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Coaches question college football’s top 25 rankings released after Week 14
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Coaches question college football’s top 25 rankings released after Week 14

The latest Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings are from Week 14 of college football and there have certainly been some changes, as expected.

It’s been a crazy rivalry week all holiday weekend. Flag planting, upheaval, chaos and much more. What more could you ask for?

Let’s dive into the latest Coaches question top-25 rankings after Week 14.

Oregon finished the regular season undefeated with a dominant victory over Washington. Now the Ducks face Penn State, surprisingly, in the Big Ten Championship.

It’s all ahead of the Ducks and Dan Lanning. Win and get the No. 1 seed and have the clearest path to a national title.

Texas HC Steve Sarkisian
Sarah Diggins | American Statesman | USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas outplayed Texas A&M with an elite defense Saturday night. It wasn’t really pretty anywhere else.

Still, Texas is 11-1 and will face Georgia for the SEC title. This is a first-round bye or first-round game for the Longhorns. Can they beat Georgia in a neutral-court rematch?

Penn State just continued to do its own job and dominated Maryland. The Nittany Lions received some good grace with Ohio State’s loss to Michigan, putting PSU in the Big Ten Championship.

Now it’s up to James Franklin and his team to overcome the obstacle. Can they take down an undefeated Oregon team and earn a first-round bye in the playoffs?

Notre Dame won its 10th straight game to finish the regular season 11-1 and all but secure a playoff spot. The Fighting Irish made us all forget that loss in Northern Illinois.

The real challenge begins now as Notre Dame is scheduled to play a first round game. Without a conference affiliation, it will take four wins to win it all.

Smart Kirby
Mandatory credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia just beat rival Georgia Tech on Friday night and was awaiting its SEC championship opponent. Here comes Texas for a rematch!

Say what you want about Georgia being 10-2 and not being as good as last year. The Bulldogs are still playing for the SEC crown and a first-round bye in the playoffs next week.

Tennessee overcame a poor start and beat Vanderbilt to secure a 10-win season. In reality, that should be enough to make the College Football Playoff.

Unfortunately, the Vols no longer have any control over what happens next. They’ll watch Georgia and Texas play for the SEC crown and wait.

7. EMS (+2)

SMU just took care of business on Saturday, dominating Cal 38-6 and finishing 11-1. Now the Mustangs get Clemson in the ACC Championship after Syracuse upset Miami.

The biggest question is whether SMU will make the playoffs regardless of next week’s outcome. Maybe they deserved it, but a win would of course guarantee the spot.

Ryan Day, Ohio State
Ryan Day, Ohio State – © Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State was destined to collapse after the stunning loss to Michigan. The controversy over the planting of the flag at the end of the match also did not improve perception.

The Buckeyes won’t play for the Big Ten title but are likely still in range at 10-2. It may just be a matter of whether they set up a first-round matchup or head into hostile territory.

Indiana throttled Purdue 66-0 to forget that loss to Ohio State. At 11-1, it’s tough to keep the Hoosiers out of the playoffs.

Did Indiana do enough to get a home game? That remains to be seen. But at this point, it would be stunning to see Curt Cignetti and his team not be in the mix.

Boise State did what it had to do: keep winning. The Broncos beat Oregon State 34-18, Ashton Jeanty is out and the team is now 11-1.

To secure a playoff spot, they just need to win the Mountain West title game next week. A win there and Boise State might actually get a first-round bye after all!

Coaches Poll Top 25 after Week 14

11. Alabama (+2)
12. South Carolina (+2)
13. Arizona State (+2)
14. Miami (-7)
15. Ole Mademoiselle (+1)
16. Iowa State (+1)
17. Clemson (-5)
18. BYU (+2)
19. UNLV (+2)
20. Missouri (+4)
21. Illinois (+4)
22. Colorado (NR)
23. Army (-1)
24. Memphis (-1)
25. Syracuse (NR)

Dropped from Coaches Poll: No. 18 Tulane; No. 19 Texas A&M

Receiving votes in the Coaches Poll: Texas A&M 90; Duke 39; Tulane 37; Louisville 18; Kansas State 15; Louisiana 11; Michigan 2; Georgia Tech 2; Miami (OH) 1; Iowa 1