AP Top 25 poll released following Week 11
The College Football Playoff committee made a statement in their initial rankings by putting the undefeated Oklahoma Sooners at No. 8, but Week 11 of the 2021 season only proved them right.
Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday were upset on the road, 27-14, by the premature field-storming Baylor Bears, which provided the first of many shakeups atop the latest edition of the AP Top 25 poll.
The loss dropped Oklahoma in the AP Top 25, while Oregon reaped the benefits. For the third week in a row, the Ducks ran past a Pac-12 opponent — this time, Washington State was the victim — thanks to a dominant rushing attack. Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown not only completed 17 of 22 passing attempts for 135 passing yards and a touchdown, but he also led Oregon on the ground with 17 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown, while Byron Cardwell added 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns and Seven McGee had 88 yards and a touchdown. The 300-plus yard rushing performance gave Oregon a 38-24 edge over the Cougars and helped the Ducks leap in the latest AP Top 25 poll.
Meanwhile, Michigan pulled off a huge victory on the road against Penn State, and Jim Harbaugh broke a two-game losing streak to the Nittany Lions. In the process, Michigan kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive, though the Wolverines’ chances cling to a higher-ranked team dropping a game down the stretch. Michigan’s best bet? Beating Ohio State in two weeks. The Buckeyes blew out an upset-hungry Purdue team in Week 11, which slots them at No. 5 in the AP poll and should keep them firmly in the top four of the College Football Playoff rankings.
The SEC continued to roll in Week 11, and the conference’s dominance is reflected in the latest college football AP poll; Alabama blew out New Mexico State by a 59-3 final, and the Crimson Tide moved up to the No. 2 spot in the rankings. Georgia, on the other hand, faced a seven-point deficit for the first time this season against Tennessee, but the Bulldogs managed to come back and win by 24, which kept them at No. 1 and capped off a perfect SEC season.
Here’s a full look at the latest AP Top 25 poll after Week 11, with just two regular-season weeks remaining:
AP Top 25 Poll
- Georgia (10-0)
- Alabama (9-1)
- Cincinnati (10-0)
- Oregon (9-1)
- Ohio State (9-1)
- Notre Dame (9-1)
- Michigan State (9-1)
- Michigan (9-1)
- Oklahoma State (9-1)
- Ole Miss (8-2)
- Baylor (8-2)
- Oklahoma (9-1)
- Wake Forest (9-1)
- BYU (8-2)
- UTSA (10-0)
- Texas A&M (7-3)
- Houston (9-1)
- Iowa (8-2)
- Wisconsin (7-3)
- Pitt (8-2)
- Arkansas (7-3)
- Louisiana (9-1)
- San Diego State (9-1)
- Utah (7-3)
- NC State (7-3)
Others receiving votes: Mississippi State, Auburn, Appalachian State, Penn State, Coastal Carolina, Utah State, Kansas State, SMU, Kentucky, Purdue