AP College Football Poll 2015: Week 11 Top 25 Rankings, Key Game Projections
It wasn't just another week of college football in Week 10. A Top Five clash shook things up, and a new No. 1 team was crowned entering Week 11 of the 2015 season.
Saturday's action saw Clemson usurp Ohio State as the nation's top team in at least the Associated Press poll, stemming from the Tigers' convincing home victory over Florida State. The Buckeyes took care of business on their end in a 28-14 win over Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Alabama made a statement in a lopsided win over LSU that guaranteed the SEC won't have an unbeaten team this season, and it shook things up considerably in the College Football Playoff argument.
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With that in mind, let's take a look at the latest rankings and look forward to next week.
No. 12 Oklahoma at No. 4 Baylor
Baylor's fellow hopeful unbeaten saw its aspirations float away against a team from Oklahoma last week. Now, it's Baylor's turn to avoid a similar fate in a home contest that marks the Bears' toughest of the season.
The Sooners are drastically close to joining Baylor among the ranks of the unbeatens, having been through a number of close calls. That 24-17 drubbing to Texas cannot be forgotten, but Oklahoma still has every opportunity to shake up the Big 12 and win a conference title.
As noted by Jake Trotter of Sports Illustrated, the Sooners have had this game circled:
As for the Bears, they seemed somewhat doomed just a few weeks ago, when quarterback Seth Russell suffered a season-ending injury. But Jarrett Stidham has stepped seamlessly into the role, and Heisman Trophy contender Corey Coleman (20 touchdowns) is still making plays every week.
Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield has thrown 28 touchdowns to just four picks all season, and these Sooners are peaking. But this is still a team that needed a miraculous comeback against Tennessee, and Baylor is still a team eternally ticked off at the lack of respect it gets from the outside.
Prediction: Baylor 44, Oklahoma 37
No. 25 Memphis at No. 16 Houston
Now, to the American Athletic Conference clash we've all been waiting for!
OK, perhaps not many of us could have expected Memphis or Houston to be a part of such a high-stakes contest late in the American Athletic Conference season. But the fact of the matter is, even after Memphis' shocking defeat to Navy, this is still a huge bout in terms of the AAC.
It's safe to suggest that both teams have pretty impressive wins that make them worthy of consideration for at least a strong bowl game. But even in the wake of Memphis' untimely defeat, it's not hard to figure out where the difference lies.
Houston dominated an SEC team in Vanderbilt, but, well, that was Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, Memphis handily beat an Ole Miss team that had toppled Alabama in Bryant-Denny Stadium—the same Alabama that is likely to be in the CFP once again.
Expect the Tigers' boisterous passing attack to lead the way in a tight affair, as Memphis refocuses itself after the tough loss to Navy.
Prediction: Memphis 40, Houston 31
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