Week 13 in college football play muddled the picture for the Atlantic Coast Conference, while other teams in the AP Top 25 inched closer to securing spots in the College Football Playoff.
No. 15 Georgia Tech lost a chance to clinch a spot in the ACC championship game, falling 42-28 to Pittsburgh.
The results benefit SMU, which beat Louisville, and No. 19 Virginia.
Saturday also produced plenty of winners near the top of the rankings, including the AP Top 25’s No. 6 Oregon and No. 8 Oklahoma, which are both in the top 10 of the CFP rankings.
The Ducks ended USC’s playoff hopes this weekend and the Sooners bested Missouri, both critical wins for the victors.
Where will they land when the Top 25 rankings drop at 2 p.m.?
Follow live updates from The Associated Press below for poll projections, game recaps and exclusive voter insight, all in one place.
Top 10 teams deliver strong showings
By MAURA CAREY
No. 1 Ohio State, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Georgia, No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 10 Alabama rolled past opponents on Saturday.
Ohio State overwhelmed Rutgers with a 42-9 win, while Texas A&M shut out Samford 48-0, Georgia rolled past Charlotte 35-3, Alabama defeated Eastern Illinois 56–0 and Notre Dame beat Syracuse 70-7.
Oregon and Oklahoma had more daunting matchups against ranked conference opponents. Oregon, which is tied with Texas Tech at No. 6 in the AP Top 25, ended USC’s playoff hopes with a 42-27 victory. The Sooners’ dominant defense led to a 17-6 win against Missouri.
Indiana, Ole Miss and Texas Tech had the week off.
Who votes in the poll, and how does it work?
No organization has been ranking teams and naming a major college football national champion longer than The Associated Press, since 1936.
AP employees don’t vote themselves, but they do choose the voters. AP Top 25 voters comprise around 60 writers and broadcasters who cover college football for AP members and other select outlets. The goal is to have every state with a Football Bowl Subdivision school represented by at least one voter.
There is a 1-to-25 point system, with a team voted No. 1 receiving 25 points down to 1 point for a 25th-place vote. After that, it’s simple: The poll lists the teams with the most points from 1 to 25, and others receiving votes are also noted.
Voting is done online, and the tabulation is automated.
