The Big Ten Conference remained with four programs in College Football Playoff territory after a hectic rivalry weekend in college football.
In the final regular season USA Today Coaches and Associated Press Top 25 polls, the Big Ten earned five appearances despite having one of the conference’s headliners – Ohio State – falling nearly out of the top 10 after a disappointing13-10 loss at home to Michigan. The Buckeyes (10-2, 7-2 B1G) fell out of contention for the Big Ten Championship game after their home defeat, dropping them to No. 7 by the AP and No. 8 in the Coaches rankings.
Oregon (12-0, 9-0 B1G) remained at the top as the only undefeated college football program remaining. All other programs in previous week rankings moved up, including No. 2 Texas (11-1, 7-1 SEC), No. 3 Penn State (11-1, 8-1 B1G), No. 4 Notre Dame (11-1), No. 5 Georgia (10-2, 6-2 SEC), and No. 6 Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC). The Ducks received all first-place votes in this week’s rankings from both polls.
Nov 30, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Traeshon Holden (1) attempts a catch during the second half against Washington Huskies safety Makell Esteen (24) at Autzen Stadium. / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Rounding out the top 10 included No. 7/8 SMU (11-1, 8-0 ACC), No. 9 Indiana (11-1, 8-1 B1G), and No. 10 Boise State (11-1, 7-0 MWC). Despite the loss, Ohio State remained inside of the top 10 – unlike Miami (10-2, 6-2 ACC) that fell out of contention for the ACC Championship game due to its 42-38 loss at Syracuse Saturday. The Hurricanes dropped seven spots to No. 14 in each poll.
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The Southeastern Conference held firm with seven programs in the top 25, adding in No. 11 Alabama (9-3, 5-3 SEC), No. 12/13 South Carolina (9-3, 5-3 SEC), No. 15 Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3 SEC), and No. 20/22 Missouri (9-3, 5-3 SEC). Texas A&M, LSU, and Florida also received consideration as the Aggies were the only other SEC program ranked last week.
The Big Ten rounded out their fifth appearance in the polls with No. 21 Illinois (9-3, 5-3 B1G). The Big 12 featured four programs as Arizona State (10-2, 7-2 B12) rose to No. 13, Iowa State (10-2, 7-2 B12) moved up to No. 16, BYU (10-2, 7-2) inched up to No. 18/17, and Colorado (9-3, 7-2 B12) sits at No. 22/20.
Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Derek Eusebio (83) celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown against the Arizona Wildcats in the second half during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The ACC included the Mustangs inside of the top 10, while Clemson (9-3, 7-1) fell to No. 17/18. After the Orangemen’s upset over the Hurricanes, Syracuse (9-3, 5-3 ACC) snuck into the top 25 for each poll at No. 25/23.
Non-Power Four conference programs included the now-top 10 Broncos, No. 19 UNLV, No. 23/24 Army, and No. 24/25 Memphis.
Conference championship weekend matchups are now set for Friday and Saturday, with top 25 matchups in nearly all of the conferences in college football. Friday features the American Championship Game included RV Tulane v. No. 23/24 Army and the Moutain West Championship Game with No. 19 UNLV visiting No. 10 Boise State for the Group of Five College Football Playoff bid.
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Saturday’s slate includes No. 16 Iowa State and No. 13 Arizona State at AT&T Stadium for the Big 12 title, the SEC Championship Game features No. 5 Georgia and No. 2 Texas in Atlanta, the ACC title contest welcomes No. 17/18 Clemson and No. 7/8 SMU, and the finally the Big Ten Championship game pits No. 3 Penn State against No. 1 Oregon.
Iowa State fans and players celebrate after winning 29-21 over Kansas State in the NCAA football at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Associated Press Top 25
Oregon
Texas
Penn State
Notre Dame
Georgia
Tennessee
Ohio State
SMU
Indiana
Boise State
Alabama
Arizona State
South Carlolina
Miami (FL)
Ole Miss
Iowa State
BYU
Clemson
UNLV
Colorado
Illinois
Missouri
Syracuse
Army
Memphis
Coaches Poll
Oregon
Texas
Penn State
Notre Dame
Georgia
Tennessee
SMU
Ohio State
Indiana
Boise State
Alabama
South Carolina
Arizona State
Miami (FL)
Ole Miss
Iowa State
Clemson
BYU
UNLV
Missouri
Illinois
Colorado
Army
Memphis
Syracuse
MORE: Carriker Chronicles: Nebraska Needs to Find a Killer Instinct and the Best Coaches
MORE: Husker Doc Talk: Nebraska Lost the Mental Game to Iowa
MORE: Iowa Loss Shows the Huskers Still Haven’t Overcome the Biggest Hurdle
MORE: Nick Handley Show: Nebraska-Iowa Wrap with Evan Bland
MORE: Analytics Review: Nebraska Football at Iowa
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
Months after being named the 2024 Indiana Thoroughbred Owner’s and Breeder’s Association’s Horse of the Year for 2024, multiple stakes winner Demolisher was euthanized after a bout with laminitis.
“We went from the highest highs as Indiana Horse of the Year to the lowest low ever when we had to say goodbye,” said Resia Ayres, who bred and raced Demolisher with husband Ken.
Unraced at 2, Demolisher proved worth the wait as he won the first five starts of his career in 2024, topped by stakes wins in the Governor’s Handicap and the To Much Coffee Handicap. All five of those wins came at Horseshoe Indianapolis. He closed out the season with an unplaced start in the Bryan Station Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland.
In March the son of Dominus was honored as ITOBA’s top Indiana-bred 3-year-old male and its Horse of the Year.
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“It’s about as high as we ever expected to have any of our horses,” Ken Ayres said at the time. “It’s hard to put words to it. Obviously, we’re super excited about it.”
For several years, the common refrain among some state lawmakers has been that they had no desire to tackle the issue until the federal government reclassified the drug. That argument will be removed if the president’s order receives federal regulatory approval as directed.
The Indiana State Ethics Commission on Thursday approved a settlement requiring former Public Safety Secretary Jennifer-Ruth Green to pay a $10,000 civil fine, closing the ethics case against her — but potential criminal charges remain under review by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. The bipartisan, five-member commission voted unanimously to accept the agreement during its […]
