Florida State's less-than-impressive win over offensively challenged Florida cost the Seminoles some in the latest College Football 24/7 Top 25 Power Rankings, but they remained in first place.
FSU was a unanimous No. 1 last week, but garnered only five of the seven first-place votes this week. Alabama and Oregon, which received one first-place vote apiece, remained second and third, while TCU moved up a spot, to fourth, after Mississippi State fell at Mississippi and dropped to 10th.
Ohio State lost quarterback J.T. Barrett for the season in a win over Michigan, but the win -- coupled with Baylor's narrow escape against a mediocre Texas Tech team -- enabled the Buckeyes to jump from seventh to fifth. Baylor remained sixth, and is one of three Big 12 teams in the top nine.
The SEC has seven teams in the poll, followed closely by the Pac-12 with six. The ACC and Big 12 have four each, the Big Ten three and the Mountain West one.
1. Florida State
Points: 170 (5 first-place vote)
W-L: 12-0
Previous ranking: 1
The skinny: Jameis Winston played the worst game of his career, but true freshman TB Dalvin Cook played the best game of his career and helped the Seminoles win their 28th in a row.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Georgia Tech (ACC Championship)
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Georgia Tech)
2. Alabama
Points: 167
W-L: 11-1
Previous ranking: 2
The skinny: The defense Saturday night certainly wasn't pleasing to Nick Saban. The flipside: His offense more than bailed out his defense.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Missouri (SEC Championship)
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Missouri)
3. Oregon
Points: 166
W-L: 11-1
Previous ranking: 3
Skinny: Sort of cool for the Ducks -- they get a chance to avenge their only loss of the season, and in doing so, they would wrap up a playoff bid.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Arizona (Pac-12 Championship)
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Arizona)
4. TCU
Points: 151
W-L: 10-1
Previous ranking: 6
Skinny: So, will the Horned Frogs be able to hold off Baylor and Ohio State for a playoff spot? That will be the biggest college football storyline of the next week.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Iowa State
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
5. Ohio State
Points: 148
W-L: 11-1
Previous ranking: 7
The skinny: A pyrrhic victory for the Buckeyes? They muddled past the hated Wolverines, but lost star QB J.T. Barrett in the process.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Wisconsin (Big Ten Championship)
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Wisconsin)
6. Baylor
Points: 143
W-L: 10-1
Previous ranking: 5
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Kansas State
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Kansas State)
7. Michigan State
Points: 127
W-L: 10-2
Previous ranking: 8
The skinny: The Spartans are in great position for a spot in a playoff-affiliated bowl. That's not a bad consolation prize, considering they didn't win their division.
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
8. Arizona
Points: 121
W-L: 10-2
Previous ranking: 14
The skinny: All hail RichRod: The Wildcats are your Pac-12 South champs. They also have just the third 10-win season in school history.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Oregon (Pac-12 Championship)
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Oregon)
9. Kansas State
Points: 116
W-L: 9-2
Previous ranking: 11
The skinny: K-State still has a shot at sharing the Big 12 title. All the Wildcats have to do is beat Baylor next Saturday.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- at Baylor
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Baylor)
10. Mississippi State
Points: 112
W-L: 10-2
Previous ranking: 4
The skinny: In two monster games in November, at Alabama and at Mississippi, the Bulldogs looked as if the spotlight was too bright for them.
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
11. Wisconsin
The skinny: The Badgers' passing attack has gotten incrementally better each week in November. That facet of their offense must be productive if they're to beat Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game next weekend.
2014 schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Ohio State (Big Ten Championship)
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Ohio State)
12. Missouri
Points: 97
W-L: 10-2
Previous ranking: 16
The skinny: Mizzou has won the SEC East for the second season in a row, thanks to a good defense and an offense that, if nothing else, it usually outscores its opponent.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Alabama (SEC Championship)
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Alabama)
13. Georgia Tech
Points: 95
W-L: 10-2
Previous ranking: 17
The skinny: The Yellow Jackets will play Florida State for the ACC title. Not bad at all. At the same time, you have to think coach Paul Johnson is wondering what might have been considering Tech lost to Duke and North Carolina.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Florida State (ACC Championship)
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: 1 (Florida State)
14. Ole Miss
Points: 75
W-L: 9-3
Previous ranking: 19
The skinny: The Rebels' season didn't turn out as well as they had hoped. Still, winning the Egg Bowl and knocking Mississippi State out of playoff contention is a nice ending anyway.
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
15. Georgia
Points: 64
W-L: 9-3
Previous ranking: 9
The skinny: Three losses is one thing. Losses to Florida, Georgia Tech and South Carolina has to really tick off Bulldogs fans
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
16. Oklahoma
Points: 61
W-L: 8-3
Previous ranking: 18
The skinny: The Sooners had this weekend off to prepare for the Bedlam Game. It also was a chance for Samaje Perine to rest up.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Oklahoma State
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
17. UCLA
Points: 60
W-L: 9-3
Previous ranking: 10
The skinny: The Pac-12 South title was there for the taking Friday. For some reason, though, the Bruins decided it wasn't necessary for them to show up.
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
18. Clemson
Points: 56
W-L: 9-3
Previous ranking: 23
The skinny: True freshman QB Deshaun Watson has the ability to be a truly special player. But letting him play Saturday with a torn ACL?
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
19. Arizona State
Points: 52
W-L: 9-3
Previous ranking: 13
The skinny: In its three losses, Arizona State has surrendered an average of 46 points per game.
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
20. Auburn
Points: 38
W-L: 8-4
Previous ranking: 15
The skinny: The Tigers surrendered an average of 39 points per game in their final six SEC contests this season. That's no way to try to win a division title.
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
21. Louisville
Points: 37
W-L: 9-3
Previous ranking: 20
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
22. Boise State
Points: 35
W-L: 10-2
Previous ranking: 24
The skinny: The Broncos are the definite frontrunner for the automatic bid in a playoff-affiliated bowl that goes to the best non-Power Five squad.
Remaining schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Fresno State (MWC Championship)
Remaining CFB 24/7 top 25 opponents: None
23. LSU
Points: 23
W-L: 8-4
Previous ranking: NR
The skinny: The Tigers have won eight games despite not having a competent quarterback. That just shows how good the defense has been.
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
24. Utah
Points: 17
W-L: 8-4
Previous ranking: NR
The skinny: The Utes rallied to beat upset-minded Colorado; it's their seventh eight-win season in the past nine years.
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
25. USC
Points: 15
W-L: 8-4
Previous ranking: NR
The skinny: QB Cody Kessler has thrown 36 TD passes. He has done it quietly, too.
Remaining schedule: End of regular season
Others receiving votes:
Nebraska 10, Minnesota 5, Colorado State 3, Stanford 1
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.
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