College Football Power Rankings, Week 11: The perils of SEC play

The top team in the nation showed some vulnerability on Saturday, but Mississippi State was able to eventually flex its muscles and do away with Arkansas to remain atop the rankings.

A win for Auburn in Oxford helped the Tigers leapfrog both Alabama and Florida State to reach the second spot in the rankings. While a second consecutive loss by Ole Miss wasn't enough to knock the Rebels out of the top 10, they did drop four spots for the second week in a row. However, the selection committee may not be as kind when they release their next set of rankings on Tuesday.

Georgia's disappointing home loss to Florida pushed the team down seven spots to No. 17. Meanwhile, Arizona State's win in the wee hours of the morning didn't go unnoticed as the Sun Devils climbed five spots.

How the results are calculated: Five editors submit their own rankings, and, like the AP poll, every first-place vote is worth 25 points, each second-place vote is worth 24, and so on. Voting is not based simply on performance, but other external factors, such as injuries to key players and strength of schedule. theScore's ranking is listed first, with last week's ranking in brackets. Unless otherwise indicated, all rankings are theScore's, as voted on by our staff. 

Without further ado, here are the only rankings you should care about:

1. MISSISSIPPI STATE (1)
Given the wins it has already accumulated, Mississippi State deserves a pass for having a bit of trouble getting by a scrappy Arkansas squad. The Bulldogs find themselves having trouble getting up for some lesser opponents, but they'll need to be sure to get things figured out in advance of a showdown with Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
NEXT GAME: vs. UT Martin on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET

2. AUBURN (4)
Auburn's compiled some good wins this season, with the lone blemish on its record coming against the team currently sitting atop the national rankings. Winning in Oxford in what was effectively an elimination game on Saturday shows that this team isn't going away. Mississippi State and Auburn both winning out looks to be the clearest path the SEC has to multiple playoff teams.
NEXT GAME: vs. Texas A&M on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET

T3. FLORIDA STATE (3)
The Seminoles were far from perfect against Louisville last Thursday, but Jameis Winston's uncanny ability to rally his team back from any deficit will almost surely get the Seminoles into the playoff. There don't appear to be many speed bumps remaining on the schedule, with three of their four remaining regular-season games coming in Tallahassee.
NEXT GAME: vs. Virginia on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET

T3. ALABAMA (2)
Coming off a blowout of Texas A&M and an emotional victory against Tennessee (for Lane Kiffin anyway), Alabama can cement its place as the second-best team in the SEC with a win over LSU, and perfectly set the stage for its game against No. 1 Mississippi State. But as Les Miles has said before, "Death Valley (is) where dreams go to die."
NEXT GAME: at LSU on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET

5. OREGON (5)
Marcus Mariota's masterful performance against Stanford's stout defense cemented his place as one of college football's best players. With the Ducks in control of the Pac-12 North, it's hard to believe that Oregon won't be playoff-bound come December.  
NEXT GAME: at Utah on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET

6. MICHIGAN STATE (9)
Winners of their last six games, the Spartans have yet to lose since playing Oregon way back in September. A must-win game against the Buckeyes will make or break their shot at a Big Ten title and a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff.  
NEXT GAME: vs. Ohio State on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET

MICHIGAN STATE'S PLAYOFF FATE AT STAKE VS. OHIO STATE
Despite an early blip against Oregon in Week 2, Michigan State has been on cruise control. But with only four weeks left in the schedule and one more significant matchup, time is running out. The Spartans have earned the respect of AP and CFP voters, but at this point, respect isn't enough for a spot in the national top-four. When Michigan State hosts Ohio State this week, consider it the final opportunity for both teams to showcase their value. The Buckeyes will head to East Lansing with some swagger, ranked fourth nationally in offense, 14th in rushing yards and 17th in points against. Meanwhile, Michigan State is 17th, fifth and 22nd in those categories, respectively. So far this season the only significant win for the Spartans has been over Nebraska, leaving them 1-1 in key games. The polls have no mercy for two-loss teams, so if Michigan State wants a shot at glory, it needs to take care of business now. 
- George Halim

7. TCU (T6)
A statement win over Texas Tech saw a lot of detractors suddenly get in the Horned Frogs' corner. A sloppy victory in Morgantown on Saturday in a game that featured a combined seven turnovers didn't do TCU, or the Big 12, any favors. Saturday's game against Kansas State is TCU's last chance to impress the selection committee with a soft schedule the rest of the way.
NEXT GAME: vs. Kansas State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET

8. NOTRE DAME (8)
Everett Golson accounted for six touchdowns in the Fighting Irish's win over Navy, and with upcoming matchups against Arizona State, Louisville and USC, Notre Dame figures to be playing for its playoff life until the bitter end.    
NEXT GAME: at Arizona State on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET

9. KANSAS STATE (11)
Kansas State's stout defense will be put to the test against TCU on Saturday in a matchup that will teach us what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. The Wildcats fared well when Auburn came to town, but a trip out to Fort Worth will be a whole different animal.
NEXT GAME: at TCU on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET

KANSAS STATE'S OFFENSE NEEDS TO SHIFT INTO HIGH GEAR
Coming into this week's Big 12 matchup against No. 7 TCU, the question on everyone's mind is whether or not Kansas State will have enough firepower to keep up with the Horned Frogs' high-octane offense. Quarterback Jake Waters and the Wildcats offense may be averaging just over 38 points per game, but that number has been inflated by blowout wins against S.F. Austin, UTEP and Texas Tech. Simply put, they'll need to put up points in bunches if they hope to pull off the upset. If there's one thing the Wildcats have proven this season it's that they know how to play defense. Kansas State has yet to give up more than 30 points in a game this season and the Wildcats will need to be at their best against a TCU team that has only failed to score fewer than 37 points twice this season. - Sean Tepper

10. OLE MISS (T6)
Heartbreaking would be the only word that could describe the Rebels' loss to Auburn. Not only did Ole Miss's second consecutive loss put a wrench into its playoff hopes, but Laquon Treadwell's gruesome leg injury is sure to take a mental toll on the team, as well as drastically impact the way Hugh Freeze runs his offense going forward.  
NEXT GAME: vs. Presbyterian on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET

T11. BAYLOR  (12)
Coming off an embarrassing upset loss to West Virginia, Baylor took its anger out on Kansas in a 60-14 blowout win. If there's one thing the Bears know how to do, it's put up points in bunches. Bryce Petty and co. will need to be firing on all cylinders if they hope to leave Norman with a win on Saturday when they take on Big 12 rival Oklahoma.   
NEXT GAME: at Oklahoma on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET

T11. ARIZONA STATE (16)
It may not have been pretty, but Arizona State's overtime win over Utah put the Sun Devils in a great position to make the College Football Playoff should they win-out the rest of the way. With upcoming games against Oregon State and Washington State, we wouldn't be surprised if Todd Graham is already game-planning his team's Nov. 28 matchup against Arizona. 
NEXT GAME: vs. Notre Dame on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET

13. OHIO STATE (13)
This is the game Urban Meyer has had circled on his calendar since last December when Michigan State ended Ohio State's chances of a BCS title shot. The Buckeyes have yet to play a team anywhere near as good as the Spartans, but have had ample time to prepare for a game that will see one team's playoff aspirations come to an end.  
NEXT GAME: at Michigan State on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET

14. LSU (14)
Coming off a bye week, LSU has had more than enough time to prepare for Alabama's arrival in Baton Rouge. Sure, the Tigers will likely have to muster up more than 10 points of offense to win this one, but Les Miles must like his team's chances of pulling off the feat in front of what is sure to be a rowdy home crowd.
NEXT GAME: vs. Alabama on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET

WHY NOT LSU?
LSU couldn't defend Tiger Stadium when Mississippi State came to town, and laid a big fat egg at Auburn. That being said, they also opened the year with a good win over Wisconsin, and have a chance to knock off Alabama on Saturday. If the Tigers can overcome the Crimson Tide, will we still be alright with writing off a two-loss LSU squad which has only dropped games to two of the top three teams in the country? The Tigers currently rank fourth in the nation in scoring defense, and are churning out 225.7 yards per game on the ground. A win over Alabama in Baton Rouge would have to re-open the conversation about putting a two-loss team in the inaugural College Football Playoff. - Gino Bottero

15. NEBRASKA (15)
With upcoming games against Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, the Cornhuskers find themselves in college football's version of purgatory. There's little hope for Bo Pelini's squad to make the playoffs, but winning-out the rest of the way and a Big Ten title would be a huge improvement for a team that finished with a 9-3 record last season, and give them an outside shot at climbing into the national top-four.
NEXT GAME: at Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 15 at TBD

16. OKLAHOMA (19)
There was a general consensus at the beginning of this season that Oklahoma's upcoming game against Baylor would decide the Big 12 championship and possibly even a spot in the College Football Playoff. With two losses beside their name, that is no longer the case for the Sooners, who will have to beat the Bears just to stay relevant.    
NEXT GAME: vs. Baylor on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET

17. GEORGIA (10)
Losing to an unranked team is a tough pill to swallow, but losing to Florida is downright embarrassing. Georgia will look to rebound in a big way against Kentucky before taking on Auburn in what is now a must-win game. 
NEXT GAME: at Kentucky on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET

18. UTAH (17)
Quarterback Travis Wilson looked awful against Arizona State, and with two losses and Marcus Mariota coming to town, Utah's playoff hopes have gone the way of the dinosaur. 
NEXT GAME: vs. Oregon on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET

19. CLEMSON (22)
Clemson has won five straight since losing to Florida State in overtime. The Tigers have had a week to plan out how they will go about embarrassing a lousy Wake Forest squad on the road.
NEXT GAME: at Wake Forest on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET

20. WEST VIRGINIA (20)
A last-minute TCU field goal may have seen West Virginia's Cinderella run for a Big 12 title come to an end, but with close games against some of college football's elite teams, the Mountaineers have a lot to be proud of.
NEXT GAME: at Texas on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET

21. UCLA (N/A)
Brett Hundley looked good as both a thrower and a runner against Arizona as the Bruins have now swept the state of Arizona in 2014. They will still have to win-out and hope for an Arizona State loss for a chance to play in the Pac-12 title game. 
NEXT GAME: at Washington on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET

22. DUKE (T24)
Duke is in line to take on Florida State in the ACC title game. With games against the likes of Syracuse, Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Wake Forest, it looks likely we'll see a rematch of last season's one-sided affair.
NEXT GAME: at Syracuse on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET

T23. MARSHALL (T24)
Say what you want about the quality of Conference USA, but the Thundering Herd are a perfect 8-0 and are showing no signs of slowing down. With upcoming games against Southern Mississippi, UAB, Rice and Western Kentucky, Marshall has a really good chance of finishing the year undefeated. 
NEXT GAME: at Southern Mississippi on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET

MARSHALL AND THE NO GOOD, VERY BAD SCHEDULE
For all the criticism they receive, the Thundering Herd have looked good this season. Marshall ranks third in the nation in scoring and seventh in scoring defense. Standout quarterback Rakeem Cato has done all that's been asked of him and more. But in a year that Marshall could have possibly made some noise, the team is being done in by a comically weak schedule. While programs across the country are rethinking how they will attack their schedule in the new College Football Playoff era, the Thundering Herd's 2014 slate will serve as a cautionary tale. - Gino Bottero

T23. ARIZONA (18)
Freshman Anu Solomon's poor performance against the Bruins has the Wildcats in danger of slipping out of the Pac-12 South race altogether, but with games against Colorado, Utah and Arizona State still on tap, there's still time for Arizona to turn things around.   
NEXT GAME: vs. Colorado on Saturday at 8 p.m.

T25. WISCONSIN (N/A)
Between running backs Melvin Gordon and Corey Clement, the Badgers have arguably the most talented backfield in college football, but even if they manage to win the Big Ten, they are a long shot to make the playoffs.   
NEXT GAME: at Purdue on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET

T25. MISSOURI (T24)
As the biggest beneficiaries of Georgia's embarrassing loss to Florida, the Tigers now find themselves in control of the SEC East and will have a week to prepare for their Nov. 15 matchup against Texas A&M. 
NEXT GAME: at Texas A&M on Saturday, Nov. 15 at TBD

theScore's NCAAF power rankings will be released every Monday during the regular college season. This week's edition was voted on by Gino Bottero, Patrick Cwiklinski, Joseph Czikk, George Halim and Sean Tepper. The full vote count is paired with the rankings below.

Other teams receiving votes: Louisville (7), East Carolina (1)