Rivalry week of college football was a thriller! 20 out of 25 top teams competed, and the results are going to impact the College Football Playoffs rankings. Although Alabama secured a 28-14 victory against Auburn, they have dropped out of the top 12. Their defeat against unranked teams is the major reason for their downfall this season. The same story applies to Ole Miss; a victory against Mississippi State (26-14) could not help them much. Now, this overturn of events has helped other teams climb the rankings. But will zero-rank wins over current top-25 opponents put some playoff prospects in trouble?

Well, yes! As the championship games come closer, the college football playoff picture begins to take shape, but doubts mount over Indiana, SMU, Clemson, Texas, and Iowa State. But why are they under pressure? College Football Report shared the alarming revelation and wrote, “Notable teams that finished with 0 Wins over Current Top 25 opponents.” 

Texas, Indian, Lowa, SMU, and Clemson had an opportunity to win over the now-top 25 teams, but they could not optimize, and will that defeat put all of them in hot water? Texas is looking strong with an 11-1 record. It does not look like their single defeat of the season against Georgia will put them in a problem, and Steve Sarkisian and the squad still have a high chance of playing in the playoffs as they are among the top four seeds.

Meanwhile, Indiana football has witnessed an amazing season. Head coach Curt Cignetti has guided them in the right direction. However, their defeat in Week 13 against their rivals, Ohio State, raised significant questions. But they bounced back at the right time, but will a dominating 66-0 victory save them and help them as we move forward? Will Georgia again be a reason for stopping a football program from entering the playoffs? The Clemson Tigers played their season opener against the Bulldogs and tasted their first defeat by 3-34.

The overturns of events in week 14 have helped SMU improve its standing. And their nine victories after losing to BYU have put them in a bright spot. But BYU is among the top 25 teams this season, and SMU’s single defeat in week 3 is against them. Talking about Iowa State, in the second half of the season, they tasted two back-to-back defeats. These were against the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Kansas Jayhawks. Although neither of them is in the top 25, their other 10 wins still could not save them because, again, none of them are in the top 25.

The landscape keeps changing, but now we are very close to the playoffs, and destiny will play a huge role in determining the playoff bracket. Till then, let’s take a look at the AP rankings of week 14.

AP Poll rankings after Week 14

The committee has still not released the College Football Rankings of Week 14, but the latest AP Poll Top 25 rankings are here. As mentioned earlier, this was an eventful week, but there were some significant changes that came with it. The teams that lost in week 14 and ended their playoff hopes must be going through a tough time, but that’s part of the excitement of college football. Week 13 also saw significant changes, and actually, it was wilder, leading to major shifts in the rankings.

Let’s see who is leading. Any doubt? Oregon Ducks successfully maintained their position with one more dominating victory against Washington 49-21. The Ducks have finished their regular season undefeated and secured a spot in the Big Ten title game. We will soon see them playing against Penn State.

Texas is in the No. 2 position. On Saturday, they played against their biggest rivals, Texas A&M, after 2011 and secured a victory, which solidified their position. Now, they will play against Georgia for the SEC title. Penn State improved its position after a dominating victory over Maryland, and Ohio State’s defeat also played a role. Notre Dame is in the fourth position, followed by Georgia. We are sure next week, the teams will put on their A game, which will bring more excitement to the season.

<