UK & Ireland College Football Media Top 25 Rankings: Week 12

By Simon Carroll

If the AP or CFP committe can’t get it right, then perhaps we can!

Since the start of the 2022 season, some of the UK & Ireland’s most talented writers, content creators and students of the college game have combined to deliver their own weekly set of college football rankings. The UK & Ireland CFB Media Top 25 is announced every Monday evening, and today we can bring you the standings after Week 12. Buckle up – there’s a surprise or two!

2024 - Week 12

Graphic: Owain Jones (Twitter - @Owain_Jones_)
  1. OREGON DUCKS (11-0, =)
  2. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (9-1, =)
  3. TEXAS LONGHORNS (9-1, =)
  4. INDIANA HOOSIERS (10-0, =)
  5. PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (9-1, ↑1)
  6. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (9-1, ↑2)
  7. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (8-2, ↑3)
  8. MIAMI HURRICANES (9-1, ↑1)
  9. GEORGIA BULLDOGS (9-2, ↑5)
  10. BYU COUGARS (9-1, ↓5)
  11. SMU MUSTANGS (9-1, =)
  12. OLE MISS REBELS (8-2, ↑1)
  13. BOISE STATE BRONCOS (9-1, ↓1)
  14. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (8-2, ↓7)
  15. TEXAS A&M AGGIES (9-2, ↑1)
  16. ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS (9-0, ↓1)
  17. COLORADO BUFFALOES (8-2, ↑2)
  18. CLEMSON TIGERS (8-2, ↓1)
  19. IOWA STATE CYCLONES (8-2, ↑5)
  20. ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (8-2, NE)
  21. TULANE GREEN WAVE (9-2, ↑4)
  22. SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS (7-3, NE)
  23. UNLV REBELS (8-2, NE)
  24. WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS (8-2, ↓6)
  25. MEMPHIS TIGERS (9-2, NE)

*NE – New Entrant. Teams dropping out: Kansas State, LSU, Louisville, Missouri

TAKEAWAYS

BYU Loss Condemns Big Twelve To Just One Playoff Spot

Sure, the SEC & Big Ten might be the toughest conferences in College Football. But Gawd Dayum! is the Big 12 the most entertaining.  The departure of their two prized programs has not altered a thing – a leopard cannot change it’s spots, and this conference cannot help but cannibalise itself in dramatic fashion – each and every year.

The introduction of a 12-team playoff won’t change anything either. Sure, the Big 12 will almost certainly get a team in the playoffs every season, their conference champion surely living in one of the top five conferences in the sport. But no doubt Brett Yormark had his eyes on at least two spots in the bracket in 2024, with BYU and Iowa State both undefeated as late as three Saturdays ago. The Cyclones fell first, and now, the Cougars follow suit – BYU’s luck finally running out as they couldn’t stage another dramatic comeback, this time against Kansas.

The season is far from over for either of those programs, who are both in the box seat for a spot in the conference title game and the playoff spot that goes to the victor. But now, they’re joined by the buoyant Buffaloes of Colorado and the shining Sun Devils of Arizona State, both of whom are absolutely flying. But in reality, the only way for this conference to have two teams representing in the postseason would be for an undefeated team to lose in that championship bout. Considering the strength of the field around them, no two-loss team from this group (the conference winner notwithstanding) will make it to the dance.

Conference Representation - UK & Ireland Style

We know that the blue bloods carry a lot of weight in the AP and CFP polls. But here in the UK & Ireland, a lot more compassion is shown for smaller schools who are mixing it with the big boys. But how does that affect conference representation in the rankings? Well, interestingly, the committee has little time for faltering SEC schools like LSU and Missouri, and is evidently more keen to reward the Group of Five. Here’s the breakdown through Week 12:

SEC: 7 (Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, South Carolina)

Big Ten: 4 (Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, Penn State)

Big 12: 4 (BYU, Colorado, Iowa State, Arizona State)

ACC: 3 (Miami, SMU, Clemson)

American: 3 (Army, Tulane, Memphis)

Mountain West: 2 (Boise State, UNLV)

PAC-2: 1 (Washington State)

Independent: 1 (Notre Dame)

If we include Notre Dame as a Power-4 team, we have a healthy 6 teams from the Group of Five in the rankings. However – when it comes to the crucial top 12 and employ the playoff seedings, we end up with very similar results as our friends across the Atlantic. Quite simply, the might of the SEC and Big Ten is hard to break.

Notre Dame - Clawing Back To A Potential Home Game

Let’s finish this section with a nod to one of our panel and good colleague of mine, Stiofan Mac Fhilib, a staunch Notre Dame fan who never allows his allegiance to alter his voting. Stiofan had to endure the ignominy of watching his beloved Fighting Irish befuddlingly lose to Northern Illinois in South Bend way back in Week 2. Most would have thought that would be curtains for ND, a team who doesn’t have the luxury of fighting back to get a spot in a conference championship game. But Marcus Freeman has quietly gone about his business – and his team are back IN business.

Notre Dame currently sit 6th in the UK & Ireland rankings, which would be good for the #9 seed in the playoffs if the season ended today. Wins against Louisville and Navy have helped, but really it’s been about consistency and dominance – averaging nearly 42 points since that shocking loss. Even if they went undefeated, the highest seeding they could ever achieve is #5 – giving them a home game in the first round. Well, with a Top-25 matchup against Army this weekend, a final game against USC, and all the SEC teams beating each other up, that spot might still be attainable.

As mentioned last week, the #5 spot is a cushty deal. Despite some early adversity, the Fighting Irish are back where they expeted to be all along.

Players Of The Week:

Offense: Devon Dampier, QB, New Mexico

Defense: Xavier Watts, DB, Notre Dame

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

Lead Writer, Head Of Content

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST.

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