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AP Poll Top 25 Week 13: Alabama overrated, Oklahoma underrated

By Sean Watterson

WACO, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 16: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners kneels in the endzone before a game against the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
WACO, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 16: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners kneels in the endzone before a game against the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Despite two Power Five teams getting their first loss, Alabama suffered the biggest loss in Week 12 with Tua Tagovailoa going down with an injury and then falling behind Georgia in the AP Poll Top 25.

Look. We tried to tell you. Minnesota was set up for a letdown. We saw that they were overrated, largely because Penn State was overrated. And here we are. One week after a program elevating win, one that should certainly elevate PJ Fleck’s status as a coach, Minnesota finds itself in must-win mode to secure a spot in the Big Ten title game.

While we’re here, we need to talk about PJ Fleck. He absolutely cost his team by charging the field like a freshman after too many pops, and he seems to think it was the right idea. It doesn’t matter that Iowa ended up punting on that drive. Process matters. 15 yards matter. Of course, he’s saying he did it because he cares about his player. Nobody would argue that that’s very important. But what could he possibly have done at that moment to help his player? Help your players by putting them in the best spot to win, and be there once the team doctors have a chance to do their job first. Being impulsive will cost you.

Meanwhile, in Waco, Oklahoma offense might not be able to paper over every hole in the defense, but it was able to do enough to overcome spotting Baylor a 28-3 lead. The Sooners capped off their improbable comeback to knock off the Big 12’s last remaining undefeated team. Seriously, look at this:

Baylor, on the other hand, missed out on an opportunity to inch closer to the CFB Playoff. Still, it’s hard not to come away from this game impressed with Baylor. Rightfully dinged for not playing a tough enough schedule to merit a Top 10 spot, the Bears proved that they are on the right track with their program. If they can win one of their next two games, they’ll get a second crack at Oklahoma.

Lastly, Tua Tagovailoa‘s injury is nothing short of tragic. He’s been such a tough player over his career and given fans some of the most exciting football of the last decade. The sport is worse because of his injury. Let’s hope that he can recover and continue his career in the NFL.

AP Poll Top 25

  1. LSU
  2. Ohio State
  3. Clemson
  4. Georgia
  5. Alabama
  6. Oregon
  7. Utah
  8. Oklahoma
  9. Penn State
  10. Florida
  11. Minnesota
  12. Michigan
  13. Baylor
  14. Wisconsin
  15. Notre Dame
  16. Auburn
  17. Cincinnati
  18. Memphis
  19. Iowa
  20. Boise State
  21. SMU
  22. Oklahoma State
  23. Appalachian State
  24. Texas A&M
  25. Virginia Tech

Overrated

No. 5 Alabama — It isn’t fair that Tua went down. And it isn’t fair that Mac Jones (outstanding name, by the way) isn’t Tua. But Alabama with Mac Jones is not Alabama with Tua. What Alabama has done to this point will not be the same as what it does since. Yes. Alabama won with A.J. McCarron and someone named  Jake Coker. But those Alabama teams had the best defense in the country. This team… does not. The Tide has no business being in the Playoff discussion anymore.

No. 9 Penn State — Should Penn State get credit for taking care of business against Indiana? Sure. This team did what they had to do and rebounded at home after losing to a Minnesota team that will not play in the Big Ten Championship. But this isn’t a Top 10 team. And they lost the head-to-head to Minnesota. Tough to see why the Nittany Lions are here, other than they didn’t lose.

No. 16 Auburn — Besides Oregon in the first game of the season, who has Auburn beaten? Bo Nix looked incredible in Week 1, then fell off a cliff. There are moments where Nix looks unbeatable, but other times he looks like a toddler learning to pee standing up. He has it all lined up, it looks like everything going to go well, and then he misses by five yards. Such is life with a freshman quarterback not named Trevor or Tua.

Underrated

No. 8 Oklahoma — Yes, the Sooners dropped a tough one to a (flailing?) Kansas State team, but Oklahoma proved that they still belong in the Playoff discussion. At this point, the Sooners need to leap-frog Alabama and hope that Oregon and Utah lose before the end of the season, and that’s a tough break. This offense and Jalen Hurts‘ role within it is something special.

No. 10 Florida — The Gators are better than Penn State. Their two losses are to teams that would also beat Penn State in Happy Valley. They have looked more impressive so far, despite being on their second-string quarterback, and their defense held an electric Kelly Bryant to under 250 total yards. The Gators don’t need to be too much higher than 10, but they should be ahead of Penn State.

No. 14 Wisconsin — Yes, the Badgers are one-dimensional. And the loss to Illinois is brutal. But the loss in Champaign looks a lot like a one-off (which we really knew at the time). And losing to Ohio State is basically all any team in the Big Ten does, anyway. Now Wisconsin is in a great position to make the Big Ten title game. Purdue should be a cakewalk, which brings them to a division deciding matchup against Minnesota. Would you really bet on the Gophers? It’s going to be a Badge-Buckeye rematch in December.

Next. Week 12 takeaways: Tua, Trevor, Okay Boomer Sooner. dark

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