CFN Rankings No. 1 to 119 - Nov. 25

There's one very important distinction in the CFN rankings: these are based on how good the teams are and NOT how they're going to finish. Some teams have easier schedules than others, some get tougher road games and some will need a little bit of time to jell meaning they might be better than their final record might indicate.

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Week 12 | Coaches | AP | BCS

1. Ohio State (12-0)
W, Michigan 42-39
next game: Bowl Game
Just sitting around waiting to see if it’s USC, Michigan or Florida.

2. Michigan (11-1)
L, Ohio State 42-39
next game: Bowl Game
The Wolverines aren’t going to play for the national title, but they should be No. 2. If they’re really mad about not getting a rematch, they need to win the Rose Bowl in a blowout.

3. USC (10-1)
W, Notre Dame 44-24
next game: UCLA
Watch out. You heard it hear first, you’ll hear it here all week; Notre Dame was the easier of the final two games. UCLA, with its pass rush, is a dangerous team and a tougher matchup for USC.

4. Wisconsin (11-1)
W, Buffalo 35-3
next game: Bowl Game
The Badgers finished the year as a great unknown. The Capital One Bowl will either expose the team as a fraud or prove they were the real deal all along.

5. Florida (11-1)
W, at Florida State 21-14
next game: Arkansas (SEC Championship)
Yes, Urban. Style does matter. It might not seem right, but Florida has to beat Arkansas like a drum to get into the title discussion.

6. LSU (10-2)
W, at Arkansas 31-26
next game: Bowl Game
LSU is this year’s Auburn; everyone’s “it” SEC team that couldn’t win its own division. The win at Arkansas might be good enough to mean the Rose or the Orange Bowl.

7. Arkansas (10-2)
L, LSU 31-26
next game: Florida (SEC Championship)
It would’ve been interesting to have seen Arkansas actually run a running play on the final drive against LSU instead of letting Casey Dick throw it. The national title was never going to happen. At the end of the day, the loss to the Tigers probably means absolutely nothing.

8. Oklahoma (10-2)
W, at Oklahoma State 27-21
next game: Nebraska (Big 12 Championship)
It D’Juan Woods’ fingertips were just a big longer, Oklahoma would be wondering, “what if?” Now it’s thinking what the world would be like if the Oregon game had been called correctly.

9. BYU (10-2)
W, at Utah 33-31
next game: Bowl Game
Great teams make the great plays needed in rivalry games. Cougar QB John Beck would be a slam-dunk for the Heisman had he played at a more visible school (or, at least, he’d have given Troy Smith a big-time challenge).

10. Louisville (10-1)
W, at Pitt 48-24
next game: Connecticut
Somewhat quietly, Louisville bounced back from the Rutgers loss to be Louisville again. A win against UConn and a West Virginia win over the Scarlet Knights and Bobby Petrino’s group is in the BCS.

11. Nebraska (9-3)
W, Colorado 37-14
next game: Oklahoma (Big 12 Championship)
O.K. Nebraska, it’s time to show that you’re back at close to full strength. Winning the Big 12 title and playing Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl would finally prove that the Husker powers-that-be might have been right in canning Frank Solich.

12. Texas A&M (9-3)
W, at Texas 12-7
next game: Bowl Game
Finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, Texas A&M figured out how to win a close game. The Texas win won’t be diminished if the Aggies clunk in the bowl game, but closing out strong with a ten-win season, and capitalizing on the current momentum, is now vital.

13. Texas (9-3)
L, Texas A&M 12-9
next game: Bowl Game
Colt McCoy didn’t look quite like Colt McCoy against A&M, but that’s no excuse for a lack of a consistent running game.

14. Auburn (10-2)
W, at Alabama 22-15
next game: Bowl Game
Will Auburn prove to be an overrated dud in the bowl game or will it show that it never played up to its potential in the regular season?

15. West Virginia (9-2)
L, South Florida 24-19
next game: Rutgers
Just when everyone started to have warm, fuzzy feelings about the Mountaineers, pffffffft. So that’s what the West Virginia offense looks like when Pat White and Steve Slaton aren’t running for 63-yard touchdowns?

16. Tennessee (9-3)
W, Kentucky 17-12
next game: Bowl Game 
Is there a more maddening team in America? The Vols should be beating teams like Kentucky without breaking a sweat. Just wait and see how the athleticism shines through in the bowl game.

17. California (8-3)
L, at USC 23-9
next game: Stanford
With two weeks off after the USC loss, the Bears should be nice and salty for a rivalry week beating of Stanford. .Anything less than a 30-point win will be a disappointment.

18. Virginia Tech (10-2)
W, Virginia 17-0
next game: Bowl Game  
Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall might be the two best linebackers in America who won’t end up on any All-America teams. The defense is destroying everything in its path.

19. Notre Dame (10-2)
L, at USC 44-24
next game: Bowl Game
Oh lord or all things fair and good, don’t force us to sit through a rematch with Michigan. The Irish vs. the SEC champion, either Arkansas or Florida, would make for a fascinating matchup.

20. Boise State (12-0)
W, at Nevada 38-7
next game: Bowl Game
You heard it here first: Boise State isn’t going to be a pushover of any sort in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma or Nebraska. The defense is too good.

21. Rutgers (10-1)
W, Syracuse 38-7
next game: at West Virginia
Call this an anticipation ranking. Rutgers is about to walk into a West Virginia buzzsaw. However, a win would put Greg Schiano’s club into the BCS, likely the Orange Bowl in Miami, where he can start shopping for houses.
 
22. Georgia Tech (9-3)
L, Georgia 15-12
next game: Wake Forest (ACC Championship)
Some day, somehow, Reggie Ball will figure out how to get the ball to Calvin Johnson on a regular basis.

23. Wake Forest (10-2)
W, at Maryland
next game: Georgia Tech (ACC Championship)
No team in America does a better job of capitalizing on mistakes and positive momentum. This has already been an amazing season. A win over Georgia Tech would make it an all-timer.

24. Hawaii (10-2)
W, Purdue 42-35
next game: Oregon State
Fine, so a win over Purdue means Hawaii can basically hang with the middle-of the-pack Big Ten teams, but it would be a whole bunch of fin to see what Colt Brennan and the boys could do against a top team. There’s no more fun team to watch.

25.. Boston College (9-3)
L, at Miami 17-14
next game: Bowl Game
It was like Miami was waiting for BC to take the game over, and it never happened..

26. TCU (9-2)
27. UCLA (6-5)
28. Texas Tech (7-5)
29. Oregon State (8-4)
30. Missouri (8-4)
31. Oklahoma State (6-6)
32. South Florida (8-4)
33. Kentucky (7-5)
34. Georgia (8-4)
35. South Carolina (7-5)
36. Maryland (8-4)
37. Penn State (8-4)
38. Kansas (6-6)
39. Kansas State (7-5)
40. Clemson (8-4)
41. Arizona State (7-5)
42. Arizona (6-6)
43. Cincinnati (7-5)
44. Oregon (7-5)
45. Purdue (8-4)
46. Alabama (6-6)
47. Minnesota (6-6)
48. Vanderbilt (4-8)
49. Florida State (6-6)
50. Miami (6-6)
51. Indiana (5-7)
52. Iowa  (6-6)
53. Houston (9-3)
54. Southern Miss (8-4)
55. Washington (5-7)
56. Navy (8-3)
57. Washington State (6-6)
58. Ole Miss (4-8)
59. Rice (7-5)
60. Mississippi State (3-8)
61. Central Michigan (8-4)
62. Connecticut (4-7)
63. Utah (7-5)
64. Ohio (9-3)
65. East Carolina (7-5)
66. Nevada (8-4)
67. Pitt (6-6)
68. Tulsa (8-4)
69. Wyoming (6-6)
70. Michigan State (4-8)
71. San Jose State (7-4)
72. New Mexico (6-6)
73. Western Michigan (8-4)
74. Virginia (5-7)
75. SMU (6-6)
76. Colorado (2-10)
77. Syracuse (4-8)
78. North Carolina (3-9)
79. Iowa State (4-8)
80. NC State (3-9)
81. Northern Illinois (7-5)
82. Northwestern (4-8)
83. Baylor (4-8)
84. Illinois (2-10)
85. Ball State (5-7)
86. Colorado State (4-7)
87. Kent State (6-6)
88. Air Force (4-7)
89. Akron (5-7)
90. Duke (0-12)
91. Marshall (5-7)
92. Tulane (4-8)
93. UCF (4-8)
94. Toledo (5-7)
95. UAB (3-9)
96. Army (3-8)
97. Fresno State (4-7)
98. Memphis (2-10)
99. Stanford (1-10)
100. UTEP (5-7)
101. San Diego State (2-9)
102. UNLV (2-10)
103. Idaho (4-8)
104. Louisiana Tech (3-9)
105. Miami Univ. (2-10)
106. Troy (6-5)
107. Middle Tennessee (7-5)
108. Bowling Green (4-8)
109. Eastern Michigan (1-11)
110. UL Lafayette (6-5)
111. Arkansas State (6-6)
112. Florida Atlantic (5-7)
113. New Mexico State (3-8)
114. UL Monroe (3-8)
115. North Texas (3-9)
116. Buffalo (2-10)
117. Temple  (1-11)
118. Utah State (1-11)
119. FIU (0-11)