Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern Wildcats Football
Weekly college football top 25 rankings are a big part of every season, and Athlon Sports will update its top 25 following the games each weekend. The 12th weekend of the 2020 season was headlined Ohio State's close win over Indiana, Alabama's blowout of Kentucky, Oklahoma's victory against Oklahoma State and Coastal Carolina's comeback versus Appalachian State. Additionally, Week 12 saw Oregon beat UCLA, Florida overcome a slow start to knock off Vanderbilt and Cincinnati beat UCF in Orlando. Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Clemson take the top four spots, with Texas A&M at No. 5 and Florida at No. 6 in the post-Week 12 top 25 rankings. With the 12th week of the 2020 season officially in the books, here are the top 25 teams in college football:
College Football Top 25 Rankings
1. Alabama (7-0)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Kentucky
Crimson Tide use strong effort on both sides of the ball to crush Kentucky 63-3 in final tune-up before Iron Bowl.
2. Notre Dame (8-0)
Week 12 Result: No Game
The Fighting Irish were off on Saturday and are slated to return to action on Friday, Nov. 27 against North Carolina.
3. Ohio State (4-0)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Indiana
Buckeyes can score with every team in the nation, but as Indiana showed on Saturday, the defense has a lot of work to do to help this team win a national title in 2020.
4. Clemson (7-1)
Week 12 Result: No Game
Clemson’s Week 12 contest at Florida State was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.
5. Texas A&M (5-1)
Week 12 Result: No Game
The Aggies did not play in Week 12 and are slated to return to action next Saturday against LSU.
6. Florida (6-1)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Vanderbilt
Gators were a little sluggish in the win over Vanderbilt in Nashville, but coach Dan Mullen’s squad pulled away in the second half for a 38-17 victory.
7. Cincinnati (8-0)
Week 12 Result: Defeated UCF
Desmond Ridder delivers another clutch performance, while Cincinnati’s defense gets just enough stops to score a tough victory at UCF.
8. Georgia (5-2)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Mississippi State
JT Daniels was impressive in his first start (401 passing yards and four touchdowns) en route to lifting Georgia to a 31-24 win over Mississippi State.
9. Miami (7-1)
Week 12 Result: No Game
Due problems with COVID-19, the Hurricanes were off in Week 12 and are slated to return to action on Dec. 5 against Wake Forest.
10. Oregon (3-0)
Week 12 Result: Defeated UCLA
Ducks struggled to establish the run (88 yards) and gave up 267 rushing yards to UCLA, but coach Mario Cristobal’s team held off the upset bid (38-35) to improve to 3-0.
11. BYU (9-0)
Week 12 Result: Defeated North Alabama
As expected, the Cougars cruised to an easy 66-14 win over North Alabama.
12. Northwestern (5-0)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Wisconsin
Wildcats take control of Big Ten West Division thanks to 17-7 win of Wisconsin. Northwestern’s defense gave up just 4.5 yards per play and forced five takeaways to lead the way.
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13. Indiana (4-1)
Week 12 Result: Lost to Ohio State
Hoosiers fell short at Ohio State but also impressed in defeat. Quarterback Michael Penix torched the Buckeyes for 491 yards and five scores through the air.
14. Iowa State (6-2)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Kansas State
Cyclones had just one win over Kansas State since 2008, but coach Matt Campbell’s team quickly put this game out of reach on Saturday. The Wildcats managed only 87 yards after their first drive, and Iowa State’s offense generated 539 total yards over 69 snaps to win 45-0.
15. Oklahoma (6-2)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Oklahoma State
Strong performances by quarterback Spencer Rattler and the defense helped the Sooners continue their dominance over Oklahoma State.
16. Coastal Carolina (8-0)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Appalachian State
The Chanticleers stepped up on both sides of the ball in the second half to beat Appalachian State and take control of the Sun Belt’s East Division.
17. Wisconsin (2-1)
Week 12 Result: Lost to Northwestern
The Badgers never got their offense on track, and the inability to finish drives or eliminate turnovers (five) loomed large in a 17-7 defeat to Northwestern.
18. Marshall (7-0)
Week 12 Result: No Game
The Thundering Herd did not play in Week 12 and return to action on Dec. 5 versus Rice.
19. Oklahoma State (5-2)
Week 12 Result: Lost to Oklahoma
Loss to Oklahoma is a major setback for Oklahoma State’s hopes of reaching the Big 12 title game.
20. USC (3-0)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Utah
Trojans snapped a three-game losing streak in Salt Lake City on the strength of their defense (three sacks and five takeaways).
21. North Carolina (6-2)
Week 12 Result: No Game
The Tar Heels were off in Week 12 and return to action next Friday against Notre Dame.
22. Auburn (5-2)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Tennessee
The Tigers fell behind 10-0 but finished on a 30-7 run to beat Tennessee on Saturday night.
23. Texas (5-2)
Week 12 Result: No Game
The Longhorns’ Week 12 matchup against Kansas was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. Texas returns to the gridiron next Friday against Iowa State.
24. Louisiana (7-1)
Week 12 Result: No Game
The Ragin’ Cajuns had to cancel their Week 12 game against Central Arkansas due to COVID-19 concerns.
25. Tulsa (5-1)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Tulane
As evidenced by their late comebacks, don’t count out the Golden Hurricane in any game this year. Thanks to the overtime victory over Tulane, Tulsa is in good shape to make the AAC title game.
