Brock’s 2023 College Football Top 25 – Week 12

1. GEORGIA BULLDOGS (10-0) (LW: 1)

When Georgia hosted Ole Miss, it was a Top 10 matchup – but you wouldn’t have guessed that based on how the game went. Georgia steamrolled Ole Miss, 52-17. The Bulldogs are now locked in to meet Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

2. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (10-0) (LW: 2)

Michigan finally has a “signature win” – and they accomplished it without Jim Harbaugh on the sideline. Strength of schedule has been a deterrent for the argument of whether Michigan I truly one of the best teams in the country. I’d say we have an answer. The Wolverines went into Happy Valley and beat Penn State by 9, without throwing a pass in the 2nd half.

3. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (10-0) (LW: 3)

Michigan State vs Ohio State is often an intriguing Big Ten matchup. It wasn’t this year, however. The Buckeyes trounced the Spartans to move to 10-0.

4. FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES (10-0) (LW: 4)

I cant keep writing the same thing over and over for this team, so I’m not gonna bring up the fact that they played ANOTHER game where they looked lackadaisical in the first 30 minutes, and then turned up the heat in the 2nd half.

5. WASHINGTON HUSKIES (10-0) (LW: 5)

The Huskies had a scare at home vs Utah, but they got the job done. A playoff berth is inching closer and closer, but you have to assume that any type of miscue could eliminate them from the equation.

6. TEXAS LONGHORNS (9-1) (LW: 6)

Texas got the job done against TCU. Also of importance, Alabama got a big win and will play for the SEC title. This makes Texas’ victory over the Tide look much better. Could that play a role in the Selection Committee’s decision down the road?

7. OREGON DUCKS (9-1) (LW: 7)

Oregon is 9-1. Bo Nix is a Heisman favorite. Yet Oregon it feels like Oregon needs a lot of help to get a playoff berth (assuming they even become a 1-loss conference champion). That must be frustrating. College football can be a funny thing.

8. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (9-1) (LW: 8)

The Tide are a team reborn since that loss to Texas early in the year. They’ve locked up a spot in the SEC Championship Game, and have their sights set on a playoff spot. I don’t want to say it was “unthinkable”, but it was hard to imagine this coming after their performances against Texas & South Florida.

9. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (9-1) (LW: 11)

Louisville won the 4th quarter 17-3 against Virginia on Friday night to comeback for a 31-24 win. The Cardinals just have to win one of their final two games to secure a berth in the ACC Championship Game against Florida State.

10. OREGON STATE BEAVERS (8-2) (LW: 12)

The Beavers used a marvelous offensive effort to hang 62 points on the scoreboard against Stanford. Damien Martinez led the way on the ground with 146 yards and 4 TD’s.

11. OKLAHOMA SOONERS (8-2) (LW: 17)

The Sooners got back on track on Saturday with a 39-point win over West Virginia. While the CFB is most likely out of the picture for Oklahoma, they will try to win the Big 12 before departing for the SEC.

12. LSU TIGERS (7-3) (LW: 19)

Jayden Daniels had an incredible game against Florida. He threw for 372 yards & 3 TD’s, and chipped in another 234 yards & 2 TD’s on the ground en route to a 59-35 victory over Florida.

13. MISSOURI TIGERS (8-2) (LW: 20)

The Tigers had a big home win on Saturday, defeating Tennessee by 29 points. The SEC title is out of the picture for the Tigers, but they will try to get to 10 wins over their final two games, which will be a great accomplishment for this group.

14. PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (8-2) (LW: 9)

James Franklin struggles in big games. It’s nothing new, and it has burned Penn State once again this season.

15. MISSISSIPPI REBELS (8-2) (LW: 10)

Ole Miss fields competitive teams, but they continue to have trouble unseating the big boys in the SEC. A 35-point defeat against Georgia is another example to add to a growing list of games in which the Rebels seemed to struggle when they faced a higher caliber opponent.

16. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (7-3) (LW: 18)

The Irish were off this past week. They will try to get back into the win column on Saturday when they host Wake Forest in South Bend.

17. ARIZONA WILDCATS (7-3) (LW: 23)

The Wildcats used a 4th quarter comeback to win on the road at Colorado, 34-31. This was another quality win for a team who has exceeded expectations this season.

18. UTAH UTES (7-3) (LW: 14)

The Utes offense was able to move the ball again this week, but unfortunately the defense wasn’t its typical stout self. Utah dropped another game in the absence of Cam Rising.

19. KANSAS JAYHAWKS (7-3) (LW: 15)

The Jayhawks lost starting QB Jason Bean early in their game on Saturday. This played a big part in their loss, as Bean is their 2nd string QB who took over for Jalon Daniels, which left 3rd string QB Cole Ballard under center. He just couldn’t seem to find a rhythm, as the Jayhawks lost to Texas Tech, 16-13.

20. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (7-3) (LW: 13)

It was a disappointing weekend for the Vols. They dropped their game to Missouri, 36-7. This loss means that the Vols can’t reach 10 regular season wins, which was surely a goal for this team.

21. TULANE GREEN WAVE (9-1) (LW: 21)

Tulane underperformed once again this week. They were a 24-point favorite over Tulsa, but needed to stop a 2-point conversion try with 3 minutes left in order to escape with a 2-point victory. They have won their past 3 games by a combined 7 points.

22. JAMES MADISON DUKES (10-0) (LW: 22)

James Madison reached double-digit wins with a big victory over Connecticut on Saturday. The team is still undefeated, and would probably win their conference if they were allowed to play in the championship game.

23. NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (8-2) (LW: 24)

The Tar Heels improved to 8-2 by the way of a double-overtime victory over Duke. The Heels needed extra time to get the win despite racking up over 500 yards.

24. IOWA HAWKEYES (8-2) (LW: NR)

You can always count on Iowa’s defense. That’s what got them into the Top 25, as they shut out Rutgers on Saturday.

25. KANSAS STATE WILDCATS (7-3) (LW: 16)

Will Howard tossed 3 TD’s on the way to defeating Baylor 59-25. The Wildcats are still alive for a Big 12 title, but they will need some help in the remaining weeks.