NCAA Football Rankings 2019: Week 11 Polls, Top 25 Standings and Analysis

Alabama and LSU split the honors atop the Week 11 college football polls ahead of their clash in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 

The Tigers remained on top of the AP Top 25, but they received four fewer first-place votes than the Crimson Tide, who topped the Amway Coaches Poll. 

Ohio State and Clemson are in the same position, as the Buckeyes are third in the AP and fourth in the Coaches, while the order is reversed in the AP poll. 

Georgia was the biggest mover in the Top 10, as it leaped to No. 6 in both polls as the best one-loss team. 

The other significant jump came from Memphis, which vaulted up to No. 19. Mike Norvell's Tigers are now two spots behind American Athletic Conference rival Cincinnati in the race for the best Group of Five placing. 

Cincinnati and Memphis are joined by conference mates SMU and Navy. Only the Big Ten and SEC have more programs in the Top 25 than The American. 

Week 11 Rankings

AP Top 25

1. LSU (8-0) 

2. Alabama (8-0) 

3. Ohio State (8-0) 

4. Clemson (9-0) 

5. Penn State (8-0) 

6. Georgia (7-1) 

7. Oregon (8-1) 

8. Utah (8-1) 

9. Oklahoma (7-1) 

10. Florida (7-2) 

11. Baylor (8-0) 

12. Auburn (7-2) 

13. Minnesota (8-0) 

14. Michigan (7-2) 

15. Notre Dame (6-2) 

16. Wisconsin (6-2) 

17. Cincinnati (7-1) 

18. Iowa (6-2) 

19. Memphis (8-1) 

20. Kansas State (6-2) 

21. Boise State (7-1)

22. Wake Forest (7-1) 

23. SMU (8-1) 

24. San Diego State (7-1) 

25. Navy (7-1) 

Amway Coaches Poll

1. Alabama

2. LSU 

3. Clemson 

4. Ohio State 

5. Penn State

6. Georgia

7. Oregon 

8. Oklahoma

9. Utah

10. Baylor

11. Florida

12. Auburn 

13. Minnesota

14. Michigan 

15. Notre Dame

16. Wisconsin

17. Cincinnati 

18. Iowa

19. Memphis

20. Wake Forest 

21. Boise State

22. Kansas State

23. SMU 

24. San Diego State 

25. Navy 

Analysis

The tie between Alabama and LSU at the top of the polls could be broken by the season's first College Football Playoff rankings, which will be released Tuesday night. 

LSU contains arguably the best resume in the FBS, as it earned victories over Auburn, Florida and Texas. After the win over Auburn, Ed Orgeron's side took control of the AP Top 25.

With Joe Burrow leading the new-look offense, LSU has a real chance to go into Bryant-Denny Stadium and earn a victory. The Tigers' last win in the rivalry occurred November 5, 2011, on the road, and since then, they have not posted more than 17 points versus Alabama.

If Burrow and Co. are capable of reversing that trend, they could remain in the top spot with three regular-season games left. 

Alabama has conceded over 20 points on three occasions this season, and it may not be considered the second-best team by the playoff selection committee. 

Ohio State could be the No. 2 squad behind LSU. The Buckeyes have outscored opponents 386-63 and have held four of their last five foes to single digits. Ryan Day's side should remain near, or at, the top of the polls until at least November 23 since it faces Maryland and Rutgers in the next two weeks. 

Clemson is still receiving first-place votes, but it is the clear No. 4 side behind Alabama, LSU and Ohio State due to its strength of schedule. The 9-0 Tigers have beaten one ranked side and have one more left on their schedule before the ACC Championship Game. 

The program's official Twitter account tried to spin its schedule in a positive direction Sunday by noting its seven wins over Power Five sides and each of its opponents being .500 or better at the time of the game. However, that number includes Georgia Tech's 0-0 record in Week 1 and Syracuse's 1-1 mark entering Week 3. The Yellow Jackets and Orange are a combined 5-12. 

If Penn State knocks off Minnesota on Saturday, an argument could be made to slide it into the Top Four since it possesses victories over Michigan and Iowa. 

Georgia is back in the playoff conversation after beating Florida. Kirby Smart's team still needs help and a SEC Championship Game win to qualify, but it is in the best position of the one-loss sides at No. 6. 

If Oregon and Utah keep winning, they could square off in a Pac-12 Championship Game with playoff implications, but that depends on what occurs above them. 

The order of the one-loss squads in Tuesday's playoff ranking will be interesting to watch as well as the order of the Group of Five programs. 

UCF was notoriously held back by the selection committee during its reign atop the American Athletic Conference, and the same could happen to Cincinnati and Memphis. 

But the Bearcats and Tigers could knock themselves out of the Group of Five competition if they split the regular-season finale and AAC Championship Game. If that occurs, Boise State could slip into that position if it holds off the rest of its challengers in the Mountain West Conference. 

Currently, the three best Group of Five teams are separated by five positions, so a defeat from either Cincinnati or Memphis would allow the Broncos to leap them. 

Navy's fifth consecutive win moved it into the Top 25, but there were a few other contenders to take Appalachian State's spot. 

At 7-2, Indiana deserves a position alongside its Big Ten brethren, and it could benefit from the shortcomings of others to move into the Week 12 polls off a bye. 

Texas is also lurking as one of the top vote-getters outside the Top 25. A win over Kansas State could land the 5-3 Longhorns back in the rankings. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.