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Amway College Football Poll 2019: Week 14 Top 25 Rankings Announced
November 24, 2019
Chalk mostly held in Week 13, but one crucial upset could have a major impact on the College Football Playoff going forward.
Certainly, it impacted this week's edition of the Amway Coaches Poll. Below, we'll take a look at that poll and the key results from over the weekend.
Rankings
1. LSU
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Georgia
5. Alabama
6. Utah
7. Oklahoma
8. Florida
9. Minnesota
10. Baylor
11. Michigan
12. Penn State
13. Oregon
14. Wisconsin
15. Notre Dame
16. Auburn
17. Cincinnati
18. Memphis
19. Boise State
20. Iowa
21. Oklahoma State
22. Appalachian State
23. Virginia Tech
24. Navy
25. USC
Teams dropped from rankings: SMU, Texas A&M, San Diego State
Analysis
Goodbye, Oregon.
The Ducks' shocking 31-28 loss against Arizona State on Saturday night handed them their second loss and, in the process, likely ended any chances they had at playing in the College Football Playoff. Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels was brilliant in the upset win, throwing for 408 yards and three touchdowns.
After the game, Sun Devils receiver Brandon Aiyuk said he wasn't surprised Oregon fell prey to the upset.
"Oregon is Oregon. They think they are big bad mighty Oregon, so I had a feeling they were just going to come out and do what they do," he said, per John Canzano of The Oregonian. "They were still kicking me the ball and playing me man-to-man. Last year playing against Oregon, we know there was a lot of talkers, but didn't say too much today."
The loss took some of the shine off the pending Oregon vs. Utah Pac-12 title game and could potentially keep the Pac-12 out of the Playoff yet again. Even if Utah wins out, a win over two-loss Oregon isn't as impressive as a victory over the one-loss Ducks would have been, fair or not.
Tim Brando @TimBrandoI REPEAT @Utah_Football shouldn’t be penalized for @oregonfootball gaffe tonight. Here’s where PURE PLAYOFF PRIVILEGE comes in. The Committee will easily dismiss the Utes because Oregon’s loss tonight diminishes a Title win against them. Committee needs to address Utah’s success!
Some top contenders walked the walk and talked the talk Saturday, however. Ohio State kept its playoff hopes firmly intact with a 28-17 win over Penn State.
It looked as though the Buckeyes were going to roll through Penn State, as they took a 21-0 lead early in the third quarter. But the Nittany Lions scored the next 17 points, buoyed by two Ohio State turnovers. Justin Fields and the Buckeyes had the answer, absorbing Penn State's comeback attempt and coming away win the win.
"We talked about going into a big heavyweight match, and you have to take shots," Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said, per the Associated Press. "One of the things about playing in a game like this is you have to be willing to take punches and you have to not flinch when it happens. That was a great example. That was the first time we really were taking shots there."
The win clinched Ohio State's spot in the Big Ten title game and likely put the Buckeyes just one win away from a Playoff berth, with Michigan up next and the winner of Minnesota vs. Wisconsin to follow.
Down in the SEC, LSU and Alabama earned blowout victories, while Georgia survived a tough Texas A&M team, winning 19-13 as its defense yet again played at a championship level.
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"No bones about it, we've got to improve," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said, per the Associated Press, likely referencing an offense that managed just 260 yards of offense. "There were things tonight that we missed that were there. That's the frustrating part."
Finally, in the Big-12, Oklahoma kept its Playoff hopes alive with a 28-24 win over TCU. The Sooners probably need a lot to happen above them to crack the Playoff picture, but the Sooners are nonetheless in the running.
Week 14 will answer a lot of questions regarding that Playoff picture, with a number of crucial matchups on tap. College football fans must be ecstatic with this upcoming slate: Cincinnati vs. Memphis (Friday), Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State (Saturday), Michigan vs. Ohio State (Saturday), Alabama vs. Auburn (Saturday), Wisconsin vs. Minnesota (Saturday), Texas A&M vs. LSU (Saturday).
Buckle up, folks—it's gonna be a fun weekend.