The closing week of the college football regular season saw traditional rivals clashing, paving the way for upcoming conference championship battles and a shake-up in the latest AP Top 25 standings.
Virginia, ranked 17th, clinched their place in the ACC championship by defeating Virginia Tech 27-7. They will now face off against Duke’s Blue Devils in the upcoming weekend.
In a nail-biting Iron Bowl, No. 10 Alabama edged past Auburn to secure a berth in the SEC championship game. The Crimson Tide is set to take on No. 4 Georgia, who triumphed over No. 23 Georgia Tech on Friday.
Ohio State, holding the top spot in the Big Ten, earned their championship game slot by overcoming No. 15 Michigan with a 27-9 victory. The Buckeyes will compete against No. 2 Indiana for the conference title.
The Big 12 championship will feature a showdown between No. 7 Texas Tech and No. 11 BYU, revisiting their November clash where the Red Raiders emerged victorious over the Cougars.
As these matchups unfold, the question remains: how will they reshape the rankings?
Follow live updates from The Associated Press below for poll projections, game recaps and expert analysis, all in one place.
Here’s the latest:
Who might rise and fall in this week’s poll
Stock up: Georgia, Texas, Vanderbilt, Miami, Oregon, Texas Tech.
Stock down: Texas A&M, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Pitt, SMU.
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.
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