College Football Rankings 2017: Projected Top 25 after Week 12
After Week 12, how does the projected top 25 look for the College Football Rankings?
Week 12 was one of the college football season’s softest slate of games, with most ranked teams facing unranked or FCS opponents. That didn’t make for thrilling action but still resulted in one upset in the Big 12 Conference that could shake up the College Football Rankings.
Aside from this, it was a standard week in college football, with just one weekend remaining before the conference championship games. Who moved into position for this in the Power 5 Conferences?
With that said, let’s look at the latest projections for the College Football Rankings.
No. 25: Virginia Tech
Remember Virginia Tech, who held a spot in the top 20 for most of the season? After losing games to Miami and Georgia Tech, the Hokies dropped out of the rankings. However, with a victory over Pittsburgh, it brought them back to life and into the top 25.
No. 24: Fresno State
After a 13-7 win over Wyoming, Fresno State further secured its spot atop the West Division of the Mountain West Conference. That also brought them into the College Football Rankings, before facing Boise State on Nov. 25.
No. 23: Boise State
Boise State’s blowout win over Air Force put them at 9-2, with one game left against Fresno State. A victory would make it eight straight to close the season, after starting the 2017 campaign at 2-2. Following that is the Mountain West Conference Championship Game.
No. 22: Northwestern
The Minnesota vs. Northwestern game had upset potential, but the Wildcats shut down the Gophers, 39-0. This included a 25-point second quarter that blew this Big Ten matchup open. It kept Pat Fitzgerald’s team in the top 25, with a soft contest against Illinois as the final one on the schedule.
No. 21: Stanford
Stanford had a successful week, defeating California, 17-14. It won’t be enough to push them past a big-name team that just lost, but still gives them a one-spot boost in the College Football Rankings. The Cardinal’s season will culminate against Notre Dame, which has the potential to give the former a spot in the top 15.