College football rankings 2020: Week 15 AP Top 25

Six teams in the AP Top 25 lost this week as the new college rankings see a radical shake-up in the middle and bottom of the Week 15 AP Top 25.

It was a tough week for us BYU truthers. There was a lot of preemptive, and in the end unnecessary, handwringing about whether the Cougars would get a look in the playoff if they managed to run the table. Their take-on-all-comers attitude brought us one of the most interesting late-season games in recent years, but BYU just couldn’t get the job done. Though it’s a tough ask for anyone to get ready for a team with less than a week’s heads-up, it’s hard to imagine anyone inside of the AP Top 10 losing that game, save Cincinnati (maybe).

Here’s a fun fact about Coastal Carolina: in less than 20 years — their inaugural season was in 2003 — the Chanticleers have become the second best football program in South Carolina. Coastal will not make it to the Playoff this year, but a favorable AP ranking and a Cincinnati CFP snub might give us a Group of Five National Championship game (which is probably something that should happen annually, anyway).

Elsewhere in the Top 25, Oklahoma State kept doing Oklahoma State things, which is oddly comforting in this year in The Upside Down. Before Marshall even had a chance to whimper a “we should…” Rice hit ’em with a shutout “you thought.” And Washington ensured that the Pac 12 can’t have nice things.

Indiana was impressive in their win against Wisconsin, despite losing Michael Penix for the year. If Michigan can’t play next week, Indiana could find themselves in the Big Ten Championship  game, since Ohio State wouldn’t have the requisite six conference games to be eligible. A Indiana/Northwestern in the ‘ship probably ends 9-6 in favor of Indiana, but what an unforeseen matchup! Of course, if Michigan can’t play, the Big Ten will change the rules to make sure Ohio State is in the Championship because rules are for nerds anyway.

Week 15 AP Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Notre Dame
3. Ohio State
4. Clemson
5. Texas A&M
6. Florida
7. Cincinnati
8. Indiana
9. Miami
10. Iowa State
11. Coastal Carolina
12. Georgia
13. Oklahoma
14. BYU
15. Northwestern
16. USC
17. Louisiana
18. Tulsa
19. Iowa
20. North Carolina
21. Colorado
22. Liberty
23. Texas
24. Buffalo
25. Wisconsin

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