By Ralph D. Russo | The Associated Press
Georgia antiaircraft extremity Trayvon Walker greets Bulldogs fans aft the 45-0 triumph against Georgia Tech astatine Bobby Dodd Stadium connected Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
Georgia is putting unneurotic an historical tally astatine No. 1.
The Bulldogs remained a unanimous top-ranked squad for the eighth consecutive week successful The Associated Press assemblage shot canvass presented by Regions Bank.
The longest streak of weeks arsenic unanimous No. 1 was Alabama’s tally of 9 successful 2018.
There are 2 much polls near this season, aft adjacent week’s title games and past aft the College Football Playoff nationalist rubric is decided connected Jan. 10.
If Georgia tin bushed Alabama successful the Southeastern Conference rubric crippled adjacent play and marque a tally done the playoff, it could interruption Alabama’s grounds for consecutive week’s arsenic a unanimous No 1 team.
But thing to support successful caput for the Bulldogs: Alabama’s tally of unanimous No. 1 rankings ended successful a nationalist title crippled nonaccomplishment to Clemson and the Crimson Tide finished No. 2.
With conscionable 1 much regular-season canvass left, Reality Check dives into the remainder of the rankings wherever determination are inactive a fewer places to disagree with the voters.
No. 1 Georgia (12-0)
Next: vs. No. 4 Alabama, SEC championship, Saturday.
Reality check: The Bulldogs are allowing 6.9 points per game, that would beryllium the lowest fig for a afloat play since Oklahoma allowed 6.6 successful 1986. That’ll apt spell up arsenic Georgia faces Alabama earlier heading into the playoff, but the fig is inactive from different epoch of assemblage football.
Ranked: Perfect.
No. 2 Michigan (11-1)
Next: vs. No. 15 Iowa, Big Ten championship, Saturday.
Reality check: DE Aidan Hutchinson (13 sacks) should articulation the Heisman Trophy discussion.
Ranked: This is fine, but Cincinnati astatine No. 2 would beryllium OK.
No. 3 Cincinnati (12-0)
Next: vs. No. 16 Houston, AAC championship, Saturday.
Reality check: Did Thorpe Award voters get the close Bearcats antiaircraft back? Very bully CB Coby Bryant was named a finalist for the nation’s champion antiaircraft backmost and not his teammate, Ahmad Gardner, who is beauteous intelligibly the team’s champion player.
Ranked: This works.
Alabama Crimson Tide backmost Bryce Young smiles to the fans aft his squad defeated the Miami Hurricanes astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium connected Saturday, September 4, 2021. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
No. 4 Alabama (11-1)
Next: vs. No. 1 Georgia, SEC championship, Saturday.
Reality check: Alabama has allowed 35 sacks, tied for 108th successful the federation with Toledo, Arizona and others.
Ranked: Fine.
No. 5 Oklahoma State (11-1)
Next: vs. No. 9 Baylor, Big 12 championship, Saturday.
Reality check: Another awards complaint: Not among the Butkus finalists for champion linebacker is Malcolm Rodriguez, who has been the person of a Cowboys defence that is 4th successful the state successful yards per play allowed astatine 4.44.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 6 Notre Dame (11-1)
Next: TBD.
Reality check: Irish closed with 7 consecutive victories, nary against teams with a amended grounds than 6-6. Coach Brian Kelly has done a bully occupation successful a reload season, but it’s just to accidental they caught a interruption with their opponents.
Ranked: Little high.
No. 7 Ohio State (10-2)
Next: TBD.
Reality check: The defence got amended but it ne'er got good and Michigan exposed that with 297 yards rushing and 8.0 yards per play.
Ranked: Hard to accidental excessively debased aft what conscionable happened, but the Buckeyes should beryllium up of Notre Dame.
Ole Miss backmost Matt Corral evades 2 Louisville Cardinals defenders en way for a touchdown during the archetypal fractional of their NCAA College Football crippled astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful Atlanta connected Monday, September 6, 2021. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
No. 8 Mississippi (10-2)
Next: TBD.
Reality check: Rebels completed their archetypal 10-win regular play successful programme history.
Ranked: Little low.
No. 9 Baylor (10-2)
Next: vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State, Big 12 championship, Saturday.
Reality check: The lone crippled this play the Bears were held nether 20 points was against Oklahoma State successful 1 of their 2 losses.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 10 Oregon (10-2)
Next: vs. Utah, Pac-12 championship, Friday
Reality check: The Ducks get a 2nd ace astatine the squad that ran them retired of Salt Lake conscionable 2 Saturdays ago.
Ranked: Little high.
No. 11 Michigan State (10-2)
Next: TBD.
Reality check: RB Kenneth Walker III fell a small spot down successful the contention to pb the federation successful rushing implicit the past mates weeks. He heads into vessel play astatine 136.3 yards per game, trailing lone Central Michigan’s Lew Nichols III (142.5).
Ranked: Little low.
No. 12 BYU (10-2)
Next: TBD.
Reality check: The Cougars went 5-0 against Pac-12 teams, including 4-0 against the South Division.
Ranked: Little low..
No. 13 Oklahoma (10-2)
Next: TBD.
Reality check: The archetypal coaching hunt for Oklahoma since 1999 is underway aft the Lincoln Riley-to-USC bombshell.
Ranked: About right.
No. 14 Utah (9-3)
Next: vs. No. 10 Oregon, Pac-12 championship, Friday.
Reality check: RB Tavion Thomas has tally for 573 yards and 12 touchdowns successful his past 4 games.
Ranked: Too low.
No. 15 Iowa (10-2)
Next: vs. No. 2 Michigan, Big Ten championship, Saturday.
Reality check: RB Tyler Goodson has gone implicit 130 yards rushing successful 3 of his past 4 games.
Ranked: Too high.
No. 16 Houston (11-1)
Next: vs. No. 3 Cincinnati, AAC championship, Saturday.
Reality check: Cougars are 4th successful the federation successful sacks astatine 41 and they travel from each over. Eight players person astatine slightest 2 and 7 much person astatine slightest 1 sack.
Ranked: About right.
No. 17 Pitt (10-2)
Next: vs. No. 18 Wake Forest, ACC championship, Saturday.
Reality check: With 40 touchdown passes, Kenny Pickett broke Dan Marino’s schoolhouse grounds of 37.
Ranked: Little low.
No 18 Wake Forest (10-2)
Next: vs. No. 17 Pitt, ACC championship, Saturday.
Reality check: Demon Deacons don’t play peculiarly bully defense, but they bash instrumentality the shot away. With 27 takeaways, they are tied for 4th successful FBS.
Ranked: About right.
No. 19 San Diego State (11-1)
Next: vs. Utah State, Mountain West championship, Saturday.
Reality check: Only Georgia has allowed less rushing touchdowns (two) than the Aztecs’ four.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 20 Louisiana-Lafayette (11-1)
Next: vs. Appalachian State, Sun Belt championship, Saturday.
Reality check: Ragin’ Cajuns person proven they tin beryllium bully connected the past 2 coaches. Interesting occupation opening aft Billy Napier leaves for Florida.
Ranked: Too high.
No. 21 North Carolina State (9-3)
Next: TBD.
Reality check: Wolfpack enactment unneurotic 1 of the champion defenses successful the ACC, contempt a slew of injuries that forced lineup changes and dipped into their depth. LB Drake Thomas led the mode with 13.5 tackles for loss.
Ranked: Touch low.
No. 22 Clemson (9-3)
Next: TBD.
Reality check: Tigers are going to beryllium a truly hard and motivated hostile successful immoderate second-tier vessel they extremity up in.
Ranked: Touch low.
No. 23 Arkansas (8-4)
Next: TBD.
Reality check: Razorbacks reached 8 wins earlier vessel play for the archetypal clip since going 11-2 successful 2011.
Ranked: This is fine.
No. 24 Texas A&M (8-4)
Next: TBD.
Reality check: Step-back play for the Aggies, who struggled connected discourtesy with a backup quarterback. Except, oddly, against Alabama.
Ranked: Too high.
No. 25 Kentucky (9-3)
Next: TBD.
Reality check: Two nine-win regular seasons for the Wildcats successful the past 3 years. Kentucky had not won 9 regular play games since 1977.
Ranked: Too low.
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