Where Utah football landed in the AP Top 25 poll after beating Baylor

Utes ascend media poll with 55-28 win over Bears

Utah Utes running back Wayshawn Parker (1) carries the ball ahead of Baylor Bears linebacker Kyland Reed (45) during the second half at McLane Stadium. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The Utah football team ascended to the No. 13 spot in the Week 13 edition of the Associated Press Top 25 poll, similar to its position in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings revealed just a few days before a pivotal Big 12 bout against Baylor.

Despite an abnormal night defensively, the Utes (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) capitalized off a few explosive plays in the run game to come away from McLane Stadium with a 55-28 victory over the Bears (5-5, 3-4 Big 12) for their third consecutive win and sixth in their last seven games.

"There was a lot of back and forth there for a while, but we just kept at it, and answered the bell every time," said Utah head coach Whittingham after the game. "A lot a lot of things in that game that both sides did well, but we did enough to get the win."

The decisive victory fueled by 380 rushing yards and four scores from 60-plus yards out — including an interception returned for a touchdown by Scooby Davis — also kept the Utes in the Big 12 title game hunt with BYU and Texas Tech still at the top of the standings.

However, both the Red Raiders and Cougars won on Saturday, while a log jam for third place was formed thanks to another topsy-turvy day around the league.

Here's some important outcomes from Saturday's slate that could impact the Utes' College Football Playoff chances.

Key results regarding Utah's College Football Playoff hopes

• Texas A&M defeated South Carolina, 31-30, in comeback fashion

Had the Aggies (10-0, 7-0 SEC) not pulled off the school's largest comeback in history after trailing South Carolina, 30-3, at halftime, they probably would've been dropped a few spots in the rankings and potentially shoved other teams in front of the Utes as a result.

• Texas Tech thumped UCF, 48-9

The Red Raiders (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) maintained favorable positioning in the conference title race with a shellacking of the Knights at home.

• Oklahoma upset Alabama, 23-21

Utah probably would've liked a different outcome out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for its at-large bid aspirations. Instead, the Crimson Tide (8-2, 6-1 SEC) dropped to No. 10 while Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2 SEC) strengthened its résumé, climbing from No. 11 to No. 8 in the AP poll. It'll be worth monitoring how the selection committee views that result during Tuesday's bracket reveal.

• Notre Dame trounced Pitt, 37-15

Much like the Sooners, the Fighting Irish (8-2) picked up a ranked win on the road to potentially move further away from the bubble and deeper into the CFP rankings' top 12. In the AP poll, though, Notre Dame remained at No. 9.

• BYU cruised by TCU, 44-13

Bear Bachmeier and company didn't have much trouble handling their business against the Horned Frogs, helping the Cougars (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) stay within the top two of the Big 12 standings.

• USC defended home field in 26-21 win over Iowa

The Trojans (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten) kept their College Football Playoff aspirations alive with a nice win over a ranked Hawkeyes squad at home, moving up to No. 16 in the AP poll.

• Georgia throttled Texas down the stretch, 35-10

Twenty-one unanswered points in the fourth quarter gave the Bulldogs (9-1, 7-1 SEC) a 25-point victory over the Longhorns (7-3, 4-2 SEC), who dropped all the way down to No. 17 in the AP poll following their second SEC loss. Texas was in the mix for an at-large spot as the No. 10 team in the CFP rankings.

• Arizona knocked off Cincinnati, 30-24

The Wildcats (7-3, 4-3 Big 12) stunned the Bearcats (7-3, 5-2 Big 12) with a come-from-behind victory on Saturday, creating a four-team tie for third place in the Big 12 among Utah, Houston (8-2, 5-2 Big 12), Arizona State (7-3, 5-2 Big 12) and Cincinnati going into Week 13. It won't mean much for the conference championship game unless either Texas Tech or BYU drop one more game, though still something to monitor heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

AP Top 25 Poll (post-Week 12)

1. Ohio State (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) [57 first-place votes
2. Indiana (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) [8]
3. Texas A&M (10-0, 7-0 SEC) [1]
4. Georgia (9-1, 7-1 SEC)
5. Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC)
6. Texas Tech (10-1, 7-1 Big 12)*
7. Oregon (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten)*
8. Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2 SEC)
9. Notre Dame (8-2)
10. Alabama (8-2, 6-1 SEC)
11. BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12)
12. Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2 SEC)
13. Utah (8-2, 5-2 Big 12)
14. Miami (8-2, 4-2 ACC)
15. Georgia Tech (9-1, 6-1 ACC)
16. USC (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten)
17. Texas (7-3, 4-2 SEC)
18. Michigan (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten)
19. Virginia (9-2, 6-1 ACC)
20. Tennessee (6-3, 3-3 SEC)
21. James Madison (9-1, 7-0 Sun Belt)
22. North Texas (9-1, 5-1 AAC)
23. Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC)
24. Tulane (8-2, 5-1 AAC)
25. Houston (8-2, 5-2 Big 12)

*Oregon and Texas Tech tied for the No. 6 spot with 1,299 points each

Dropped out

No. 22 Cincinnati, No. 23 Pitt, No. 25 South Florida

New to this week's poll

No. 22 North Texas, No. 24 Tulane, No. 25 Houston

Biggest risers

Two teams moved up three spots: No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 21 James Madison

Others receiving votes

Navy 61, Illinois 31, SMU 28, Arizona State 19, Louisville 17, Iowa 14, Pitt 12, San Diego State 12, Arizona 9, UNLV 9, Washington 8, South Florida 6, East Carolina 4, UConn 1