Latest AP and USA Today Poll
Baylor jumps Ohio in the AP and stays 4th behind them in USA Today.
AP Top 25
1 Alabama (55) 10-0 1495
2 Florida State (5) 10-0 1445
3 Baylor 9-0 1351
4 Ohio State 10-0 1343
5 Oregon 9-1 1210
6 Auburn 10-1 1205
7 Clemson 9-1 1115
8 Missouri 9-1 1067
9 Texas A&M 8-2 956
10 Stanford 8-2 899
11 Oklahoma State 9-1 889
12 South Carolina 8-2 870
13 Michigan State 9-1 749
14 UCLA 8-2 710
15 Fresno State 9-0 572
16 Wisconsin 8-2 559
17 UCF 8-1 535
18 LSU 7-3 439
19 Arizona State 8-2 430
20 Northern Illinois 10-0 426
21 Louisville 9-1 412
22 Oklahoma 8-2 318
23 USC 8-3 187
24 Ole Miss 7-3 119
25 Duke 8-2 94
USA Today
1 Alabama (56) 10-0 1544
2 Florida State (6) 10-0 1487
3 Ohio State 10-0 1404
4 Baylor 9-0 1386
5 Oregon 9-1 1231
6 Clemson 9-1 1217
7 Auburn 10-1 1145
8 Missouri 9-1 1129
9 Oklahoma State 9-1 1030
10 Texas A&M 8-2 928
11 South Carolina 8-2 882
12 Stanford 8-2 865
13 Michigan State 9-1 729
14 UCLA 8-2 700
15 Louisville 9-1 627
16 Fresno State 9-0 622
17 Wisconsin 8-2 511
18 Oklahoma 8-2 502
19 LSU 7-3 478
20 UCF 8-1 446
21 Northern Illinois 10-0 418
22 Arizona State 8-2 352
23 Minnesota 8-2 173
24 Duke 8-2 131
25 USC 8-3 115
November 17th, 2013 at 1:38 PM ^
It's a little depressing Duke is ranked and we aren't.
November 17th, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^
Neither we nor they have beaten anyone of note. But they have one fewer loss than we.
November 17th, 2013 at 1:43 PM ^
That's not true! We destroyed 23rd ranked (!!!!) Minnesota!
November 17th, 2013 at 3:36 PM ^
the last week of the season could prove to be quite a little game!
November 17th, 2013 at 11:03 PM ^
It's a really bad match-up for Minn offensively. They'd be running into the strength of MSU's defense.
November 17th, 2013 at 1:49 PM ^
Duke has beaten Virginia Tech and Miami (Fl).
November 17th, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^
I'm sure they were depressed when we were playing in the Hoops NC and they weren't.
But the answer is the same: we earned it in Hoops and they have earned it in Football.
November 17th, 2013 at 4:17 PM ^
How have they earned it? They beat a vastly overrated VTech team and beat a decent but not good Miami team. They also lost to a bad GTech and Pitt team.
November 17th, 2013 at 1:49 PM ^
November 17th, 2013 at 7:54 PM ^
Not-so-impressive tasks that we were unable to accomplish.
November 17th, 2013 at 3:10 PM ^
and we aren't because we aren't.
November 17th, 2013 at 4:09 PM ^
November 17th, 2013 at 1:43 PM ^
Why is Fresno State getting more love than Northern Illinois? They beat Rutgers in OT, while Northern Illinois beat Iowa and smashed Purdue (not saying much there, I know). Seriously, they will go undefeated and still play in some MACtion shit bowl game. Also, Duke in the top 25? That's strange looking.
November 17th, 2013 at 7:59 PM ^
One-Hundred-And-Effing-Sixty-Nie.
One-Six-Nine.
100 should be an embarrassment for a B1G program.
But to fall below AA Abilene Christian???
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/
November 17th, 2013 at 10:26 PM ^
has Purdue only 5 1/2 points better than Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Wisconsin-Whitewater is #5 in the country...in D3.
A model is only as good as the data you put into it and I don't think there are enough cross-division games in football for this to actually mean anything, but it's pretty amazing. Or maybe not, since Purdue's only win was by six over a last place FCS team whose only win was over a 2-8 D2 squad, whose only wins in turn were over a winless team and a four-win NAIA team, Lindenwood-Belleville.
Just had to see that in print.
November 17th, 2013 at 1:44 PM ^
MSU should definitely be ranked ahead of South Carolina. Maybe not Stanford but definitely SC. I would love if they beat Ohio and then get smoked in the Rose Bowl, but I think they could actually do well against Oregon. The Ducks always get beat up against very good bruising defenses.
November 17th, 2013 at 2:30 PM ^
Beating OSU looks like it will be their only way to a BCS bowl. Unless Wisconsin loses they will be ranked below them and having lost a conference title game they would be down. Even if Wisconsin loses they probably wouldn't get a bid over the Big12 #2 or Pac12 #2. They aren't a big enough name and they have zero marquee wins on the year.
Also the Stanford defense is a lot more proven than MSU's. MSU hasn't faced anything close to a good offense all year.
November 17th, 2013 at 4:12 PM ^
November 17th, 2013 at 5:46 PM ^
And Ohio undefeated but not in the championship game!
November 17th, 2013 at 7:28 PM ^
MSU getting to the Big Ten CCG, losing, and not making a BCS bowl would make your day? MSU will have played in 2 out of 3 CCGs. But, yeah, if MSU loses and that makes your day, enjoy! Maybe you can hire a skywriter or members of your fanbase can hold up a sign in the Gator Bowl to rub it in.
November 17th, 2013 at 8:43 PM ^
Sorry, little brother. Comes with the 68-33-5 territory. Want respect? Get a lot closer to .500 against us.
November 18th, 2013 at 1:14 AM ^
getting closer, for 6 years
November 18th, 2013 at 2:47 AM ^
Wisconsin is a solid draw... large state university representing a mid-sized state with a large expat population is a better pick for a Fiesta or Orange Bowl than a small private school without a large fan following like Stanford.
They wouldn't beat out Okie State, though.
November 17th, 2013 at 1:46 PM ^
Good to see that Baylor has jumped OSU. Not that Baylor's win yesterday screams domination, but they took care of business against a good opponent in Texas Tech. OSU struggled to put away a hapless Illinois team until there were 2 mins left in the game.
Really hoping to see OSU's defensive inconsistencies fully exposed in their bowl game. Or against us in two weeks would be nice, too.
November 17th, 2013 at 1:54 PM ^
They haven't jumped OSU in the poll that matters for the BCS, though. The AP has no bearing on it.
OSU is very fortunate that the coaches don't have time to actually watch the games. A horrific Illinois team was still in that game midway through the 4th quarter.
November 17th, 2013 at 1:59 PM ^
November 17th, 2013 at 2:15 PM ^
Illinois had the ball, down 47-35, midway through the fourth quarter. This is an Illinois team that has lost something like 20 consecutive Big Ten games - one of the worst BCS-conference teams in the country. A totally different situation than playing against a quality Texas Tech team.
November 17th, 2013 at 2:05 PM ^
That's hardly an ESPN narrative. I agree it's not true this year but it's an informed narrative from this and other blogs over the last several years. They have historically always squeeked out a few games against chumps in a 2013 Wolverine fashion. This year not as much. ESPN's narrative though from what I've seen is that Urban Meyer is the most handsome, intelligent, upstanding gentleman north of Tuscaloosa.
November 17th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^
12 points in the 4th quarter is very close when you are playing a team that hasn't won a conference game in about 2 years. Texas Tech is a way better team than Illinois. Baylor by comparison was up 22 to start the 4th.
But yeah keep up with that OSU narritive that every team Baylor plays sucks.
November 17th, 2013 at 2:41 PM ^
Baylor wasn't dominate yesterday, either, but they beat a much better opponent by a similar amount.
November 17th, 2013 at 2:54 PM ^
November 17th, 2013 at 10:58 PM ^
Are you insane?
November 17th, 2013 at 1:49 PM ^
We're not terribly far out of the Top 25 in the Coaches' Poll at 28, so there is at least that and it probably isn't all that much. We are now 38th in the Sagarin ratings now, which is a definite improvement from last week's 47th. We were closed to the bottom of the Massey Top 50 last week too, so it will be interesting to see that number on Monday, when I believe the Massey page updates.
November 17th, 2013 at 10:34 PM ^
Michigan is 50 if you include all teams, 48 in FBS.
November 18th, 2013 at 2:51 AM ^
if we beat Iowa, we're basically asured a top-25 finish to the regular season. hey, lipstick on a pig
November 17th, 2013 at 1:49 PM ^
November 17th, 2013 at 1:58 PM ^
So am I the only one who thinks are best win is over Minnesota instead of Notre Dame?
November 17th, 2013 at 2:08 PM ^
The difference is that ND is always tough because it's a rivalry, so they bring their best. Just like Sparty played like the Mattison Ravens against us but then let Nebraska and others put up points on them. I guess on paper Minnesota is the best, but since rankings don't matter to us anymore, to the consistent observer ND was definitely our best win. ND's DL is flat out good, and our OL is our worst group, so it's more impressive to me that we beat them the way we did.
November 17th, 2013 at 2:55 PM ^
November 17th, 2013 at 2:28 PM ^
Surprised Stanford only dropped to 10. I mean USC wasn't even ranked before today...
November 17th, 2013 at 2:37 PM ^
As long as Ohio isn't in line to play for the National Championship, I'm cool with whatever.
November 17th, 2013 at 3:02 PM ^
If you had OSU ahead of Baylor on Friday, there was nothing on Saturday that should have changed your mind.
That said, I have no real argument in favor of one team over the other at #3, just so long as they're both below the clear (IMO) #s 1 and 2 in Bama and FSU. And if OSU is a little further away from a national title, all the better. Would rather they drop by losing on the field, however.
November 17th, 2013 at 8:20 PM ^
that is getting removed as Baylor keeps on winning.
Neither of them has or will have faced murderer's row by the end of the season.
If tOSU wins out, its quality wins will be Wiscy & MSU.
If Baylor wins out, its quality wins will be Okie St and perhaps Oklahoma and Texas.
I think the Wiscy/MSU combination will present the less unimpressive resume.
November 17th, 2013 at 3:08 PM ^
November 17th, 2013 at 3:15 PM ^
A.) Sparty beat OSU and go to Rose Bowl
B.) OSU beat Sparty and go to NC game
Me hating Ohio more than MSU, I'd rather see Sparty win the B1G and then get blasted by Oregon in the Rose Bowl. But that's just me.
November 17th, 2013 at 3:38 PM ^
November 17th, 2013 at 5:29 PM ^
I'd rather Sparty win it. Let them go to their one rose bowl in 25 years. The last thing we need is osu winning another big ten title. I'm sick of those mother f-ers.
November 17th, 2013 at 5:51 PM ^
Two teams I love to hate, and huge rivals. But Ohio to the NCG would be worse news. They are already well ahead of us with more institutional advantages than Staee. It would make the gap that much greater.
November 17th, 2013 at 6:36 PM ^
November 17th, 2013 at 8:29 PM ^
I have been juggling this for a couple weeks now, and I honestly think I would rather OSU go to the Rose Bowl. There is something about MSU not getting to the Rose Bowl ever again that tickles me...
But then again, Michigan seems to never want to get back to Pasadena ever again either.