The Big 10 makes big gains due to secondary effects caused by teams that they had beaten earlier in the season, even for a team like Michigan that lost this week. Driving this effect for both Penn State and Michigan are the ties created with the PAC12 by Notre Dame defeating USC. Unlike most of the games so late in the season where intra-conference play doesn’t reveal much new information, a cross-national game like USC and Notre Dame, with its multi-conference schedule, creates ties that provide important information about the teams that beat Notre Dame earlier in the season. The result of this new information going into conference championship week is that Penn State, not Georgia who remains in the distant teens due to a South Carolina loss, or Utah or Oklahoma who are even further back, is most deserving of the fourth place spot. After Cincinnati, positions 6 and 7 are also held by Big 10 schools, Michigan and Minnesota. However, only Cincnnati and Baylor play this week in the top 10 but outside the top 3, so things are unlikely to change dramatically by next week.
Alabama falls to number 15.
Top 25 (Explanation; Full Ranking)
Ohio State (nc)
LSU (nc)
Clemson (nc)
Penn State (+2)
Cincinnati (-1)
Michigan (+2)
Minnesota (nc)
Baylor (+2)
Notre Dame (nc)
Auburn (+5)
SMU (+1)
Florida (+1)
Iowa (-2)
Georgia (nc)
Alabama (-10)
Oklahoma (nc)
Wisconsin (nc)
Memphis (+2)
Utah (-1)
Navy (-1)
Appalachian State (+1)
Boise State (-1)
Air Force (nc)
Oklahoma State (+1)
Texas (-1)