College Football Rankings: B/R's Top 25 After Week 11

All season long, Oklahoma flirted with a disaster. And in Week 11, the Sooners' luck finally ran out.

Baylor defeated Lincoln Riley's squad 27-14, handing Oklahoma its first loss of the season and dropping the Sooners in the B/R Top 25. They tumbled seven spots as every other B/R Top 10 program won except for No. 10 Texas A&M against No. 12 Ole Miss.

Otherwise, the nation's highest-ranked teams backed up their billing and continued marching toward a late-season showdown.

Bleacher Report's college football crew—David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Kerry Miller, Morgan Moriarty and Brad Shepard—each submitted a Top 25 ballot. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, followed by 24 points for second, 23 for third, etc.       

B/R's Post-Week 11 Top 25

1. Georgia (Last week: 1)
2. Alabama (3)
3. Cincinnati (2)
4. Ohio State (4)
5. Oregon (6)
6. Michigan (7)
7. Michigan State (11)
8. Oklahoma State (8)
9. Notre Dame (9)
10. Ole Miss (12)
11. Wake Forest (13)
12. Oklahoma (5)
13. Baylor (15)
14. Texas A&M (10)
15. UTSA (14)
16. BYU (16)
17. Houston (17)
T-18. Arkansas (25)
T-18. Wisconsin (20)
20. Louisiana-Lafayette (21)
T-21. Iowa (NR)
T-21. Pitt (23)
23. San Diego State (NR)
24. Utah (NR)
25. Kansas State (NR)

September stunk.

That's the short version for Wisconsin, which began the year 1-3. The horrendous month suggested an outlier year at a program that, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, had posted an eight-win record in every season since 2009.

Fast-forward to Week 11, though, and continuing that trend has moved from a fading possibility to an extreme likelihood.

Wisconsin smacked Northwestern 35-7 on Saturday, winning its sixth consecutive game. The streak has included a pair of Top 25 victories and positioned the Badgers to win the Big Ten West if they can defeat both Nebraska and rival Minnesota.

Before the season, we projected the Badgers to finish 9-3 and reach the conference title game. It seems that exact result will happen, but the path would be far different than anticipated.

Outside the Top 25, the nightmare at Texas continues. Steve Sarkisian oversaw a 4-1 start, but the disastrous loss to Kansas—Kansas!—sent the Longhorns to their fifth consecutive letdown.

Auburn, though, is mired in a rough two-week stretch.

Last Saturday, the Tigers mustered just 226 yards in a 20-3 loss at Texas A&M. Bo Nix tallied a career-worst 3.7 yards per pass attempt as Auburn dropped to 6-3 for the season.

It seemed Bryan Harsin's squad had moved past the horrible day. Auburn raced out to a 28-3 advantage on Mississippi State, scoring a touchdown on four straight drives to begin the game. But then, the Tigers unraveled in disastrous fashion.

Mississippi State put up the next 40 points, only surrendering a late touchdown in a remarkable 43-34 victory.

Earlier in the week, Auburn safety Smoke Monday said the Tigers wanted to show they're one of the nation's best secondaries. They ceded 415 yards and six touchdowns through the air.

And as a result, Auburn has exited the B/R Top 25.

Win or lose, Ole Miss would've stayed in the AP Top 25. Ranked 12th and playing No. 11 Texas A&M, the worst-case scenario was a loss dropping the Rebels into the low teens or 20s. They undoubtedly would've earned the program's 300th all-time AP appearance.

But the accomplishment feels a whole lot better after a victory.

Ole Miss dominated the early portion of the game, amassing 408 yards in the opening half compared to Texas A&M's 90. However, the Rebels only had 15 points—one touchdown, two field goals and a safety—to show for the impressive half on paper. The potential for a disappointing collapse was very real.

Plus, Texas A&M recovered nicely after the break, scoring 10 quick points and trimming the lead to 15-13 midway through the fourth quarter. Ole Miss, though, sealed the victory with two interceptions—including a pick-six from AJ Finley.

One final defensive stand secured a 29-19 win for Lane Kiffin and the Rebels, who can celebrate a little bit of school history, too.

In the latest College Football Playoff ranking, the selection committee placed Ohio State at No. 4 and Cincinnati at No. 5. Both programs should remain in the Top Five on Tuesday.

The ranking itself is ultimately meaningless, though. If the Buckeyes or Bearcats lose either of their regular-season matchups or in a conference title game, they'll be out of the CFP picture—and next Saturday brings a home showdown for both.

Ohio State (9-1) welcomes Michigan State (9-1) for a noon ET kickoff in Columbus. Whichever team earns the victory can then secure a trip to the Big Ten championship with a Week 13 win.

Later in the day, Cincinnati (10-0) hosts SMU (8-2). Cincinnati has already clinched a spot in the AAC Championship Game but has zero margin for error in the CFP race. Kickoff time will be announced Sunday, though it'll be either 3:30 or 7:30 p.m. ET.

It's safe to say the college football world will have a close eye on the Buckeye State and how these matchups impact the rankings.

Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.