Week 12 college football rankings: Michigan Wolverines climb, evaluating top 25 rankings after Week 11

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Nov 11, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Michigan Wolverine fans cheer as the team leaves the field following a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Michigan won 24-15. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Week 11 is in the books for college football with the Michigan Wolverines and Alabama Crimson Tide among the teams that delivered statement wins. Now it’s time to look ahead with our Week 12 college football rankings coming out of Saturday.

Michigan, playing without Jim Harbaugh, didn’t have a win over a ranked opponent this season. It made the Week 11 battle against Penn State critical to where the Wolverines would land in the college football rankings. Now, after winning decisively on the road, the assessment of the best college football teams in 2023 becomes even more intriguing.

Dropped from Rankings: (25) Toledo Rockets, (22) Notre Dame Fighting Irish, (19) Utah Utes

Let’s dive into our latest college football rankings after Week 11.

Week 12 College Football Rankings

25. North Carolina Tar Heels

Similar to the USC Trojans, it’s a wonder how bad the North Carolina Tar Heels would be this season if not for their generational quarterback. Drake Maye played the hero again on Saturday, rallying the Tar Heels to a 47-47 victory over Duke at home. The 8-2 record is still one of the best in college football, but four-point losses to Virginia and Georgia Tech, who have combined for seven wins this season, highlight the lack of surrounding talent on North Carolina’s roster.

24. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Mike Gundy’s team evidently allowed the celebration from the Bedlam Series victory to carry over into Week 11. The Cowboys looked lifeless on Saturday, getting shut out in the first half with Alan Bowman throwing two picks and the ground game being stonewalled. This is the definition of a team putting everything it had into a rivalry game and then just resting on its laurels the next week.

23. Kansas Jayhawks

Week 11 should be remembered for the number of ranked teams that lost on Saturday. The Kansas Jayhawks were obviously one of them, losing to Texas Tech despite outgaining them (344 vs 312) and easily winning on third downs (46.7% conversion rate vs 28.6% conversion rate). Unfortunately for Kansas, a costly third-quarter interception and the inability to turn red-zone trips into touchdowns proved costly.

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22. Liberty Flames

Yes, the Liberty Flames have taken advantage of one of the worst records in college football. However, 10-0 is still a stellar record no matter the path it takes to get there. Plus, Liberty has started to turn one-score victories into blowouts, with this defense really stepping things up as of late. If this keeps up, Liberty should close out the regular season with a 12-0 record and a nice bowl game in the first year under Jamey Chadwell.

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21. Iowa Hawkeyes

It’s never pretty to watch the Iowa Hawkeyes, but you can’t deny the consistency. This program loves turning back the clock and playing old-school football, which is one of the many reasons why this is one of the lowest-scoring teams in the nation (115th entering Week 11). If not for that fair-catch call against Minnesota, we’d be talking about a 9-1 Hawkeyes team. This has been another good year for Iowa and things could be even better in 2024 if they find a quality offensive play-caller.

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20. Kansas State Wildcats

If you’re going to lose three games before mid-November, it’s always best to have those three defeats be one-score losses to Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas. The Wildcats put their heartbreaking OT loss to the Longhorns behind them by blowing Baylor out of the water. Up next, a Sunflower Showdown matchup that has massive ramifications for both rivals.

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19. Tulane Green Wave

The Tulane Green Wave have rolled into the top 20, but that’s a bigger indictment of programs like Oklahoma State, Kansas and Notre Dame. Even with Michael Pratt healthy, Tulane is just scraping by its opponents as of late with wins over Rice, East Carolina and Tulsa coming with a +7 margin of victory. If Tulane can’t steady itself, we wouldn’t be surprised if the UTSA Roadrunners pull off the upset on Nov. 24.

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18. Tennessee Volunteers

The Tennessee Volunteers just aren’t good enough. They can beat the mid-tier and upper-echelon teams in college football, but they don’t belong in the same weight class as the cream of the crop. Tennessee has now suffered double-digit losses to Florida, Alabama and Missouri, with all three defeats coming on the road. Suffice it to say, fans at Neyland Stadium might witness a slaughter at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs.

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17. Oklahoma Sooners

Dillon Gabriel and the Oklahoma Sooners offense put their woes behind them on Saturday night, doing everything they wanted to West Virginia’s defense. Of course, two losses still mean the Sooners missed out on what could’ve been a fantastic year. Oklahoma will likely end the regular season 10-2, its first double-digit win campaign under Brent Venables. Best of all for OU, it has bragging rights over Lincoln Riley this year.

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16. Arizona Wildcats

It didn’t look as nice as performances against Oregon State and UCLA, but the Arizona Wildcats won their fourth consecutive game. Jedd Fisch has truly done a phenomenal job in his third year, turning a team that won six combined games from (2020-’22) into a squad that has a chance at 10 victories. It’ll take another masterful performance by Arizona’s offense, this time against Utah, but the Wildcats’ track record is worth believing in.

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15. LSU Tigers

Jayden Daniels deserves so much better. He’s enjoying one of the best seasons statistically in recent memory and added to his incredible resume with 200-plus yards through the air and tacked on over 200 rushing yards on the ground in Week 11 against Florida. Fittingly, the LSU Tigers’ defense once again forced Daniels to make every big play possible. If you could just put an offense in the College Football Playoff, Daniels’ group would’ve earned it. Unfortunately, LSU’s defense is responsible for the losses against top-10 opponents this year.

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14. Penn State Nittany Lions

Different quarterbacks, more money invested in the football program and games played in hostile and friendly environments. The one constant through the Penn State Nittany Lions’ 1-13 record against top-5 opponents is head coach James Franklin. Penn State is at its ceiling under Franklin and that’s a team that can win double-digit games, but will almost always lose against the bluebloods of college football.

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13. James Madison Dukes

The James Madison Dukes suffered a massive blow before Week 11, with standout pass rusher Jalen Green ruled out for the season by a knee injury. Without one of their best players, the Dukes still came out and put a hurting on UConn in front of the home crowd. It’s a shame NCAA rules are standing in the way of James Madison being eligible for a bowl game this year because these players have delivered a perfect season and the Dukes have the 11th-best strength of resume in the nation.

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12. Ole Miss Rebels

The Ole Miss Rebels ran into their proverbial ceiling on Saturday night. Even at home, Lane Kiffin’s squad likely didn’t stand much of a chance against one of the best college football programs of our generation. Still, Ole Miss has impressive wins over ranked opponents (Tulane, LSU) this year. While the Rebels might not be a playoff contender, that might change with CFP expansion in 2024. For now, they’re just a very good team.

Related: Troubling audio emerges of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin

11. Oregon State Beavers

The loss to Arizona on Oct. 28 doesn’t sting as much now, but losing to Washington State is the biggest reason for Oregon State being held out of the top 10. Still, the Beavers have dominated nearly every other opponent they’ve faced this year and this is a team that can do just about everything well. The Beavers will have a chance to prove they’re one of the best college football teams in 2023 with matchups against Washington and Oregon to close out the regular season.

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10. Missouri Tigers

While the Missouri Tigers might not be good enough to beat the Georgia Bulldogs, this squad can hang around with just about any other team in the SEC. After a tough loss on the road, Mizzou stumbled out of the gate at home with Tennessee jumping out to a 7-3 lead. It seemed to provide a wake-up call for the Tigers, who went on a stellar run that put this game out of reach by the third quarter. Missouri remains on track for its first season with double-digit wins since 2014.

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9. Louisville Cardinals

On Friday, the Louisville Cardinals looked more like the team that lost to Pittsburgh than the program with a 9-1 record. Yet a blocked punt touchdown and a fourth-quarter rally saved the evening. Louisville’s record is outstanding and its resume even ranks 11th in college football. Up next, however, Jeff Brohm’s squad faces two difficult challenges on the road in Miami and then a home finale against Kentucky. An 11-1 record would put Louisville right outside the CFP, which is an incredible accomplishment for this program.

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8. Texas Longhorns

The return of quarterback Quinn Ewers makes quite the difference for the Texas Longhorns. You just see more explosive plays from the Longhorns’ offense when QB1 is out there, which comes from the experience Ewers brings to the table. If there’s a knock on the Longhorns it would be how many close games they’ve played since the start of October. With that said, Texas is in a fantastic position to finish the regular season with one loss. It might still put them just short of the CFP, but the Longhorns are definitely back.

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7. Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks jumped out to a 36-14 lead over the USC Trojans on Saturday night then took their foot off the brake with a 22-point advantage in the fourth quarter. While it didn’t quite cost them in a 36-27 final, Oregon’s defense will have plenty to address before the regular-season finale in the Civil War against Oregon State. The Ducks’ playoff hopes are obviously out of their control, but winning out at least gives Oregon a shot at the fourth playoff spot and a likely CFP Semifinal matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs.

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6. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Alabama Crimson Tide have simply been a different team since coming out of the locker room at halftime against Tennessee. In the last 10 quarters, Alabama has outscored the Volunteers, LSU Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats 118-49. The Crimson Tide can thank Jalen Milroe. The sophomore quarterback is responsible for 12 total touchdowns over that same stretch, emerging as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation. Of course, the Crimson Tide still don’t control their playoff fate.

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5. Florida State Seminoles

The Florida State Seminoles have held onto a top-four spot in our rankings for two months, until now. Michigan secured the top-10 win its resume was missing on Saturday and the Washington Huskies delivered their third victory over a ranked opponent. So, it comes down to the level of performance. Florida State just hasn’t played as cleanly as needed in the last three weeks to demonstrate it’s a better team than Washington, Ohio State or Michigan. Fortunately, the Seminoles’ path to an undefeated regular season remains clear and they just need one team to lose for a spot to open up.

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4. Washington Huskies

The Washington Huskies offense gets a majority of the national attention and deservedly so. For as dominant as it is, however, the Huskies’ defense has stepped up twice now. Washington doesn’t beat Arizona State without its defense holding the Sun Devils to seven points and recording a game-deciding pick-six. Washington’s defense came through in Week 11 as well, shutting out Utah in the second half and that made all the difference in a 35-28 win. If this keeps up, Washington can win out in the regular season.

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3. Ohio State Buckeyes

It’s nights like that that serve as a reminder of just how dominant Marvin Harrison Jr is. The number of players in football, including the NFL, to find pass-catchers that can make the kind of impact that Harrison Jr. does. Of course, his presence also makes life easier for Kyle McCord, TreVeyon Henderson and Cade Stover. We do still have some reservations with Ohio State’s quarterback, but much like the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, the Buckeyes’ surrounding talent is championship-caliber.

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2. Michigan Wolverines

No Jim Harbaugh and no Heisman moment from J.J. McCarthy and it still didn’t matter. The Michigan Wolverines went into one of the most raucous environments in college football in Week 11 and proved they’re one of the best teams in the nation. Blake Corum and one of the best defenses in college football over the last four years carried Michigan to victory, holding Penn State to just 238 total yards and 4-of-14 on third downs. We wanted to see the Wolverines beat a ranked opponent and they delivered. However, the erasure of Michigan’s passing game could be a long-term concern as we look ahead to the CFP.

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1. Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs are the best team in college football. Similar to last season, the reigning national champions played down to their competition a bit in September. However, they’ve rolled as of late with two-score victories over Kentucky, Florida and Missouri. Now, with Michigan nipping at their heels, Georgia kept its No. 1 spot in the college football rankings thanks to another signature win over No. 9 Ole Miss.

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What are the college football rankings today?

  1. Georgia Bulldogs
  2. Michigan Wolverines
  3. Ohio State Buckeyes
  4. Washington Huskies
  5. Florida State Seminoles
  6. Alabama Crimson Tide
  7. Oregon Ducks
  8. Texas Longhorns
  9. Louisville Cardinals
  10. Missouri Tigers
  11. Oregon State Beavers
  12. Ole Miss Rebels
  13. James Madison Dukes
  14. Penn State Nittany Lions
  15. LSU Tigers
  16. Arizona Wildcats
  17. Oklahoma Sooners
  18. Tennessee Volunteers
  19. Tulane Green Wave
  20. Kansas State Wildcats
  21. Iowa Hawkeyes
  22. Liberty Flames
  23. Kansas Jayhawks
  24. Oklahoma State Cowboys
  25. North Carolina Tar Heels
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