Sports
NCAA Football Rankings 2019: Predicting Week 11 Poll for Top 25 Teams
Mike Ehrmann/Getty ImagesGeorgia is expected to be the biggest mover at the top of the Week 11 college football polls.The one-loss Bulldogs moved a step closer to clinching a spot in the SEC Championship Game with a Week 10 victory over Florida.Kirby Smart’s squad can make the case it is the best team beneath the…
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Georgia is expected to be the biggest mover at the top of the Week 11 college football polls.
The one-loss Bulldogs moved a step closer to clinching a spot in the SEC Championship Game with a Week 10 victory over Florida.
Kirby Smart's squad can make the case it is the best team beneath the five undefeated sides expected to top the AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll.
Memphis should be the other significant mover after it knocked off SMU at home. At minimum, the Tigers will jump two places.
The leap by Mike Norvell's team carries weight in the fight to be the best Group of Five team. With SMU and Appalachian State out of the picture, it could be down to Memphis and Cincinnati for a New Year's Six berth.
Week 11 Poll Prediction
1. LSU (8-0)
2. Alabama (8-0)
3. Ohio State (8-0)
4. Clemson (9-0)
5. Penn State (8-0)
6. Georgia (7-1)
7. Oregon (8-1)
8. Utah (8-1)
9. Oklahoma (7-1)
10. Baylor (8-0)
11. Florida (7-2)
12. Auburn (7-2)
13. Minnesota (8-0)
14. Michigan (7-2)
15. Cincinnati (7-1)
16. Notre Dame (6-2)
17. Wisconsin (6-2)
18. Iowa (6-2)
19. Memphis (8-1)
20. Boise State (7-1)
21. Kansas State (6-2)
22. Wake Forest (7-1)
23. San Diego State (7-1)
24. SMU (8-1)
25. Navy (7-1)
Georgia stated its case as the third-best team in the SEC on Saturday.
For the eighth straight game, the Bulldogs held an opponent to 20 points or fewer, as Florida only mustered 17 points. Jake Fromm turned in 279 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns, and he also iced the game with a 22-yard completion on third down with 2:45 left.
John Bazemore/Associated Press
The Bulldogs can pave a clearer path to Atlanta with a Week 11 win over Missouri, who sits third in the SEC East. After that, Georgia faces another ranked test at Auburn, and even if it slips up at Jordan-Hare Stadium, it would own a head-to-head tiebreaker on the two programs directly beneath it.
Four more victories would allow the Bulldogs a chance to play for a College Football Playoff berth at the SEC Championship Game against either Alabama or LSU.
Even though Florida's playoff chances were wiped out Saturday, it could still play its way into a New Year's Six bowl.
Dan Mullen's team could finish 10-2 with defeats to LSU and Georgia, which would be the best resume of any two-loss side. The combination of Florida's October 5 win over Auburn and the Tigers' one-possession win over Ole Miss should place the Gators above Gus Mulzahn's side in the Week 11 polls.
Auburn outgained Ole Miss 507-266, but it only won 20-14, a victory that should not impress many pollsters.
Florida's shortcomings in Jacksonville may be enough for Baylor to slide into the back part of the top 10. The Bears remained undefeated Thursday with a win over West Virginia. They are the only unbeaten side in the Big 12 and have a chance to impress further in Week 12 against Oklahoma.
Jerry Larson/Associated Press
Minnesota might have to wait another week to crack the top 10 since it was off ahead of a Saturday home meeting with Penn State.
For the time being, Cincinnati should be the highest-ranked Group of Five side. The Bearcats are on a six-game winning streak, and their only loss occurred at Ohio State.
If Cincinnati and Memphis win all their games before November 29, we could be in for two consecutive clashes between the teams. The Bearcats and Tigers are scheduled to meet at the Liberty Bowl to close out the regular season, and they could also be foes in The American Athletic Conference Championship Game.
The only way the American loses out on the Group of Five New Year's Six berth is if those teams split and Boise State wins out. If that occurs, the Broncos would have one less loss than the Bearcats and Tigers to go along with a Mountain West championship.
The American could end up with four ranked sides in Week 11 if SMU stays alive in the bottom of the polls.
Navy moved to 7-1 with a Friday win over Connecticut, and it received the 27th-most votes in both polls ahead of Week 10.
Either the Midshipmen will rewarded for their winning run or the three-loss Texas will slide into No. 25, with Appalachian State expected to fall out after its loss to Georgia Southern.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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