2024 SID Sports Week 12 Rankings
Breaking down the Top 25 and players of the week after Week 12
We’re a day late on the rankings, but it’s still ahead of the CFP Committee’s ranking release so that’s alright.
So let’s get into it. Who’s the Top 25 teams in the nation right now?
SID Sports Week 12 Top 25
Oregon 10-0 LW: 1
At this point, I don’t know if anyone is going to be able to knock Oregon down a peg aside from in the Big Ten Championship. Maryland gave it a good run in the first quarter or so, but the Ducks proved too much in a beautiful uniform matchup. Dillon Gabriel continues to play himself into a three-man Heisman conversation with Ashton Jeanty and Travis Hunter and the Oregon defense keeps getting better.Ohio State 8-1 LW: 4
It seems only right that Ohio State lands just below their only loss of the season. The Buckeyes rolled through Purdue as they should, notching a sweat-free 45-0 win. Ohio State’s offense is humming, the defense is getting into form. I’m excited to see how they fare in their next top five matchup.BYU 9-0 LW: 7
Yeah, we’re at this point in the season now. BYU keeps winning and it’s time to give them even more respect. They’ve got a solid resume with two ranked wins over Colorado and Kansas State, survived a high-stakes rivalry trap game against Utah, and an increasingly better win over Baylor. A dymanic offense coupled with the Cougars’ elite defense gets this team into the top five.
Indiana 10-0 LW: 8
All Hail 10 Windiana! Bow down to your Hoosier overlords! In all reality, this is a long time coming for Indiana. Curt Cignetti has his squad rolling, even with getting their first true test against Michigan. The Wolverine defense is still elite and riddled with NFL talent, which slowed down Kurtis Rourke and the Hoosier offense. But Indiana battled the entire game and got the win. I’d like to see more from them in the second half, but they’re true contenders and ready for a trip to Columbus next weekend.Texas 8-1 LW: 5
Now that’s what you want to see from the Texas offense. Quinn Ewers torched Florida in a 49-17 route and looked every bit the championship quarterback Longhorns fans hoped he would be. The defense stifled anything Florida’s third-string quarterback tried all day, while the offense rallied behind Ewers and established a solid running game. We’ll need more from Texas like that down the stretch.Tennessee 8-1 LW: 6
It seems like Tennessee fully exorcised their first half scoring demons, putting op 20 of their 33 points in the first 30 minutes of game time. It was a vintage veer and shoot affair with Nico Iamaleava connecting downfield and Dylan Sampson continuing to expliot wide open running lanes. With the defense allowing only two scores and 271 total yards, Tennessee is looking dangerous.Ole Miss 8-2 LW: 14
Big Game Lane had his team geared up and ready to battle with their backs against the wall in both CFP and SEC races. This was a complete domination by the Rebels against the then-No. 2 Georgia to position themselves right back in the championship conversation. Jaxson Dart didn’t have his best passing game, but that didn’t seem to matter as the Ole Miss defense took over for a change. The Rebels stuffed Georgia for only 60 rushing yards on 32 attempts and kept Carson Beck under 200 passing yards in the game. Alongside three forced turnovers and the Rebels showed they’re a complete team. This was as good a win as you can get for Lane Kiffin and his Ole Miss program.SMU 8-1 LW: 10
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, SMU is in the driver’s seat in the ACC and has a playoff bye in their eyesight. The Mustangs have two Top-25 wins against Louisville (then No. 22) and Pittsburgh (then No. 18) behind a surprisingly balanced attack. With a winnable three remaining games, a win this week all but locks the Ponies into a trip to the ACC Championship their first season in the league.Notre Dame 8-1 LW: 9
So, uh, yeah. Was this a story about Notre Dame being good or Florida State being that bad? Either way, the Irish took care of business in a 52-3 decimation of the Seminoles. As you’d expect from the final score, this was a complete team win for the Irish. With Marcus Freeman’s team continuing to stack those wins, the Irish may be a dangerous team come playoff time.Alabama 7-2 LW: 13
What a win for Alabama. Amidst a hostile LSU crowd and in a driving rainstorm, the Crimson Tide prevailed and saved their season. Jalen Milroe may have had a Heisman game there with four rushing touchdowns in the face of some bad throwing conditions. The Alabama defense stepped up big, limiting the LSU passing attack and picking off Garrett Nussmeier twice. Their path to the SEC championship is a bit muddy, but if Alabama keeps playing like that, the path to the CFP championship can open up.
Penn State 8-1 LW: 11
A 35-6 rebound win over Washington was just what the doctor ordered for Penn State. Drew Allar once again looked solid, the running game was legit, and the defense kept the Huskies out of the endzone. I still want to see more from Allar and the Nittany Lion offense in big spots, but them getting past a tough loss to Ohio State was a step in the right direction.Boise State 8-1 LW: 12
Ashton Jeanty. That is all.Miami 9-1 LW: 2
The Canes take a tumble following their one-score luck catching up to them in a 28-23 loss to Georgia Tech. Cam Ward and the Miami offense looked great, but a varied rushing attack from Georgia Tech punished the Hurricane defense. All season it’s been a story of if the Miami defense would be able to keep up in these shootouts and one of these times, they wouldn’t be able to. That time came.Texas A&M 7-2 LW: 15
The Aggies rise a spot on their bye week. Despite last week’s loss to South Carolina, they’re still in the driver’s seat for an SEC Championship bid, provided they beat Auburn and Texas to close the season. Their defense is starting to falter, allowing 23 or more points in each of the last three games, which worries me. I don’t know if the offense is built to overcome that, but I think Marcel Reed gives them their best chance going forward.Georgia 7-2 LW: 3
Something is seriously wrong with this Georgia offense. Carson Beck has gone from in the No. 1 overall pick conversation to a borderline Day 3 guy. The running game has disappeared. The offensive line isn’t stopping any pass rush. Pair that with the defense allowing over 30 points in six of their last seven and it’s time to start considering this Georgia team is going to miss out on the 12-team playoff.Army 9-0 LW: 18
The Black Knight continue to run to the top after a 14-3 win over North Texas. The scoring has slowed down, but make no mistake, Army controlled this game from start to finish. Just look at the 21-play, 94-yard touchdown drive in the third and fourth quarter that killed a whopping 13:54 of game clock. Now that’s service academy football at its finest.Washington State 8-1 LW: 19
The Cougars’ playoff hopes likely died with Texas Tech’s loss, but the Cougars themselves keep winning. This time, it was a solid 49-28 win over Utah State. John Mateer was too much for the Aggies to handle with five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) and tailback Wayshawn Parker added 149 yards and two scores of his own. It was an expected result over 2-7 Utah State, but still a healthy win for Washington State.Colorado 7-2 LW: 22
Texas Tech jumped out to a 13 point first quarter lead, but the Buffaloes didn’t care, scoring the next 17 points and racing past the Red Raiders 41-27. It wasn’t the best game from Shedeur Sanders and the rushing attack didn’t play well, but the defense really stepped up to slow down the hot Texas Tech offense. Shilo Sanders’ fumble return for a touchdown was the nail in the coffin and seven total sacks helped down Texas Tech.Louisville 6-3 LW: 20
The Cardinals got a week off and are technically still alive in the ACC race, but we’ll get more into that in this week’s Bracketology post. The win over Clemson was a good one, but one-score losses to Notre Dame, SMU and Miami have sunk the Cardinals’ season. This is a fun offense to watch, though, and I’m interested to see what they do down the stretch.Clemson 7-2 LW: 21
The Tigers’ 24-14 win over Virginia Tech was a solid get-back game, especially for the offense. Cade Klubnik righted the ship with three touchdowns and Phil Mafah crossed the century mark. Clemson’s defense was outstanding, shutting down both Kyron Drones and Colin Schlee while forcing two turnovers on the day.Kansas State 7-2 LW: 24
The Wildcats got their bye week right when they needed it ahead of a three-game season ending gauntlet against tough Big 12 competition. This isn’t the Will Howard-led Wildcats that could keep you honest through the air, though. This year, they’re a ground and pound team to the fullest extent. Avery Johnson is still progressing as a passer, but if Kansas State wants to capitalize on a wide open conference race, they need him to step his game up in a major way.LSU 6-3 LW: 16
Things are going to start getting loud in Baton Rouge if Brian Kelly can’t figure out how to get his team ahead in big games. The Tigers, in front of a live Tiger for the first time since 2015, couldn’t have looked worse in a 42-13 rout at the hands of rival Alabama. The defense couldn’t stop Jalen Milroe if he hopped on one leg. I’ll allow you to consider the rain as factoring into the LSU passing game’s struggles, but receivers weren’t getting separation at all. It’s time for some tough conversations about the Brian Kelly era, but at least Bryce Underwood is still committed, right?Tulane 8-2 LW: 25
Luckily for Louisana football fans, they have a more plucky underdog to root for is LSU is disappointing them in New Orleans’ own Tulane Green Wave. We’ve talked about their weak schedule already, but winning in style like they are is a testament to how good this team is. Their last two wins have come by a combined 86-9 margin. Plus, the out of conference win over Louisiana is looking pretty solid.South Carolina 6-3 LW: Next Five Out
Beamer Ball has entered the Top 25. South Carolina’s win over Vanderbilt was as good as it gets, with Raheim Sanders running wild over the Commodore defense with 126 yards and two scores on the ground and another touchdown catch. The defense shut down Diego Pavia’s magic with their elite pass rush. They won’t make the playoff, but don’t let this good team slip past your eyes because of that. They’re a ton of fun to watch.Iowa State 7-2 LW: 17
The Cyclones are in a free fall at this point. Even with a rebound performance from Rocco Becht and the Cyclone offense, the defense forgot to show up and let Kansas post 45 points. I respect the torrid comeback effort in the fourth quarter, but Iowa State is plummeting back to earth at this point.
Next Five Out: Navy, Louisiana, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Arizona State
Another week, another solid Navy win, this time over USF. The Midshipmen’s passing game has died down since the loss to Notre Dame, but 321 yards on the ground is enough to beat most any team. Louisiana continues their reign of terror over the Sun Belt with a 55-19 decimation of Arkansas State. Ben Wooldridge was great again through the air and tailback Drelyn Washington turned eight carries into 123 yards and two touchdowns. The Ragin’ Cajuns are dangerous. Vandy’s magic may have run out, but the Commodores are still a good team. Diego Pavia has led this program to their best season in recent history and the'y’ll continue running the ball and playing spoiler as long as they can. Speaking of running the ball and playing spoiler, Georgia Tech’s win over Miami was shocking, surprising, and a game I loved. It was the wackiest gameplan I’ve ever seen where quarterback Haynes King was actually a running back and they rotated almost everyone on the roster into the backfield, but somehow it worked. That kind of ballsy scheme is what won that game. The Sun Devils return to the Next Five Out section iwth a 35-31 win over UCF to move to 7-2. With quarterback stability and Cam Skattebo doing Cam Skattebo things, Arizona State has become a dark-horse Big 12 championship contender overnight. Well, only overnight because you’re not staying up to watch them.
Players of the Week
Finally, let’s get into some of the best individual performances of this week.
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
One player had a Heisman worthy game and moment this week and it was Milroe’s play in Death Valley in the rain. Sure, he didn’t throw the ball particularly well with only 109 yards on a 66.7 percent completion rate, but that’s enough for a 99.3 QBR by ESPN’s metrics. It was the running game where Milroe really shined with 12 carries, 185 yards and four touchdowns. He took advantage of LSU all day and they had nothing to stop him.Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
I see the media pivoting Heisman discussions away from Jeanty and I’m here to emphatically say that’s false. Jeanty continues to ball out, this time with 209 yards and three touchdowns on 6.1 yards per carry. Yes, the fumble hurt him but it was his only this season. DO NOT TAKE JEANTY OUT OF YOUR HEISMAN BALLOTS.Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
Even in a loss, Jaylin Noel showed why he’s got serious NFL buzz. The senior was one of the few bright spots on the Iowa State team, haulting in a season-high eight catches for 167 yards and two scores. During Iowa State’s comeback bid, Noel was the primary target and for good reason: Kansas couldn’t cover him. Neither can anyone else for that matter, but still.
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These rankings are looking better than the week 11 version. I'm still not a fan of BYU over Indiana, because of BYU's three one possession victories over unranked teams, compared to IU's one. I have very little respect for gritty wins. In my opinion, if you're this high, it should be 14+ points against unranked opponents. That's what Indiana does. It's not what BYU does.
I like your daring with Ole Miss. Continuing from the above theme, they've also only had a single one possession game against an unranked opponent all year. Unfortunately for them, they did lose it against Kentucky, but flip that one possession game luck to a win, and I'd be perfectly okay with Ole Miss at seven right now. Good job on that one.
Beyond that, I don't mind their spot, but I think your take on Boise is a little reductive. Maddux Madsen and their passing attack is quite good also. It's not like BSU never passes. They pass more than they run, and their EPA/Pass is higher than their EPA/Rush. It's a passing attack very reliant on explosive plays (low success rate, high EPA/Play), which may not be sustainable, but right now I've got to go with the production. I just feel like it deserves at least a sentence.
You know Griffin, I can't believe we've come this far, but I think I also have to say that I really don't agree with how low you've got Army ranked. Their run game is even better than Boise's from an offensive line perspective. 3.9 OLine yards per rush to 3.3, although it's splitting hairs because both those numbers are fantastic. We can cry SOS in the American, but Army hasn't played a single one possession game yet, so they're doing what they have to, and it will be a crime if every game in Army's season is a 10+ point win and they miss the playoff. That to me would be a black eye on the system, just like the treatment of Indiana is a black eye on the system.
This requires defeating Notre Dame, but if they do, I seriously think Army would be deserving of an at-large spot in the top 12. No need for the conference auto-bid. Who would've thought we'd say that at season's beginning? I will grant you that this is a team driven by their defence, and those are the teams that tend to fold against the good competition, so I'm hedging on Army, but if they can somehow defeat Notre Dame, I will hedge no more.
Exactly the opposite of Army is Washington State, who I think are just way too high on this list. To play three one possession games against their schedule is not becoming of a top 20 team in the country. I'm sorry Cougar fans, and everybody below this is too far out to deserve an at-large bid in my opinion. Even Colorado. I won't take a team in my playoff sporting a 14+ point loss to an unranked opponent unless I have to, and everybody below that is below that. All those teams are fishing for lucky auto-bids.
What do you think Griffin? Why are you such a big fan of BYU? What's up with Army? I respect your take on Ole Miss (it's the same as mine), but I don't respect your lack of take on Boise State. Let me know what you think buddy.