AP Top 25 College Football Poll 2014 Week 12: Conference Battles Shaping Playoff Landscape
ByThere is a new host of teams entering into the Associated Press college football poll's top 10 after what may have been the most significant week of games thus far.
No game was more important for the involved teams than Ohio State's (8) road upset of Michigan State (12). The win raised the Buckeyes five places and dropped the Spartans five spots, putting the former in sole possession of the Big Ten's top spot.
In week 12 of the rankings, TCU (5) is the only newcomer to the top five, though Oregon (3) rose two spots. Otherwise, Mississippi State remains on top, Florida State second and Alabama fourth.
After losing to Texas A&M on two costly fumbles late in the game, Auburn (9) nearly fell from out of the top five to out of the top 10. Leapfrogging the fallen Tigers was Baylor (6), Arizona State (7) and Ohio State. Ole Miss (10) rounded out the top 10 after rising two spots to reenter.
TCU's win over Kansas State (13), coupled with Baylor's win over Oklahoma, left three one-loss teams atop the Big 12. Since the conference does not have a title game, it will be imperative to win the top spot in order to have a shot at the College Football Playoff (CFP).
TCU has the best shot at winning out, as Kansas State and Baylor will finish their regular seasons against one another. But Baylor plays all three of its remaining games at home, whereas TCU and Kansas State each have two road games remaining.
After beating Utah (25), Oregon clinched has all but clinched the Pac-12 North, as their two remaining games are a home contest against Colorado and a road matchup with Oregon State. Winning the Pac-12 may also lead to a CFP spot, but the Southern division still has yet to be decided, as Arizona State tries to hold off UCLA (14), USC and Arizona (17).