 424 (seven first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: 2nd
Florida State (11-0, 8-0 ACC) had yet another late rally to remain undefeated, winning for the 27th straight time thanks to Roberto Aguayo's 26-yard field goal with three seconds left.
The Seminoles' score came after Boston College missed a 43-yard field goal with 4:37 left, yet another bit of good fortune for the defending national champs in a season where they've trailed in eight different games.
"For the fourth time in the past five games, FSU was on the brink of a loss late, but the Seminoles rallied to get the win," wrote David M. Hale of ESPN.com.
Jameis Winston threw for 281 yards and a touchdown with an interception on 22-of-32 passing, and Karlos Williams added a three-yard TD run in the first quarter. The Seminoles allowed 240 rushing yards but limited BC quarterback Tyler Murphy to only 48 yards on the ground.
2. Oregon Ducks
26 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 44-10 vs. Colorado
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 at Oregon State
Poll points: 430 (two first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: 3rd
Oregon (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12) got another masterful performance from quarterback Marcus Mariota in what could be his final home game, as the junior threw for 323 yards and ran for another 73 while tallying four touchdowns.
Mariota connected twice with Charles Nelson for TD passes, and he also threw one to Evan Baylis. His rushing TD came on a 46-yard run late in the first quarter.
The Ducks, who gained 597 yards, got 105 rushing yards and two TDs from Royce Freeman to give him 1,050 yards and 16 rushing scores in his true freshman season.
Oregon held Colorado to 226 yards.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
27 of 27
Week 13 result: Won 48-14 vs. Western Carolina
Week 14 matchup: Nov. 29 vs. Auburn
Poll points: 437 (nine first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: 1st
Alabama (10-1, 6-1 SEC) scored the game's final 31 points to turn a far-closer-than-expected contest against an FCS team into a comfortable victory in the end.
The Crimson Tide gained 612 yards, getting 222 passing yards and two touchdowns from Blake Sims, while Derrick Henry ran for two scores and had a TD catch.
Alabama gave up two first-half TDs to the Catamounts before locking down, holding them to 221 passing yards and minus-eight on the ground.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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