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The Committee's rankings have been released and the Tigers have dropped from a sure spot in the playoff down to #9. Let's take a look at the rankings as a whole and then we'll look at what it means for Auburn.
Rank | Team | Last week | Week 11 result | Toughest opponent left (per F/+) | If the season ended today ... |
1 | Mississippi State (9-0) | 1 | Won 45-16 vs. Tennessee-Martin | Alabama | Sugar Bowl vs. TCU |
2 | Oregon (9-1) | 4 | Won 51-27 at No. 17 Utah | Oregon State | Rose Bowl vs. Florida State |
3 | Florida State (9-0) | 2 | Won 34-20 vs. Virginia | Miami | Rose Bowl vs. Oregon |
4 | TCU (8-1) | 6 | Won 41-20 vs. No. 7 Kansas State | Texas | Sugar Bowl vs. Mississippi State |
5 | Alabama (8-1) | 5 | Won 20-13 (OT) at No. 16 LSU | Auburn | Orange Bowl vs. Clemson |
6 | Arizona State (8-1) | 14 | Won 55-31 vs. No. 10 Notre Dame | Arizona | New Year's bowl |
7 | Baylor (8-1) | 13 | Won 48-14 at No. 15 Oklahoma | Kansas State | New Year's bowl |
8 | Ohio State (8-1) | 14 | Won 49-37 at No. 8 Michigan State | Minnesota | New Year's bowl |
9 | Auburn (7-2) | 3 | Lost 41-38 vs. Texas A&M | Alabama | New Year's bowl |
10 | Ole Miss (8-2) | 12 | Won 48-0 vs. Presbyterian | Mississippi State | New Year's bowl |
11 | UCLA (8-2) | 18 | Won 44-30 at Washington | USC | New Year's bowl |
12 | Michigan State (7-2) | 8 | Lost 49-37 vs. No. 14 Ohio State | Maryland | |
13 | Kansas State (7-2) | 7 | Lost 41-20 at No. 6 TCU | Baylor | |
14 | Arizona (7-2) | 19 | Won 38-20 vs. Colorado | Arizona State | |
15 | Georgia (7-2) | 20 | Won 63-31 at Kentucky | Auburn | |
16 | Nebraska (8-1) | 13 | Idle | Wisconsin | |
17 | LSU (7-3) | 16 | Lost 20-13 (OT) vs. No. 5 Alabama | Arkansas | |
18 | Notre Dame (7-2) | 10 | Lost 55-31 at No. 9 Arizona State | Louisville | |
19 | Clemson (7-2) | 21 | Won 34-20 at Wake Forest | Georgia Tech | Orange Bowl vs. Alabama |
20 | Wisconsin (7-2) | 25 | Won 34-16 at Purdue | Nebraska | |
21 | Duke (8-1) | 22 | Won 27-10 at Syracuse | Virginia Tech | |
22 | Georgia Tech (8-2) | 24 | Won 56-23 at NC State | Georgia | |
23 | Utah (6-3) | 17 | Lost 51-27 vs. No. 4 Oregon | Arizona | |
24 | Texas A&M (7-3) | NR | Won 41-38 at No. 3 Auburn | LSU | |
25 | Minnesota (7-2) | NR | Won 51-14 vs. Iowa | Ohio State |
Things of Note:
Texas A&M sneaks back in at #24, which actually helps Auburn a great bit. LSU only drops one spot to #17. Georgia is at #15, Kansas State falls to #13. Ole Miss is there right at the edge of the Top 10 at #10. All of these are teams on Auburn's schedule. Along with Alabama and Mississippi State in the Top 6.
What It Means For Auburn:
Can the Tigers sneak back in to the playoffs? Yes. Yes, they can. Will they? It's not likely. Auburn will need to win the SEC and see a number of teams ahead of them lose or the Committee to jump them up. Auburn making it back into the playoff hinges upon there being a number of two-loss conference champions. It could very well still happen. Ohio State will still have to play a conference championship, as will Oregon - which jumped Florida State for the #2 slot.
Bottom line: The Tigers still have a lot to play for. Even if it's just a good bowl game, but there is still a very small chance that Auburn could play their way back into the playoff situation if enough teams ahead of them stumble. Remember that back in 2007 everything looked very different going into the last few games. So go out there and give the Tigers all the support you have in you and cheer them through.
War Eagle.