Hey Team 👋

Just as college football starts tightening up, college basketball is loosening its laces. The gridiron chaos is settling as the playoff picture sharpens, while college hoops are just getting underway — and with it, a brand-new set of rankings to argue about.

On the football side, the top five have finally found some stability after weeks of shuffle, with Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Georgia holding strong. Meanwhile, over on the hardwood, Houston opens as the nation’s No. 1 team after last year’s championship run, while defending champ Florida is already learning how tough it is to stay on top.

It’s that sweet spot in the sports calendar — one season nearing its crescendo, another just tuning up. Let’s dive into both.

Letter Rip!

< CFB >

Week 12 AP Poll

For the first ten weeks of college football, teams played musical chairs in the AP poll (except Ohio State, of course). But lately, things have finally started to settle. For the third straight week, the top five have held their ground, as Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Georgia all notched wins to strengthen their playoff resumes. 

The ACC, however, continues to live in chaos. This week was no different: Cal outlasted No. 14 Louisville in overtime, while Wake Forest stunned No. 12 Virginia with a major upset.

Down south, the SEC remains as tight as ever. Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss have emerged as the clear frontrunners, but there’s still plenty of volatility beneath them. Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Texas each sit with two losses — still within striking distance if the cards fall their way.

While the Big Ten can claim the nation’s top two with Ohio State and Indiana, the SEC continues to dominate in depth, boasting eight ranked teams overall — five of which sit in the top ten.

AP Top 25

1. Ohio State (🟰)

2. Indiana (🟰)

3. Texas A&M (🟰)

4. Alabama (🟰)

5. Georgia (🟰)

6. Ole Miss (⬆️1)

7. Oregon (⬇️1)

8. Texas Tech (⬆️1)

9. Notre Dame (⬆️1)

10. Texas (⬆️3)

11. Oklahoma (🟰)

12. BYU (⬇️4)

13. Vanderbilt (⬆️2)

14. Georgia Tech (⬆️2)

15. Utah (⬆️2)

16. Miami (⬆️2)

17. USC (⬆️3)

18. Michigan (⬆️3)

19. Louisville (⬇️5)

20. Virginia (⬇️8)

21. Tennessee (⬆️2)

22. Cincinnati (⬆️3)

23. Pittsburgh (previously unranked)

24. James Madison (previously unranked)

25. USF (previously unranked)

Week 12 Matchups

Clemson at #19 Louisville (LOU -3.5)

#9 Notre Dame at #23 Pittsburgh (ND -11.5)

Arizona at #22 Cincinnati (CIN -6.5)

#11 Oklahoma at #4 Alabama (ALA -6.5)

#20 Virginia at Duke (DUKE -6.5)

Iowa at #17 USC (USC -6.5)

#15 Utah at Baylor (UTAH -7.5)

#10 Texas at #5 Georgia (UGA -6.5)

TCU at #12 BYU (BYU -5.5)

< NCAA >

College Hoops are Here

I know, I know — it’s way too early in the college basketball season for rankings to mean much. March is still a distant thought, and there’s plenty of basketball to be played before then. But still, it’s nice to have a starting point.

Houston opens the season at No. 1 after last year’s run to the National Championship game. Meanwhile, the reigning champion Florida Gators took an early tumble, dropping in the polls after a brutal late-game loss to Arizona in their season opener.

Beyond that, the rankings feature the usual suspects — most of the blue-bloods are right where you’d expect them. But as history reminds us, early-season rankings are more about entertainment than accuracy. Just look at the Week 1 college football rankings compared to where things stand now. Still, it’ll be fun to see how these early impressions hold up once Selection Sunday rolls around.

Week 2 AP Top 25

1. Houston (⬆️1)

2. Purdue (⬇️1)

3. UConn (⬆️1)

4. Duke (⬆️2)

5. Arizona (⬆️8)

6. Michigan (⬆️1)

7. BYU (⬆️1)

8. Alabama (⬆️7)

9. Kentucky (🟰)

10. Florida (⬇️7)

11. Texas Tech (⬇️1)

12. Louisville (⬇️1)

13. St. John’s (⬇️8)

14. Illinois (⬆️3)

15. UCLA (⬇️3)

16. Iowa State (🟰)

17. Michigan State (⬆️5)

18. North Carolina (⬆️7)

19. Gonzaga (⬆️2)

20. Tennessee (⬇️2)

21. Arkansas (⬇️7)

22. Auburn (⬇️2)

23. Creighton (🟰)

24. Wisconsin (🟰)

25. Kansas (⬇️6)