Well, Rivalry Week was nothing short of entertaining, as the last week of the regular season featured plenty of drama.
No. 2 Ohio State fell to Michigan on Saturday, ending the Buckeyes’ Big Ten title hopes. Looking toward the postseason, what can the Buckeyes change in their game to make sure another second-half shutdown doesn’t occur?
After a four-way tie at the top of the Big 12 going into Week 14, we now know that No. 16 Arizona State and No. 18 Iowa State will be playing for the conference title. After being picked last to finish in the Big 12 preseason poll, could Arizona State be the most surprising team in college football this season?
How did last week’s action affect our Power Rankings?
Here’s the latest top 25 from our college football experts, who provide their insight on each team following Week 14.
Previous ranking: 1
Rivalry Week was nothing but another pit stop for the Ducks on their way to an undefeated regular season — their first since 2010. Oregon (12-0) throttled Washington 49-21 in Eugene on Saturday, showcasing yet again why they have been the best team in the country throughout the season. The defense tallied a whopping 10 sacks while the offense scored 49 points and its much-improved offensive line allowed zero sacks with five rushing touchdowns. That unit’s development and improvement has been a surprise after it allowed seven sacks over the first two games.
Since then, it has allowed only five sacks over nine games. It has been night and day for the Ducks’ offensive line since they moved Iapani Laloulu to center in their fourth game of the season, allowing the offense to flourish and put Dan Lanning & Co. in position to be the favorites in the Big Ten title game as well as the College Football Playoff. — Paolo Uggetti
Previous ranking: 3
The 2023 Longhorns were a College Football Playoff team with a chance to win in the final seconds against Washington in the semifinals in the Sugar Bowl. Yet they still ranked 116th in pass defense, allowing an average of 254.4 passing yards per game. This year, they’ve taken a massive leap, leading the FBS in yards per play allowed and most notably, yards per pass attempt.
The difference was on display in Saturday’s 17-7 win over Texas A&M, in which the Longhorns denied the Aggies an offensive touchdown and held them to their fewest points at home since a 2002 loss to Virginia Tech. Texas (11-1) allowed just 102 rushing yards and constantly harassed Marcel Reed, who went 16-of-23 for 146 yards with…
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