UPROXX Sports College Football Power Rankings, Week 11: And Look, There’s Notre Dame

With two weeks (and championship week) left in the regular season, things are starting to take shape. There are five unbeatens left, four in major conferences. The Pac-12 is all but done in the Playoff race. The Big 12 is still too close to call. Alabama looks like Alabama. That Clemson-North Carolina game to determine the ACC Champion is going to be fun as heck. And the Big 10, well there’s still a lot going on there.

This is the best time to be a college football fan, and we’d forgive you even to this point (okay, maybe not all of us) for deciding to tune in right now. It’s like locking into the NBA when the playoffs start. You have just enough time to get up to speed and decide for yourself who you want to pull for, and every game from here on out really does matter.

Let’s see where I arbitrarily decided to rank teams this week in order to maybe upset some folks, shall we?

1. Clemson (10-0)

Last week: 1
Last game: Beat Syracuse, 37-27
Next up: Saturday vs. Wake Forest

One thing I’m not going to do is punish a team coming off a huge win for beating another team in a conference game on the road by 10. I am a man of principle. And that principle means just as much in silly rankings as it does in my day-to-day life. Clemson is my No. 1 team, and unless the Tigers go and lose to Wake Forest or look absolutely horrific in a one-point win, I’m probably going to keep them at the top spot next week, too. (I reserve the right to change my mind at any time.)

2. Ohio State (10-0)

Last week: 2
Last game: Beat Illinois, 28-3
Next up: Saturday vs. Michigan State

Ohio State’s defense played great again, and Illinois played about as poorly and goofily as a team can play while still only losing by 25 points. Now’s the game everybody was watching for heading into the year. The Spartans still have a shot at a Big Ten title, but they can’t do it if they don’t go into Columbus and stop the nation’s longest active regular season winning streak. Ohio State has been in this survive and advance mode all season long, and if it makes it out of the next three weekends, it has rightfully earned a spot in the Playoff.

3. Alabama (9-1)

Last week: 8
Last game: Beat Mississippi State, 31-6
Next up: Saturday vs. Charleston Southern

I didn’t think Mississippi State was a ranked team, and that was why I didn’t rank them despite them getting in both the Playoff Committee’s rankings and the AP Poll. The Bulldogs hadn’t beaten a team of note all year long, and simply playing in the SEC and beating teams you’re supposed to beat doesn’t earn you my vote. Had they beaten Bama, sure, they would’ve deserve a huge jump. But they didn’t beat Bama. They didn’t even stay competitive against Bama. And now here we are with Alabama a couple wins away from being the Playoff again thanks to a strong running game, a beast of a defensive line, and playmakers at the positions that matter most.

4. Notre Dame (9-1)

Last week: 6
Last game: Beat Wake Forest, 28-7
Next up: Saturday vs. Boston College (At Fenway Park)

Stanford losing doesn’t help Notre Dame at all. And Temple getting blown out isn’t all that fun, either. But the Fighting Irish continue to win, and Clemson remaining unbeaten helps a little bit (as does USC’s turnaround in the second half of the season). While lots of other teams falter around them, Notre Dame is taking advantage, and just might find itself in the Playoff if it can win out.

5. Iowa (10-0)

Last week: 8
Last game: Beat Minnesota, 40-35
Next up: Saturday vs. Purdue

It was a tough call with whether to put Iowa or Oklahoma State at No. 5. I went with Iowa because it really doesn’t matter who is running the football for the Hawkeyes, they manage to put up a good game. This time LeShun Daniels got the call and put up 195 yards and three scores. Now I’m wondering if there can be a reality show on MTV to determine the NEXT Iowa running back. Just put like three dudes in a bus and make Kirk Ferentz decide which one to go with based on mini-dates.

6. Oklahoma State (10-0)

Last week: 4
Last game: Beat Iowa State, 35-31
Next up: Saturday vs. Baylor

Another week, another almost-loss that is still a win for the Cowboys, who have made a living off these near-death experiences all year long. It might catch up to them, or it might not. Who knows!? In the meantime, there’s another test for Oklahoma State, and this could go a long way toward determining what is actually going on in the Big 12 (or it could serve to confuse us all further).

7. Oklahoma (9-1)

Last week: 11
Last game: Beat Baylor, 44-34
Next up: Saturday vs. TCU

The Big 12’s carousel of madness continues after Oklahoma beat Baylor on Saturday. Now the Sooners have a chance to further add to their resumé, or make things even more ridiculous by losing to TCU. Regardless, that was a mighty fine showing by Oklahoma against the Bears. Let’s see if they can keep things rolling.

8. Florida (8-1)

Last week: 10
Last game: Beat South Carolina, 24-14
Next up: Saturday vs. Florida Atlantic

At this point, we should probably just know Florida games aren’t going to be very pretty to watch. Not like those Saw movies bad or anything, but not that appealing or enjoyable and we kind of pretty much know how they’re going to end, I dunno, like a Katherine Heigl romcom or something.

9. Michigan State (9-1)

Last week: 14
Last game: Beat Maryland, 24-7
Next up: Saturday at Ohio State

We knew all along that the game between Michigan State and Ohio State was going to be huge. And it’s true. Sometimes we can make somewhat accurate predictions. Good for us. We all deserve nice things once in awhile.

10. Houston (10-0)

Last week: 15
Last game: Beat Memphis, 35-34
Next up: Saturday at UConn

If you had Houston as the last undefeated team in the state of Texas, please collect your prize. No, seriously, come see me and I’ll buy you a smoothie or some sort of trinket. I wrote a little bit about the makeup of this Houston team, but you really just need to listen to Tom Herman explain it.

11. Baylor (8-1)

Last week: 5
Last game: Lost to Oklahoma, 44-34
Next up: Saturday at Oklahoma State

What’s next for the Bears after that disappointing loss to Oklahoma? Well, how about a game against the last undefeated team in the Big 12? Okay! Baylor could still make a mess of things by winning out and leaving the committee with a lot of decisions to make, especially with the Pac-12 falling on its face last week. For chaos’ sake, I’m hoping for that, although with the way the Cowboys have been able to win close games this season, Baylor’s in for a real fight.

12. UNC (9-1)

Last week: 17
Last game: Beat Miami, 59-21
Next up: Saturday at Virginia Tech

Okay, I’ve officially forgiven North Carolina for the loss to South Carolina in Week 1. Scoring 125 points over two weeks will do that. This offense is incredibly gifted, and the Tar Heels have gotten better as the season’s gone on. They now take on the always-difficult “Emotion” factor as they go into Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech in Frank Beamer’s last home game. Things could get a little crazy.

13. TCU (9-1)

Last week: 12
Last game: Beat Kansas, 23-17
Next up: Saturday at Oklahoma

Squeaking by Kansas on its own isn’t all that great. Potentially losing Trevone Boykin for the Oklahoma game in the process? That’s even worse. Both Boykin and and Josh Doctson are questionable against the Sooners, but they’ll probably give it everything they have and try to play.

14. Navy (8-1)

Last week: 19
Last game: Beat SMU, 55-14
Next up: Saturday at Tulsa

Here’s what I wrote last week about Navy:

Navy football is good. Navy football is fun. Navy football is a wrecking crew hellbent on destruction and carnage, ripping apart everything in its path.

Yup, that pretty much holds up.

15. Utah (8-2)

Last week: 9
Last game: Lost to Arizona, 37-30 (2OT)
Next up: Saturday vs. UCLA

Nobody in the Pac-12 wanted to make the Playoff this year. That’s okay. That just means they’ll have more time to hang out and study in January. School is important.

16. Michigan (7-2)

Last week: 16
Last game: Beat Indiana, 48-41 (2OT)
Next up: Saturday at Penn State

Michigan really, probably should have lost to Indiana. The Wolverines managed to win, and that’s neat. They’ll now pull for Ohio State to beat Michigan State so they can try and beat Ohio State and have the tiebreaker in the Big Ten East. Of course, they have to worry about Penn State first.

17. Florida State (8-2)

Last week: 21
Last game: Beat N.C. State, 34-17
Next up: Saturday vs. Chattanooga

So, Sean Maguire is Florida State’s starter again. For now. And probably for the rest of the season. Unless he really struggles and Jimbo Fisher puts Everett Golson back in. Then Golson would be the starter. Until he struggled and Fisher put Maguire back in. It’s like the most boring Choose Your Own Adventure ever. Nobody’s even opening a random closet door that takes them into a black hole and forces them to start back at the beginning of the book.

18. LSU (7-2)

Last week: 13
Last game: Lost to Arkansas, 31-14
Next up: Saturday at Ole Miss

The Body Blow theory came true! (Thanks, Bruce Feldman.) Now the Tigers have to find a way to rally in Oxford or risk losing three straight and basically destroying what was once a really promising season just a few weeks ago. November really does separate the contenders from the pretenders.

19. Oregon (7-3)

Last week: NR
Last game: Beat Stanford, 38-36
Next up: Saturday vs. USC

It’s been a long, slow climb back to respectability, but Oregon has finally done it. That Stanford win was huge, and proves what was likely the case way back in the preseason: The Ducks are a far different team with a healthy Vernon Adams under center.

20. Stanford (8-2)

Last week: 7
Last game: Lost to Oregon, 38-36
Next up: Saturday vs. California

What a letdown for Stanford, who had dreams of Playoff glory just a week ago. Now the Cardinal need to stave off Cal just to still win the Pac-12 North. And they have to play Notre Dame in two weeks. Guess it’s time to go back to the drawing board, play some hype music and watch some cool videos to try and get motivated.

21. Wisconsin (8-2)

Last week: 22
Last game: Beat Maryland, 31-24
Next up: Saturday vs. Northwestern

[SIRENS. LIGHTS. OTHER ASSORTED NOISES. CLAPPING.] This week’s recipient of the Bye Week Bonus is Wisconsin. Johnny, tell them what they’ve won!

“Well, Wisconsin moves up a spot in the Power Rankings.”

Wait, that’s it?

“Yeah, it’s the prize we had on the table this week.”

Okay, well… congrats?

22. USC (7-3)

Last week: 23
Last game: Beat Colorado, 27-24
Next up: Saturday at Oregon

A game that seemed like it wouldn’t be all that great a few weeks ago is suddenly a game between two ranked teams again. What a difference a month makes. See! Some teams really can get better as the season goes on, both USC and Oregon are proof of that fact.

23. Northwestern (8-2)

Last week: 25
Last game: Beat Purdue, 21-14
Next up: Saturday at Wisconsin

I really wanted to put Northwestern above Stanford due to that head to head meeting, but that was all the way back in Week 1, and Northwestern only beat Purdue by seven points, and Stanford does look like the better team overall. I swear, I try to make head to head matter, but this late in the season, sometimes the eye test is in play.

24. Washington State (7-3)

Last week: NR
Last game: Beat UCLA, 31-27
Next up: Saturday vs. Colorado

I guess it is time to inform you of quarterback Luke Falk’s numbers in this space. The sophomore has 4,067 yards, 35 touchdowns, eight interceptions and three rushing touchdowns. Mike Leach thinks he deserves the Heisman Trophy. Here’s what he said this week:

“Now (the Heisman) is just the bi-product of trying to speculate who’s the best player of the national championship team. … But failure to do that, then I think you ought to go back to the original definition which is who’s made the greatest contribution to his individual team,” said Leach. “If that’s the case then virtually everyone needs to vote for Luke Falk. And anybody that doesn’t needs to re-examine why their voting for the Heisman to begin with.”

Well, sure!

25. Bowling Green (8-2)

Last week: NR
Last game: Beat Western Michigan, 41-27
Next up: Tuesday vs. Toledo

Let’s show Bowling Green some love. The Falcons have averaged 54.4 points per game in their last five. And quarterback Matt Johnson is having a heck of a year. This week’s match-up against Toledo is a big one and should feature all sorts of points.

Next Five: Ole Miss, Toledo, UCLA, Arkansas, Sitting In A Hammock On A Warm Fall Day.