College football’s Top 25 résumé ranking entering Week 14

Very little changed at the top of our ranking this week after a number of the sport’s best teams played pushovers in Week 13. The Week 14 schedule has some résumé-builders on it.

You can find last week’s rankings here.

Ranking the Top 25 résumés in college football

This is not a power ranking of the best teams in college football. This is not a ranking of how I think these teams will look at the end of the season or a prediction of who will make the College Football Playoff. This ranking aims to compare who has accomplished what, who has beaten whom, and who has lost where. While some might treat the non-power conferences as second-rate, I’m more inclined to give those teams love.

Let’s get to it.

Dropped from the ranking: 19 Georgia Tech, 24 Missouri

25. Arizona (8-3, 5-3 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 30-24 at Cincinnati
LAST WEEK: NR

The Wildcats don’t really have a signature win like their in-state rivals, but they have essentially only played 1 regrettable game all year. Iowa State blew Arizona out in Ames on Sept. 27. Since then, Arizona is 5-2 with a double-overtime loss to BYU and a 3-point road loss to Houston on the final play of the game. Pitt was the other team I considered for this spot, but that no-show against Notre Dame is still too fresh. Arizona is also ahead of Pitt in résumé SP+ and in ESPN’s strength of record.

24. North Texas (10-1, 6-1 AAC)

BEST WIN: 59-10 vs. Washington State
LAST WEEK: 25

The Mean Green are, indeed, mean. At least, to the opposition. Last weekend’s 56-24 win over Rice was North Texas’s sixth win this season by at least 29 points. I have a much larger gap between North Texas and James Madison here than exists in the current AP Poll. Why? Both have played 1 Sagarin-rated top-40 opponent this season. Both lost their respective game. But James Madison went to the fourth quarter tied with Louisville on the road. North Texas trailed South Florida 49-28 going into the fourth quarter at home. That’s the difference. Both these teams have strength of schedules that rate outside the top 100.

23. Virginia (9-2, 6-1 ACC)

BEST WIN: 30-27 at Louisville
LAST WEEK: 23

Virginia has played 11 football games this season. None of them were against Sagarin-rated top-30 teams. Nine wins is an achievement, but in an exercise that compares résumés, Virginia has some glaring holes.

22. Arizona State (8-3, 6-2 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 26-22 vs. Texas Tech
LAST WEEK: NR

The Big 12 has eaten itself up a bit, but Arizona State has stabilized since losing quarterback Sam Leavitt for the season and put together a solid stretch of play. The Sun Devils blasted Colorado in Boulder over the weekend, breaking out and putting an opponent away after each of the previous 4 games ended within a single possession.

21. USC (8-3, 6-2 B1G)

BEST WIN: 31-13 vs. Michigan
LAST WEEK: 13

Tough showing for USC. The Trojans were dominated on a per-play basis. They were within a single score twice in the second half, but couldn’t ever close the gap with the Ducks. USC has strong wins over Michigan and Iowa this year, but it has repeatedly come up short on the road.

20. SMU (8-3, 6-1 ACC)

BEST WIN: 26-20 vs. Miami
LAST WEEK: 22

SMU blasted Louisville at home, 38-6, to stay in the hunt for the ACC title game. The Mustangs have scored a pair of massive wins in their last 3 games.

19. James Madison (10-1, 7-0 Sun Belt)

BEST WIN: 24-20 vs. Washington State
LAST WEEK: 18

The Dukes really needed a win over Washington State and they had to sweat it out. The Cougs scored 14 in the second quarter to take a 17-10 lead into the break. James Madison rallied in the second half to win. Tailback Wayne Knight rumbled for 58 yards in the final 7 minutes to score the game-winning touchdown. It was just the second win over a Sagarin-rated top-70 team this season.

18. Tulane (9-2, 5-1 AAC)

BEST WIN: 38-32 at Memphis
LAST WEEK: 17

Tulane won by 24 points on the road, but I dropped the Green Wave a spot to make room for the Vols after they jumped all over Florida in The Swamp.

17. Tennessee (8-3, 4-3 SEC)

BEST WIN: 31-11 at Florida
LAST WEEK: 21

Tennessee dominated the Gators for its first victory at The Swamp since 2003. Gainesville has been trouble for visitors this season, but Tennessee handled the challenge well.

16. Michigan (9-2, 7-1 B1G)

BEST WIN: 24-7 vs. Washington
LAST WEEK: 16

Michigan rolled Maryland 45-20 on the road for its fifth straight win. The Wolverines are surging into the regular-season finale against Ohio State.

15. Texas (8-3, 5-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 23-6 vs. Oklahoma
LAST WEEK: 20

Though both of Michigan’s losses are to Sagarin top-15 teams and Texas has the unsightly loss to Florida, I like Texas’s wins more than Michigan’s. The Longhorns are 2-2 against Sagarin top-30 teams. Michigan is 1-2.

14. Utah (9-2, 6-2 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 45-14 vs. Cincinnati
LAST WEEK: 10

Utah pulled out a win over Kansas State despite giving up 47 points and 472 rushing yards. K-State tailback Joe Jackson had 293 rushing yards by himself. Utah didn’t have its first lead of the game until the third quarter, and it needed 14 points in the final 3 minutes to pull out the win. A win is a win, but this one was ugly.

13. Vanderbilt (9-2, 5-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 17-10 vs. Mizzou
LAST WEEK: 15

Vanderbilt blasted Kentucky behind a record-setting day from quarterback Diego Pavia. Nice win for the Commodores, who now have one of the biggest games in program history on tap in Week 14. Something to note: Vandy hasn’t won a road game since Sept. 13.

12. BYU (10-1, 7-1 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 24-21 vs. Utah
LAST WEEK: 14

BYU running back LJ Martin was a beast, helping the Cougars to a 26-14 win at Cincinnati. Martin ran for 222 yards and 2 scores. He also had a 26-yard catch and finished with 44 receiving yards to lead the team. Martin scored the game-clinching run in the final minute on a 33-yard burst, giving the Cougars a massive boost in their quest for a Big 12 title berth and ensuring that last year’s late-season collapse wouldn’t happen again.

11. Notre Dame (9-2)

BEST WIN: 34-24 vs. USC
LAST WEEK: 12

Notre Dame had 21 points on the board before its offense took a snap in the game. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price each had touchdown runs longer than 45 yards in the opening quarter. The Irish led 49-0 at the halftime break, en route to another demolition of a bad opponent. The Irish are rolling, but they’re still in the same block with Miami, so head-to-head matters.

10. Miami (9-2, 5-2 ACC)

BEST WIN: 27-24 vs. Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 11

Box score watchers, beware. Miami beat Virginia Tech 34-17, but it also threw a touchdown pass on fourth-and-2 with 20 seconds to go. The Hurricanes were clearly playing for style points, which is fine, but I expected more against a broken Hokie defense.

9. Alabama (9-2, 6-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 24-21 at Georgia
LAST WEEK: 9

Alabama rolled Eastern Illinois. It wasn’t Chattanooga State, but it still didn’t move the needle much.

8. Oregon (10-1, 7-1 B1G)

BEST WIN: 42-27 vs. USC
LAST WEEK: 8

Oregon had to have the Week 13 game against USC. And the Ducks got it, 42-27. It was just the third win so far this season over a Sagarin top-30 team. Oregon came out in the first half and dominated, opening up a 28-14 halftime lead while averaging more than 7 yards a play.

7. Oklahoma (9-2, 5-2 SEC)

BEST WIN: 23-21 at Alabama
LAST WEEK: 7

Oklahoma took a giant step toward the CFP with its 17-6 win over Mizzou at home. The Tigers won’t be ranked in any polls this week or next, but that’s a good win all the same for Oklahoma. OU has 6 wins now this year over Sagarin top-30 teams. That’s tied with Alabama for the most of any team in the country.

6. Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 34-26 at Oklahoma
LAST WEEK: 6

Lane Kiffin probably feels exhausted after Week 13, even though his Ole Miss squad didn’t touch the field. No movement for Kiffin; no movement here for the Rebels.

5. Texas Tech (10-1, 7-1 Big 12)

BEST WIN: 29-7 vs. BYU
LAST WEEK: 5

The Red Raiders don’t move after a bye week last weekend.

4. Georgia (10-1, 7-1 SEC)

BEST WIN: 43-35 vs. Ole Miss
LAST WEEK: 4

No change for the Dawgs this week after handling Charlotte 35-3 at home.

3. Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 B1G)

BEST WIN: 14-7 vs. Texas
LAST WEEK: 3

Ohio State could have gotten caught looking ahead to The Game. Instead, the Buckeyes accelerated away from Rutgers with a 28-6 second half.

2. Texas A&M (11-0, 7-0 SEC)

BEST WIN: 41-40 at Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 2

Texas A&M blanked Samford in a game no one outside of College Station really cared about. On to Texas.

1. Indiana (11-0, 8-0 B1G)

BEST WIN: 30-20 at Oregon
LAST WEEK: 1

The Hoosiers retain their top spot after a bye week. Texas A&M had, for all intents and purposes, a bye week of its own with a home game against an FCS opponent, so nothing directly changed the calculus in the debate at the top. Indiana’s win over Oregon looks a little better. Texas A&M’s win over Notre Dame looks a little better. Status quo heading into Chaos Week.