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AP College Football Poll 2018: Complete Week 12 Rankings Revealed
November 11, 2018
The top of the Associated Press poll remained unchanged, but the remainder of the Top 25 continued its state of flux after another weekend full of upsets.
Alabama tightened its stranglehold on the No. 1 ranking with a sound win over Mississippi State, while Clemson remained No. 2 after it took down Boston College on the road. Notre Dame, Michigan and Georgia round out the Top Five.
Here's a look at how the entire poll played out:
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. Michigan
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. West Virginia
8. Washington State
9. Ohio State
10. LSU
11. UCF
12. Syracuse
13. Texas
14. Utah State
15. Florida
16. Penn State
17. Washington
18. Iowa State
19. Cincinnati
20. Kentucky
21. Utah
22. Boston College
23. Boise State
24. Northwestern
25. Mississippi State
Alabama has not given up a point in its last two games, outscoring LSU and Mississippi State 53-0. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had his worst statistical game of the 2018 season in Saturday's 24-0 win, but the Crimson Tide defense held the Bulldogs to 169 yards of total offense.
"I think in this day and age, you not only get judged on whether you win, but you get judged on how you win," head coach Nick Saban told reporters. "I never thought I'd ever be in position to say that you get style points, but the way our system is, that may be the way it is."
With no losses from Top 10 teams—though Oklahoma made it close against rival Oklahoma State—the highest-ranked squad to take a plunge this week is former No. 12 Kentucky, which couldn't get anything going offensively in a 24-7 loss at Tennessee. The Wildcats turned the ball over three times and were held to 262 total yards.
"I thought we were very prepared going into the game, but it showed on the field that we weren't," Kentucky tight end C.J. Conrad told reporters. "They were more hungry than us tonight for whatever reason."
Also taking a plunge this week among the ranked were Fresno State and North Carolina State. The Bulldogs allowed Boise State to score the game's final 21 points in a 24-17 road loss on the blue turf, while NC State was upended by a late touchdown in a 27-23 home loss to Wake Forest.
Fresno State, NC State and Michigan State moved out of the Top 25. No. 21 Utah, No. 23 Boise State and No. 24 Northwestern moved in as replacements.
The College Football Playoff committee will release its next rankings Tuesday.