Florida State might not be getting a lot of love from the College Football Playoff selection committee, but the unbeaten Seminoles are the unanimous pick for the top spot in the latest College Football 24/7 Top 25 Power Rankings.
The top seven remained the same in the rankings, with Alabama second, Oregon third and Mississippi State fourth. The SEC has six teams in the poll, with the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 having four each; the Mountain West has two and Conference USA has one.
Auburn, at No. 14, is the highest-ranked three-loss team.
1. Florida State
Points: 175 (7 first-place vote)
W-L: 11-0
Previous ranking: 1
The skinny: The Seminoles slogged to another victory, their 27th in a row. But they flipped the script this time: Instead of playing poorly in the first half, then turning it on in the second, they did the opposite in beating Boston College.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. Florida
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
2. Alabama
Points: 166
W-L: 10-1
Previous ranking: 2
The skinny: For the seventh season in a row, the Iron Bowl is going to play a big role in the national title picture.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. Auburn
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Auburn)
3. Oregon
Points: 163
W-L: 10-1
Previous ranking: 3
Skinny: In all honesty, while the Civil War is a nasty rivalry, this season's edition shouldn't tax the Ducks all that much.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 22 -- vs. Colorado; Saturday, Nov. 29 -- at Oregon State
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
4. Mississippi State
Points: 153
W-L: 10-1
Previous ranking: 1
The skinny: The Egg Bowl is next. And to keep any hopes of a magical season alive, the Bulldogs must win.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- at Ole Miss
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Ole Miss)
5. Baylor
Points: 142
W-L: 9-1
Previous ranking: 5
The skinny: The Bears had an easy one (Oklahoma State) this weekend and have an easy one (Texas Tech) next weekend, but the Dec. 6 regular-season finale against Kansas State will be tough.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. Texas Tech; Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Kansas State
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Kansas State)
6. TCU
Points: 140
W-L: 9-1
Previous ranking: 6
Skinny: A Thanksgiving night game against Texas appears to be all that is between the Horned Frogs and an 11-1 season. (Yes, the regular-season finale is against Iowa State, but ...)
Remaining schedule: Thursday, Nov. 27 -- at Texas; Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Iowa State
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
7. Ohio State
Points: 138
W-L: 10-1
Previous ranking: 7
The skinny: Yes, the Buckeyes beat Indiana, but it was not an impressive victory. Still, this is the best team in the Big Ten -- and should be for the foreseeable future.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. Michigan
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
8. Michigan State
Points: 121
W-L: 9-2
Previous ranking: 9
The skinny: The Spartans have set school season records for points (483) and total offense (5,660 yards) -- and have two games remaining.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 22 -- vs. Rutgers; Saturday, Nov. 29 -- at Penn State
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
9. Georgia
Points: 111
W-L: 9-2
Previous ranking: 10
The skinny: The Bulldogs finished 6-2 in SEC play. They now become huge Arkansas fans: Georgia wins the SEC East title if the Hogs beat Missouri.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. Georgia Tech
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Georgia Tech)
10. UCLA
Points: 109
W-L: 9-2
Previous ranking: 11
The skinny: The Bruins played their best game of the season in beating USC on Saturday -- their third consecutive win over the Trojans.
Remaining schedule: Friday, Nov. 28 -- vs. Stanford
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (USC)
11. Kansas State
Points: 108
W-L: 8-2
Previous ranking: 12
The skinny: The Wildcats have a shot at their third 10-win season in the past four years. It also would be their 10th 10-win season under Bill Snyder. There had been just one 10-win season in school history before Snyder.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. Kansas; Saturday, Dec. 6 -- at Baylor
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Baylor)
12. Wisconsin
The skinny: If the Badgers beat Minnesota next weekend, they win the Big Ten West Division title.
2014 schedule: Saturday, Nov. 22 -- at Iowa; Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. Minnesota
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
13. Arizona State
Points: 96
W-L: 9-2
Previous ranking: 15
The skinny: Saturday's win over Washington State marked the third time this season the Sun Devils scored at least 52 points. But it also was the fourth time they allowed at least 31.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 22 -- vs. Washington State; Friday, Nov. 28 -- at Arizona
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Arizona)
14. Arizona
Points: 88
W-L: 9-2
Previous ranking: 14
The skinny: The Wildcats have their sights set on just the third 10-win season in school history.
Remaining schedule: Friday, Nov. 28 -- vs. Arizona State
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Arizona State)
15. Auburn
Points: 75
W-L: 8-3
Previous ranking: 17
The skinny: The Tigers have looked rather uninterested the past two weeks. That won't be the case in the Iron Bowl.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- at Alabama
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Alabama)
16. Missouri
Points: 72
W-L: 9-2
Previous ranking: 18
The skinny: Mizzou hasn't exactly been consistent, but the Tigers will win the SEC East title for the second season in a row if they beat visiting Arkansas on Friday.
Remaining schedule: Friday, Nov. 28 -- vs. Arkansas
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
17. Georgia Tech
Points: 69
W-L: 9-2
Previous ranking: 16
The skinny: The Yellow Jackets have won the ACC Coastal Division title and will play Florida State for the league title. Before that, though, they take on Georgia in a matchup of 9-2 teams.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- at Georgia
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Georgia)
18. Oklahoma
Points: 50
W-L: 8-3
Previous ranking: 22
The skinny: OK, so the passing attack has been basically non-existent the past two weeks. But when you run for 894 yards in two games, who needs to throw?
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Oklahoma State
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
19. Ole Miss
Points: 39
W-L: 8-3
Previous ranking: 8
The skinny: What once looked as if it could be a magical season suddenly looks like one that could end with four regular-season losses.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. Mississippi State
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Mississippi State)
20. Louisville
Points: 33
W-L: 8-3
Previous ranking: NR
The skinny: Saturday's win over Notre Dame was the Cardinals' fourth game in a row with at least 30 points; that's the first time that has happened since the first four games of the 2007 season.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. Kentucky
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
21. Colorado State
Points: 33
W-L: 10-1
Previous ranking: 20
The skinny: The Rams have 16 wins in their past 19 games. The only schools nationally that have done better in that span: Florida State (19-0), Michigan State (17-2) and Marshall (17-2).
Remaining schedule: Friday, Nov. 28 -- at Air Force
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
22. Minnesota
Points: 29
W-L: 8-3
Previous ranking: NR
The skinny: All hail Jerry Kill: The Golden Gophers have won eight games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1960-61 and will play at Wisconsin next Saturday with the Big Ten West Division title on the line.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- at Wisconsin
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Wisconsin)
23. Clemson
Points: 17
W-L: 8-3
Previous ranking: NR
The skinny: The Tigers' defense has been solid all season; the same can't be said for the offense. Still, because South Carolina's porous defense is next, there is hope for that offense next weekend.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. South Carolina
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
24. Boise State
Points: 13
W-L: 9-2
Previous ranking: NR
The skinny: The BCS might be gone, but the Broncos still might be "busters" of a sort this season: They are squarely in the hunt for the automatic bid in a playoff-affiliated bowl that goes to the best non-Power Five squad.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Nov. 29 -- vs. Utah State
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
25. Marshall
Points: 11
W-L: 11-0
Previous ranking: 21
The skinny: The Thundering Herd might not have played the toughest schedule, but they still are one of just two unbeaten teams nationally.
Remaining schedule: Friday, Nov. 28 -- vs. Western Kentucky
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
Others receiving votes:
LSU 9, Arkansas 6, Texas 3, USC 2
Voters in the College Football 24/7 Top 25 Power Rankings include: NFL Media analysts Gil Brandt, Bucky Brooks, Charles Davis and Daniel Jeremiah, and College Football 24/7 writers Bryan Fischer, Chase Goodbread and Mike Huguenin.
Follow College Football 24/7 on Twitter _@NFLCFB_.
