College Football Rankings 2016: Bleacher Report's Week 12 Top 25
Team Chaos is alive and well and is the true No. 1 team in college football. Well, maybe second after Alabama.
On what was supposed to be a boring weekend of games, three of the top four teams in the country lost and threw the entire playoff picture into mayhem. Those losses by Clemson, Michigan and Washington also caused a major shakeup in the Bleacher Report Top 25.
The Bleacher Report poll is voted on by 19 members of our college football staff: writers Greg Couch, Ed Feng, Matt Hayes, David Kenyon, Sanjay Kirpalani, Adam Kramer, Kerry Miller, Brian Pedersen, David Regimbal, Barrett Sallee, Damon Sayles, Brad Shepard, Greg Wallace and Christopher Walsh; video staff Michael Felder, Hunter Mandel and Sean McManus; and editors Eric Bowman and Eric Yates.
First-place votes are worth 25 points, with each subsequent vote worth one fewer point all the way down to one for 25th place. The 25 teams with the most poll points make our list, with the rest falling into the "others receiving votes" category.
Check out where everyone stands after Week 11, then give us your thoughts in the comments section.
Others Receiving Votes
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Troy got an 11-yard touchdown run from Jordan Chunn with 1:02 left to score a 28-24 home win over Appalachian State and remain tied for first place in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans are 8-1 with their only loss a six-point defeat at Clemson in Week 2, but that's still not enough to get them into the rankings.
Here's a look at the schools that received votes but didn't collect enough to get into the Top 25.
- Virginia Tech (32)
- Troy (25)
- San Diego State (21)
- South Florida (19)
- Stanford (17)
- Ole Miss (16)
- Baylor (9)
- Iowa (9)
- TCU (8)
- Pittsburgh (6)
- Minnesota (4)
- Navy (3)
- BYU (1)
- Georgia (1)
- Georgia Tech (1)
No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers
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Poll points: 33
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
Week 11 result: Won 49-36 vs. Kentucky
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. Missouri
Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 SEC) kept itself in contention for the wide-open East Division title by running over Kentucky for a second straight win.
The Volunteers ran for 376 yards and four touchdowns, with quarterback Joshua Dobbs rushing for 147 yards and two TDs while Alvin Kamara had 128 yards and two scores. John Kelly added 94 rushes as the Vols averaged 9.2 yards per carry, more than five yards better than their season average.
Dobbs also threw for 223 yards and three TDs on 11-of-17 passing for Tennessee, which won despite allowing 635 yards, including 443 rushing yards.
No. 24 North Carolina Tar Heels
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Poll points: 42
Last week's ranking: 17th
Week 11 result: Lost 28-27 at Duke
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. The Citadel
North Carolina (7-3, 5-2 ACC) lost its first road game since November 2014 and fell out of a tie for first in the Coastal Division after coming up short at rival Duke on Thursday.
Quarterback Mitch Trubisky had his second multi-interception game of the season, with his second pick coming with 1:02 remaining. He threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns on 24-of-33 passing, but the Tar Heels couldn't run the ball, finishing with a 106 yards after averaging 207.7 yards during a three-game win streak.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 22 (tie) Florida Gators
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Poll points: 102
Last week's ranking: 22nd
Week 11 result: Won 20-7 vs. South Carolina
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 at LSU
Florida (7-2, 5-2 SEC) got a pair of first-half touchdown passes from Austin Appleby and then turned to its defense to pace a home victory and stay atop the East Division standings.
Appleby, starting in place of the injured Luke Del Rio, threw for 201 yards on 17-of-21 passing. He found C'yontai Lewis for a six-yard TD pass in the first quarter and connected with Ahmad Fulwood on an 18-yard scoring strike in the second.
Jordan Scarlett added 134 rushing yards, and Florida's defense held the Gamecocks to 256 yards, including 43 rushing yards, while forcing two turnovers.
No. 22 (tie) Boise State Broncos
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Poll points: 102
Last week's ranking: 24th
Week 11 result: Won 52-16 at Hawaii
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 18 vs. UNLV
Boise State (9-1, 5-1 Mountain West) had no trouble with jet lag in romping to a win in Honolulu, jumping to a 28-0 lead and never looking back.
The Broncos got 338 passing yards and four touchdowns from Brett Rypien, who also ran for a score. Cedrick Wilson made seven catches for 141 yards, while Thomas Sperbeck added five receptions for 114 yards and two TDs. Jeremy McNichols ran for 153 yards and two TDs as Boise gained a season-high 603 total yards.
Boise, which led 52-6 before taking its foot off the gas, allowed only 359 yards and forced two turnovers.
No. 21 Washington State Cougars
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Poll points: 122
Last week's ranking: 23rd
Week 11 result: Won 56-21 vs. California
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 at Colorado
Washington State (8-2, 7-0 Pac-12) won its eighth straight game and—thanks to rival Washington's loss to USC—took sole possession of the North Division.
The Cougars led 28-7 at halftime and finished with 654 yards, with 373 coming from Luke Falk on 36-of-50 passing with five touchdowns. River Cracraft had nine catches for 87 yards and three TDs, while Gabe Marks had seven catches for 87 yards and two scores, giving him the Pac-12 career record with 295 receptions.
The Cougars also got a 75-yard punt return score from Kaleb Fossum.
No. 20 LSU Tigers
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Poll points: 135
Last week's ranking: 19th
Week 11 result: Won 38-10 at Arkansas
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. Florida
LSU (6-3, 4-2 SEC) showed no hangover from last week's home shutout loss to Alabama last week, jumping out to a 21-0 lead en route to claiming the Golden Boot trophy for the first time since 2013.
Derrius Guice ran for a career-high 252 yards and two touchdowns—including a school-record 96-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter—and Leonard Fournette ran for 98 yards and three TDs as the Tigers rushed for 390 yards. Danny Etling added 157 yards on 10-of-16 passing.
The Tigers held Arkansas to 291 yards and forced three turnovers, scoring 30-plus points for the fourth time in five games under interim coach Ed Orgeron.
No. 19 Auburn Tigers
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Poll points: 142
Last week's ranking: 8th
Week 11 result: Lost 13-7 at Georgia
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. Alabama A&M
Auburn (7-3, 5-2 SEC) had its six-game win streak snapped after being unable to move the ball in any fashion, managing a season-low 164 yards and falling out of the West Division title race.
The Tigers' only score came with 28 seconds left in the first quarter on a three-yard touchdown run from Kerryon Johnson, who ran for 99 yards on 22 carries. Auburn didn't have Kamryn Pettway available because of injury, and the Tigers finished with just 127 rushing yards, their fewest since a season-opening 19-13 home loss to Clemson.
Auburn only allowed 343 yards and held Georgia scoreless in the first half, but it gave up the lead in the third quarter when Sean White's pass was intercepted and returned 34 yards for a touchdown. The Tigers managed only 32 yards on seven second-half possessions.
No. 18 Texas A&M Aggies
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Poll points: 143
Last week's ranking: 10th
Week 11 result: Lost 29-28 vs. Ole Miss
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. UTSA
Texas A&M (7-3, 4-3 SEC) allowed 23 fourth-quarter points, including the game-winning field goal with 37 seconds left, to drop its third game in four tries since starting 6-0.
The Aggies built a 21-6 halftime lead on a pair of Keith Ford touchdown runs and a one-yard touchdown pass from Jake Hubenak to Speedy Noil. Hubenak's 13-yard TD pass to Josh Reynolds with 6:41 left in the game gave them a 28-19 lead, but Ole Miss scored 10 unanswered points and then intercepted Hubenak with 16 seconds to go.
Hubenak threw for 213 yards but didn't get much help from the run game, which gained 129 yards. A&M is 0-3 this season when failing to rush for at least 200 yards.
No. 17 Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Poll points: 152
Last week's ranking: 21st
Week 11 result: Won 24-17 vs. Minnesota
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. Maryland
Nebraska (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten) reversed a two-game slide to stay tied atop the West Division standings, needing a game effort from injured quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. to pull out the victory.
Armstrong, who suffered a head injury that sent him to the hospital during last week's 62-3 loss at Ohio State, scored on a 13-yard run to break a 17-17 tie with 7:17 left. Armstrong, who also had to leave this game briefly with a leg injury, had 278 yards of total offense and three TDs, with two coming through the air.
Terrell Newby added 85 rushing yards, and the Cornhuskers defense held Minnesota to 265 yards for the game and zero points in the second half.
No. 16 Florida State Seminoles
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Poll points: 168
Last week's ranking: 20th
Week 11 result: Won 45-7 vs. Boston College
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 at Syracuse
Florida State (7-3, 4-3 ACC) held Boston College to 146 yards of total offense in a blowout home win on Friday.
The Seminoles got three passing touchdowns from Deondre Francois and another two from Sean Maguire, while Dalvin Cook ran for 108 yards and a TD. That gives Cook 3,941 rushing yards, 18 behind Warrick Dunn for the school's career record.
Auden Tate had two of FSU's five TD catches, part of a six-reception, 101-yard performance.
No. 15 Western Michigan Broncos
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Poll points: 183
Last week's ranking: 16th
Week 11 result: Won 37-21 at Kent State
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. Buffalo
Western Michigan (10-0, 6-0 Mid-American) rallied from a 14-0 deficit on Tuesday night to stay unbeaten and in the driver's seat for a major bowl game.
The Broncos leaned on the ground game to gain 329 yards and provide all four touchdowns, with Jarvion Franklin and Fabian Johnson combining for 259 yards and a score apiece. Zach Terrell also ran for a TD to make up for only 83 passing yards after Western Michigan completed a season-low six passes.
Linebacker Robert Spillane's safety with 12:04 left in the fourth quarter broke a 21-21 tie. Franklin and Johnson then added rushing scores to hand the Broncos the game.
No. 14 USC Trojans
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Poll points: 193
Last week's ranking: 25th
Week 11 result: Won 26-13 at Washington
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 at UCLA
USC (7-3, 6-2 Pac-12) fell out of the national picture with a major thud in September when it lost 52-6 to Alabama and started 1-3. On Saturday, the Trojans made darn sure people paid attention to them with an impressive win at previously unbeaten Washington.
The Trojans' sixth consecutive win was the biggest in the run and was paced by all facets of their team. They gained 400 yards but had 21 first downs to control the tempo and keep Washington's explosive offense off the field. Their defense limited the Huskies to 276 yards with only 17 on the ground and forced two turnovers while also collecting a safety and three sacks. And their special teams blocked a field goal late in the third quarter that would have cut Washington's deficit to one point.
Sam Darnold threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns, while Ronald Jones had 93 rushing yards and a TD. Adoree' Jackson added two interceptions.
"This is just a team that's [under]gone a total transformation from the USC squad we saw in September," CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli wrote. "It's always had the talent, and now it's executing as well."
No. 13 Utah Utes
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Poll points: 218
Last week's ranking: 15th
Week 11 result: Won 49-26 at Arizona State
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. Oregon
Utah (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12) recorded an astounding 22 tackles for loss, including 11 sacks, and got big performances from quarterback Troy Williams and running back Joe Williams to stay in the South Division title race.
Hunter Dimick had five sacks, while Pita Taumoepenu added another three, helping the Utes limit Arizona State to 41 rushing yards. Utah ran for 201 yards, with 181 coming from Joe Williams, including second-half scoring runs of 82 and 40 yards.
Troy Williams threw for a career-high 296 yards and four touchdowns, while Chase Hansen added a 34-yard pick-six.
No. 12 Oklahoma State Cowboys
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Poll points: 233
Last week's ranking: 14th
Week 11 result: Won 45-44 vs. Texas Tech
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 at TCU
Oklahoma State (8-2, 6-1 Big 12) survived a shootout at home over Texas Tech partly because of a shanked extra point in the final minutes to stay in contention for the conference championship.
Texas Tech scored a potential game-tying touchdown with 1:44 left to cap a rally after falling behind 45-35, but kicker Clayton Hatfield's PAT sailed wide right. The Cowboys then ran out the clock after recovering an onside kick thanks to three first-down runs by Justice Hill and Chris Carson.
Carson ran for 73 yards and two TDs, and Hill added 126 rushing yards and a score. Mason Rudolph threw for 395 yards and two TDs and ran one in as well. The Cowboys gained 605 yards in securing their fourth one-score win of the season.
No. 11 West Virginia Mountaineers
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Poll points: 269
Last week's ranking: 13th
Week 11 result: Won 24-20 at Texas
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. Oklahoma
West Virginia (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) overcame four turnovers and being outgained by more than 150 yards to win on the road and set up next week's showdown with Oklahoma for the conference lead.
The Mountaineers defense stopped Texas twice in the final six minutes but otherwise struggled to slow the Longhorns down, allowing a season-worst 536 yards.
Skyler Howard threw for 269 yards and a touchdown but was picked off three times, while Justin Crawford lost a fumble.
Kennedy McKoy ran for 73 yards and two TDs for the Mountaineers.
No. 10 Colorado Buffaloes
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Poll points: 286
Last week's ranking: 12th
Week 11 result: Won 49-24 at Arizona
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. Washington State
Colorado (8-2, 6-1 Pac-12) avoided overlooking an underachieving opponent ahead of two huge games coming up, going up 42-10 before putting it on cruise control for a 49-24 victory.
The Buffaloes—who lead the South Division but host North leader Washington State and rival Utah the next two weeks—got 269 yards of total offense and four total touchdowns from Sefo Liufau. He threw for 213 yards and three TDs and ran for 56 yards and a score.
Phillip Lindsay ran for 119 yards and three TDs, and Shay Fields had six catches for 108 yards and two TDs.
No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions
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Poll points: 292
Last week's ranking: 11th
Week 11 result: Won 45-31 at Indiana
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 at Rutgers
Penn State (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten) won its sixth straight game but needed to rally from a 10-point hole late in the third quarter to do it.
The Nittany Lions trailed 24-14 before Trace McSorley threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin and Saquon Barkley scored the first of his two fourth-quarter rushing TDs to go up 28-24. Indiana retook the lead before the Lions scored the final 17 points, sealing the win with Torrence Brown's nine-yard fumble return TD with 29 seconds remaining.
It was one of five fumbles Penn State recovered in the game.
Barkley had only 58 yards on 33 carries along with his two scores, and Penn State as a whole ran for just 77 yards—its fewest since a 49-10 loss at Michigan in September. McSorley threw for 332 yards and two TDs along with two interceptions.
No. 8 Washington Huskies
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Poll points: 338
Last week's ranking: 4th
Week 11 result: Lost 26-13 vs. USC
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. Arizona State
Washington (9-1, 6-1 Pac-12) dealt its playoff chances a damaging blow by seeing its normally efficient offense fail to produce.
The Huskies came in averaging 48.3 points and 499.4 yards per game but were held to 276 yards, including just 17 on the ground. Quarterback Jake Browning, who had 34 touchdown passes and only three interceptions in the first nine games, was 17-of-36 for 259 yards with a TD and two interceptions.
Outside of a 70-yard TD pass from Browning to John Ross that helped pull Washington within four points midway through the third quarter, the Huskies averaged 3.2 yards per play.
The loss snapped Washington's 12-game win streak, and the 13 points totaled its fewest since its 2015 season opener.
No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners
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Poll points: 340
Last week's ranking: 9th
Week 11 result: Won 45-24 vs. Baylor
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 at West Virginia
Oklahoma (8-2, 7-0 Big 12) won its 14th consecutive league game and exorcised the demons from its last home game against Baylor, a 34-point loss two years ago.
Baker Mayfield had 312 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, throwing for 300 yards and two TDs on 20-of-25 passing and adding a rushing score. Joe Mixon ran for 124 yards and a TD, and Samaje Perine added 100 yards and two scores in his first game since Oct. 15.
Dede Westbrook had two TD catches, giving him 14 this season, all of which came during the Sooners' seven-game win streak. Oklahoma's defense forced three turnovers, two of which led to touchdowns.
No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers
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Poll points: 366
Last week's ranking: 7th
Week 11 result: Won 48-3 vs. Illinois
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 at Purdue
Wisconsin (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten) maintained its spot atop the West Division standings with its largest margin of victory in league play this season.
The Badgers pounded out 363 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground, led by 123 yards and three TDs from Corey Clement. Dare Ogunbowale added 103 rushing yards, and Bradrick Shaw ran for 80 yards and a score. QBs Alex Hornibrook and Bart Houston each threw a touchdown as well.
Wisconsin held Illinois to 200 yards of total offense. In the process, it limited a fourth Big Ten opponent to single-digit points this season.
No. 5 Clemson Tigers
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Poll points: 394
Last week's ranking: 3rd
Week 11 result: Lost 43-42 vs. Pittsburgh
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 at Wake Forest
Clemson (9-1, 6-1 ACC) tripped itself up in its quest for a second straight playoff appearance by losing at home for the first time since October 2013. It was also the first time the Tigers had fallen to an unranked team since 2011.
"Clemson has played with fire much of the season, and on Saturday the Tigers' mistakes finally derailed their undefeated season," Matt Brown of Sports on Earth wrote.
Despite an ACC-record 580 passing yards from Deshaun Watson, the Tigers had their 14-game win streak against league opponents come to an end after Pittsburgh's Chris Blewitt kicked a 48-yard field goal with six seconds left. The loss will likely knock Clemson, which was second in the latest playoff rankings, out of the Top Four, but it could still make the semifinals by winning out, including in the ACC Championship Game.
The Tigers would have clinched the Atlantic Division title with a win, but Watson threw three interceptions, two of which led to Pitt TDs. Clemson allowed 464 yards, including 308 passing yards and five touchdowns through the air.
Watson was 52-of-70 with three TD passes, but he only ran for eight yards on five carries. Wayne Gallman had three rushing scores yet finished with just 36 yards on 18 runs. Mike Williams had 15 catches for 202 yards and a TD, and Artavis Scott added 13 catches for 125 yards and a TD.
No. 4 Michigan Wolverines
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Poll points: 395
Last week's ranking: 2nd
Week 11 result: Lost 14-13 at Iowa
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. Indiana
Michigan (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) had basically steamrolled its first nine opponents, winning by an average of 37.3 points during a slate in which seven games were at home. Outside of a 14-7 home win over Wisconsin, the Wolverines hadn't really been tested.
Saturday marked Michigan's first poor grade of the season, dropping it into a three-way tie with Ohio State and Penn State for the East Division lead. And the Wolverines still have to play at OSU in two weeks.
They managed just 201 yards, 296.4 below their season average, and committed two turnovers after giving it away only six times this season. Wilton Speight was 11-of-26 for 103 yards with an interception, and Michigan's only touchdown was a seven-yard Ty Isaac run in the second quarter. That gave Michigan a 10-0 lead, but it didn't score again until Kenny Allen hit a 51-yard field goal for a 13-11 lead with 9:35 left.
"We just didn't get it done," Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said, per Sports Illustrated's Brian Hamilton. "We didn't do enough to make it go our way."
Iowa won on a 33-yard field goal as time expired, a score aided by a facemask penalty on Michigan on a punt return that had the Hawkeyes start at Michigan's 36-yard line.
No. 3 Louisville Cardinals
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Poll points: 424
Last week's ranking: 6th
Week 11 result: Won 44-12 vs. Wake Forest
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 17 at Houston
Louisville (9-1, 7-1 ACC) made what was looking like a potentially embarrassing home loss into a late blowout, scoring 34 fourth-quarter points to finish league play with no worse than a share of the Atlantic Division title with Clemson.
The Cardinals didn't score until getting a 28-yard Blanton Creque field goal with 18 seconds left in the first half and didn't find the end zone until midway through the third quarter. They still trailed until Brandon Radcliff's seven-yard touchdown run with 10:35 left in the fourth, which opened the floodgates.
Radcliff scored again three minutes later, his third TD of the game, and Louisville added three more scores in the final 4:05 to pad its margin. That included a 31-yard Ronald Walker pick-six and Lamar Jackson's only score of the game on a two-yard pass to Cole Hikutini.
Jackson had 298 yards of total offense, including 153 rushing yards, but he was just 14-of-26 through the air. Radcliff ran for 141 yards on 11 carries.
No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes
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Poll points: 456
Last week's ranking: 5th
Week 11 result: Won 62-3 at Maryland
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 at Michigan State
Ohio State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) continued its post-loss obliteration of opponents, winning a second consecutive game by 59 points as part of a three-game win streak since losing at Penn State in October.
The Buckeyes racked up 581 yards of total offense, with 300 coming from quarterback J.T. Barrett, who threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 47 yards and two scores. Barrett has accounted for 31 TDs this season and 98 for his career.
Curtis Samuel scored three TDs, two on the ground and one on a reception, and OSU held Maryland to 176 yards while forcing two turnovers.
No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide
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Poll points: 475 (19 first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: 1st
Week 11 result: Won 51-3 vs. Mississippi State
Week 12 matchup: Nov. 19 vs. Chattanooga
Alabama (10-0, 7-0 SEC) rolled to a 22nd consecutive victory behind a massive performance from true freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts and another dominant defensive effort.
Hurts had 447 yards of total offense with 347 passing yards and 100 on the ground, accounting for five touchdowns. He was 28-of-37 with four TD passes, with three going to ArDarius Stewart, who had eight catches for 156 yards.
Joshua Jacobs added 89 rushing yards as the Crimson Tide gained a season-high 615 total yards. They allowed 274 yards and forced a turnover but didn't score on defense or special teams for the second straight game after doing so in their first eight games this season.
All slides written by Brian J. Pedersen. Follow the author on Twitter at @realBJP.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
