Top 10: LSU, Minnesota Wins Shake Up Rankings After Wild Week 11
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota—Minnesota!—stayed undefeated, LSU—LSU!—won at Alabama and Baylor—Baylor—is 9–0. Hello, college football.
Enough of the tomfoolery. Let’s get to the Top 10…
1. LSU
Last week: 1
Last game: Beat Alabama 46–41
Next game: Saturday at Ole Miss
Is there a better story in college football than Ed Orgeron, Joe Burrow and the Tigers? And don’t forget the 30-year-old pass-game coordinator, Joe Brady, who overhauled LSU’s offense. The Tigers are on a roll, and their latest victim was Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide.
2. Ohio State
Last week: 2
Last game: Beat Maryland 73–14
Next game: Saturday at Rutgers
The Buckeyes continue to somehow expand their season-long victory margin each week. Even without defensive end Chase Young, OSU rolled over the Terrapins. Hide your eyes next week. It’s Rutgers Week for the Buckeyes.
3. Clemson
Last week: 4
Last game: Beat NC State 55–10
Next game: Saturday vs. Wake Forest
The Tigers scored more points in the first quarter (28) than the Wolfpack did the entire game. Clemson gets maybe the toughest test of its non-playoff season this week with the Demons and honestly, it’s really not that tough.
4. Minnesota
Last week: NR
Last game: Beat Penn State 31–26
Next game: Saturday at Iowa
Are the Gophers real? They knocked off Penn State in their best win, by far, of the season. Picking the No. 4 team was tough—really tough. At least six teams are in a tight bunch, but only the Gophers and Baylor Bears are unbeaten among them.
5. Alabama
Last week: 3
Last game: Lost to LSU 46–41
Next game: Saturday at Mississippi State
The Tide doesn’t have very many quality wins, but they’ll have a shot at a solid one in the final game of the regular season, at Auburn. Will that be enough, at 11–1 potentially, to get them in the playoffs?
6. Georgia
Last week: 7
Last game: Beat Missouri 27–0
Next game: Saturday at Auburn
The Bulldogs have several quality wins, including Notre Dame and Florida, but they lost at home to South Carolina. Still, their playoff hopes remain alive. Win the SEC championship game over LSU and you’re probably in the playoff.
7. Oregon
Last week: 6
Last game: Beat USC 56–24 in Week 10
Next game: Saturday vs. Arizona
The Ducks were off this week, but they still got a win. Oklahoma’s close victory against Iowa State combined with Alabama’s loss sets up a potential 12–1 Oregon team to squeak into the playoffs.
8. Baylor
Last week: 10
Last game: Beat TCU 29–23 in 3OT
Next game: Saturday vs. Oklahoma
Matt Rhule’s team has four comeback wins this season and on Saturday they needed a 51-yard field goal in the final seconds to tie it at 9 and send the game into overtime. They won in triple OT.
9. Utah
Last week: 9
Last game: Beat Washington 33–28 in Week 10
Next game: Saturday vs. UCLA
We are building toward a Pac-12 championship game between 11–1 Oregon and 11–1 Utah with a potential playoff spot on the line. Should be fun out west.
10. Oklahoma
Last week: 8
Last game: Beat Iowa State 42–41
Next game: Saturday at Baylor
The Sooners’ defense is regressing back to its old form, and that’s not a good thing. OU continues to feel like a team that will be left out of the playoffs, even as 12–1 Big 12 champs.
