How will the final AP Top 25 and Coaches Polls reflect the final College Football League Finals standings?
The traditional top 25 rankings have diminished in importance this time of the season, when college football fanatics follow every decision of the CFP selection committee. But they’re still worth keeping an eye on, as it gives an early indication of how the committee might rank the final top 25 and, more importantly, the top four.
THAN: College football match images for Week 15
Four games from Saturday will top the rankings of the AP and Coach polls: No. 1 Georgia lost 41-24 to Alabama No. 3 in the SEC Championship; No. 2 Michigan’s 42-3 win over No. 13 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship; No. 4 Cincinnati’s 35-20 win over No. 16 Houston in the AAC Championship; and No. 5 Oklahoma State lost 21-16 to Baylor No. 9 in the Big 12 championship.
Those games will have the biggest impact on the top of the rankings, but there’s more to the conference championship weekend than just those games. 17 Utah beat 10 Oregon again in a 38-10 win in the Pac-12 championship game, setting the Utes up for their first Rose Bowl landing. And No. 15 Pitt beat No. 16 Wake Forest with a score of 45-21, setting up a new 6th day stop in Peach or Fiesta for the ACC champion.
Sporting News looks at how those games and more affect the AP Top 25 rankings and the latest Coach Poll following the weekend’s conference champions:
TOP-5 LOST: Oklahoma State | Georgia
College Football Rankings for Week 15
Top AP 25
| Places | Team | Take note | Score (vote number 1) |
| first | Alabama | 12-1 | 1,535 (50) |
| 2 | Michigan | 12-1 | 1,480 (9) |
| 3 | Georgia | 12-1 | 1.408 |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 13-0 | 1,404 (3) |
| 5 | Notre Dame | 11-1 | 1.280 |
| 6 | Baylor | 11-2 | 1.228 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 10-2 | 1.177 |
| 8 | Ole Miss | 10-2 | 1.101 |
| 9 | Oklahoma State | 11-2 | 1,060 |
| ten | Utah | 10-3 | 929 |
| 11 | the state of Michigan | 10-2 | 895 |
| twelfth | BYU | 10-2 | 854 |
| 13 | Pitt | 11-2 | 838 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 10-2 | 807 |
| 15 | Oregon | 10-3 | 595 |
| 16 | Louisiana | 12-1 | 480 |
| 17 | Iowa | 10-3 | 447 |
| 18 | NC State | 9-3 | 405 |
| 19 | Clemson | 9-3 | 396 |
| 20 | Wake Forest | 10-3 | 394 |
| 21 | Houston | 11-2 | 359 |
| 22 | Arkansas | 8-4 | 280 |
| 23 | Texas A&M | 8-4 | 172 |
| 24 | UTSA | 12-1 | 147 |
| 25 | Kentucky | 9-3 | 131 |
Others received votes: Utah State 109; Wisconsin 66; State of San Diego 63; Minnesota 38; Purdue 36; Louisiana Tech 11; Application state 9; 7th Army Corps; Mississippi State 4; Penn State 4; Northern Illinois 1.
THAN: College Football League: Comparing Georgia’s Resume to Notre Dame, Baylor’s
Coach poll
| Places | Team | Take note | Score (vote number 1) |
| first | Alabama | 12-1 | 1,540 (54) |
| 2 | Michigan | 12-1 | 1,474 (5) |
| 3 | Georgia | 12-1 | 1.420 |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 13-0 | 1,392 (3) |
| 5 | Notre Dame | 11-1 | 1.266 |
| 6 | Baylor | 11-2 | 1.204 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 10-2 | 1.170 |
| 8 | Ole Miss | 10-2 | 1.134 |
| 9 | Oklahoma State | 11-2 | 1.036 |
| ten | the state of Michigan | 10-2 | 903 |
| 11 | Utah | 10-3 | 893 |
| twelfth | Pitt | 11-2 | 886 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 10-2 | 853 |
| 14 | BYU | 10-2 | 792 |
| 15 | Oregon | 10-3 | 589 |
| 16 | Iowa | 10-3 | 561 |
| 17 | Louisiana | 12-1 | 444 |
| 18 | NC State | 9-3 | 436 |
| 19 | Wake Forest | 10-3 | 389 |
| 20 | Kentucky | 9-3 | 327 |
| 21 | Houston | 11-2 | 315 |
| 22 | Clemson | 9-3 | 252 |
| 23 | Texas A&M | 8-4 | 239 |
| 24 | Arkansas | 8-4 | 185 |
| 25 | UTSA | 12-1 | 146 |
Others received votes: Wisconsin 105; Utah State 85; State of San Diego 62; Minnesota 17; 15th Air Force; Penn State 5; State Fresno 5; UCLA 3; Mississippi State 2; Coastal Carolina 2; Application state 2; Purdue 1.
