CBS Sports predicts serious changes in AP Top 25 Poll after upset-filled Week 12

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•11/20/22•

Jonathan Wagner

Week 12 brought a ton of surprises and many close finishes across college football. Many ranked teams survived upset scares, while seven AP-ranked teams lost over the weekend. After all of the chaos, CBS Sports has predicted what the AP Top 25 rankings will look like when they are revealed later on Sunday.

The College Football Playoff rankings were nearly severely impacted on Saturday. Each of the top four ranked teams – No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 TCU – played in games that came just about down to the wire. Georgia defeated Kentucky 16-6, while Ohio State beat Maryland 43-30. Michigan kicked a field goal in the final seconds to defeat Illinois, and TCU did the same against Baylor.

While the top four might have survived upset scares, the same can’t be said for many teams below them. No. 5 Tennessee was blown out in its game at South Carolina, likely knocking the Vols out of the CFP race. No. 14 Ole Miss struggled mightily against Arkansas, and the Razorbacks pulled out a 42-27 upset victory. No. 13 North Carolina also had a very disappointing loss, with the Tar Heels’ offense looking pedestrian for the first time in a while in the 21-17 defeat at the hands of Georgia Tech. No. 17 UCF also lost to Navy, and No. 24 Oklahoma State fell against Oklahoma.

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There were also a couple of ranked matchups over the weekend, both being in the form of pivotal Pac-12 games. No. 7 USC firmly established itself as a CFP contender, taking down No. 16 UCLA, 48-45. No. 12 Oregon also defeated No. 10 Utah, 20-17.

Overall, AP-ranked teams went 17-7 during Week 12. Those seven losses were big ones, and we were just a couple of plays away from having a couple more. The postseason picture remains unsettled at the top, setting up for an exciting final week of the regular season.

AP Top 25 prediction from CBS Sports following Week 12

  1. Georgia Bulldogs (11-0)
  2. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0)
  3. Michigan Wolverines (11-0)
  4. TCU Horned Frogs (11-0)
  5. USC Trojans (10-1)
  6. LSU Tigers (9-2)
  7. Clemson Tigers (10-1)
  8. Tennessee Volunteers (9-2)
  9. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-2)
  10. Oregon Ducks (9-2)
  11. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-2)
  12. Washington Huskies (9-2)
  13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-3)
  14. Kansas State Wildcats (8-3)
  15. UCLA Bruins (8-3)
  16. Utah Utes (8-3)
  17. Florida State Seminoles (8-3)
  18. Tulane Green Wave (9-2)
  19. Cincinnati Bearcats (9-2)
  20. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (9-1)
  21. North Carolina Tar Heels (9-2)
  22. Ole Miss Rebels (8-3)
  23. Oregon State Beavers (8-3)
  24. Texas Longhorns (7-4)
  25. UCF Knights (8-3)

CBS Sports predicts that Texas will re-join this week’s AP Top 25 rankings at No. 24, taking the spot of Oklahoma State (previously No. 24).