College football Top 25 rankings prediction for US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 12 upsets

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Look for the US LBM Coaches Poll to reshuffle the top 10 in the wake of Oklahoma’s big win against Alabama, potentially previewing similar movement in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.

Previously No. 4, the Crimson Tide will drop at least four spots and as many as six, depending on how voters shake out the long list of two-loss teams that includes Alabama, Oklahoma and Notre Dame.

Dropping only to No. 8 would mean voters ignore Saturday’s head-to-head result, which feels unlikely. But moving Oklahoma up to No. 8 would require that voters also bump the Sooners ahead of the Irish, who were very impressive in beating Pittsburgh.

Here’s how the top 10 of this week’s Coaches Poll will look:

1. Ohio State (10-0)

The Buckeyes handed UCLA a 48-10 loss behind 115 rushing yards and a score by Bo Jackson. Next comes Rutgers and then a trip to face Michigan in Ann Arbor that might determine which team meets Indiana in the Big Ten championship game.

2. Indiana (11-0)

Already a playoff lock, the Hoosiers continued their march toward perfection by beating Wisconsin 31-7. One of the unheralded aspects of the amazing run Curt Cignetti has put together has been the play of a defense that’s brimming with NFL talent.

3. Texas A&M (10-0)

Down 30-3 at halftime, A&M pulled off the biggest comeback in program history to beat South Carolina 31-30. This was also borderline SEC history: Teams were 0-286 since 2004 when trailing by at least 27 points. A tuneup against Samford is next before heading to Austin to face rival Texas.

4. Georgia (9-1)

The Bulldogs rise one spot and replace Alabama after beating Texas 35-10. They might take the Tide’s place in the SEC championship game, too, after a wild Saturday left the race more unsettled than ever. Much will depend on how Texas A&M fares against Texas.

5. Oregon (9-1)

After taking care of business against Minnesota, Oregon gets set for a season-defining game against Southern California. A win would make the Ducks one of the top contenders for an at-large bid and could send them to the Big Ten title game if Michigan tops Ohio State.

6. Mississippi (10-1)

The Rebels trailed Florida 24-20 at halftime but settled down on defense in the second half to secure a 34-24 win. After a week off, it’s the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State. A trip to the playoff is all but secured.

7. Texas Tech (10-1)

Look for Tech to draw a little closer to Ole Miss after beating Central Florida 48-9. More importantly, another blowout in conference play, combined with the crazy results we saw on Saturday, has left the Red Raiders pretty close to nailing down an at-large bid before the Big 12 title game.

8. Oklahoma

Whether you believe Oklahoma is the eighth-best team in the country is less important than wins against Michigan, Tennessee and Alabama, part of a very solid résumé against one of the toughest schedules in the country. The best-case scenario for the Sooners is to beat Missouri and LSU and then fall short of the SEC championship game to end the regular season with just two losses.

9. Alabama

Alabama might fall behind Oklahoma but will remain ahead of Notre Dame thanks to a drastically stronger list of wins. Despite the loss, the Tide will still play for an SEC title by beating Auburn and have the opportunity to move back up in the rankings.

10. Notre Dame

Falling behind Oklahoma in the playoff rankings could make Notre Dame sweat a bit. For one, the Irish close with Syracuse and Stanford, so there’s no possible win left that would impress the selection committee. That means the Sooners will stay ahead of the Irish if they’re bumped up this week. And moving down in the rankings will bring Notre Dame closer to Miami and possibly bring the Hurricanes’ head-to-head win into play.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football Top 25 poll rankings projection after Week 12

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