College football power rankings: Solving the SEC riddle
College football power rankings: Solving the SEC riddle
The SEC ate its own tail in Week 12.
Georgia defeated Tennessee, which beat Alabama earlier this season. The Bulldogs lost to the Tide in September, making it impossible to honor head-to-head results for every team.
The conference is tangled in knots, so let’s try to make sense of the muddled picture by jumping into our Week 13 power rankings.
1. Oregon (11-0, 8-0 in Big Ten)
The Ducks survived the Badgers’ upset bid thanks to an excellent defensive performance. Oregon flustered Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke, who was pressured on 38.7 percent of his dropbacks, going 2-of-9 for minus-four yards on 12 dropbacks in those situations. (h/t Pro Football Focus)
Next: vs. Washington (Nov. 30)
2. Ohio State (9-1, 6-1 in Big Ten)
Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State’s two-headed monster at running game, combined for 26 carries, 150 yards and two touchdowns in Ohio State’s sixth consecutive road win at Northwestern dating back to 2006. Judkins and Henderson have 1,385 rushing yards this season, and Judkins leads the Big Ten in yards per attempt (7.4).
Next: vs. Indiana (12 p.m. | FOX)
3. Texas (9-1, 5-1 in SEC)
Texas’ defense led the charge in a road win over Arkansas, which beat Tennessee 19-14 earlier this season. The Longhorns held the Razorbacks to 231 yards, their fewest since November 2023.
Next: vs. Kentucky (3:30 p.m. | ABC)
4. Indiana (10-0, 7-0 in Big Ten)
Indiana ranks first in FBS in rush defense, allowing 72.2 yards per game on 29.3 attempts, an average of 2.5 yards per carry. Hoosiers defensive lineman Mikail Kamara is one of the country’s most underrated players, recording 15 tackles for loss along with a Big Ten-high 9.5 sacks through Indiana’s first 10 games.
Next: at Ohio State (12 p.m. | FOX)
5. Notre Dame (9-1)
The Irish have won five consecutive games by three scores and hosts Army (9-0, 7-0 in AAC), which hasn’t won in South Bend since October 1958, in Week 13. During Notre Dame’s 15-game win streak in the series, it’s won by an average score of 35.9-5.9, setting the program up to extend its string of blowouts.
6. Alabama (8-2, 4-2 in SEC)
We have Alabama atop the SEC’s logjam because it has one thing its peers don’t: quarterback Jalen Milroe. He showed how much of a problem he is for opposing defenses two weeks ago in the Tide’s 42-13 win against LSU, which had previously beaten Ole Miss at home, 29-26 in overtime.
Next: at Oklahoma (7:30 p.m. | ABC)
7. Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 in SEC)
We can’t ignore the Rebels’ dominant win over Georgia just two weeks ago, or their 24-point road win against South Carolina (7-3, 5-3 in SEC) and 32-point win against Arkansas (5-5, 3-4 in SEC) in Fayetteville, which have led them to the country’s second-best margin of victory per game (27.8 points). Ole Miss’ losses (Kentucky, LSU) are a reminder of its proclivity to play down to its competition’s level, but it can hang with any team in the country.
Next: at Florida (12 p.m. | ABC)
8. Georgia (8-2, 6-2 in SEC)
The Bulldogs might have the country’s best collection of wins (Texas, Tennessee and Clemson by a combined 60 points), which should seal them as a playoff team barring an upset over the next two weeks. Quarterback Carson Beck had his best game of the season against the vaunted Volunteers defense, going 25-of-40 for 347 yards with three rush attempts, 32 yards and three total touchdowns.
Next: vs. Massachusetts (12:45 p.m. | SEC Network)
9. Tennessee (8-2, 5-2 in SEC)
When Tennessee jumped out to a 10-0 lead against Georgia, it seemed like this could be the year it would snap its losing streak (now eight games) to the Bulldogs. As disappointing as the result was, RB Dylan Sampson’s outstanding game (19 carries, 101 yards, one touchdown) is promising for a team that would benefit greatly from a strong running attack in a potential cold-weather road playoff game.
10. Penn State (9-1, 6-1 in Big Ten)
Send Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren to New York. He had an outstanding game against the Boilermakers (eight receptions, three rush attempts, two touchdowns, 190 total yards), bringing Penn State closer to a College Football Playoff berth and bolstering his resume as a potential Heisman finalist.
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