College football rankings: AP top 25 teams moving up, down in Week 12

Looking forward after another consequential slate of games across the country, let’s predict what teams will emerge as the biggest movers in the AP top 25 college football rankings in Week 12.

We shouldn’t see any change in the top-seven of the rankings this week after those highly-placed teams did their job, but the top-ten will get a slight alteration after a consequential matchup in the Big 12.

And elsewhere further down in the poll, a pair of stunning losses by ACC hopefuls throw a monkey wrench into that conference and leave AP top 25 voters with some decisions to make heading into next weekend.

What teams will be on the move in the AP top 25 college football rankings this week? Let’s take a shot at predicting who’s moving up, and who’s going down, in the polls.

Rankings reflect AP top 25 poll

Staying put this week

College football rankings: AP top 25 teams moving up, down in Week 12 — Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State won’t budge from the No. 1 position in this week’s rankings after housing Purdue to stay undefeated as Jeremiah Smith caught a career-high 10 passes.

Indiana avoided catastrophe at Penn State, returning from a 20-7 deficit in a comeback for the ages on Omar Cooper’s touchdown catch of the year play. The Hoosiers had no 10 win seasons before Curt Cignetti came to town. Now in two years, they have two.

Texas A&M is 9-0 for the first time since 1992 after taking out Missouri in its third-straight road game, and will not only stay at No. 3 in the AP poll, but could peel off a first-place vote or two.

There was some talk that LSU had nothing to lose and would challenge Alabama, but that didn’t happen as the Tide rolled to an eighth-straight win and will stay at No. 4.

Georgia predictably handled Mississippi State after another slow-ish start to improve to 8-1 and will stay put at No. 5.

No. 6 Oregon was up against it at Iowa, even falling behind with under two minutes left in the rain, but stormed back to get the game-winning field goal, averting disaster.

No. 7 Ole Miss expectedly smashed The Citadel in the early Cupcake Week action, but there is some question around whether AP voters will jump Texas Tech ahead of the Rebels given the former played a more difficult, consequential game. Even so, it wouldn’t budge Ole Miss’ playoff positioning.

Moving up: Texas Tech

Last week’s ranking: No. 9

It was moments like this that Texas Tech was preparing for when it made all those big investments in its roster during the offseason, and taking out the first-place team in the Big 12 is exactly the kind of return the program was hoping for.

In a game meant to separate the wheat from the chaff in the Big 12 title picture, the Red Raiders made a statement, not only beating undefeated BYU, but doing so in a dominant fashion by three possessions in a 29-7 victory.

As expected, the Red Raiders’ defense was instrumental in that effort, allowing BYU to cross the 50-yard line just twice all day and holding it to a season-worst 255 total yards, including a meager 67 yards on the ground and a 2.5 yard per touch average.

Beating an undefeated conference leader just might be enough for AP voters to nudge Texas Tech not only up from 9, but potentially ahead of Ole Miss at 7 and put the Rebels at 8.

Moving down: BYU

Last week’s ranking: No. 8

BYU came into the game ranked 15th in FBS in rushing output, posting almost 5.5 yards per carry with 21 touchdowns, but couldn’t find any angles in the face of a determined Texas Tech front alignment that generated constant pressure.

In the absence of its run game, BYU had to rely more on quarterback Bear Bachmeier, but he averaged under 5 yards per attempt, had an interception, and finished with under 200 total yards, unable to build momentum in a gradually shrinking pocket.

BYU was 8-0 for the second-straight year, but yet again came away with another critical November loss that could foil its playoff ambitions. This one is forgivable to the selectors, coming on the road against a playoff hopeful, but it still hurts.

Especially with a road game against Cincinnati in a couple weeks that should determine the Cougars’ place in the Big 12 pecking order. A second loss would be a disaster.

Dropping out: Washington

Last week’s ranking: No. 24

Wisconsin had not defeated a ranked team since 2021 and did not record a win in 10 straight games against Big Ten competition in a historically-awful drought.

That is, until Washington came to town. One very wet 13-10 upset later in which Wisconsin’s top passer was its punter, and the Huskies fell to 3-3 in Big Ten play and will fall out of the AP rankings just one week after getting in.

Moving down: Virginia

Last week’s ranking: No. 12

The race for the ACC title just got weirder after the last team that was undefeated in conference play took a puzzling 14-9 loss against unranked Wake Forest at home.

That ended a seven-game win streak for the Cavaliers and draws them closer among a very crowded rotation of five other league hopefuls with one ACC loss.

Virginia’s offense had nothing after losing quarterback Chandler Morris following a hard hit, but his replacement, Daniel Kaelin, had trouble finishing drives against an inspired Wake defense.

AP voters will punish Virginia for such a performance, likely down into the bottom fifth of the rankings and could be the biggest faller of the week.

Moving down: Louisville

Last week’s ranking: No. 14

Likewise for the Cardinals, whose last-second loss in overtime at home against Cal throws the insane ACC into even more turmoil.

Louisville placed 15th in the first College Football Playoff rankings and a win here would have put it in a five-way tie for first in the ACC, but instead their chances of reaching the conference championship and playoff have taken arguably a mortal hit.

Like Virginia, Louisville is due for a precipitous fall near the bottom of the poll, but could be saved from falling out with the earlier win against Miami.

Who else could move?

⎼ Memphis will likely fall out of the rankings from 22 after a very costly loss against Tulane it couldn’t afford in a tight American race with playoff implications.

⎼ This could be the week we see James Madison finally break the AP top 25 after improving to 8-1 with a 6-0 mark in Sun Belt play by winning its seventh-straight game, a result that should get the attention of playoff selectors, too.

⎼ We could see Pittsburgh crack the poll after placing 28th last week. Idle on Saturday, the Panthers are on a five-game win streak and moving up in the wild ACC.

⎼ No. 20 USC is due for a modest rise after taking out Northwestern and will benefit from Missouri’s fall from 19.

⎼ Notre Dame will inch further inside the top-ten after smacking around Navy and winning its seventh-straight game, combined with BYU’s loss. This is a playoff team unless they mess up in their last three games, which seems unlikely.

⎼ 19th ranked Missouri is probably out after falling to 2-3 in SEC play following a loss to Texas A&M and did not look particularly good in the process.