SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 13)

We have reached the point of the season in NCAA Division I football that only the top six teams in the rankings matter. The Final Four will come from that group. This week’s Speedylee rankings will list a top 10 for the final time this season. Obviously, Alabama’s loss to Auburn was a major development for the projected tournament bracket, but the Crimson Tide was a long shot to make the Final Four even with an Iron Bowl victory. Minnesota’s loss to Wisconsin impacted only the lower positions in the top 10. The rankings:

1.     LSU (12-0) beat Texas A&M 50-7. Next up the for the Tigers is the SEC title game.

2.     Ohio State (12-0) beat Michigan 56-27. Next up for the Buckeyes is the Big Whatever title game.

3.     Georgia (11-1) wrecked Georgia Tech 52-7. Next up for the Bulldogs is the SEC title game.

4.     Clemson (12-0) beat South Carolina 38-3. Clemson will play in its conference coronation game.

5.     Oklahoma (11-1) defeated Oklahoma State 34-16.

6.     Utah (11-1) defeated Colorado 45-15 and will play in the Pac 12 title game.

7.     Alabama (10-2) lost to Auburn 48-45 and fell from Final Four contention.

8.     Florida (10-2) beat Florida State 40-17.

9.     Baylor (11-1) edged Kansas 61-6.

10.  Auburn (9-3) edged Alabama 48-45.

Ineligible: Penn State

Notes: Either LSU or Georgia will likely be eliminated from the Final Four after the SEC title game. … This will be the first season since the Final Four format went into use that Alabama will not be among the teams in the playoffs. … Auburn’s losses this season came to teams who were ranked 2^nd, 4^th and 10^th by the Associated Press at the time the games were played. … Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has never coached the maize and blue to victory over arch rival Ohio State. That’s how jobs are lost. … Utah is a step closer to qualifying for the Final Four. The Utes will need to win their conference title game and hope Oklahoma is perceived as playing poorly by the College Football Playoff Committee. … Slippery Rock beat Shepherd 51-30 in the NCAA Division II playoffs at Slippery Rock Saturday. The Rock hosts Notre Dame on December 7. This is not the well-known Notre Dame of South Bend, Indiana (although the Fighting Irish’s schedule makes the confusion understandable). Rather, the Rock will play Notre Dame College of South Euclid, Ohio. The Golden Bears (11-2) booted a late field goal to defeat Kutztown Saturday.