AP top 25 poll: ACC hopefuls, BYU sink in Week 12 college football rankings

A look at the updated AP top 25 college football rankings heading into Week 12, with little movement around the top of the poll, but plenty of change everywhere else.

The updated AP top 25 college football rankings for Week 12. | USA Today Sports | Imagn

There was no change among the top-seven in the new AP top 25 college football rankings coming out of Saturday’s action and heading into the Week 12 games, although voters did make some notable changes near the bottom of the poll.

Although there was one slight change among the top-three, as voters took some first-place votes away from Indiana following its close win at unranked Penn State, and awarded them to undefeated SEC title contender Texas A&M after its win at Missouri.

Texas Tech inched into the top-ten after a statement victory over undefeated BYU to move definitively into first place in the Big 12 title picture, and a pair of ACC hopefuls saw a severe fall after losing against unranked conference opponents in costly upsets.

This week saw AP voters drop three teams from the poll, including Missouri, Memphis, and Washington, and bring on three new contenders, two from the Group of Five ranks in USF and James Madison, and a new ACC insurgent in Pittsburgh.

Where does that leave everything in the updated top 25 college football rankings this week? Let’s take a look at what teams moved up, and down, and who stayed put in Week 12, according to AP voters.

AP top 25 rankings

First-place votes in parentheses

1. Ohio State (55)
2. Indiana (6)
3. Texas A&M (4)
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Ole Miss
7. Oregon
8. Texas Tech
9. Notre Dame
10. Texas
11. Oklahoma
12. BYU
13. Vanderbilt
14. Georgia Tech
15. Utah
16. Miami
17. USC
18. Michigan
19. Louisville
20. Virginia
21. Tennessee
22. Cincinnati
23. Pittsburgh
24. James Madison
25. USF

How did we do? Our prediction for the AP top 25 poll

AP top 25 biggest movers

BYU (Down 4). A 22-point loss to Texas Tech could spell another late-season collapse for the Cougars and has voters rethinking their staying power a little. 

Louisville (Down 5). A costly second loss for the Cardinals against unranked Cal, but AP top 25 voters still like their win over Miami.

USC (Up 3). A nice win over Northwestern has the Trojans at 7-2 and still lingering around the College Football Playoff bubble.

Virginia (Down 8). The biggest drop this week belongs to the Cavs, who had no answers against Wake after losing quarterback Chandler Morris.

Texas (Up 3). The Longhorns didn’t even play over the weekend, but took advantage of some mid-range movement around the rankings.

Michigan (Up 3). Likewise for the Wolverines, who continue to move up the polls and are still hanging around among the better Big Ten squads.

Other teams receiving votes

These teams got votes on AP top 25 ballots, but not enough to be included in the rankings this week

Tulane 83, Missouri 59, North Texas 55, Iowa 54, Houston 43, SMU 8, Arizona State 7, San Diego State 5, Illinois 5, UNLV 2, Memphis 1.