College Football Polls: Updated AP Top 25, Coaches Poll Rankings for Week 14

There is possibly no more important set of regular-season top-25 rankings than those that follow week 13 of the college football season.

Incredibly, three top-10 teams each battling for the college football playoffs fell during Rivalry Week, including two against unranked opponents. No. 3 Michigan dismantled No. 2 Ohio State 45-23; Texas A&M upset No. 6 LSU 38-23 and South Carolina defeated No. 8 Clemson 31-30.

That creates a relatively clear path for multiple teams to reach the playoffs during conference championship week — and also opens the door for even more mayhem in the final week of play before the final CFP rankings are unveiled.

Georgia, Michigan and TCU will make up the top three of the latest rankings, with USC — fresh from a 38-27 win over No. 15 Notre Dame — likely to take fourth place going into Pac-12 championship weekend.

MORE: College football rankings: Projecting 2022 playoff picture

If each of these teams wins their respective conference championship games on Saturday, they will make the playoffs. But a loss by either of those teams opens up the possibility of either 11-1 Ohio State or 10-2 Alabama making the playoffs as well.

Should either of these teams lose in Week 14, the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide will begin to run into trouble in earnest. Ohio State has a better record and a ranked non-conference win at Notre Dame on its resume, but was driven from its own stadium in a 22-point blowout. Alabama has the worse record, but its two losses totaled four game-breaking points at the end of the game, both on the road and against teams in the top-10 teams LSU and Tennessee.

It could all be a moot point, of course – but the way this season has gone so far, it might not be. And that’s the reason to keep a close eye on the week 14 leaderboard, the could be a precursor to the penultimate CFP ranking:

College football rankings for week 14

Coach Survey

Others receiving votes: Ole Miss 83; Troy 58; NC state 58; Cincinnati 49; State of Boise 37; Purdue 36; Pit 36; Coast Carolina 26; Air Force 19; South Alabama 15; Illinois 10; Minnesota 7; Duke 7; Iowa 6; James Madison2; Fresno State 2; Wachwald 1.

MORE: College football playoff rankings schedule, 2022 release dates

AP Top 25

This section will be updated with the release of the AP Top 25 poll.

Others receiving votes: Troy 80; NC state 62; Cincinnati 43; State of Boise 39; Purdue 24; Ole Miss 22; South Alabama 12; Illinois 10; Coast Carolina 6; pit 5; State of Fresno 4; JamesMadison 4; Ohio 2; Minnesota 1st