Michigan’s upset win at Ohio State, South Carolina’s victory over Clemson and Miami’s stunning loss to Syracusetossed College Football Playoff projections into disarray during rivalry weekend heading into the Week 15 AP Top 25 rankings. The Buckeyes’ fourth-consecutive loss to the Wolverines cost Ryan Day’s team a shot at playing for a Big Ten title.
And now, the ACC could only be a one-bid league following the Hurricanes’ second defeat since Clemson and SMU duke it out in Charlotte for a league title.
With the regular season now over, conference championship weekend will determine five automatic bids and also help set the stage for seven at-large selections next month. Arizona State and Iowa State will play in the Big 12 title game following wins from both teams on Saturday night that settled a wild race in the Midwest.
RELATED: What the Iron Bowl result means for College Football Playoff
Here is how Sunday’s new AP poll should look after a bevy of unexpected results in Week 14:
Saturday’s result: Beat Washington, 49-21
Oregon is college football’s only unbeaten entering conference championship weekend and now, the Ducks won’t have to face a potential rematch with Ohio State until the playoff following the Buckeyes’ stunning loss to Michigan. Oregon was terrific again at Washington and did not suffer a letdown under Dan Lanning this fall. They’ll try and put a bow on a perfect campaign entering the playoff with a win over Penn State next week.
Saturday’s result: Beat Texas A&M, 17-7
Win and they’re in. It was that simple for the Longhorns in College Station and Texas got it done with a dominant performance defensively. The Longhorns built a 17-point lead before giving up an interception return for a score and having a punt blocked deep in their own territory before holding with a goal line stand. Texas clinches a berth in the SEC Championship Game, where it will play Georgia next weekend in Atlanta.
Saturday’s result: Beat Maryland, 44-7
Penn State coach James Franklin kept quiet during his team’s win over the Terrapins, knowing the team ahead of his — Ohio State — already lost its rivalry game. Penn State is now in next week’s Big Ten Championship with the victory and plays Oregon.
“We knew, but I didn’t say anything to the team,” Franklin said of the Michigan victory. “Actually, I did the opposite, I said Maryland, Maryland, Maryland, Maryland.”
Saturday’s result: Beat USC, 49-35
Notre Dame punched its playoff ticket with two interception returns for touchdowns in the fourth quarter in Los Angeles, finishing the regular season 11-1 as one of the country’s hottest teams. The Fighting Irish erupted for 35 points after intermission and have not lost since the early-September upset against NIU. Notre Dame likely gets a first-round home game in the playoff next month and will be one of the frontrunners to win a national title.
Friday’s result: Beat Georgia Tech, 44-42
Georgia overcame a 17-point halftime deficit and was down two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter but won its rivalry battle in eight overtimes. The Bulldogs showed a great deal of resilience this season against one of the nation’s toughest schedules and will enter next week’s SEC Championship Game against the winner of Texas-Texas A&M as the SEC’s favorite to get a top-four seed in the playoff. A loss to the Yellow Jackets may have crushed the Bulldogs’ playoff hopes, but Georgia prevailed.
Saturday’s result: Beat Vanderbilt, 36-23
Tennessee trailed by two touchdowns in the first quarter before dominating the rest of the afternoon in the Vols’ rivalry win in Nashville. Nico Iamaleava threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns as Tennessee likely locked in a playoff berth with a 10-2 regular season.
“Finishing the way that we needed to and that we wanted to always is sweet, and these guys earned the right for this to be a big game,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “They went out, they took it.”
Saturday’s result: Lost to Michigan, 13-10
Perhaps college football’s most stunning result all season, Ohio State has now lost four straight to the Wolverines following its disappointing performance in Week 14 that squandered the Buckeyes’ shot to reach the Big Ten Championship Game against Oregon. Ryan Day’s team will tumble in the AP poll and may lose a first-round home game opportunity in the playoff after Michigan picked the right time to play its best game of the campaign under Sherrone Moore.
Saturday’s result: Beat Cal, 38-6
SMU left no doubt as a top 10 team while others faltered, disposing of the Golden Bears by 31 points at home. The Mustangs battle Clemson in Charlotte for next week’s ACC Championship with the winner going to the playoff. SMU finished unbeaten in conference play, its lone loss coming to BYU during the opening month of the campaign. If SMU loses to Clemson, the Mustangs will have a case if the committee decides the ACC is worthy of being a two-bid league.
Saturday’s result: Beat Purdue, 66-0
Friday’s result: Beat Oregon State, 34-18
Boise State is one win from locking in a playoff berth following this week’s victory over Oregon State. If not for Travis Hunter’s two-way brilliance at Colorado, Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty would likely be the Heisman favorite after he galloped his way to 226 yards and a touchdown ahead of Boise State’s appearance in the Mountain West title game. Boise State has a chance to seize a top-four seed, too.
Saturday’s result: Beat Auburn, 28-14
Jalen Milroe accounted for three touchdowns and the Crimson Tide made the most of their rivalry weekend opportunity in the Iron Bowl. Coupled with Clemson’s loss to South Carolina and Miami’s setback at Syracuse, there’s a good chance Alabama moves into the top 12 in Sunday’s new poll and Tuesday’s updated playoff rankings. Alabama has three losses, but beat the Gamecocks head-to-head and ended the regular season on a high note with Saturday’s win.
Saturday’s result: Beat Arizona, 49-7
Arizona State will play in the Big 12 Championship after dismantling its rival. There’s not a West Coast team playing with more confidence than Kenny Dillingham’s group right now, who will likely be in the playoff with just one more victory. Arizona State was ranked 14th in last week’s selection committee poll and should slide into the top 12 of Sunday’s AP update after its impressive victory.
Saturday’s result: Beat Clemson, 17-14
The Gamecocks took the lead in the final 90 seconds on LaNorris Sellers’ 20-yard touchdown run and sealed their third win of November over a ranked team with an interception in the waning seconds. South Carolina has now won six-straight games to end the season — including three over ranked competition — and should leap in Sunday’s AP poll ahead of Tuesday’s playoff rankings update. Shane Beamer said his team deserved playoff billing after the win.
Saturday’s result: Lost to Syracuse, 42-38
Miami’s playoff hopes could be over after a shocking loss on the road in the ACC finale, which cost the Hurricanes a berth in the league championship against SMU. Miami’s defense never had an answer for Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord, Syracuse’s star player, who doused one of the nation’s hot teams through the air. Expect Miami to fall outside of the top 10, but how many spots is the important question.
Friday’s result: Beat Mississippi State, 26-14
Lane Kiffin was not interested in “politicking” for a playoff spot after his team’s win in the Egg Bowl, but he did tout the strength of the SEC.
“This is a huge game in his state, and I think we felt that early, even though we told them records don’t matter. Weird things happen in these Egg Bowls,” Kiffin said. ‘The SEC’s different. It’s different when you go on the road and play at these places, the whole year without playing in places like that.”
Saturday’s result: Lost to South Carolina, 17-14
Dabo Swinney and the Tigers let one slip away at home, falling after a Cade Klubnik interception sealed Clemson’s fate. The Tigers were in game-tying field goal range before spiking the football and trying a shot to the end zone that was deflected and picked off. Clemson led throughout and held a 14-10 advantage late in the fourth quarter before South Carolina’s go-ahead score.
Saturday’s result: Beat Kansas State, 29-21
Matt Campbell and the Hawkeyes moved past the Wildcats to claim a spot in the Big 12 Championship, where they’ll face red-hot Arizona State next weekend. The winner likely goes to the College Football Playoff, which would make for a first-time entry for either program. Iowa State entered the final week of the regular season in a four-way tie atop the conference and clinched a spot after BYU’s late-night victory over Houston.
Saturday’s result: Beat Houston, 31-18
Despite beating Houston, BYU will not get an opportunity to win the conference after losing out on tiebreakers with Iowa State and Arizona State. Last week’s loss to the Sun Devils opened the door for the Cyclones and now, a Holiday Bowl trip is the likely destination for the Cougars in the postseason.
Saturday’s result: Beat Nevada, 38-14
UNLV gets a long-awaited rematch with Boise State in the Mountain West title game with the winner moving on to the playoff.
20. Syracuse Orange (9-3)
Saturday’s result: Beat Miami, 42-38
21. Colorado Buffaloes (9-3)
Friday’s result: Beat Oklahoma State, 52-0
22. Illinois Fighting Illini (9-3)
Saturday’s result: Beat Northwestern, 38-28
23. Texas A&M Aggies (8-4)
Saturday’s result: Lost to Texas, 17-7
24. Missouri Tigers (9-3)
Saturday’s result: Beat Arkansas, 28-21
25. Memphis Tigers (10-2)
Thursday’s result: Beat Tulane, 34-24
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