COLLEGE FOOTBALL CONFERENCE POWER RANKINGS

CLEMSON BROKE THE ACC

Entering the final week of the season, here are this week’s college football conference power rankings where the SEC retains bragging rights.

And down the stretch they come.

No, we’re not at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, but the home stretch of the college football season is upon us. Rivalry Week is here and divisions will be won and berths clinched for the College Football Playoff in the case of Notre Dame.

It’s also the last chance for entire conferences to be in action as it’ll be down to the conference championship games in two weeks. This is the last chance to make a big statement when it comes to conference power rankings and bragging rights.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL CONFERENCE POWER RANKINGS ENTERING WEEK 13

1. SEC – The top conference all year has six teams in the latest AP Top 25, including the unanimous top team in the nation in Alabama. With Georgia and LSU, the conference has two more in the top 10, and Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi State round out the ranked teams. The SEC has a chance to send 12 teams to a bowl game. That’s dominance.

2. Big Ten – The game everyone has waited for will finally take place on Saturday afternoon in Columbus with The Game. The winner will play Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game and keep their playoff hopes alive. The loser will have all offseason to be miserable. The Big Ten has four ranked teams and could have as many as 11 teams play in a bowl game.

3. Big 12 – And then there were three. After Texas beat Iowa State, the Cyclones were eliminated from the Big 12 race, leaving the Longhorns, Oklahoma and West Virginia, who lost to Oklahoma State alive for the championship. If Texas beats Kansas, they’re in. The winner of Oklahoma-West Virginia is in, setting up a potential Texas-Oklahoma rematch. Texas beat Oklahoma by a field goal in their matchup in the Red River Shootout.

4. Pac-12 – Washington State looks really good and could be the most dangerous opponent to de-throne Alabama, but can the Cougars crash the playoff party? They’ll need to beat Washington first in the Apple Cup and then Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Then, they’ll need some help with Notre Dame, Michigan and Oklahoma losing. They might need all of them to lose to get in despite how great Gardner Minshew has played and how great the underrated defense has looked. The biggest storyline after that this week is if USC can upset Notre Dame to get bowl-eligible. If they don’t, Notre Dame clinches a playoff berth and Clay Helton might be fired.

5. ACC – It’s Clemson and everyone else. Syracuse, Boston College and NC State have had nice seasons and Pitt won the Coastal after coming alive in October. But disappointing to awful seasons from Florida State, Louisville, Miami, Virginia Tech and North Carolina has the ACC bringing up the rear. They can still get as many as 11 teams in a bowl, but most will be bowls played before New Year’s, so they’re not that glamorous. The big storyline to watch this weekend is if FSU can beat Florida to extend the nation’s longest active bowl streak to 37. If they lose, the streak is snapped.