The Alabama Crimson Tide avoided the upset bug Saturday with a 28-14 win over the Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl. It was more than some teams could say for their Rivalry Week showdowns.
Jalen Milroe was 18-of-24 passing for 256 yards and ran 17 times for 104 yards and three touchdowns as the Crimson Tide (9-3 overall, 5-3 SEC) made one last statement for the playoff committee before the final CFP rankings are released on Dec. 8.
In the meantime, Alabama rose two spots to No. 11 in the Week 14 US LBM Coaches Poll, released Sunday. The Crimson Tide will have to see what happens on Championship Saturday next week to learn of their ultimate College Football Playoff fate the following Sunday.
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Alabama had some help in moving up the Coaches Poll this week. The second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2) lost as heavy favorites to the rival Michigan Wolverines (7-5) in Columbus in a game that featured a wild melee on the field afterwards. Elsewhere, the Miami Hurricanes (10-2) blew a 21-point lead at Syracuse (9-3) and fell 42-38 in what might be a devastating blow to their CFP hopes.
Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers (9-3) lost their third game of 2024, 17-14 to rival South Carolina, yet will still play for the ACC title with a berth in the playoff on the line next week on Championship Saturday thanks to Miami’s loss at Syracuse.
Ohio State, Miami and Clemson all fell several spots in this week’s poll. The Buckeyes fell six spots to No. 8, while Alabama jumped past Miami, which fell to No. 14, and Clemson (down to No. 17).
For the seventh straight week, the Oregon Ducks (12-0) stayed at No. 1 after capping an unbeaten regular season with a 49-21 blowout win over the Washington Huskies in Eugene. The Texas Longhorns (11-1) rose to No. 2 and will play the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (10-2) for the SEC championship Saturday in Atlanta.
Penn State (11-1) moved up to No. 3 after a 44-7 blowout win over Maryland to close the regular season, and Notre Dame (11-1) moved up to No. 4 after a 49-35 win at rival Southern California (6-6). With Ohio State losing, Penn State will now play Oregon for the Big Ten championship next Saturday in Indianapolis.
Tennessee (10-2) and SMU (11-1) both rose one spot to No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. Indiana (11-1) moved up one spot to No. 9, and No. 10 Boise State (11-1) rounded out the top 10.
Alabama remained the highest-ranked three-loss team, with South Carolina (9-3) one spot below the Crimson Tide at No. 12.
Full Week 14 US LBM Coaches Poll
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon Ducks | 12-0 | 1,325 (53) |
| 2 | Texas Longhorns | 11-1 | 1,272 |
| 3 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 11-1 | 1,192 |
| 4 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 11-1 | 1,165 |
| 5 | Georgia Bulldogs | 10-2 | 1,104 |
| 6 | Tennessee Volunteers | 10-2 | 1,025 |
| 7 | SMU Mustangs | 11-1 | 977 |
| 8 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 10-2 | 976 |
| 9 | Indiana Hoosiers | 11-1 | 895 |
| 10 | Boise State Broncos | 11-1 | 840 |
| 11 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 9-3 | 733 |
| 12 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 9-3 | 700 |
| 13 | Arizona State Sun Devils | 10-2 | 665 |
| 14 | Miami Hurricanes | 10-2 | 646 |
| 15 | Ole Miss Rebels | 9-3 | 638 |
| 16 | Iowa State Cyclones | 10-2 | 565 |
| 17 | Clemson Tigers | 9-3 | 457 |
| 18 | BYU Cougars | 10-2 | 419 |
| 19 | UNLV Rebels | 10-2 | 255 |
| 20 | Missouri Tigers | 9-3 | 229 |
| 21 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 9-3 | 225 |
| 22 | Colorado Buffaloes | 9-3 | 215 |
| 23 | Army Black Knights | 10-1 | 196 |
| 24 | Memphis Tigers | 10-2 | 187 |
| 25 | Syracuse Orange | 9-3 | 108 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 18 Tulane; No. 19 Texas A&M
Others Receiving Votes
Texas A&M 90; Duke 39; Tulane 37; Louisville 18; Kansas State 15; Louisiana 11; Michigan 2; Georgia Tech 2; Miami (OH) 1; Iowa 1
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