Ohio State leaped over Michigan to become No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll, which was released Sunday, ahead of the Big Ten rivals’ showdown Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich. Here’s what you need to know:
- Georgia remains No. 1 after a 38-10 win over Tennessee on Saturday and received 61 of 62 first-place votes, up from 54 a week earlier. Ohio State got the one remaining vote.
- The Buckeyes moved up one spot from last week after a 37-3 win against Minnesota, while Michigan fell one spot following its 31-24 victory over Maryland.
- Washington and Florida State also traded places in the rankings, with the Huskies taking No. 4 and the Seminoles falling to No. 5.
- Washington beat Oregon State 22-20. FSU trounced North Alabama 58-13 but lost quarterback Jordan Travis to an apparent leg injury.
Full AP Top 25 after Week 12
- Georgia (61)
- Ohio State (1)
- Michigan
- Washington
- Florida State
- Oregon
- Texas
- Alabama
- Louisville
- Missouri
- Penn State
- Ole Miss
- Oklahoma
- LSU
- Oregon State
- Arizona
- Notre Dame
- Tulane
- Kansas State
- Iowa
- Oklahoma State
- Liberty
- Toledo
- James Madison
- Tennessee
Others receiving votes: Utah 69, NC State 66, UNLV 56, SMU 49, North Carolina 26, Clemson 20, Kansas 7, Fresno State 6, New Mexico State 3, UCLA 1, Miami (Ohio) 1, Texas A&M 1
How big is Ohio State at Michigan?
With the Buckeyes and Wolverines both still undefeated, the stage is set for yet another high-profile game in the most storied rivalry in college football. It will be the 13th time both teams are ranked in the AP top five for their matchup (and the second year in a row). No other rivalry has had more than 10 top-five matchups (Oklahoma–Texas).
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It’s the fourth time both are ranked in the AP top three at the time of the game, joining Michigan’s win in 2022 and Ohio State’s wins in 2016 and 2006. There have been many big Michigan-Ohio State games, but there’s no doubt this is one of the biggest of all time. — Matt Brown, college football deputy managing editor
Washington and FSU trade places
Washington has been at No. 5 in the AP rankings since Oct. 15, the day after it defeated Oregon. Florida State has been directly above at No. 4 until Sunday, with the Huskies finally jumping the Seminoles following three straight victories over ranked opponents. This feels warranted based on their resume — many were arguing for it last week. In the wake of the gruesome injury to Travis on Saturday, the question is if this move is a harbinger for Washington to jump ahead of Florida State in the next College Football Playoff rankings as well, and if so, will the Seminoles have an opportunity to climb back into the Playoff picture?
FSU has its non-conference rivalry game against Florida next week and will face No. 9 Louisville in the ACC Championship on Dec. 2. Washington, having already clinched a spot in the Pac-12 title game, faces Washington State next week and either Oregon or Arizona. The Huskies winning out will surely send them to the CFP, whereas Florida State needs to win the next two with a backup quarterback and have some one-loss champions emerge from the other power conferences. — Justin Williams, college football staff writer
Required reading
- Mandel’s Final Thoughts: For some CFP hopefuls, staying perfect in Week 12 comes at a cost
- Auerbach’s Top 10: Who’s hitting their stride entering the regular season’s final week?
- Michigan holds off Maryland, but will it miss Jim Harbaugh even more vs. Ohio State?
- Ohio State’s offense is rolling into Michigan week. Will that be the difference?
(Photo: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)