Alabama Moves Up In the Polls After Ole Miss Victory

The Crimson Tide got a small bump with Oregon and others being upset over the weekend.

The Alabama Crimson Tide did manage to pull out a victory against Ole Miss and kept its New Year's Six bowl hopes alive on Saturday, but with most of the teams ranked ahead of it also winning over the weekend the shift up the poll was minimal. 

The Crimson Tide was No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, three spots up from last week, and No. 8 in the AP Top 25. 

The only top-10 team to lose Saturday was Oregon, which was upset by the Washington Huskies in Eugene, effectively putting an end to the College Football Playoff hopes for the Ducks and quarterback Bo Nix.

With Oregon losing, however, LSU's Cinderella run to the CFP becomes more realistic. Ole Miss' loss meant LSU clinched the West Division of the Southeastern Conference, meaning an opportunity to compete for the SEC title (against No. 1 Georgia). 

Also, TCU has once again proved worthy of its spot in the CFP, defeating Texas 17-10. The offense led by Max Duggan looked  potent. Will it stand the weight of Georgia or Ohio State? Or will it meet the same fate as Cincinnati?

Outside of the top-10, several ranked teams lost over the weekend, including Arizona upsetting the UCLA Bruins 34-28, and Vanderbilt breaking its 26-game conference losing streak by beating Kentucky 24-21. Spots 11-25 were bound for a significant shakeup.

The updated College Football Playoff rankings will be updated Tuesday night. 

USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll

  1. Georgia, 10-0 (61 first-place votes)
  2. Ohio State, 10-0 (1)
  3. Michigan, 10-0 (1)
  4. TCU, 10-0
  5. Tennessee, 9-1
  6. USC, 9-1
  7. LSU, 8-2
  8. Alabama, 8-2
  9. Clemson, 9-1
  10. Utah, 8-2
  11. North Carolina, 9-1
  12. Penn State, 8-2
  13. Oregon, 8-2
  14. Ole Miss, 8-2
  15. Washington, 8-2
  16. UCLA, 8-2
  17. Kansas State, 7-3
  18. UCF, 8-2
  19. Notre Dame, 7-3
  20. Florida State, 7-3
  21. Cincinnati, 8-2
  22. Tulane, 8-2
  23. Coastal Carolina, 9-1
  24. Oklahoma State, 7-3
  25. NC State, 7-3

Schools Dropped Out: Texas, Liberty, Illinois, Kentucky

AP Top 25 

  1. Georgia, 10-0 (62 first-place votes)
  2. Ohio State, 10-0 (1)
  3. Michigan, 10-0
  4. TCU, 10-0
  5. Tennessee, 9-1
  6. LSU, 8-2
  7. USC, 9-1
  8. Alabama, 8-2
  9. Clemson, 9-1
  10. Utah, 8-2
  11. Penn State, 8-2
  12. Oregon, 8-2
  13. North Carolina, 9-1
  14. Ole Miss, 8-2
  15. Washington, 8-2 (moved up nine spots - largest jump in Week 12)
  16. UCLA, 8-2
  17. UCF, 8-2
  18. Notre Dame, 7-3
  19. Kansas State, 7-3
  20. Florida State, 7-3
  21. Tulane, 8-2
  22. Cincinnati, 8-2
  23. Coastal Carolina, 9-1
  24. Oklahoma State, 7-3
  25. Oregon State, 7-3

See Also:

Alabama Showed Some Heart with Narrow Win at Ole Miss

No. 9 Alabama Football Escapes No. 11 Ole Miss, 30-24

Alabama Defense Steps Up in Second Half with Key Stops in Road Win

Jase McClellan, Run Game Spark Alabama's Second Half Offense

Forced Fumble Turned the Tide for Alabama against Ole Miss

Instant Analysis: No. 9 Alabama 30, No. 11 Ole Miss 24

Everything Alabama Coach Nick Saban Said After 30-24 Ole Miss Win

What Lane Kiffin Said After Alabama Pulled Off 30-24 Victory at Ole Miss

Byron Young Leads Alabama Defense By Example in Win over Ole Miss

Notebook: Multiple Alabama Players Suffer Injuries in Win Over Ole Miss

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Mason Smith
MASON SMITH

Mason Smith is a staff writer for BamaCentral, covering football, basketball, recruiting and everything in between. He received his bachelor's degree in Journalism from Alabama State University before earning his master's from the University of Alabama.